ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 227004
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| Date: | Tuesday 23 June 1942 |
| Time: | 20:20 LT |
| Type: |  Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-3 |
| Owner/operator: | III./JG 2 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | 135313 |
| MSN: | weisse < + I |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Location: | RAF Pembrey aerodrome, Carmarthenshire, Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Cherbourg-Maupertus airfield, France |
Mission: Attack on Croydon aerodrome, London, England.
Pilot: Oberleutnant. Armin Faber. 57004/? – Captured.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off with several other aircraft to attack twelve Spitfires over Morlaix and Lannion, France which were escorting a bomber force. Pursuing the attacking force back across the Channel having become engaged in a dog-fight over the channel in which he shot down two Spitfires, this pilot became totally lost and with fuel running low, having broken his back in a previous flying accident, spotted an aerodrome and made a wheels down landing before taxiing over to the Watch Office and surrendering to the duty pilot.
Markings: 4" white band edged with black around the fuselage, just in front of the tail unit. Crest; a black cock's head, with a yellow beak with a red comb and wattle. Prior to his last flight the pilot had claimed four victories. The pilot was the Adjutant of III/JG 2.
Oblt. Armin Faber. (Net).
Faber’s Focke Wulf pictured at RAF Pembrey shortly after landing (IWM).
Captured Focke Wulf Fw 190A-3 Wnr.5313 now repainted and reserialled as MP499, taxiing at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough (IWM).
Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless with special thanks to the IWM and Nigel Parker.
Details:
On June 23, 1942, Oberleautnant Armin Fabar was the Gruppen-Adjutant to the commander of III Fighter Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG-2), based in Morlaix on the north coast of Brittany. He was given special permission to fly a combat mission with 7 Staffel. Flying the Focke-Wulf 190 fighter. These planes had only recently arrived with front line units and were seen as superior to the then Spitfire 2’s and even the Vb’s. The new arrival had the RAF in such turmoil that they even considered a Commando raid to capture one. So, Operation ‘Air thief’ was given evaluation time to see if it could be done. Captain Philip Pinckney of ‘E’ Troop, No.12 Commando was given the job.
(The following is taken from Capt Pinckney’s letter to OC 12 RM Commando).
MOST SECRET AND URGENT
“Sir, I understand that as a matter of great urgency and importance, a Focke Wulf 190 is required in this country. I attach a proposal for procuring one of these aircraft. I have the honour to request that this, my application to be allowed to undertake the operation described, may be forwarded as rapidly as possible through the correct channels to the Chief of Combined Operations. I further propose that the pilot to accompany me should be Mr Jeffery Quill. Who is a close friend of mine and as a well known test pilot of fighter aircraft? He is well qualified to bring back the aircraft. He is also young, active, a yachtsman and a man in every way suitable to carry out the preliminary approach by land and sea.
If Mr Quill cannot be allowed to undertake this operation, then perhaps a substitute could be made available from the Free French Forces? I am most anxious to be allowed to volunteer for this operation.
I have the honour to be, Sir your obedient servant.
(Signed)
P. H. Pinckmey 23rd June w1942.
Detailed planning began, the target airfield was at Cherbourg-Maupertus. The method of deployment was by fast patrol boat of the Royal Navy. Manpower was Capt’ Pinckney and F/O Quill. The letter and mission details were submitted on the very same day Armin Faber made his mistake!
F/O Jeffery Quill made the following statement after the wars end.
“Provided we could get to the aircraft with its engine running, get the German airman out of the cockpit dead or alive and get me into it, I thought I had a 50-50 chance of getting back to England. As to the early part of the operation, I was not qualified to have a view and I was guided entirely by Philip who seemed very confident. I would just have done what he said. He was obviously relying on stealth and perhaps we might just have got away with it. Philip was always very evasive about his own plans for getting back. I had a splendid way of getting back by air, but it was a very different kettle of fish for him. But he was very resourceful and might well have made it one way or another, provided I had got the aircraft off the airfield without too much hue and cry. Anyway, it was all a non-event as it turned out and I think he was bitterly disappointed when it was called off. I am afraid that I had the sense that he was quite cross with the German pilot for landing in Wales1”
On the 30th of May 1942 Alois Vasatko was promoted to Wing Commander and was placed in charge of the three Czech squadrons that make up the ‘Exeter Wing’. His first operational ‘Ramrod’ took place on the 5th of June, there followed another on the 10th, Ramrod 23. However, when the force of three Spitfire squadrons and a squadron of Bostons reached the enemy side of the English Channel there was extremely bad weather with zero chance of finding the target, the decision to abord was made!
23rd of June, Ramrod 23 was back on with the three Czech squadrons, 310, 312 and 313 were escorts to No.107 Boston medium bombers.
310 Czech Sqn 12 x Spitfire Vb. Radio code ‘NN’
AD338 ‘Blue 1’ S/Ldr F Dolezal. 1 x Fw-190 damaged.
AR343 ‘Blue 2’ Sgt A Skach.
AD374 ‘Red 1’ F/Lt B Kimlicka. 1 x Fw-190 Destroyed. Into sea.
AD582 ‘Red 2’ Sgt M Petr.
AD328 ‘Yellow 1’ W/O J Skirka.
AD365 ‘Yellow 2’ Sgt A Stanex.
AD542 ‘White 1’ F/Lt E Foix. 1x Fw-190 Destroyed. Crashed into the sea.
BL579 ‘White 2’ Sgt L Valeusek.
AD366 ‘Blue 3’ F/Lt F Burda.
BL923 ‘Blue 4’ F/O J Hartman.
BL591 ‘Green 1’ F/Lt V Chocholin.
BM400 ‘Green2’ F/Lt H Hrbacek.
2 x Spitfires held on notice. Scrambled when the force was approaching the English coast along with elements of 312 squadron.
BL517 ‘Black 1’ F/Sgt F Trejtnar. ‘NN-E’ Shot down by Fw-190.
BL612 ‘Black 2’ P/O Strihauka. Ground accident.
# P/O Strihauka and F/Sgt Trejtnar were scrambled along with Spitfires of 312 squadron, Strihauka was in his Spitfire waiting to move when a Spitfire of 312 squadron piloted by F/Sgt Mares collided into him, rendering BL612 out of action. F/Sgt Trejtnar took off and with the other Spitfires, RV’d with the incoming force and straight away became involved with the dog fights that were taking place. He saw a Fw-190 above, flying north at 10,000 feet. He attempted to gain height and catch up but to no avail before the E/A became lost to him in cloud. He got to 18,000 feet when north of Exeter he saw the Fw-190 1,000 feet above and still flying north. He tried again to catch up but was still unable, when the E/A suddenly conducted a climbing turn and came back at Trejtnar with guns flashing, Trejtnar also opened up with his two 20mm cannon and four .303 Mg’s, but he didn’t see any hits, only the tracer’s flying above and below the E/A engine and wings. Trejtnar however took hits on his Starboard wing and Starboard side of the cockpit, injuring the Czech with shell splinters taking hits into his right arm. BL517 went into a spin that became unrecoverable, Trejtnar took to his parachute at 5,000 feet, he watched his Spitfire hit the ground and explode below him, at Black Dog village in Devon, he landed badly and fractured his right leg. Looking up he saw the Fw-190 circle one and a half times and flew off in a northerly direction, gradually loosing height. (This was Armin Faber). #
312 Czech Sqn 12 x Spitfire Vb. Radio code ‘DU’.
AB939 ‘Yellow 2’ Sgt Motycka.
AD572 ‘Red’ F/O F Perina. Observed a Spitfire crash into the sea off Start Point.
BL260 P/O Novak.
AA970 F/L Kaslik.
BL289 ‘Blue’ F/L Vybiral.
BL487 ‘Blue 2’ Sgt Novotny.
BL343 ‘Blue 3’ F/L K Kasal. Hit by Fw-190, Cat’A, Pilot injured. (Observed the crash of BM592)
AA970 Sgt Ruprecht. Damaged by Fw-190, accident on landing, Cat’B. Pilot safe. (Observed the crash of BM592).
BL340 ‘Black’ F/Sgt Sticks.
BL254 Sgt Ossendorf.
BM592 O/C wing W/Co A Vasatkos DFC. Collided with the Fw-190, completely slicing off its tail whilst the Focke Wulf propeller had in turn cut into the Spitfire killing the Czech instantly, both aircraft ploughed into the water off Start Point. The Luftwaffe pilot, Unteroffizier Wilhelm Reuschling saw that they were only 150 feet so quickly jettisoned the canopy and undid his seat straps and was thrown out of the wreck, almost immediately he pulled the rip chord and just as the chut deployed, he hit the water and rescued soon after, taken POW.
R7158 O/C No.2 Sgt Mayer. Saw Vasatkos crash into the sea no survivors.
313 Czech Sqn 12 x Spitfire Vb Radio code ‘RY’.
BM424 F/L Raba.
P8709 Sgt Rlouzelc.
BM295 P/O Prihoda 1 x Fw-190 Destroyed into sea.
BL819 Sgt Herak.
P8324 F/Sgt Cap.
W3965 Sgt Vendl.
RM419 S/Ldr Mrasek. 1 x Fw-190 Damaged.
BM273 F/Sgt Vgvrinek.
EP109 F/O Hechmal.
AR428 Sgt Prerest.
AR432 P/O Kusera.
AA751 Sgt Dehnal.
107 RAF 6 x Douglas Boston III. Radio code ‘OH’.
Z2286 W/Co L A Lynn. Pilot.
F/O W A J Pike. Obs’.
Sgt F C Twidell. Wop/Ag.
P/O G W Slater. Ag.
AL747 P/O R A Bance. Pilot.
Sgt A Western Obs’.
Sgt R F Bate. Wop/Ag.
Sgt E R Edwards RCAF. Ag.
# Damaged by flak over target, starboard engine KO. A/C brought back at low level with Spitfires of 310 escorting, landed at Exeter. No injuries.
AL284 Sgt R A Russell RCAF. Pilot.
Sgt Schofield RNZAF. Obs’.
Sgt J E Percival. Wop/Ag.
AL296 F/Lt R J McLachlan. Pilot
Sgt S R Adams. Obs’.
Sgt P. Brady. Wop/Ag.
W8273 P/O J A Allen. Pilot.
Sgt C Mathews. Obs.
Sgt C Jones. Wop/Ag.
Sgt J G Little RCAF. Ag.
Z2262 P/O P K Burnley. Pilot.
P/O Besford. Obs.
Sgt C D Forrest. Wop/Ag.
Sgt S T Smith RCAF. Ag.
# Damaged by Fw-190.
Squadron successfully found and bombed the enemy airfield at Morlaix, dropping:
12 x 500lbs H.E.
14 Containers of 40lbs bomblets H.E.
Hits observed in and around the hangers and craters on grass strip. Flak was recorded as heavy and quite accurate on approach, over airfield and exit to coast.
Ramrod 23 Casualty Statement:
‘Our casualties’.
W/Co Vasatko DFC. Shot down/missing.
1 x Spitfire Vb Destroyed. Pilot safe.
1 x Spitfire Vb Damaged. Cat’B’. Pilot safe.
‘Enemy Casualties’.
3 x Fw-190 Destroyed. Pilots killed.
1 x Fw-190 Damaged. Pilot (unknown).
Ober/Lt A Faber & Fw-190 Captured. POW.
Utzr W Reuschling. POW.
III/Jagdgerschwader 2 Luftwaffe.
7th Staffel was scrambled to intercept a force of six Boston light bombers of 107 squadron RAF, returning from a bombing mission. the American built Douglas Boston III’s were escorted by three Czech squadrons.
A fight developed over the English Channel with the escorting Spitfires, during which Faber was being chased by Sgt František Trejtnar. In his efforts to shake off the Spitfire, Faber flew north over Exeter in Devon. After much high-speed manoeuvring, Faber, with only one cannon working, pulled an Immelmann turn into the sun and shot down his pursuer in a head-on attack.
Trejnar bailed out.
The victorious Faber had another problem entirely, though he was unaware of it at the time. He had mistaken The Bristol Channel for The English Channel, and flew north into south Wales, thinking it was northern France! Finding the nearest airfield – RAF Pembrey. Faber prepared to land. Observers on the ground ‘could not believe their eyes’ as Faber waggled his wings in a victory celebration, lowered the undercarriage and landed. Faber expected to be greeted with open arms by his German brothers, but was instead greeted by the Duty Pilot, Sgt Matthews, pointing a flare gun at his face (he had no other weapon to hand). Faber was taken away minus his pistol to the officer’s mess where he was given food and drink while he awaited the arrival of the Station OC of RAF Fairwood Common. (Faber was ‘so despondent that he attempted suicide’ unsuccessfully on a few occasions while incarcerated.)
Faber was later driven to RAF Fairwood Common for interrogation under the escort of Group Captain David Atcherley. Atcherley, fearful of an escape attempt, kept his revolver pointed towards his prisoner for the entire journey with the other hand driving the car. At one point the car hit a pothole, causing the weapon to go off, dispatching a 9mm round into the passenger door next to an astonished German! Seeing just how terrified Faber was. Atcherely put his pistol away for the duration of the journey. They arrived at Fairwood airfield without any further incident, and they were ushered into the Officers Quarters at Kilvrough Manor, where apparently a party was in full swing until the early hours of the following morning. Armin Faber was given a room and bed and later the following afternoon the RAF Police arrived to take him into custody and eventual incarceration as a POW in Canada. Towards the end of the war, he was taken ill and repatriated to Germany.
Crew:
Oblt Armin Faber 25yo Luftwaffe. Captured
Wreckage:
49 years later Faber would visit the Shoreham Aircraft Museum, where parts of his FW-190 are displayed to this day, along with parts of the Spitfire that he shot down in the skies over Devon. He presented the Museum with his officer’s dagger and pilot’s badge.
Additional Information:
Fabers mistaken landing in Wales was a gift for The Allied Forces, a disaster for The Third Reich. He had inadvertently presented the RAF with one of the greatest prizes of the entire war – an intact example of the formidable Focke-Wulf 190 fighter plane, an aircraft the British had learned to fear and dread ever since it made its combat debut the previous year. Over the following months Faber’s plane was examined
Memorials:
W/Co Alois Vasatkos 83233 (Czech) RAF. Missing. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 64.
Sources:
Luftwaffe losses aircrewremembrancesociety3.com
http://ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20France.pdf
www.carmarthenshireherald.com
www,keymilitary.com
www.weaponsandwarfair.com
wwwdirkdeklein.net
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jul-2019 13:08 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 10-Dec-2019 18:55 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 10-Jun-2022 06:14 | Davies 62 | Updated [Source, Damage, Narrative] |
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