REASON FOR LOSS:

Aircraft starboard engine set alight in fighter attacks during sortie to bomb London. Dumped bombs blind when port engine set on fire in further attacks and aircraft abandoned by crew. Possibly that claimed by P/O M. Ferric of No.303 Squadron. Ju 88 crashed and burned out at Folly Farm, South Holmwood on Friday at 9.30 a.m. Uffz. Schumann and Uffz .Tenholt bailed out and captured unhurt. Uffz. Ackermann bailed out and captured wounded, Uffz. Menningmann bailed out but his parachute failed to open and he fell into the sewage beds at Leatherhead, tragically losing his life.

RAF A.I.1.(g) Report reads;

Crashed at Holmwood, map reference Q6084 on 27.09.40 at 09.30 hours. Only markings visible + H in black outlined in white on dark green. Reported to have crashed following fighter action. Aircraft was completely wrecked and lies buried in large crater. No armament found, but pilot protected by standard armour plate. All instruments destroyed.

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ccccccThe pilot Rudolf Schumann being taken by carcccccccccccccccc Soldiers with Schumann's parachutecccccc

Walter Schmidt from Ravensburg was also flying in another 2. Staffel Ju 88 as gunner and recounts the day;

I was a gunner on a Ju 88 of the 2. Staffel of KG77 which on the 27.09.40 took part in the raid. It was one of the most memorable acts of enemyaction that I took part in, of my 200 sorties from 1940-45. If I remember correctly, the target was a gas works in London. We were flying with eighteen machines of the first group in formation of two squadrons.

The approach height was about 5,300 m and the bomb release 5,100 m. At this height the warning came through the intercom of "fighters below right". As I glanced below and slightly to the left, I could see fighters myself. I Believe they had a big red circle on their wings without white. The green camouflage paint was very dark, by that we recognised the British fighters at once. They were flying about 200 m below us, against our flight direction. Then commenced the most hectic aerial combat I had experienced. WE were attacked by fighters without a break. Often I saw several aircraft at once being shot down in flames, with black or white smoke trailing, or like red torches.

The 3Z + HK broke in the middle at the point of the cross insignia. (In 1951 I met by accident, the observer of this plane and he informed me that they all escaped by parachute). One couldn't possibly observe everything. Our own fighters were more than likely too far behind and above. At this time, we were still under strong fighter attack. After a quick look round I saw several parachutes descending. Between the fighter attacks, I noticed to my horror that the release on my parachute harness, on which I was lying most of the time, had opened. It opens itself on a 90 degree turn and with light pressure and was now lying loose with the parachute on my back. Between single fighter actions, I managed to get my parachute operational again. Should it have been necessary to use my parachute in that condition, I would have had the same fate as comrade Menningmann, who fell out of his harness. In the meantime, both our squadrons were scattered all over the place and we returned home alone. After our return to base, we observed only nine aircraft returned from this action. The tenth Ju 88, managed to do an emergency landing on the Channel coast...

Burial details:

Uffz Menningmann was laid to rest at Leatherhead Cemetery and has not been reinterred at Cannock Chase.

Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless with special thanks to Walter Schmidt ex-KG77. August 2013.