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11.07.1940 2./KG55 Heinkel He 111H Wnr.2648 Ofw. Slotosch location: East Beach, Selsey, near Chichester, Sussex, England.
Mission: Attack on Portsmouth dockyards, England.

Date: 11th July 1940

Time: 6.15 p.m.

Unit: 2 Staffel./Kampfgeschwader 55

Type: Heinkel He 111H

Werke Nr.2648

Coded: G1 + LK

Location: East Beach, Selsey, S of Chichester, Sussex, England.

Pilot: Oberfeldwebel. Erich Slotosch 67016/65 - POW.

Observer: Oberleutnant. Siegfried Schweinhagen 67016/4 - POW.

Radio/Op: Feldwebel. Herbert Steiner 67016/66 - POW.

Flt/Engineer: Oberfeldwebel. Hans Schlueter 67016/59 - Killed.

Gunner: Unteroffizier. Wilhelm Mueller 67016/49 - Killed.

REASON FOR LOSS:


This aircraft was attacked and shot down by the following pilots; P/O Lord R. U. P. Kay-Shuttleworth and P/O E. C. J. Wakeham of No.145 Squadron during sortie to attack Portsmouth dockyards. Aircraft forced-landed in flames and burned out below the high water mark at East Beach. S/Ldr J. R. A. Peel (Hurricane P3400) was hit by return fire from the Heinkel and ditched off Selsey Bill and was rescued semi-conscious by Selsey lifeboat. Oblt. Schweinhagen, Ofw. Slotosch and Fw. Steiner were all captured wounded. Uffz. Mueller died on his way to hospital and Ofw. Schlueter died of his wounds the same day.

1 RAF personnel examine the wreck of Heinkel He 111H G1+LK
The wreck of Siegfried Schweinhagen's He 111 at East Beach, Selsey. (IWM)


2 Civilians and RAF personnel search through the burnt-out remains of a Heinkel He 111 which crashed on a south coast beach, 11 July 1940
Another view of the wrecked aircraft (IWM)


3 The rear fuselage shot down by PO Wakeham and PO Lord Shuttleworth of No. 145 Squadron, 11 July 1940
The rear fuselage is seen riddled with .303 strikes (IWM)


4 11.07.40 He 111 Wnr.2648  Ofw. Slotosch KG55
R.A.F. personnel showing damaged machine guns amongst the wrecked tail section (Fox)


5 Wilhelm MÃ…ller 11.07.40 KG55ccc6 Schluter 110740
Grave of Walter Mueller (Brownless)
cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Grave of Hans Schlueter (Ellis)cccc



Burial details:

Walter Mueller and Hans Schlueter have not been reinterred at Cannock Chase and still rest in St Andrew's Churchyard, Tangmere.

Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless with thanks also to Clive Ellis for his contribution, April 2012, updated August 2013.