Focke Wulf FW 190 A-8 Lutelandet, Sogn og Fjordane

12.Staffel III./JG 5 "Blue 5" WNr.732217 Ofw.Hein Birk(safe) 25.03 1945

This Sunday turned out to be a very busy day for The Banff Strike Wing and the fighters of JG 5, based at Herdla. A force of twenty two Mosquitos with an escort of twelve Mustangs got engaged in an air battle over Sognesjøen area. Two Mosquitos and one Mustang were shot down. Four FW's were lost. In addition one crashed at take off from Herdla. Ofw.Hein Birk, pilot of WNr.732217, managed to bail out and was rescued by the Germans from coastal fortress Lammetun. His FW 190 crashed on rocky terrain on shore at Lutelandet.

Losses of JG 5 in this air battle:

FW 190 A-8 12./III./ JG5 WNr.732075 ObLt.Fritz Kohrt (KIA). Shot down by S/L Ian Grahame Stewart (Mustang 65.Sqdn) and crashed in the sea.

FW 190 A-8 9./III./ JG5 WNr.737935 Weisse 1 OberLeutenant.Werner Gayko force landed at sea. The pilot was rescued by Norwegians.

FW 190 A-8 III./ JG5 WNr.350184 Fhr.Friedheim Büchler crashed in the sea at Marøy. Büchler bailed out and was rescued by Norwegians. His aircraft was raised from the sea at Rutledal in 1984.

In addition a FW 190 A-8 WNr.737943 got damaged by take off (45%) from Herdla.

Allied losses:

Mosquito 333 Sqdn RNAF G/333 Kapt.Lt.Knut Skavhaugen (KIA) and F/O Arnold Hannam Bobbet 22 (KIA)

Mosquito 248 Sqdn RAF V/248 F/Lt.Angus McLeod 23 (KIA) and W/O Francis Norman Wheeley. 22(KIA)

Mustang 65 Sqdn RAF S/L Ian Grahame Stewart 25 (KIA). Shot down by Uffz.Eberhard Lemmel.

Lutelandet Sogn og Fjordane 18.04 2007 ©kjell sørensen/ morten moe
Standing at the place of impact.