Stalingrad Bf.110 W.Nr.4240

[Sebastien]

Hello everyone.
Today we found this piece of aircraft body there is werk nummer 4240.
I can't find information about this aircraft. May you help me?

Thanks

[Willmore]

Hello Sebastien.

I can't help that much, but from the Werknummer it looks like this aircraft was probably the BF110D-3 model.

Messerschmitt Bf 110's

Kindregards,

Will.

[Witt]

Hello,

As Will suggested, it should correspond to a D-3 model. In what vicinity of Stalingrad was it found? The handful of archives containing Luftwaffe losses have no trace of this craft. We might be able to uncover it from someones private archive with a little more information.

[Sebastien]

In the Russian military forum I was informed that this plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and it landed on the fuselage, September 4, 1942, in the square Qu 49113 (Ssamofalowka-Wertjatschij)

Bf.110 from 1./ ZG.1

[Paul D]

Another great find Andrey !!

[Witt]

I am very surprised by the fact that I can report new information about this craft. I inquired about it elsewhere and a guy in England who has interviewed many veterans of Zerstörergeschwader 1 had information on this. Bf-110 D-3 W.Nr.4240 coded (S9+OH) belonged to 1. Staffel of ZG1 was brought down by a direct hit from flak on 4 September 1942. It crashed 4.5km southeast of Solotoj Rog. He does not know the crew or the casualties sustained during the crash. Often these planes conducted low level strafing to open corridors that German troops could use to escape the cauldron. He says that the planes would land to refuel and rearm only to return over Stalingrad and see the cauldron would always be resealed.