DETAILS OF INCIDENT
Joachim Schwarz and his crew of three took off in a Heinkel bomber from Leeuward in Holland at 23:00 hrs, on 24th June 1941. They flew across the North Sea, crossing the English coast near the Wash to lay mines in the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool. At 02:30 hrs the Heinkel was attacked by a Beaufighter of 25 Squadron from Catterick somewhere between the Wash and Liverpool and the starboard engine was put out of action, eventually the undercarriage dropped down increasing the drag so at 1,000 feet Joachim Schwarz gave the order to bail out, but by the time Joachim Schwarz bailed out the aircraft was too low for his parachute to open and he was killed. The three surviving members of the crew were subsequently captured.
The plane crashed in a farmer’s field at Lullington, South Derbyshire District, Derbyshire.

The Attack on Heinkel 111 5J-CD
The Beaufighter R2082 of 25 Squadron was flown by Pilot Officer D W Thompson, with Pilot Officer L D Britain acting as the airborne interception radar operator (A1). Pilot Officer Britain picked up the Heinkel almost halfway between Sheffield and Nottingham just under approximately 20,000 feet up and stalked the twin engine bomber for a quarter of an hour. Slowly, the Beaufighter crew crept up on their prey and then opened fire with their four 20 mm Hispano cannons located under the nose of the aircraft.

The RAF night fighter scored many hits on the hapless Heinkel. The cannon shells and machine gun bullets hit home with the same impact in energy terms as a broadside from a Royal Navy destroyer. The Heinkel’s starboard engine dissolved into flames and stopped working. A few minutes later, the bomber’s undercarriage fell out of its engine nacelles, increasing the plane’s drag enormously.
Immediately the bomber began to lose height rapidly, and as it plunged down to 1,000 feet, the pilot, Oberleutnant Schwarz, gave the order to the crew to bail out. He was killed, whilst the three surviving members of the crew were subsequently captured.
Pilot Officer D W Thompson died a few weeks later when his Beaufghter T4629 crashed near to 25 Squadron’s Base, he is buried in All Saint’s Church Wittering.

ENEMY ENGAGEMENT – 25/06/1941

Oberleutnant Joachim SCHWARZ (Luftwaffe) DIED – Pilot
Feldw Hurbert GLKOWSKI (Luftwaffe) Survived – Observer and Bomb-aimer
Gefetter Friedrich ERTZINGER (Luftwaffe) Survived – Wireless mechanic
Feldw Waldemar KOLLER (Luftwaffe) Survived – Mechanic