1st March 1941

On the night of the 1st March 1941, a small dinghy was rowed ashore at Melrose, Head of Gardens, east of MacDuff, Banffshire. Paddling were the crew of a downed German bomber, a He 111 H-5 of Kg26. The pilot, Oblt Hatto Kühn, had ditched following an attack on a convoy east of Troup Head, where following an unsuccessful bombing run, return fire had damaged the aircraft's port engine.

Unable to gain height and with high ground ahead, Kühn had little option to ditch the plane and make for the shore.

sources :

Luftwaffe Over Scotland by Les Taylor (erroneously states the bomber was on He 115 and came down at Whitewalls)

The Air Attack on Convoys EN79 and WN91, Saturday, 1 March 1941 (mv Atheltemplar , ss Tewkesbury , & ss Forthbank ) by Bernard de Neumann (online)

The Press and Journal 13th August 1977

Admiralty’s War Diary for 1-15th March 1941 (online)

Torpedos Los! Rudi Schmidt (published 1986 in German)

www.naval-history.net

In 1975 parts of the plane, including one engine were recovered from the wreck. The engine went to Strathallan Air Museum. The museum unfortunately closed in 1988 and its collection dispersed.

In 1977 Hatto Kühn returned to Banffshire, and was presented with parts of the aircraft and taken to spot where his plane went down, and where he was captured.

He also met ex-Chief Constable George I Strath who 36 years previously had detained him and his crew when they came ashore.

Any additional information or corrections are welcome. contact@banffshirethings.uk

Version 1.4 11.7.26 (rewrite)

Once ashore the crew were apprehended by the local constabulary and taken to Banff where they were held overnight, before before being transported to London and subsequently to prison of war camps.