Junkers JU.88

10th November 1941

Damaged by AA fire from the Hunt Class Escort Destroyer HMS Quantock while attacking a convoy, the twin engined Junkers Ju.88 crashed on the rocky beach at Blea Wyke at 17:40. The four brave crewmen belonging to Küstenfliegergruppe 2./506 were all killed.

Pilot - Oblt Heinz Weber,

Observer - Obfhr Karl Schultze, Buried at Acklam Road Cemetery, Tornaby-on-Tees.

Wireless Opp - Obfw Werner Hanel, Buried at Acklam Road Cemetery, Tornaby-on-Tees.

Gunner - Uttz Artur Graber

Two of the crew were listed as missing. A body that washed up on 19th November near Stoupe Beck was believed to be that of one of the unfortunate airmen and was also buried at Acklam Road Cemetery.

Earlier in the same year two vessels were sunk by these attacks, the 362 ton "Balfron" (4th July 1941), and the 2477 ton "Beaumanior" (2nd February 1941). Some remains of this aircraft can still be found on the beach today, including the crankshaft of one of the Junkers Jumo 211 engines. Developed from 1936 for the JU-87, JU-88 and HE-111 aircraft, the 12 cylinder inverted "V" supercharged engine developed 1,210 HP and was renowned for it's reliability.

The other engine can be see in the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington near York.

HMS Quantock was laid down by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. of Greenock in Scotland in July 1939 and commissioned on 6th February 1941. She survived the war and on 18th October 1954 sold to the Ecuadorian Navy and renamed the "Presidente Alfaro".