Date: 11th July 1940
Time: 6.15 p.m.
Unit: 2 Staffel./Kampfgeschwader 55
Type: Heinkel He 111H
Werke Nr.2648
Coded: G1 + LK
Location: East Beach, Selsey, S of Chichester, Sussex, England.
Pilot: Oberfeldwebel. Erich Slotosch 67016/65 - POW.
Observer: Oberleutnant. Siegfried Schweinhagen 67016/4 - POW.
Radio/Op: Feldwebel. Herbert Steiner 67016/66 - POW.
Flt/Engineer: Oberfeldwebel. Hans Schlueter 67016/59 - Killed.
Gunner: Unteroffizier. Wilhelm Mueller 67016/49 - Killed.
REASON FOR LOSS:
This aircraft was attacked and shot down by the following pilots; P/O Lord R. U. P. Kay-Shuttleworth and P/O E. C. J. Wakeham of No.145 Squadron during sortie to attack Portsmouth dockyards. Aircraft forced-landed in flames and burned out below the high water mark at East Beach. S/Ldr J. R. A. Peel (Hurricane P3400) was hit by return fire from the Heinkel and ditched off Selsey Bill and was rescued semi-conscious by Selsey lifeboat. Oblt. Schweinhagen, Ofw. Slotosch and Fw. Steiner were all captured wounded. Uffz. Mueller died on his way to hospital and Ofw. Schlueter died of his wounds the same day.
The wreck of Siegfried Schweinhagen's He 111 at East Beach, Selsey. (IWM)
Another view of the wrecked aircraft (IWM)
The rear fuselage is seen riddled with .303 strikes (IWM)
R.A.F. personnel showing damaged machine guns amongst the wrecked tail section (Fox)
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Grave of Walter Mueller (Brownless)cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Grave of Hans Schlueter (Ellis)cccc
Burial details:
Walter Mueller and Hans Schlueter have not been reinterred at Cannock Chase and still rest in St Andrew's Churchyard, Tangmere.
Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless with thanks also to Clive Ellis for his contribution, April 2012, updated August 2013.