Crash Site Heinkel He-111 6811

Heinkel HE-111 6811 6N+BH. No 1 Sqdn Kampfgruppe (KGr) 100. 6 November 1940.
Aircraft crash landed in the sea just off Eype beach thinking it was a French shingle beach after experiencing compass difficulties and British masking of radio beacons. 3 crewmen waded ashore, but Otto Paul died when he was swept out to sea. The aircraft was carrying a X-Gerat radio known as 'Wotan 1' for precision bombing which was eventually recovered from the aircraft. This radio set, although waterlogged, was the first recovered and enabled to British scientists under R.V. Jones to design countermeasures which led to the Germans dropping their bombload short of its target.
Some of the wreckage remained visible after the war and two 500 Kg bombs were dredged up in the area by fishing boats.

Crew:
Feldwebel Hans Lehman, Pilot. POW. Wounded
Feldwebel Otto Paul. Observer. Killed in Action. Initially buried in Eype cemetery with full military honours but later relocated to Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery.
Oberfeldwebel. Ludwig Meyhofer, Radio Operator. POW. Wounded
Feldwebel Heinz Bitter. Gunner. POW.

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