The airspace in Sønderjylland 1940-45

In Sønderjylland, the German invasion meant that the local airbases were taken over and used for training flights, which resulted in a number of emergency landings, where it is often mentioned that it was due to fuel shortages. Many of these emergency landings only resulted in material damage, but there are also reports of deaths due to friendly fire and the spectacular discovery of the headless pilot in 1983.

The airspace is also crossed by Allied aircraft, both on their route to bombing targets in Germany and on their way back after the operation. Some of the Allied aircraft that have been involved in air battles or have been hit by fire from FLAK batteries (Fliegerabwehrkanonen) do not make it back to their home base in England, resulting in a number of crashes and more or less violent forced landings and collisions. As for the Allied crews, all but two of the survivors ended up in German prison camps.

The close proximity to Germany results in miscalculated bombing by the Allies, affecting Haderslev, Over Jerstal, Smøl and not least Tønder, where the confusion with Niebüll resulted in 4 killed and 16 wounded. Sønderborg is subjected to bombing around Christian d. X's Bridge, but without much success. The village of Holm and the area around Dyvig and Mjels were exposed to bombs that were actually intended for Flensburg.

On 13 November 1943, 100 incendiary bombs are dropped on Rønshoved Strand Hotel, which at the time houses 60 children from bombed-out Hamburg, all their belongings are lost but fortunately only one child is injured.

Aircraft crashes and forced landings for allied and enemy aircraft are shown on the map.

Red aircraft icon means that none of the crew survived.
Yellow aircraft icon symbolises that there were both fatalities and survivors.
Green aircraft icon shows that the entire crew survived.
In addition, there are also markings for Allied memorials.

Open the map on the square in the top right corner and have the option to deselect information.

Information regarding the Allied aircraft and crew members and memorials is provided with a link to Airmen.dk, compiled by Anders Baadsgaard Straarup in Danish and English.

Data for aircraft and crew members from the German Luftwaffe is provided with a link to the English-language site, Airwar over Denmark by Søren Christian Flensted.

The two that got away

On 26 February 1945, a B-17 G bomber, also known as the Flying Fortress, is on its way home after a mission over Berlin when two of its four engines fail and the pilot, Robert L. Mason, decides to make an emergency landing at Højrup, near Toftlund. The 10-man crew survived and while eight of them ended up in German captivity, the last two were helped by a number of Danes and arrived in Malmö, Sweden on 9 March, from where they were transported and returned to England on 15 March 1945.

A mock attack with fatal consequences

During a training flight, German flight instructor Josef Quarda decides to carry out a mock attack on a German transport train that is about to enter Padborg Station - with fatal consequences. With his 52 victories, Fähnrich Josef Quarda is what they call a flying ace, but on 5 March 1945, his luck runs out when he leads the other two planes down over the transport train. His aircraft is hit by the train's FLAK, bursts into flames and crashes to the ground. Fähnrich Josef Quarda died at the age of 22 and is buried today at the Friedenshügel Friedhof cemetery in Flensburg. 

Only the body was found

The airspace above Haderslev is the scene of a fierce air battle on 12 March 1945. The German Luftwaffe attacks 4 American P51 fighters that are on their way home after accompanying bombers on a mission over Svinemünde. The 3 German BF 109s are defeated, all shot down and the pilots are killed. The two younger pilots, Adolf Hoppe, aged 20, and Hans Adam, who had just turned 24, both crashed on the ground, while the last aircraft ended up in a marl pit. The pilots' bodies are recovered and buried at the Friedenshügel Cemetery in Flensburg.

In 1983, the construction of motorway exit 68 at Hammelev is underway. Locals told them that the remains of a German fighter plane were in the area, so they thought they were prepared for the discovery, but during the excavation it turns out that there is still an incredibly well-preserved body in the wreckage - or rather parts of it, as the head and identification tag (dog tag) are missing. The discovery of Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Mink is a mystery because he has a gravestone in Flensburg and there are photos of his burial?

The German soldiers must have faced an impossible task to free the body from the deep, water-filled marl pit. But 32-year-old Wilhem Mink has 62 shootings on his CV and perhaps that's the reason for the rather macabre order that was carried out. The grave in Flensburg is not reopened, and it is decided to bury the body in the Tomb of the Unknown in the cemetery in Haderslev.   

Man fandt kun kroppen

Luftrummet over Haderslev er skueplads for en indædt luftkamp den 12. marts 1945. Det tyske Luftwaffe angriber 4 amerikanske P51 jægerfly, der er undervejs hjem efter at have ledsaget bombefly på en indsats over Svinemünde. Det bliver et nederlag for de 3 tyske BF 109'er, der alle skydes ned og  piloterne omkommer. De to yngre piloter, Adolf Hoppe på 20 år og Hans Adam, der denne dag er fyldt 24 år, styrter begge ned på landjorden, mens det sidste fly ender i en mergelgrav. Piloternes lig bjerges og begraves på kirkegården, Friedenshügel Friedhof i Flensborg.

I 1983 er man i gang med anlæggelsen af motorvejsfrakørsel 68 ved Hammelev. De lokale har fortalt, at der i det område ligger rester af et tysk jægerfly, så man mener at være forberedte på fundet, men under udgravningen viser det sig, at der stadig befinder sig et utrolig velbevaret lig i flyvraget - eller nærmere dele af det, for hovedet og identifikationsmærket (hundetegnet) mangler. Fundet af Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Mink er et mysterium, for han har en gravsten i Flensborg og der findes foto af hans begravelse?

De tyske soldater har nok stået overfor en umulig opgave med at befri kroppen fra den dybe, vandfyldte mergelgrav. Men den 32-årige Wilhem Mink har 62 nedskydninger på sit CV og måske afleder det den ret makabre ordre der er udført. Graven i Flensborg bliver ikke genåbnet, man vælger at bisætte kroppen i de ukendtes grav på kirkegården i Haderslev.