G9+FB

I was pleased to see your site and I looked immediately to April 1944: in the night of 11/12th April 1944 a He219 took off from Luftwaffe airfield Venlo, east of my hometown Venlo. The crew was Unteroffizier Herter (surname still unknown) and Gefreiter Werner Perbix. The aircraft was intercepted by a Mosquito from 239 Sqd. , the location given as 'near Aachen'. The crew left the He219, using the ejection seats for the first time under operational combat conditions. So far, they might be rightfully appointed to be the first crew who saved their lives by means of ejection under combat conditions. Unfortunately, the serial number of this He219 has not been discovered too, but the remains of this nightfighter were excavated in the 1970's by the Dutch air force near Weert, a town in the southeast area of the Netherlands.

Hoping that this small contribution was worth mentioning, all the best,

Drs. Marcel A.L.M. Hogenhuis / Venlo

(Chairman of the Förderverein Ehemaliger Fliegerhorst Venlo) see: www.fliegerhorst-venlo.net

NOTE by site author
In his memoirs Ernst Heinkel mentions that the two crew were awarded 1000 Reichsmarks each as a reward for being the first crew to use the ejection seat ("Katapultsitzen") in an emergency combat situation
 

Werknr.
190006

G9+DC

1st ejection

1st ejection

On night Operations for home defence the righthand engine suddenly exploded into flames - probably due to enemy fire. Control response was marginal and, after jettisoning canopy, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. Wireless Operator baled out and was severley wounded on landing with his parachute. Lt Fries could not regain sufficient control to try landing the burning aircraft and ejected. He landed unhurt by means of his parachute. The aircraft crashed at 01.25 hrs 3 Km south of s´Hertogenbosch and was destroyed.

Possibly shot down by Mosquito Night-fighter "R" 85 Sqn flown by F/Lt K.D. Vaughan & F/Sgt R.D. McKinnon

The report explicitly states "Lt Fries... ejected". The report of Herr Thesenfitz to Heinkel gives the W/O´s name as "Staffer" -which seems to be the correct spelling, "Staffa" could be just a phonetic spelling of the name!

G9+BL

The crew flew on a night target-simulation. After about 1 1/2 hrs flight time the aircraft was attacked from the rear. There had been no warning from either the Radarcontroller or the Wireless Operator. The left engine immediately burst into flames and could not be exstinguished. Pilot landed with his parachute and was not hurt, the W/O was found dead with his parachute not deployed about 500m from the crashsite. The airplane crashed 400m north of Wilhelminsdorp.

Probably shot down by Mosquito Night-fighter NF MkVIII HK248 of RAF 219 Sqn flown by Pilot Officers D.T.Tull & P.J. Cowgill

The report only mentions the parachute landing, not the way the pilot left the aircraft

G9+JK

                       The crew took off on 05-06-44 at 23.01 hrs on a night target simulation. Due to weather closing in they were recalled to Grove. While overflying the field in the penetration-procedure in southerly direction the left engine lost RPM and, after power could not be restored, was shut down. The engine burst into flames explosively, also noted by the Wireless Op. Pilot ordered the bale-out and the canopy was jettisoned by the W/O. At this instant crew communication broke and, after twice calling the W/O, the pilot ejected successfully. The W/O´s remains were found in the crashed  aircraft near the road Herning - Silkeborg, 8 Km East of Herning and 4 Km South of Ikast.

The report states only the bale-out, but does not specify it was an ejection.

Details  also seen as Erwin Mauz, aircraft as G9+1K

Werknr.
190006

Do 335 seat at
differing pressure

G9+LF 

 On night Operations for home defence over the Schelde estuary the aircraft was hit by return fire from a tailgunner and the Wireless  Operator was killed. The Air Gunner baled out and was lightly wounded in the process. The damaged aircraft was recovered at  Eindhoven A/D by the pilot.

The report only mentions the W/O taking to his parachute, again no direct mention of an ejection. There appears to be some confusion with the crew of this aircraft. The He-219 being a two seat aircraft.

 Air Gunner´s name also given as: Feldwebel Robert Kürschgen

After attacking B-17 bomber at about 01.45 hrs

Is this possible - normally B-17s did not do Night Operations, that could be a mis-identification ?

the aircraft was severly damaged by return fire and crashed. The crew baled out successfully.

The report only states that the crew escaped by means of parachute but nothing about the way the got out of the aircraft.

He 219A-O

On night Ops shot down by Night Intruder near Wilhelmshaven. Crew escaped unhurt by means of parachute. Aircraft shot down at 00:13h crashing into the Schillig Straits.        

It seems the reports are getting ever more terse, again no details are given about the way the crew got out of the aircraft. These ejections were verbally confirmed by Ltn. Otto H. Fries

G9+EH

On night Ops fired on by Night Intruder - Left engine and wing set on fire. The pilot saved himself by means of parachute, the W/O was  killed

The report does not state whether the W/O was killed by the enemy fire or in the process of baling out.

G9+HL

Aircraft crashed due to engine fire. The crew baled out with their parachutes.

Again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft.

G9+GH

On night Ops the aircraft was shot down at 22.15 hrs by a Night Intruder near Südlohn in the County Ahaus/westfalen. The pilot  escaped by means of parachute, the W/O was killed.

The report does not state whether the W/O was killed by the enemy fire or in the process of baling out, again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft.

W/O also given as Unteroffizier Max-Günther Heinze and found with unopened parachute

G9+FL

On night Ops the aircraft was shot down by a Night Intruder near Schleiden. The crew escaped by means of parachute, the aircraft crashed near Kloster Steinfeld.

 Again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft. This crew also ejected on the 20th March 1945

G9+KL

 Is this aircraft confused with the above entry - note similarity of both wknr and coding

G9+CK

Aircraft took off for Night Ops at 19.14 hrs. After engaging a 4-engined enemy aircraft the fighter was shot down by a Night Intruder at 20.08 hrs 5 Km South of Wesendorf. The pilot was killed,the W/O escaped by means of parachute.

The report does not state whether the pilot was killed by the enemy fire or in the process of baling out, again no mention of the way the crew got out of the a/c.It was the second time for this particular crew that they had to get out of a He-219!                         W/O´s name given as: Unteroffizier Kenne

G9+BH

After an enine fire in the right engine the aircraft went out ofcontrol. The crew took to their parachutes, the aircraft crashed near Diepholz.

Again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft.

G9+EK

2nd ejection

2nd ejection

Shot down by Night Intruder at 21.45 hrs near Meschede. Crew escapedby means of parachute.

Again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft, but personal testimony from both crew members confirm ejections.This was the second ejection for both Fries and Staffa. (personal statements by both crew members

G9+HH

3rd ejection

Shot down by Night Intruder near Honnef, crew escaped by means of parachute. Again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft

With Fries injured in the ejection on 16th January his bordfunker Staffa paired with Modrow. Staffa made his third ejection from a Heinkel He-219 - probably the most ejections made in combat during World War II.

G9+OH

Shot down by Night Intruder, crew escaped by means of parachute.W/O severly wounded in the process.

From the German wording it seems the W/O got wounded in the  bale-out.

A/c´s tactical Callsign given as G9+CH

Unteroffizer Gunther Karl Heinrich Thurow & Gefreiter Neff of 1 - NJG-1 flying He-219 G9 + WH shot down by Mosquito NF MkXXX MT281 of No. 410 Sqn RCAF flown by Flt. Lt. B.N. Plummer DFC and his British navigator Flt. Lt.
E.H.Collis. Forced to crash land at Handorf due to ejection seat compressed air system failed.

G9+ ?

Shot down by friendly fire (Flak set one engine on fire) near Telgte. Crew escaped by means of parachute.

Again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft.

G9+ ?

No further details given besides the fact of a bale-out. See also entry for the 7th February

Shot down by Night Intruder 35 Km North of Gießen, crew escaped by means of parachute.

Again no mention of the way the crew got out of the aircraft

G9+BL

Feldwebel Helmut Fischer, unhurt

Shot down by Night Intruder, crew escaped by means of parachute.

Again another Double-"banger" ! See 31st December 1944.