Mission: Attack on Bristol, England.
Date: 28th March 1944
Unit: 7 Staffel./Kampfgeschwader 30
Type: Junkers Ju 88A-4
Werke/Nr.301518
Coded: 4D + AR
Location: Nessy, near Cherbourg, France.
Pilot: Unteroffizier. Helmut Heimpel. 62707/198 – Killed.
Born 29.01.1921 in Krefeld.
Observer: Unteroffizier. Ernst Schmidt. 62707/200 – Killed.
Born 23.09.1919 in Kippenheim.
Radio/Op: Unteroffizier. Matthias Berg. 62707/226 – Killed.
Born 19.05.1923 in Orenhofen, Trier.
Gunner: Unteroffizier. Werner Neubert. 62707/214 – Killed.
Born 01.08.1917 in Plauen.
Date: 28th March 1944
Unit: 7 Staffel./Kampfgeschwader 30
Type: Junkers Ju 88A-4
Werke/Nr.301518
Coded: 4D + AR
Location: Nessy, near Cherbourg, France.
Pilot: Unteroffizier. Helmut Heimpel. 62707/198 – Killed.
Born 29.01.1921 in Krefeld.
Observer: Unteroffizier. Ernst Schmidt. 62707/200 – Killed.
Born 23.09.1919 in Kippenheim.
Radio/Op: Unteroffizier. Matthias Berg. 62707/226 – Killed.
Born 19.05.1923 in Orenhofen, Trier.
Gunner: Unteroffizier. Werner Neubert. 62707/214 – Killed.
Born 01.08.1917 in Plauen.
REASON FOR LOSS:
This aircraft was returning home after a successful raid on Bristol, England. Attacked by a night fighter and shot down. All four crew members perished in the crash.
A Junkers Ju 88 of Kampfgeschwader 30 takes off for a mission. (ARS Archive).
Left: The ill-fated radio operator 22 year old Matthias Berg. Right: Radio/Op/Air Gunners badge of Matthias Berg. (Kessels)
Left: Family death notice for Matthias. Right: Citation for Air-Gunner Matthias Berg. (Kessels)
Burial details:
Crew were originally buried in the Heldenfriedhof Coutances, (Manche), France.
Graves; 132,134,135, and 133.
Today they rest at the Kriegsgräberstätte in Orglandes/Manche.
Helmut Heimpel: Block 23 Row 3 Grave 114. Ernst Schmidt: Block 13 Row 4 Grave 153, Matthias Berg: Block 23 Row 4 Grave 121, and Werner Neubert: Block 16 Row 9 Grave 340.
Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless and Bob Kessels in memory of the loss of this crew. Thanks also to WASt, Germany 2021. All images regarding Matthias Berg belong to Bob Kessels (NL).
