British POW with Luftwaffe Soldiers

Image size: 1600 x 1067 pixel. 848 KB
Date: Monday, 18 December 1939
Place: Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

On 18 December 1939 German fighters met a formation of 22 Wellington bombers and almost annihilated them. They destroyed 14 bombers; four were very badly damaged, and the remaining four were less badly damaged. One of the destroyed bombers was a Wellington Mk I, N2936, LF-J of 37 RAF Squadron which was shot down into the sea close to the German coast, most probably by Oberstleutnant Carl Schumacher (Geschwaderkommodore Jagdgeschwader 1) at 14:35. The whole crew led by bomber pilot Sergeant Herbert Ruse was rescued by the Germans and taken prisoner. Here we see Ruse escorted by Luftwaffe soldiers. In the background parked a Junkers Ju 52 “Tante” transport aircraft.

Source :
Book "Luftwaffe at War: Luftwaffe Aces of the Western Front" by Robert Michulec

Press Conference after the Air Battle in Wilhelmshaven

Image size: 1600 x 1063 pixel. 854 KB
Date: Wednesday, 20 December 1939
Place: Berlin, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

Berlin, 20 December 1939 – a press conference organized by Dr. Otto Dietrich of Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry on the occasion of a great victory over British bombers achieved by German fighters over the Wilhelmshaven area on 18 December 1939. The German military counted over 50 bombers, and after the fight claimed to have shot down 36. The numbers were exaggerated, but they indicate the scale of the air battle, and of course the Germans naturally wanted to exploit it! The conference was a great success, many foreign journalists arrived to ask questions or to listen to stories told by participants. Seated at the table are pilots who fought in this battle. On the extreme right is Oberleutnant Wolfgang Falck of I.Gruppe / Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76); third from the right is Oberstleutnant Carl Schumacher, Gruppenkommandeur Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1); between Falck and Schumacher is Dr. Otto Dietrich in SS-Gruppenführer uniform; and third from the left is Oberleutnant Johannes Steinhoff of 10.(N)Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) “Schlageter”. Both Oberleutnants (Falck and Steinhoff) claimed two victories in the battle, while the commander of the whole formation (Schumacher) claimed one.

Source :

Book "Luftwaffe at War: Luftwaffe Aces of the Western Front" by Robert Michulec