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Helmuth Pohle was a German aviator during World War II. In October 1939 he led the first German aerial attack on the United Kingdom, during which he was shot down and captured. He was the first German prisoner of war in World War II.
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Hauptmann (equivalent to Flight Lieutenant) Pohle, was the group commanding officer (Gruppenkommandeur), of Kampfgeschwader 30 (I. KG 30) from Westerland, Germany in Sylt and led the German raid known as the Battle of the River Forth. On 16 October 1939 with fifteen Ju 88 aircraft, leaving Germany at 11:00. Westerland was the nearest Luftwaffe base to Britain. His second-in-command was Oberleutnant Hans Storp. His group of fifteen aircraft flew over the Forth Bridge at around 14.30. German intelligence believed that there were no Spitfire squadrons in Scotland. At 12.25pm a power cut had disabled the radar at RAF Dronehill.
He was shot down by Squadron Leader Ernest Stevens, the commanding officer of 603 Sqn, based at RAF Turnhouse (now Edinburgh Airport). After the left engine was hit at around 14:55 the attack by the Spitfire injured the rear gunner and radio operator. Nine Ju 88s were intercepted by three Spitfires at 4,000 ft. This was the second downing of an aircraft by a Supermarine Spitfire, and by any aircraft in the war by RAF Fighter Command. Pohle's aircraft did not land on UK soil but in the sea, three miles east of Crail. He was the only survivor out of his crew of four.
Another Ju 88 from KG 30 was shot down soon afterwards, caught by five Spitfires. [1] [2] In total for the attack, the Germans lost two Ju 88 aircraft, with four airmen captured.
Pohle was taken to the hospital at Edinburgh Castle. He saw out the war at Grizedale Hall in the Lake District, at No 1 POW Camp. He later helped Franz von Werra to escape.
The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II Luftwaffe twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called Schnellbomber that would be too fast for fighters of its era to intercept. It suffered from technical problems during its development and early operational periods but became one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the war. Like a number of other Luftwaffe bombers, it served as a bomber, dive bomber, night fighter, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighter and at the end of the war, as a flying bomb.
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Frank Reginald "Chota" Carey, was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot and flying ace who served during World War II.
Gustav Rödel was a German fighter pilot and fighter ace who served during World War II in the Luftwaffe.
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Squadron Leader John Edwin Ashley "Willy" Williams was an Australian air ace during the Second World War. He served in the Middle East and North Africa with the Royal Air Force (RAF), and was among the Allied prisoners of war (POWs) murdered by the Gestapo following "The Great Escape" in 1944. He commanded No. 450 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force for three days, before he was captured in 1942.
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Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter wing of World War II.
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No. 485 (NZ) Squadron was a fighter squadron established for service during the Second World War. It was the first New Zealand squadron formed under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Plan. Although many of its flying personnel were largely drawn from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the squadron served in Europe under the operational and administrative command of the Royal Air Force.
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Oberleutnant Herbert Schmid was a German World War II pilot who defected to north-east Scotland in May 1943, piloting a German nightfighter with advanced interception radar which allowed British scientists to jam German nightfighter radar.
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