Below is a list of Heinkel He 115 crashes in Scotland during WW2.  It was kindly contributed by and is Copyright Keith Bryers.

10 June 1940 (?)

Norwegian Naval Officer Lt Dan Ravn stole a German He 115 and attempted to fly to Shetland, however aircraft was shot down by the RAF and Ravn is buried at Knab cemetery, Shetland [I have not yet checked this information]. If this date is wrong and the incident happened prior to, or just after, Norway’s surrender, there is a chance that Ravn was flying one of the Norwegian Navy’s own He 115A aircraft.

See comment at the end of page

10 June 1940

He 115A of Royal Norwegian Navy reported crashed in sea off Kinnaird’s Head, nothing found in search. Three RNN He 115As left Bardufoss on 8 June 1940 (one had reached Shetland before then).

2 August 1940

He 115C of 3/KuFlGr506 attacked a convoy off east coast of Scotland but came in so low it hit a lifeboat davit on SS Highlander and crashed on its deck ! The ship sailed into Leith harbour with the aircraft on deck.

3 August 1940

He 115 of same unit shot down into sea by Blenheim from 235 Sqn – where ? ?
15 August 1940 He 115C w/nr 3251 S4+BH 1/KuFlGr506 crashed near Arbroath after pilot mistook one lighthouse for another and was then blinded by searchlights. Aircraft was on a weather recce for a planned feint by Ku506 aircraft later that day. It hit a hill, killing two crew (Obfw R HOLFERT – pilot and Fw P SCHROERS – gunner), Lt zur See Hans-Eberhardt TONNE – navigator/commander died later in Arbroath Hospital.

16 September 1940

He 115C w/nr 3261 S4+CL 3/KuFlGr506 damaged by AAA while attacking a convoy 15.00. Suffered double engine failure and ditched 7.5 miles NE of Eyemouth. Towed there but sank on route. Crew tried unsuccessfully to set aircraft on fire and were picked up by Eyemouth lifeboat. Hpt Hans KRIEPENDORF (Staffelkapitan of 1/506), Hpt Ernst Wilhelm BERGMANN, Oblt Clemens LUCAS & Fw Erich KALINOWSKI.

16/17 September 1940

He 115C w/nr 2754 8L+GH 1/KuFlGr906 Ijmuiden/Schellingwoode, on mine-laying sortie ran out of fuel in bad weather, force-landed Windyhead, New Aberdour. Broke back. Lt z. S. Hans-Otto ALDUS, Hpt Heinrich KOTHE & Uffz H MEISSNER all POW.

25 September 1940

He 115C w/nr 3265 S4+AH 1/506 Stavanger, suffered engine failure and crashed German grid square 2843. “Major” Wilhelm RENTZSCH, Lt BOCK & Obfw Josef SCHMIDT all missing.

2 October 1940

w/nr 3266 S4+A(?B)H 1/506, shot down by three Blenheims of 254 Sqn 10 miles off Peterhead. Another source says it was shot down by a Hurricane of 145 Sqn 5 miles SE of Kinnaird’s Head. Oblt z. S. Gottfried LENZ, Uffz R SCHWEETKE & Ogfr H NEUBERG all picked up by a Royal Navy destroyer.

23 February 1941

He 115 of 3/506 failed to return to base from a sortie to the east coast of Scotland.

 

Sources: original RAF records and books such as “The Blitz: Then & Now” 3 volumes, published by After the Battle Publications, London.

Readers comments

Comments on first entry in the table  by Ulf Larsstuvold, 26-May-2000:

Interesting page but some content is past speculative! E.g. Fenrik (=Sub Lt.) Johan Daniel Stub Ravn (b.6.8.16) of the Royal Norwegian Naval Air Service, was killed when the Horten MF 11 he was flying was shot down in error on 01.05.1940! The RNNAS was then evacuating Southern Norway, and one He 115 (no “F.52”) did arrive safely. Two further arrived on 8. June when Northern Norway was given up. The missing He 115 this day had turned back and was sunk by it’s crew on the Norwegian west coast (due to fog)…