It’s impossible to produce a complete overview of all aircraft which crashed or needed to make an emergency landing within the municipality of Neder-Betuwe’s territory during the Second World War without also involving the German aircraft. For as far as we know, this concerns six aircraft from the German Luftwaffe.

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​A Junkers Ju-52/3m from 2./KGrzbV 1 (number 6533) crashed between Ochten and IJzendoorn on Friday 10th May 1940 around 08:00 hours, after it had been hit by Dutch anti-aircraft guns. From the information available we can gather there was one death, one crew member was made prisoner of war and three crew members went missing.

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​The next German aircraft didn’t crash within Neder-Betuwe’s territory until 22nd June 1943. A Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 (number 16143) flown by pilot B. Franke from 9./JG 54 came down in the Waal near Dodewaard.

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​A Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (number 410388), occupied by Hauptmann Wilhelm Lenke, group commander of II./JG 3, came down on 4th December of that same year around 15:45 hours. After 131 previous victories, this time he lost his life during an air fight with a number of Republic P47 Thunderbolts. The aircraft came down in Dodewaard at a farm along the Bonegraafseweg.

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​Another German aircraft was lost on 3rd May 1944. A Junkers Ju 88 C-6 from 6./NJG 2 (number 710576) with pilot Ogfr. A. Peeters crashed near the Snellenbrug in Opheusden.

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​The next aircraft crashed over Neder-Betuwe on 21st July 1944 and this time it was in Opheusden: A Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 from I./NJG6 (number 441100), with pilot Oblt. R. Schwarze, liaison officer Gfr. Wende and gunner Ofw. H. Fitzner on board. Pilot Schwarze died in the crash. His two colleagues survived the crash.

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​And finally, a Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 from 12./NJG 1 (number 140757) crashed in Opheusden on 17th September 1944, possibly along the Linge near the Gesperdensestraat. Captain Uffz. H. Gesse, liaison officer Uffz. J. Kaschub and gunner Ogfr. J. Limberg were reported missing.