Messerschmitt 109E-3
4./JG26
Pilot: Uffz Rolf Iberle (killed)
Date: 7th June 1940
Place: Pulcheux, near Dieppe

This is the third of three articles detailing a series of digs carried out in and around Dieppe, France, in October 2004.

A team led jointly by Simon Parry and Andy Saunders visited three crash sites near Dieppe in October 2004. All the aircraft fell in an engagement on 7th June 1940 within a few miles of each other. The Hurricanes of 43 Squadron were patrolling from Tangmere to Rouen (Boos) when they were attacked by Bf109Es from JG26. The Hurricane of F/O. J. D. Edmonds (L1931) went down at Puisenval, and he was killed. F/O. W. C. Wilkinson was killed at Bailleul Neuville in L1847, and F/Lt. Rowland was injured when he force landed L2116 at Sainte Agathe D’Aliermont. Sgt. J. Hallowes was shot down flying N2585, but, before he took to his parachute, he turned on his attacker and brought down a 109; for this heroic action, he was awarded his second DFM.

The remaining pilots landed at Boos and refueled, only to be attacked again on their return to Tangmere. This time, Hurricane L1608, flown by Sgt. P. G. Ottewill was shot down in flames, and he was injured. P/O. C. A. Woods-Scawen was shot down and bailed out safely from L1726.

Two Bf109s went down in the combats:
Me109E-3 of 4./JG26; Uffz Rolf Iberle killed at Pulcheux.
Me109E-3 of 4./JG26; Uffz Wilhelm Philipp wounded somewhere near Dieppe.

This series of articles focuses on F/O. Edmond’s Hurricane L1931, Sgt. Ottewill’s Hurricane 1608, and the Me109 flown by Uffz Rolf Iberle.

Rolf Iberle’s Me109E was one of the confirmed Luftwaffe victims of the combat with 43 Squadron, crashing into the field in Pulcheux from a shallow dive.

Although only a few components from the Daimler-Benz 601 engine and the aircraft cockpit remained on site, there was sufficient evidence, when combined with archives, to identify the aircraft at Pulcheux as that of Uffz Iberle and not the other downed Me109 pilot, Uffz Wilhelm Philipp.