Artur von Casimir
Encyclopedia
Artur von Casimir was a German
Oberst
and former bomber
pilot
who flew for the Luftwaffe
during World War II
. Since 2004 he has gotten a great deal of publicity in Norway
. One of the Heinkel He 111
he flew was recovered from Jonsvatnet
lake near Trondheim
in 2004, where it had been submerged since falling through the ice during the spring thaw in April 1940. He commanded Kampfgruppe 100 during the German invasion of Norway, and led the air raids on Namsos
on 20 April 1940 (See Namsos Campaign
). He assumed the position of Gruppenkommandeur
over KGr. 100 on 16 February 1940.
Von Casimir was shot down by two Hawker Hurricane
fighters from the British No. 46 Squadron RAF
during an attack on Skånland
in Troms
on 29 May 1940. He made an emergency landing at Ulsvåg in Nordland
and was captured. Von Casimir was first held as a prisoner of war by the Norwegians, before being transferred to British custody.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
and former bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
who flew for the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Since 2004 he has gotten a great deal of publicity in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. One of the Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
he flew was recovered from Jonsvatnet
Jonsvatnet
Jonsvatnet is a lake in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. Most of the lake is in the eastern part of the municipality of Trondheim, with a very small part of the shoreline belonging to Malvik municipality. The lake is the main source for drinking water for Trondheim....
lake near Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
in 2004, where it had been submerged since falling through the ice during the spring thaw in April 1940. He commanded Kampfgruppe 100 during the German invasion of Norway, and led the air raids on Namsos
Namsos
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Klinga, Ramsvika, Skomsvoll, and Spillum....
on 20 April 1940 (See Namsos Campaign
Namsos campaign
In April and early May, 1940 Namsos and its surrounding area were the scene of heavy fighting between Anglo-French, Polish and Norwegian naval and military forces on the one hand, and German military, naval and air forces on the other...
). He assumed the position of Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe position , that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. Gruppenkommandeur usually has the rank of Hauptmann or Major, and commands a Gruppe, which is a sub-division of a Geschwader. A Gruppe usually consists of three or four...
over KGr. 100 on 16 February 1940.
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
fighters from the British No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :...
during an attack on Skånland
Skånland
Skånland is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Evenskjer.- General information :...
in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
on 29 May 1940. He made an emergency landing at Ulsvåg in Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
and was captured. Von Casimir was first held as a prisoner of war by the Norwegians, before being transferred to British custody.
External links
- Nrk.no retrieved on 11 April 2007
- The loss of Ruthlandshire retrieved on 11 April 2007
- A site about the restorations of a Ju 88 and the He 111 recovered from Jonsvannet.