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| MLD GVT.6  MLD 1939  Pak Nafi 2023 |
Pilot Pilot Officer Paulus "Paul" L. G. Adriani (injured, died) Observer Jan de Vries (injured, survived) Aircraft Maker A.J.C. (Dré) Brekelmans (injured, survived) Crew Sgt Pilot Pieter J. de Ru (MIA / KIA) Crew Sgt Observer Jan de Vries (MIA / KIA) Telegraphist Corporal Jan J. Woltjes (MIA / KIA) Crashed February 10, 1942 or February 11, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Dornier Flugzeugwerke in Friedrichshafen, Germany as Do 24K-1 with Wright Cyclone engines. Werknummern 699 (Werk Nr 699). Registered in Germany as D-AYWI. Purchased by the Marine-Luchtvaartdienst (MLD) Naval Air Service as one of eleven flying boats for the Marineluchtvaartdienst (Netherlands Naval Aviation Service). In Dutch service designated Do 24K-1 serial number X-29. On September 25, 1939 flown via Lobith and accepted by a Dutch crew and flown to Papendrecht, Netherlands. On November 3, 1939 loaded as cargo aboard Sitobondo and shipped to the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Wartime History On December 8, 1941 at the start of the Pacific War assigned to Groep VliegTuigen 6 (GVT.6) Group Aircraft 6 based at Morokrembangan Seaplane Base. On December 29, 1941 ordered to Tajan on Borneo and prepared for the deployment. On January 1, 1942 flown to Tajan to relieve Groep VliegTuigen 1 (GVT 1) Group Aircraft 1. On January 6, 1942 took off from Tajan on a reconnaissance mission, replacing Do24K-1 X-28 when it experienced vibrations in one engine. On January 16, 1942 took off piloted by Pilot Officer Paulus "Paul" L. G. Adriani on a mission against Kuching Airfield and made three passes before anti-aircraft fire became extremely heavy and prevented further strafing runs. On January 18, 1942 took off piloted by Lt. Stegeman with Do-24K-1 X-28 each armed with 440 pound bombs on a mission against Japanese ships off Sinkawang but the bombsight was malfunctioning. The pair bombed from 7,200' with X-28's nearest bomb landing roughly 80' from the bow while X-29's bombs hung up and made four runs in the face of anti-aircraft fire while X-28 returned fire with their 20mm cannon. Neither flying boat was hit. On January 19, 1942 took off with X-28 and X31 on a bombing mission against Kuching Airfield but aborted shortly after take off. On January 24, 1942 rescued four wounded Russian crew members from SS Perekop from the South China Sea near the Big Naroena Island to the west of Borneo then flew them to Pontianak on southwest Borneo. On January 26, 1942 in the morning took off piloted by Pilot Officer Paulus "Paul" L. G. Adriani on a reconnaissance mission and spotted a Japanese schooner loaded with troops near Tadjong Api on Borneo and made a series of strafing attack that left the ship burning but was hit by small arms and machine gun fire that caused heavy damage. Aboard Cpl Mechanic T. Veldman was killed and co-pilot Ensign Nauta was slightly wounded. Returning, landed at Pontianak and Ensign Nauta was treated at the hospital. Later that night X-29 made a night patrol over the same area but saw no other ships then returned to base. On January 27, 1942 at dawn took off on a reconnaissance mission along the west coast of Borneo. At 7:00am spotted eighteen small Japanese ships and native vessels off the Sambas River south of Pemangkat. On January 28, 1942 took off from Tajan on a mission with X-28 and X-31 to destroy supplies and installations at Pontianak and sustained damage to its fuel tanks. On January 29, 1942 flown to Morokrembangan Seaplane Base for repairs until the end of the month and was quickly but not fully repaired. Mission History On February 10, 1942 in the late afternoon took off piloted by Pilot Officer Paulus "Paul" L. G. Adriani as one of three Do 24 flying boats on a 2 1/2 hour flight to Banjarmasin on south Borneo to evacuate MLD personnel. The flight navigated in clouds and rain showers to the mouth of the Kali River where about ten miles inland they were to land at a rendezvous point in the river. Arriving over the spot, none of the agreed light signals were observed. This flying boat made a low pass and came under small arms fire from Japanese forces that had already occupied the area and sustained damage but managed to pull up and escape into the clouds. In the nose, Observer Jan de Vries was wounded in the leg. Returning, the crew saw Madura (Madoera) off the coast of eastern Java. Suddenly, two engines failed near the western tip of Madura, possibly due to damage sustained or a fuel leak. Loosing altitude, the flying boat made a force landing in the open sea at night in rough seas near shore off Westgat. During the landing, the flying boat flipped over and sank with the crew injured and three missing. It is unclear if the flying boat crashed on February 10, 1942 after 10:00pm or February 11, 1942 in the early morning hours. Fates of the Crew After the crash, Aircraft maker Brekelmans sustained a broken wrist but was was able to swim out of the rear of the flying boat and crawl forward and rescued pilot Adriani who was floating in the sea and placed him on the wing. Three of the crew went missing: Sgt pilot Pieter de Ru, Sgt observer Jan de Vries and Corporal telegraphist Jan Woltjes and were declared dead February 11, 1942. After being rescued, pilot Adriani died of injuries on February 11, 1942. Wreckage During 2023, an engine with a three bladed propeller and German dataplate was found by an Indonesian fisherman in the sea off Surabaya on Java. They recovered an engine was taken ashore and photographed. Based on the loss location, this engine is likely from Do 24-1 Serial Number X-29. The Wright cyclone engine with three unbent propeller blades had a German dataplate that reads: "Werk No. 130-23[?] Motor Type / Werkstoff V 2 AF / Theodor / Breman-Huch..". Memorials The three missing crew members were officially declared dead February 11, 1942. All three missing are memorialized at Soesterberg Gedenkteken Luchtvarenden. Adriani is buried at the Kembang Kuning Netherlands Field of Honour in Surabaya at section KDH row A grave 46. References Note some sources list the date of force landing as February 10, 1942 or February 11, 1942. Dornier24.com - Werknummern 699 (Dornier) Dornier Do-24K Historie 2e wereld oorlog Nederlands-Indië 10. De laatste vlucht van de X-29 Traces of War - Adriani, Paulus Lambertus Grimmius "Paul" Oorlogs Graven Stichting - Pieter Johannis de Ru (photo) Oorlogs Graven Stichting - Jan de Vries (photo) Oorlogs Graven Stichting - Jan Johannes Woltjes (photo) Oorlong Graven Stichting - Paulus Lambertus Grimmius Adriani (photo, grave photo) The Dutch Naval Air Force Against Japan: The Defense of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941-1942, Second Edition (2023) pages 155 (January 6, 1942), 186 (January 24, 1942), 194 (January 16, 1942) 195 (January 18, 1942 / January 19, 1942), 197 (January 26, 1942), 198 (January 27-31, 1942), 209 (repairs), 218-219 (loss of X-29), 308 (GVT.6 X-29), 312 (Appendix 2, aircraft status December 7, 1941, Do24 X-29), 361 (footnote 17), 379 (index Dornier aircraft, Do-24 X-Boats X-29) Thanks to Bas Kreuger for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated September 4, 2024 |
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