German Air Force

Landed in Portugal

Zambrano/C.M. Moura Historical Archives

On the 9th February 1941, this Fw 200 C1 (W.Nr.0003) belonging to 2/KG40 made a forced landing near Moura, Portugal, a few miles from the border with Spain, (which was probably what the crew was aiming to reach). The crew survived the hard landing and managed to burn the aircraft, in the wreckage the Portuguese authorities found bullet holes suggesting participation in combat. The crew was captured the next day in a farm near Moura were they stayed 'waiting for orders'. They disappeared in the morning of 21 February 1941, probably having escaped to Spain with the help of German nationals living in the border area (and no doubt, a helpfull blind eye from the Portuguese authorities). Photos of this plane were later published in 'Flight' magazine on March 13, 1941, one of them with the following amusing description: "Landed in Portugal: The end of a Focke-Wulf Kurier shipping raider whose navigator's slide rule slipped". (Text adapted from C. Guerreiro)