The aircraft belonged to 2./ MSG 1 and was coded T/o ?. Op: Flight to demonstate mine sweeping. The Ju 52MSa was on a flight to demonstrate minesweeping by means of Knallkörper for a number of officers from the Kriegsmarine. These officers followed in another Ju 52. At 09:40 hrs and accident happened and the Knallkörpers in the Ju 52MSa exploded causing the JU 52MSa to crash into the sea of Kattegat between the island of Læsø and Frederikshavn, not far from the Læsø Rende lightship. The crew of six died. Pilot Oberleutnant Ernst Kölbe, Navigator Oberfeldwebel Otto Schiffering, Aircraft engineer Stabsfeldwebel Ernst Deppe, Wop Unteroffizier Kurt Zehender and Engineer and Knallkörper dispatcher Unteroffizier Gerhard Schubenand have no known grave. The body of Air gunner Kurt Philipsen was found washed ashore on 12/12 and was laid to rest in Frederikshavn cemetery on 21/12 1944.
The wreckage of the Ju 52MSa was located on the seabed 200 meters from the Læsø Rende lightship in the winter of 1950 / 1951 and recovered by Brothers Axel and Wilhelm Aaen, Frederikshavn in June 1951 and sold as scrap.
