F - J , ▁pil oted ▁by ▁Serge ant ▁H . ▁R use , ▁which ▁crash - land ed ▁on ▁the ▁sand ▁d unes ▁of ▁B ork um . ▁L ent ▁was ▁refused ▁the ▁victory ▁over ▁W im ber ley , ▁as ▁the ▁Well ington ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁L ent ▁after ▁it ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁and ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁crash . ▁The ▁Well ington ▁was ▁cred ited ▁to ▁pilot ▁Carl - August ▁Sch um acher . ▁ ▁His ▁success ▁as ▁a ▁f ighter ▁pilot ▁over ▁the ▁North ▁Sea ▁had ▁made ▁him ▁a ▁minor ▁national ▁hero . ▁Exp lo its ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁at ▁Hel ig ol and ▁made ▁good ▁news ▁stories ▁for ▁German ▁propag anda ▁machine . ▁Con sequently , ▁he ▁attract ed ▁fan ▁mail — main ly ▁from ▁young ▁girls ▁and ▁women — am ong ▁them ▁Elisabeth ▁Peters en . ▁L ent ▁replied ▁to ▁her ▁letter , ▁and ▁he ▁and ▁Elisabeth ▁met ▁on ▁a ▁blind ▁date ▁at ▁the ▁Reich sh of ▁hotel ▁in ▁Hamburg , ▁after ▁which ▁they ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁ski ing ▁hol iday ▁in ▁Hir sch eg g ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁Norwegian ▁Camp aign ▁and ▁Battle ▁of ▁Britain ▁ ▁On ▁ 8 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁eight ▁aircraft ▁of ▁ 1 ./ Z G   7 6 , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Staff el kap it än ▁Werner ▁Hans en , ▁deployed ▁north ward ▁from ▁J ever ▁to ▁West er land ▁on ▁Sy lt ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁operation ▁Wes