FalkeEins - the Luftwaffe blog

Storming the bombers Volume II - first review

2012-01-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

During March 1945, high-ranking Wehrmacht officers undertook a number of tours of Luftwaffe aerodromes with the aim of relaying the following exhortations emanating from the Reichsmarchall Göring and Genraloberst Stumpf:

" The battle for the Reich, for our people and our homeland is entering its decisive phase. In blind hatred the nations of the world have come together to destroy us. We must draw on our last remaining forces to resist this evil tide. Never in our history has our German homeland been threatened with such total destruction from which there will be no rebirth. We can resist this danger only by manifesting the highest qualities of German combativeness. This is why I am turning to you in our most decisive hour of need: save the nation through the sacrifice in battle of your own life! I call upon you now to one last taking up of arms from which there is only a small probability of return. Those who respond to this appeal will immediately enrol for a flying training programme. Comrades - a place of honour awaits you in the roll call of the Luftwaffe's most revered fighting men. By your sacrifice you will give the German people renewed hope of victory and become an example for future generations in this hour of their greatest danger." (s) Göring

Several dozen pilots responded to this appeal - among them senior and experienced pilots from diverse backgrounds. It was explained that they would be called upon to dive their aircraft onto those of the enemy, as well as troop concentrations, pontoon bridges and other kinds of strategic objectives. Many of the contingent of volunteers were to train for the 'suicide' mission mounted by the Sonderkommando Elbe mentioned previously, while other volunteers were kept in reserve for other types of Selbstopfer – or 'self-sacrifice' - operations. For many of them life itself had already lost all meaning following the death of loved ones and the destruction and loss of all their possessions. Having lived since a young age in the Third Reich, they had in all likelihood been convinced by the Nazi Party propaganda machine of the superiority of their nation and their race. Many doubtless considered that their own fate was indivisible from that of the nation. If this value system was to collapse then everything they held dear would be destroyed for ever. For most the only possible outcome was to die in action - to go down with the Third Reich in its death throes.

Those remaining members of JG 4 who had some contact with the activities and operations of these suicide pilots - usually as a result of being assigned to escort them into action - would remain deeply affected by the experience. Lt. Ewald Kraas, of the Stab III./JG 4 recalled;

" In early April 45 - as the Soviet advance along the Oder front was showing signs of stalling - there were a number of discussions on the subject of suicide missions at the level of the Geschwaderstab in JG 4 - we had become aware that a group of volunteer pilots were being called upon to fly their aircraft - packed with explosives - into the pontoon bridges that had been thrown across the Oder. During this period of inflammatory calls to the German fighting spirit it came as no surprise that some of our pilots were coming forward to undertake these kinds of 'self-sacrifice' missions - after all there had never been any shortage of volunteers for the Sturmstaffeln in our Geschwader. However a Rammjäger always had the option of bailing out at the last minute after ramming an enemy bomber - but these Selbstopfer pilots were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, diving their fully fuelled fighters onto enemy targets..

During the middle of April our Kommodore, Obstlt. Michalski, accompanied by several staff officers paid a visit to Jüterbog/Altes Lager - the aerodrome where the suicide volunteers were assembling. On his return he described the situation there to Hptm. Gerhard Strasen- I was present during this conversation. Michalski had seen eighty volunteers - pilots of all ages, ranks, backgrounds and experience. There was even an Oberfeldwebel among their number who had been decorated with the Ritterkreuz. The discussion turned to the motivations of these men and what drove them to want to sacrifice themselves in this way. Michalski turned to me and said : "well, Lt. Kraas, would you ever consider putting yourself forward to fly this kind of mission?"

Without hesitation I replied: "Herr Oberstleutnant, frankly - not at all!" _" No, neither would I" he admitted..

A link to Adam Norenberg's review of "Storming the Bombers - Vol. 2".

" ...The rare oral testimonies found here are backed up by excellent photographs from pilots and crew’s private collections. Credit must go as well to Neil Page who has produced the translation of the text and has made sure the book is never just a dry account of history as many books are when translated into the English language..."

http://www.themodellingnews.com/2012/01/review-storming-bombers-chronicle-of.html

Guideline Publications "Combat Colours" - An illustrated guide to the colour schemes and markings of the Focke Wulf Fw190 in WWII

2012-01-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

Guideline Publications "Combat Colours" series returns with No. 7, An illustrated guide to the colour schemes and markings of the Focke Wulf Fw190 in WWII, compiled by Neil Robinson and illustrated by Peter Scott. Based on articles that have appeared in 'Scale Aircraft Modelling' magazine - most notably my 'Aircraft in Detail' features devoted to the A-series fighter variants (Vol 24 no. 9 November 2002) and the Sturmgruppen (Vol 23 no. 1 March 2001) as it happens - Combat Colours no. 7 is a nice 82-page A-4 format softback of Fw 190 profile artwork. This title was planned about eight years ago but shelved back then. Here it is brought bang up to date and benefitting from the latest Luftwaffe colours/image research and photo discoveries. The work has around 25 pages of sub-type variant description and operational history and features an interesting if largely unexceptional selection of photos courtesy of Barry Ketley. 'Interesting' is the best comment I can come up with for the artwork to be honest. While of decent quality and generally 'accurate' in his interpretations ('Yellow 17' usually associated with Willi Unger of IV(Sturm)./JG 3 being a rather unfortunate exception) the profile artist favours a 'flat' style with no weathering, shadowing or highlighting that is a little boring to look at if truth be told. The images themselves are also a tad on the small size. Overall I guess around one hundred machines are illustrated, most A-variant types, although there are a few pages of F & G Jabo and Schlacht machines. No Doras though. If you have Scott's 'Battle of Britain Emils' title in the same series you will know exactly what to expect. Do modellers prefer this style or would they prefer to be inspired by Sundin's or Dekker's large scale 'life-like' images? I guess you get what you pay for - and that pretty much applies here. Slightly more expensive than an Osprey, artwork of similar quality to John Weal's, ie not up the standard of a Hector or Laurier....

While similar in concept and execution to the 'Histoire and Collections' illustrated Fw 190 profile book, this new Guidelines title is far better than that absymal effort from the French publisher (distributed by Casemate). For a book of profile artwork, the aircraft has to look 'right' and that is certainly the case here. Like that H&C Fw 190 title this book features pages illustrating stencil placement but includes additionally a nice selection of good quality emblem illustrations and around ten machines have been selected for a four-view treatment. The 'meat' of this Guidelines title though is the detailed profile captions which must amount to many thousands of words. In fact it occurs to me that this book could usefully be read alongside Rodeike's 'Jagdflugzeug 190' bible if you have this German title and do not read German. Recommended with the odd reservation.

http://guidelinepublications.co.uk/

And some more considered comments on this work from Luftwaffe colours Experte David E. Brown;

" ..I offer a few comments on this publication, a copy of which I received a few days ago. Neil has made a number of observations on it that I concur with and I will not repeat, though I will share a few thoughts. In my opinion, there are a few discrepancies and omissions of note.

First, as a book that heavily emphasizes colours, there is no colour key to relate to all the colour profiles! Certainly this is needed as there are no colour call-outs adjacent to any of the profiles / plan views. For example, there is no observable difference between RLM 65 and RLM 76, yet both colours are discussed. Furthermore, the dark blue grey is presumably RLM 75, yet it is darker than RLM 74 which to the knowledgeable is the reverse. Other colours are given a similar treatment: RLM 02 appears as RLM 83, RLM 83 appears too light and looks more like RLM 82, etc. The RLM 24 blue looks violet in my copy of the book. Regardless of any limitations in offset printing, the colour key would facilitate the reader’s understanding and identification of the colours and convey the intent of the author. There is enough confusion with regards to identifying Luftwaffe colours, not to mention the repetition of ancient errors and misinterpretations. This publication does nothing to help the situation when it really could have been a positive contribution.

Second, with regards to the colours on early A-1s and A-2s, the authors cannot seem to make up their minds on whether they were 02/71 or 74/75. The following might help.

There is a fascinating example of a transition aircraft on page 4. This aircraft, Fw 190 A-2, “sw.8+-“ of 5./JG 2 was taken in the summer of 1942. A slightly better quality image of the bottom photo appears on page 116 of Smith and Creek’s latest book on the Fw 190 A (Classic, 2010), and this is the one I will refer to.

At first blush one would think the scheme was 74/75, but a closer inspection reveals that the aircraft received an overspray of RLM 76. The fin hakenkreuz was obviously masked over and the underlying fuselage and underside colour RLM 65 is clearly as a darker shade. The painter appears to have started at the tail and with his painting left ‘negative mottles of the original RLM 02 and RLM 71 mottles. In some cases, the mottles are merely patches of RLM 65 left unsprayed. As he moved forward, the overspray became less dense and by the time he reached the engine power-egg the 76 appears as light-coloured thin wisps and swirls. One can actually see where he followed the top of the exhaust staining and did not bother to clean the fuselage. However, the underside appears to have been given a very solid application of RLM 76, and one of the maintenance instructions on the port wheel door was masked off such that the darker 65 is preserved (seen in the middle photo on page 4). A very quick job but one that preserves important camouflage information. (One would like to see more photos of this kite!)

My belief is that this aircraft was given the new colour at it operational base but left its original 71/02 uppersurface scheme that is visible in the Smith and Creek photograph. Indeed, A-2s were being manufactured between August 1941 and August 1942 and later concurrently with A-3s, so probably more than half of all A-2 have been in the original scheme with the remainder transitioning to the new grey colours RLM 74, 75 and 76 from March-April 1942. (Colours RLM 77, 78, 79 and 80 started to appear perhaps a month later.) The main take-away is that this aircraft might be a very important clue regarding the RLM’s L.Dv.521/1 instructions of November 1941 that have so far defied explanation about finishing fighter and Zerstörer aircraft in “Farbton 74, 75, 76, 65” that Ken Merrick and others have puzzled over for years. I’ll have more to say about that in another discussion.

Thirdly, it is certain that the late A-2s and A-3s were finished with the new grey scheme of 74/75/76, but even here there were variations. An interesting example appears on page 8 (bottom) of the book. This is an outstanding overhead view of Fw 190 A-4 “sw.12+I” of 8./JG 2. Certainly the wing scheme cannot be 74/75. Here is another example of the use of RLM 77 Hellgrau that when one looks closely is seen to appear on an increasing number of Bf 109s and Fw 109s. The grey tone of the lighter and darker colours is far too light to have been 74/75, though in this case was 77/75.

Finally, the photographs in the book lack any indication as to their source / attribution, and, there is no list of references. In many of the captions there suggestions that the authors consulted some books but the reader is left to wonder which ones. This information could have been conveyed in the captions to allow the reader to consult the available references to study the photographs themselves and compare with / validate the authors’ interpretations.."

Thinning my Luftwaffe library

2011-12-31T06:51:00.000-08:00

Up-dated with more items available on "buy-it-now", UK sales only please due postage costs. There are some heavy books here..!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sturmgruppe/m.html?item=230725088455&viewitem=&_trksid=p4340.l2562

Hans Ulrich Rudel Fw 190 sequence - Schlachtflieger Ju 87 G BK 37

2011-12-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

While searching for 'Schlachtflieger' on ebay.de, I came across the following two images, claimed to be originals, depicting Hans Ulrich Rudel at the controls of a Fw 190 and offered for sale by seller mistelstein. The first shot below was new to me, the second has been seen widely on the net although this one seems to be a decent reprint. For anyone not aware of other images in this 'sequence' it is not immediately obvious that the pilot seen taxiing out in 'chevron bar' is Rudel.

A look at a couple of the other images from the same series allows a positive ID. The 'sequence' is from the ECPA-D archive in Paris and was apparently photographed in Rumania during the summer of 1944. Rudel as Kommodore of SG 2 is shown getting ready for a sortie. Note the aircraft features a yellow theatre Rumpfband.
I have a couple of prints from the sequence including another view of Rudel strapping into his chute (above). AFAIK only one other image from the same sequence has been published, most notably in Chris Ehrengardt's 'pilotes de Stuka' article ( which appeared in CJE's own Aerojournal, issue 4) . Note the mechanic on the wing (left, below) is the same figure lying on the wing in the first photo above.

Rudel's preferred mount was of course the Ju 87 Kanonenvogel fitted with the BK 37. Nice image from a war-time Hungarian publication.

Quoted in Tony Williams, 'Flying Guns – World War 2';

"..The BK 3.7 was not a particularly impressive gun. It was a modified version of the FlaK 18 AA gun, was big, heavy and slow-firing (in comparison with the NS-37) and the ammunition clip could only contain a maximum of twelve rounds (six and eight-round clips also being used). However, it was quite powerful and the tungsten-cored Hartkern munition could be extremely effective, penetrating 140 mm / 100 m / 90°, although this reduced sharply to 70 mm at 60°..."

Indeed the Kanonenvogel bore witness to the appalling penury and deficiencies of Luftwaffe resources on the Eastern Front. Here was a machine conceived for taking out tanks individually - one by one if you will. The central weapon of war on the Eastern Front was the tank - the Soviets had lost the armoured battles of 1941 with 11-ton T-26 and 14-ton BT light tanks. These were replaced en masse with a new generation of heavy tanks during 1942 and 1943. Both the T-34 and 45-ton KV heavy tanks toted 76mm guns - even two years later 76mm was the biggest American and British tank gun. Soviet factories started churning out thousands of them monthly - well out of the range of any Luftwaffe bombers - 15,700 T-34s in 1943 alone (quoted in Evan Mawdsley, 'Thunder in the East'). By the time the Germans could field a tank to match the T-34 the Soviets had a huge numerical , if not qualitative, advantage. The up-gunned T-34-85 featured an 85mm gun and over 18,000 of these were produced during 1945. At the time of course Rudel's efforts and those of his comrades were feted in the Nazi propaganda media. Today they are still 'celebrated' in just about every account you might care to read devoted to combat flying on the Eastern Front. In reality Rudel's 'achievements' were but a drop in the ocean, a mere pinprick in the overall scheme of battle on the Eastern Front..

Gunter Gillot Picasa Web album - NARA photo collection

2011-12-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

NARA photo collection featuring Ardennes scenes, Pearl Harbor and several Luftwaffe subjects as posted by Gunter Gillot on his Picasa web albums. Thanks to M-A Haldiman on TOCH for the pointer.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100034951622767959071/November20201103?noredirect=1#

Fw 190 D-9 W.Nr. 210 239 "Schwarze 3", Ufz. Fritz Hanusch, 6./JG 26, shot down on 7 March 1945 by the 366th FG and crash landed at Börsiker, Wesel.

new Fly Henschel Hs 123 'Eastern Front' 1/72nd scale

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

From the feedback ratings of my preferred Ebay seller the Fly Hs 123 is 'flying' off the shelves. Given the antique nature of the Airfix kit the new Fly offering looks superb with its finely moulded resin, plastic and etch parts - at least in the box. The 'Eastern Front' boxing includes four options on the decal sheet (the Legion Condor and 'China' options feature in a separate boxing). A selection of resin parts including the one-piece cowl are bagged separately, along with two sets of fuselage halves, with and without head rest fairing. From the parts break down - undercarriage legs moulded separately - an 'unspatted' or partially 'spatted' build will also be possible..

Reference images from Der Adler (issue 2-1942), Ebay, Luftfaht International (3 issues from 1974) and Jan van der Heuvel collection (see link below)

Above; photo from Jan van der Heuvel's personal collection. An excellent selection of reference shots from Jan's archive and in the same sequence can be found here

new Lela Presse web site, Avions magazine no. 185, Fw 190/NC 900 book Couderchon

2011-12-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

Lela Presse based in Outreau, Boulogne-sur-Mer have launched their new web site ahead of a major revamp and overhaul of 'Avions' magazine due in February 2012. Issue 185, the first issue of 2012, will be the last of the current-look 'Avions' with the next and subsequent issues featuring a new page layout and design and an additional 24 pages per issue. There is invariably something of interest in each issue; No. 185 devotes 13 pages to the history of the Luftwaffe pilot training school FFS (Flugzeugführerschule) A/B 123 established for Croatian pilots in Zagreb following its transfer from Elbing during September 1941 and a further ten pages continuing the history of Polish fighter group III/3 vs. the Luftwaffe during September 1939.

Mechanics working on the BMW VI of this Dornier Do 17 E of 5./KG 77 (with kind permission of Avions editor Michel Ledet)

5. Staffel KG 77 crews go out to their Do 17s prior to a sortie

Visit the new-look Lela Presse web site now (via the magazine cover image link above) and get a free download of the new Lela Presse catalogue for 2012. The catalogue features a number of books of interest to Luftwaffe enthusiasts including the recent J-L Roba title devoted to the Me 323 which I looked at in June - one of my books of the year 2011 - and a number of new publications for 2012 including Philippe Couderchon's history of the French-built Fw 190s (price and release date not yet known). Exclusive cover image preview below. Designated NC 900, French Fw 190s were 'constructed' from huge stocks of spares in the underground factory at Cravant. The type was flown by the Normandie Niemen although proved extremely unpopular with the pilots who disliked having to fly a type that they had spent the war flying against. Around thirty NC 900s were flown at the CEV (Centre d'essais en vol) flight test centre. (below NC 900, image via Jean-Yves Lorant)

Fw 190s Schlachtgeschwader 1 Ltn. Stollnberger Deblin-Irina

2011-12-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a nice way to go to 300 posts on the Luftwaffe blog achieved over the course of the past two years. In reaching this tiny milestone I'd like to thank all my visitors for your support, emails, photos and text; it is much appreciated ! My personal thanks to Peter D. Evans, Erik Mombeeck, Robert Forsyth, Eddie J. Creek, Chris Simmonds, Jean-Yves Lorant, Rowan Gough, Iain Ogilvie, Mike Williams and Tom G. Fischer for friendship, assistance, ebay links, book tips and hints and much more!

Originale Albumseite mit 4 Privatfotos featuring several Fw 190s belonging to Schlachtgeschwader 1, photos taken in Deblin-Irina. Note the very nice views of the Gruppenabzeichen in the form of Micky Maus. A photo page on this unit appears in Erik Mombeeck's Luftwaffe Gallery 1. The pilot with RK in the cockpit is Lt. Stollnberger.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/4-orig-Top-Fotos-Flugzeug-Fw-190-SG-1-Staffelabzeichen-Micky-Maus-Schlachter-/260906730911

via Paddy Keating on the AHF -

Hans Stollnberger’s active career began in July 1940 during the Battle of Britain with II. (Schlacht)/Lehrgeschwader 1, based at Cambrai in northern France and commanded by Hauptmann Otto Weiss. II. Gruppe was equipped with Henschel 123s. II.(S)/LG 1 was recalled to Germany in July 1940 to retrain on Me 109 Es and then posted back to France, to Calais-Marck, in time for the finale of the Battle of Britain in September 1940. II.(S)/LG 1 remained at Calais-Marck until March 1941, when the Gruppe moved to participate in the invasion of Yugoslavia, where Stollnberger won the EK2 on 09.05.1941 as Fahnrich, his award document being signed by General der Flieger Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, Commander of VIII Fliegerkorps.

Receiving the Combat pilot clasp in Bronze on 28 June 1941, he was promoted to Leutnant on 30.06.1941. He was in 4. Staffel, commanded by Alfred Druschel, as Barbarossa was launched, flying sorties in support of Army Group South. He received the EK1 and the Combat clasp in Gold on 23 July 1941. His EK1 document was signed by Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring.
In September and October 1941, II.(S)/LG 1 was based at Kalinin, covering the unsuccessful attempt to take Moscow. On 13.01.1942, II.(S)/LG 1 became Schlachtgeschwader 1, still commanded by Otto Weiss, now an Oberstleutnant. On 07.02.1942, Stollnberger received the Ehrenpokal or honour goblet. The unit covered the advance of Army Group South towards Stalingrad and into the Crimea. On 01.05.1942, he received the Winter War Medal.

In September 1942, Stollnberger became Staffelführer of 8./Sch. G. 1 and received the DkiG on 24 September 1942, which usually preceded the award of the Ritterkreuz. He received the RK in the field on 18 October 1942 after his 460th combat mission as a Schlachtflieger with 20 confirmed victories. He received the Pendant to his Gold Fighter Clasp on 06.12.1942 and was promoted Oberleutnant on 20 February 1943.

On 24 May 1943, Stollnberger was promoted Hauptmann and flew sorties at Kursk (Zitadelle) in July 1943 as Staffelkapitan of 6./ Sch. G. 1. By now his unit had converted from its Emils to Focke-Wulf 190 Antons under Alfred Druschel. During the battle Stollnberger was shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft guns and spent four days evading capture behind enemy lines before crossing the Don river at night and reaching German lines.

Stollnberger was posted from the Eastern Front to France for a spell as an instructor with 2./SG 101, formed in February 1942 from Schlachtfliegerschule 1 and based in Reims. From 18.05.1944 to 10.11.1944, Stollnberger commanded I./SG 101, flying Ar 96s, Fw 190s and Hs 129s out of Paris-Orly and then, as Allied forces advanced through eastern France, Wischau.

He was then posted to III./SG 4 serving from 22 January 1945 with 8./SG 10 in Papa, Hungary as Staffelkapitan. SG 10 was equipped with Fw 190 Fs and Gs. As the Soviets advanced, the unit left Papa in March 1945, returning to Germany, and in the final weeks of the war, flew from Bad Vöslau, Markersdorf, Hörsching, Wels and Zeltweg.

Hauptmann Stollnberger ended WW2 with a score of 45 aerial victories plus countless ground targets destroyed during more than 600 combat missions. While he is usually listed as a Stuka ground attack pilot in correspondence (with PK) he claimed his final victories were in Me262 "Turbojäger". Given the Führerbefehl regarding the way in which the new jets were manned and deployed, especially towards the end, this is not beyond the realms of possibility..

Thanks to the LEMB for the pointer. You can contribute to their thread on these images here
http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=14599&st=0#entry79242

Military in Scale Assi Hahn's Friedrich

2011-11-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Iain Ogilvie's impressive 32nd Hasegawa Friedrich finished in the markings of Gkr. III./JG 2 Assi Hahn features on the cover of and inside the December 2011 issue of Military in Scale.

The Friedrich enters service with Kanalgeschwader JG 2

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2010/06/kanalgeschwader-jg2-1941.html

" ..II. and III./JG 2 started conversion onto the latest 'F' variant of the celebrated Messerschmitt fighter during March 1941. The 'Friedrich' presented a number of enhancements over the successive improvements introduced to the venerable "Emil" with which the Jagdwaffe had gone to war over Poland. The basic airframe had undergone a redesign with the aim of improving aerodynamic efficiency - especially in the area of the wing and tailplane. Both spinner and wingtips were rounded and more streamlined and the Emil's horizontal stabilizer brace supports had been eliminated. In addition the tailwheel was now fully retractable. However the Friedrich did not feature wing armament and weight of fire was thus reduced in comparison to the older sub-type. There were also some structural issues with early examples, a number of pilots being lost after tearing the wings off in high 'G' manoeuvres. The most notable loss was JG 2 Kommodore Wilhelm Balthasar on 3 July 1941.."

JG 2 fighter aces and victory claims 1941

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/06/luftwaffe-fighter-ace-claims-and.html

"...from the Kommodoren to the Kommandeure down to the Staffelkapitäne the fact is that the Luftwaffe's leading fighter Geschwader JG 2 made something of an art of 'over-claiming' as a reading of Erik Mombeeck's history of JG 2 covering the year 1941 makes clear, For example, the Kommandeur III./JG 2 Hans "Assi" Hahn is generally credited with 108 victories, 66 of which were scored on the Western Front. This total - to no-one's apparent disbelief - includes 53 Spitfires! "

http://www.luftwaffe.be/

Focke Wulf Fw 190 Vol I (1938-43) Smith & Creek Ian Allan Chevron Classic

2011-11-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

Finally - the Focke Wulf Fw 190 gets the 'Classic' Smith & Creek treatment. Co-author Eddie Creek was in touch to confirm details of this and subsequent volumes ( "..this will have to be a quick few words as I am up to my neck in trying to finish my Stuka book " )

Now released is Volume I covering all aspects of the development and service introduction of the 190 Anton in a primarily photographic format over a massive 336 pages.

Volume 2 will cover all remaining production versions of the Fw190 A, Fw190 F and Fw190 G, engine developments, and operations on all fighting fronts from June 1943 to June 1944.

Volume 3 will be devoted to the Fw190 D-series, operations with the aircraft until the end of the war, projects and foreign use.

There is also the possibility of a fourth volume, if there is sufficient interest to make it economically viable. It "...would include a very large number of detailed drawings in addition to photographs. These would, for example, provide aircraft modellers with the most detailed information available from the prototypes through to the Fw190 D-series. In addition a detailed section on camouflage and markings would be included."

Eddie confirmed that none of the three planned 336-page volumes will contain any detailed scale line drawings as there was simply not the space, nor will these volumes cover the Ta 152. So far each volume contains more than 500 photos, colour profiles, handbook drawings, and close-ups of weapons and equipment. According to the authors over 6,000 photos were amassed for this book series so there was simply no room for a vast proportion of them although " a fourth volume could be a good place to use a lot more of these. However this will depend to a certain extent on the sales of the first three volumes.."

Update - Eddie J. Creek has kindly sent through some sample page views for posting here;

"..Attached are some pages from the book which are all from Chapter 2. These are early layout samples but I think they should give you an idea about the book. However please understand that these are low res so looking at the pages like this will simply not give as good an impression as seeing the real thing. Note that we have been able to reproduce the photos as large as possible as many of them are from the original prints..."

Arthur Sack Kreisflügler Sack AS 6 Flugplatz Brandis - flying disc design tested by JG 400 Me 163 Komet pilot

2011-11-26T04:15:00.000-08:00

Over in 72 Land Kevin Callahan has finished his Special Hobby Sack AS 6. I happened to see this at the same time as Tom GF was reviewing Stephen Ransom's brief history of Brandis airfield "Zwischen Leipzig und der Mulde" at his German Aviation 1919-1945 blog Like all of Tom's recommendations this little booklet is well worth tracking down - especially as amazon.de re-sellers have copies on offer for under 10 euros. The connection is Ransom's treatment of the Sack AS 6 on page 61 of his Brandis history. He provides some fascinating information..

Circular wing aircraft planforms were all the rage in America in the 1930s and for a time post war. In fact the American "flying flapjack" flew well enough, but these designs were ultimately no more than aeronautical cul-de-sacs. The Luftwaffe 'sponsored' a similar concept - although their machine was dreamt up in his barn by a farmer, Arthur Sack from Mackern in Saxony (north-east of Leipzig). Sack was an aero-modeller who had entered his flying model in a contest in Leipzig in 1939 and where he had apparently met Ernst Udet who had encouraged him to continue his 'design' work. By early 1944 Sack had built his first piloted Kreisflügler circular wing design 'aircraft', since designated the Sack AS 6 (or the Sack AS 6 V1 according to Special Hobby). Sack then apparently persuaded the Kommandant of his local airfield to allow some developmental work to go on at his airfield - only in this case the local airfield was Flugplatz Brandis, where later that year highly secret and state-of-the-art designs such as the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163 point interceptor and the amazing forward-swept wing Junkers Ju 287 jet bomber were being test flown and operated!

Despite the presence of such a 'design' at a 'secret' test base like Brandis, the Sack AS 6 was as far removed aeronautically from these futuristic machines as it was possible to be - a plywood circular wing powered by an old Messerschmitt Bf 108 Argus engine utilising cockpit parts from a crashed Bf 109. Ground taxiing tests were performed during February 1944, with the first test proving that the rudder was not strong enough and the landing gear not fit for purpose - some structural damage ensued. Five takeoff runs were made during the second test on the 1200 metre Brandis runway during April 1944 with ATG Leipzig test pilot Baltabol at the controls. Testing continued that summer -presumably on a very ad-hoc basis - with a pilot who had some experience of tail-less aircraft trying his hand - Oblt. Franz Rösle, Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 400. These were apparently flight tests although it is doubtful whether the Sack AS 6 ever got airborne - other than a short hop - since it was clear that the 'aircraft' was under-powered. In addition the control surfaces of the flying 'beer mat ' were hopelessly inadequate since they were masked by the circular wing. Based on eye witness reports Ransom concludes that the Sack AS 6 never flew and the 'aircraft' was later broken up on the airfield for fire wood. Of course it is entirely possible that the main legacy of the Sack AS 6 was the host of rumours and myths post-war regarding German 'disc' aircraft and flying saucers...

Diving Luftwaffe wrecks in the Med - Junkers Ju 88 A-17 torpedo bomber

2011-11-25T06:05:00.000-08:00

The ‘Baie du Souffre’ is formed by the Frioul islands just off the coast of Marseille (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France). A few years ago a Marseille-based diver Luc Vanrell investigated the wrecks of several Ju 88 torpedo bombers lying in the bay at depths of over 50 metres in an article written for ‘Subaqua’, the magazine of the French underwater sports federation.

His report on diving the wreck of a 1./KG 77 Junkers Ju 88 A-17 lost on 31 July 1944 off the French Med coast is available as a nice 30-page pdf albeit in French. On page 6 of his report Luc reproduces this lovely photo of 3Z+BH of 1./KG77 carrying two torpedoes and fitted with RATO Starthilfe packs. Credited to Chris Goss, this photo does not apparently appear in the latter's excellent 'Sea Eagles' (Vol 2)

http://www.immadras.com/Ju88/Texte_Ju_88.pdf

Currently available on ebay.de is this nice image of a similarly marked Ju 88 also equipped with the RATO Starthilfe rocket packs. As ever, sincere thanks to Peter D. Evans for the find in his daily Ebay photo trawl at the Luftwaffe Experten Message Board

update 30 Nov - above image sold for 489 euros

Junkers Ju 188 Ebay rarities

2011-11-24T03:02:00.000-08:00

Above; two Hasegawa Ju 188s on display at this year's Scale Model World Telford.

Flying the Junkers Ju 188 (re-post). An account from former KG 77 & KG 26 pilot Diemer Bodo's memoir " Überlebenschance gleich Null " (Helios Verlag)

1945 sees Diemer posted to Norway with KG 26 and the chance to fly the Ju 188.

“ ..that day we reported as ordered to the Technical Officer. We were to fly two modified Ju 188s back to Trondheim and ferry them to III. Gruppe. Both machines were standing outside on the taxyway. I told him that we had never flown the Ju 188 and couldn’t be expected to take the aircraft without at least some classroom instruction. His response – we both wore the EK first class so we must be experienced flyers. There were two Bordfunker ready and waiting to make the trip with us. A pilot who had flown the Ju 188 was on hand to show us the ropes – and quickly before the Mustangs put in an appearance and shot the two machines to pieces. Just great! .. with the Russians in front of Berlin and the Western Allies already fighting around Kassel, here we were standing in our entire worldly possessions and now having to make a 1,500 kilometer trip north in a type that we had never flown before. While we had been flying combat sorties we’d dreamt of being able to give up our old lame Ju 88s for the faster more manoeuvrable Ju 188. Now we were getting our wish. The Ju 188 was a machine of 3,500 hp, almost 700 more horses than my faithful old ‘1H+NH’, and a top speed approaching 530 km/h, almost 100 km/h faster than our old crates... the next morning, half asleep, I climbed up into the unfamiliar cockpit, followed by the BF. Much more spacious, not half as cramped as the Ju 88, although the layout of the instruments and throttles was much the same. Run up the engines quickly and then taxy out. The eastern horizon was already getting lighter – time to get going before the P-51s turned up. Essig followed me and we turned onto the runway. Throttles wide open at the same time and we were airborne tucked in alongside each other just like the good old days. Now we were in our element – low level over the Baltic heading north. The biggest danger now was our own flak, and especially the anti-aircraft defences toted by our warships lying off the coast. An intermediate stop was planned in Aalborg, Denmark before undertaking the long flight over the Skagerrak. The Ju 188 was very pleasant to fly. Much easier on the rudder and the aircraft responded quickly to my inputs on the stick. I could sense the much higher speed – this was turning into a joy ride - I waggled my wings at Essig in happiness. He waggled his back in reply...”

Above image surfaced on Ebay earlier this year presumably via one of Peter's searches on the LEMB and aroused a certain amount of interest for the KG 30 badge and the possibility that this was Kommodore KG 200 Baumbach's personal aircraft. Baumbach left KG 30 in December 1942 for a staff position and the Ju 188 E did not enter service in any numbers until mid-1943.

This from Del Davis on the TOCH thread dealing with this aircraft ; " I am not sure that KG 30 was ever equipped with the Ju-188. Like you I have never seen a Baumbach aircraft where the codes are visible. I think it more likely that he flew this aircraft while with KG 200 in 1944 so the code is more likely A3+-- or or A3+AA..While few if any KG 200 aircraft carried unit emblems this may have been a personal aircraft with his former unit insignia for his use while on the staff or as Komodore of KG 200. As to the code it could just as easily have still been the Stammkennzeichen. Unless some source comes forward with either a photo or a logbook we may never know.."

Ju 188 E-1 codes of KG 200 as reported by Ed North.
260186 (no code given) destroyed 01.03.45 (Ketley "KG 200")
260232 A3+LD surrendered Mulhldorf-Metthenhaim 08.05.1945 (ebay/LEMB 01.2011)
260381 (no codes given) 35% in belly landing 23.01.45 (Luftwaffe losses)
260399 A3+LD I/KG 200 missing (100%) unk location (Erfurt-Echterdingen) 02.02.1945 (Luftwaffe losses)
250522* (no codes given) 25% no location given 14.02.45 (Luftwaffe losses)
(*probably typo for 260522)
260542 A3+QD shot down near Diest, Belgium 23.01.1945 (Ketley "KG 200" )
260543 (no code given) strafed Alten-Grabow 01.03.1945 (Ketley "KG 200" )
Further codes for Ju 188s (likely all A-2/D-2s Jumo 213 engines) are A3+RD, A3+OD, A3+TD, A3+BD.

Revell new tool 1:72 Junkers Ju 88 A-4 bomber 04672 - first look review

2011-11-23T02:26:00.000-08:00

As with their new 1:32 kits, the new tool Revell Junkers Ju 88 A-4 Schnellbomber in the one true scale appears to set new standards. The box itself is huge with its striking - albeit apparently spurious- KG 30 artwork, presumably based on the 'celebrated' Piraeus raid which took place on the evening of 6 April 1941 as described in his memoir by the Staffelkapitän of 7./ KG 30 'Hajo' Herrmann flying 4D+AR - a little early for a Mediterranean A-4 perhaps. So much for the box art. The kit itself is impressive - when Revell state that their new Ju 88 features a 'super-detailed' cockpit and an extensively equipped interior they are not exaggerating - no fewer than 13 of the 50-odd build stages are devoted to the cockpit and forward fuselage, including a detailed and 'poseable' C-Stand ventral Bola. The side panel detail, the consoles and radio gear are all superb and even feature various levers moulded perfectly in situ. Rudder pedals are also separate parts -must be a first in this scale- and a decent representation of the compass also feature. A nicely-detailed bombsight extends down to the cupola bomb aiming window. Rather than just include 'generic' machine guns an attempt has been made to accurately represent the various different MGs in the cockpit area, ie MG 15/17, MG 81 and MG 81Z, although the sights are solid plastic. Anything else in this scale would have been totally impractical. Total parts count is not given anywhere on or in the box - I've seen figures ranging from 125 to 140, although the ordnance is numbered in the 230s. There are nearly 100 items on the decal sheet, including the side window angle of attack sight lines. There are also decals for the external engine instrument clusters on both engines. Featuring separate control surfaces and landing flaps and perfectly recessed panel lines, this kit is graded at Series 4 level complexity. The clear parts are bagged separately and look first class. The rotating LL-K81 Bola MG mounts for the rearward firing MGs are separate clear parts. A couple of low spots, more personal bugbears - the main wheels are moulded in two halves and the KG 30 decal option, as mentioned above, appears to be fictitious, apparently based on a 30-year old John Weal profile - or perhaps on some undocumented personal recollection. Having hunted through my references (including the impressive AirDoc monograph and the three recent Kagero volumes) and researched some of Kagero's decal subjects I can tell you that I failed to find anything quite this colourful. More to the point there were few if any A-4s in the Balkan/Crete/Med theatre as a recent thread on the LEMB indicates. In the first of the Ju 88 Kagero monographs there are decals for a nice KG 30 machine with areas of yellow on the airframe - this is an A-5 coded 4D+VH. The other kit decal option is a sand-brown LG 1 machine. Click on the images for a closer view and carry on scrolling down for some reference images of the forward fuselage and selected cockpit handbook photos..not all of the followng are A-4s of course. ..

Test shot build photographed by Rowan Gough at Telford.

My build is underway here
http://falkeeinsmodel.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-tool-revell-junkers-ju-88-4-04672.html

Two views of an early A-variant cockpit showing the instrument panel and forward-firing MG (above) and the pilot's seat and control column (below, left)

Note the additional defensive side-ways firing MG 15 in the upper rear cockpit roof glazing in the picture above, the so-called B-Stand Zusätzliche Schußwaffe and two handbook images showing the staggered lay out of these supplementary twin drum MG 15s in the B-Stand interior position operated by the Beobachter (observer) in this view looking forward.

Two views above of an A-4 having its inboard wing tanks refueled. A good view of the rotating LL-K81 MG mounts

Click on the label links below for more Ju 88 and Ju 88 model posts including a review of the Hasegawa Junkers Ju 88 G nightfighter kits

Adolf Galland's Siebel Fh 104

2011-11-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Above; Photographed during a visit to 3./JGr.Ost during March 1943 in south-west France, Adolf Galland, General der Jagd-und Schlachtflieger, at the controls of his Reisemachine, a Siebel Fh 104 coded DT+CL. Note the individual unit Wappen (emblems) on the fuselage sides.
Currently on Ebay here

Oberbefehlshaber Süd Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring seen on his Siebel Fh 104 coded SG+GB WNr. 0028, Rome, date unknown (around 1942)

Free shipping from Vintage Eagle Publishing !

2011-11-18T11:30:00.001-08:00

Back in early September the Luftwaffe blog was the first site on the WWW to bring you a comprehensive review of Roger S Gaemperle's superlative new "Captured Eagles " book devoted to German WWII aircraft captured by the Allies. You can read our appreciation of this fine work here

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Below; a nice print from my collection of Bf 109 G-6/AS 'Green 5' of I./EJG 2, the Ergänzungsnachtjagdstaffel (night fighter replacement training unit), in overall gloss back finish. Established in March 1944 at Ludwigslust under Staffelkapitän Hptm. Heinrich Spitzer, this unit was augmented to two Staffeln in July 1944 and trained pilots for single-seat night fighters. Note the owl unit emblem on the engine cowl and, unusually for a Luftwaffe fighter, the painted propeller tips. Click on the image for a quality screen-size view.

"Captured Eagles" features two pages of previously unpublished coverage of this Ergänzungsnachtjagdstaffel Gustav including new photos and detailed text...

Adolf 'Addi' Glunz JG 52 & JG 26

2011-11-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

More from Michael Meyer's Ebay sales. Gefr. Adolf Glunz (right) in front of a 4./JG 52 Emil probably in autumn 1940 or early 1941. Glunz received the EK II (below) for his first two victories on 7 and 19 May 1941. He was awarded the RK in August 1943 and received the Eichenlaub on 24.6.1944. He achieved some 72 Luftsiege including around 20 four-engine bombers.

Below; Glunz seen after a 4./JG 26 combat sortie in Vitry-en Artois reporting to his Staffelkapitän Oblt. Otto Stammberger during early 1943. Michael Meyer believes this photo may date from 28 March 1943 when Glunz claimed two Mosquitos ! Oblt Otto Stammberger is seen on the left (7 Luftsiege)

The Heinkel He 219 - a research paper (2nd Edition) by Ron Ferguson

2011-11-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

I am extremely grateful to Ron Ferguson for a copy of his updated and revised work devoted to the He 219 entitled " The Heinkel He 219 - a research paper, 2nd Edition ". This must count as one of the most comprehensive and detailed self-published Luftwaffe books to be printed anywhere. Dedicated to the memory of his son Stuart, tragically killed in a hit and run, this revisited and extended work -the 1st edition was published in February 2011- surpasses in my mind any previously published book on the He 219. Ron has carefully compiled a 110-page A-4 softback that essentially revises, reviews and, most importantly, corrects where erroneous, all previously published He 219 data and details. And it is no exaggeration to state that much of what has been published on the He 219 hitherto is in need of revision and correction. I am also in Ron's debt for pointing out that most of what I've written on this blog regarding the He 219 was incorrect! More on that later. This second edition was compiled with much help from the fraternity of Luftwaffe enthusiasts, most notably Marcel Hogenhuis and the forum members at the LEMB

Contents include chapters devoted to production and Werknummern, an analysis of oft-published and erroneously captioned photos while the bulk of the work (P23-90) reviews all published works on the He 219 with corrections. There are no fewer than 63 detailed corrections and textual improvements for the most recent work on the type, Marek Murawski's He 219 Uhu monograph recently published by Kagero. The appendices cover Werknummern and Stammkenzeichen, victory claims and losses and a comprehensive bibliography.

Asserted by many historians and enthusiasts to have been the leading nightfighter of WWII, the vaunted He 219 was undoubtedly a dangerous opponent for RAF Bomber Command heavies, but rather less so than is often proclaimed for the RAF's rapid twin-engine Mosquito. While prototypes featured - or were intended to feature - remotely controlled gun barbettes, ejection seats and other exotic innovations, most of these developments had been dropped by the time the type entered service. The He 219 was nonetheless fast, heavily armed, had reasonably effective radar and offered outstanding visibility and safety to its crews due to the tricycle undercarriage and ejection seats as detailed in and according to an official 1. Jagddivision report compiled from interviews of I./NJG 1 personnel. (text extract from the von Rohden collection below)

The destructive start to the He 219's night-fighting career with I./NJG 1 is well known, although the feats ascribed to the type subsequently are somewhat exaggerated. During May 1943 the Stab I./NJG 1 received three pre-production A-0s (the V7, the V8 and the V9) for operational testing. All three of these aircraft were similarly armed with two MG 151/20 in the wing roots and four 30 mm MK 108 cannon in the ventral weapons bay. Few if any He 219s ever mounted the Mk 103 cannon. The aircraft were fitted with the FuG 202 Lichtenstein radar. It is known that Maj. Werner Streib's He 219 was destroyed in a crash landing after his first operational interceptions on the night of 11-12 June 1943 when he claimed five bombers in WNr. 190009 (coded G9+FB). Following this loss the He 219 V10 and He 219 V12 were delivered to I./NJG 1 at Venlo in July/August 1943 and the first of the A-0 preproduction series (WNrn. 190051 and 190053) were delivered in the first week of September 1943. On 1 July Hptm. Hans- Dieter Frank had taken over the reins at I./NJG 1 and claimed seven British bombers between 25-26 July and 5-6 September at the controsl of a He 219. He was killed on the night of 27-28 September when his He 219 was involved in a mid-air collision with a Me 110 G-4 of the Geschwaderstab NJG 1. The first Mosquito shot down by a He 219 from I./NJG 1 was no earlier than 6/7 May 1944 through Oblt. Werner Baake, I./NJG 1 eventually accounting for no more than twelve (12) Mosquitos during the existence of the Gruppe. The first crew to save their lives with the ejection seats (then called Katapult Anlage, lit. catapult apparatus) was Uffz. Perbix and his Bordfunker on the night of 10-11 April 1944.

A large number of published images of the He 219 have been blighted by incorrect and inappropriate captions, especially of the He 219 V5 (above). Taken in the spring of 1943 shortly after coming off the assembly line at Schwechat this is WNr. 190005 coded DH+PU. Note the 'step' in the rear lower fuselage (similarly in the upper fuselage although not visible here) Effective from WNr. 190007 the rear fuselage of the He 219 was stream-lined with the removal of the 'steps'.

Above; in-flight shots of the He 219 flown by the leading ace on the type, Oblt. (later Hptm.) Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow. Coded G9+FK the aircraft is believed to be WNr. 190012. The photos were taken by Uffz. Waldbauer (Oblt. Werner Baake's Bordfunker) on 18 April 1944 near Venlo during a radio calibration test flight. The letter 'U' seen on the wing almost certainly stands for übung (test) indicating that this machine was used for training purposes. ( detailed caption from 'The Heinkel He 219 - a research paper' by Ron Ferguson)

Previously on this blog I wrote that the He 219 seen at Rechlin during the Luftwaffe's September 1943 equipment exhibition was the He 219 V4 based on Peter Petrick's photo caption in Jet & Prop. Herewith Ron's assessment of that information;

Is the machine likely to be the He 219 V4?

Answer – No. Why? The historical record and the photographic record show that the He 219 V3, V4, V5 and V6 had a very different rear fuselage to all other He 219s. The first six He 219s (V1 to V6, inclusive) were constructed with the originally designed fuselage, which included ‘steps’ in the upper and lower fuselage (intended for remotely controlled gun barbettes). Problems detected in the early flights of the V1 (excessive tail vibrations and flight instability) led to a series of modifications to the V1 in December 1942 and early 1943. These modifications included (a) lengthening the rear fuselage by 940 mm, (b) removal of the ‘steps’ in the rear fuselage, (c) thickness of the fuselage skinning increased by 30% in selected areas, (d) engine nacelles lengthened, and (e) original empennage replaced by a redesigned, larger tail unit. The same modifications were made to the He 219 V2 in early 1943. At the same time it was decided all He 219s commencing from the He 219 V7 would incorporate these design changes ex-factory assembly line. The prototypes V3 to V6, inclusive, were fitted with the larger, redesigned tail unit but did not receive modifications to the fuselage. If you look at the attached photos of the He 219 V5 and compare them against Hubmann’s photos you’ll see the significant difference in the rear fuselage. The ‘step’ in the lower rear fuselage of the He 219 V5 is obvious; not so easy to see is the corresponding 'step' in the upper fuselage (poor photo quality, I’m afraid).

Is the machine likely to be the He 219 V8?

Answer – Yes. Why? Firstly, we feel certain this machine is the He 219 V7 or later. Secondly, we can account for the whereabouts of all the early prototypes (from the V7 up to V12) through the period late August/early September 1943 – and we can safely rule out the V7, V9 (lost in combat June 43), V 10, V 11 and V12 (after that point, we're into the A-0 pre-production machines which are well documented).
We know that the He 219 V8 was delivered to I./NJG 1 at Venlo in May 1943 (see notes above). On 15 May a comparison flight was flown between the He 219 V8 and a Bf 110G (Remp, p.63). We further know that the V8 was subsequently transferred to Rechlin (date uncertain) for undercarriage trials (the RLM were not at all convinced by the He 219's tricycle undercarriage). In Hubmann’s photos you will see a strange looking device under the belly of the He 219. Thanks to Marcel’s detective work, it is now known that this device is a camera or some sort of ‘Gerät’ for monitoring the retraction and extension of the landing gear. This ties up with a work report (Werksbericht) of 10 July 1943 linking the V8 to the installation of meters for nosewheel travel (again, thanks to Marcel H).
Question – the He 219 V 4?
On 19 April 1943 a telex was sent from Heinkel Vienna to Heinkel Jenbach (Tyrol) advising that, quote, “A representative from Rechlin will be here tomorrow to collect the V4 and ferry it to Rechlin.” (Remp, p.57). Later reports (August & September 1943) of the V4 talk of engine and cooling system troubles; there is no word about landing gear tests. Some He 219 publications state that the V4 was connected to ejection seat testing – although having researched this, I am strongly of the view that this is incorrect. You can read more about this in my forthcoming 2nd Edition of The Research Paper. The He 219 V4 can certainly be linked with testing at Rechlin – but, it was only one of a number of He 219s linked with Rechlin.

Conclusion;
Marcel and I are strongly of the view that the He 219 seen in Hubmann’s photographs is the He 219 V8, Werknummer 190008. (See photo below - note the re-designed and streamlined rear fuselage visible in this view) The Stammkennzeichen is not known for certain but is almost certainly DH + PX.

A message from Ron;

".. This 2nd Edition of my Research Paper will be my final act before going into retirment. I simply could not rest without tidying up the matters raised in the initial publication. I have no plans for a 3rd Edition and once this 2nd Edition is put into circulation I intend to wind down. Briefly, I want to take this opportunity to explain my reasons for this action: -

The Research Paper has been quite critical of previous He 219 publications for the many errors of fact, confusions and misunderstandings that appear in those publications. Even though the Research Paper was an attempt to make sense of it all, it too contains errors of fact, confusions and misunderstandings. Because I am aware of those shortcomings, I feel very strongly I have a responsibility to set right my previous work.

Most important to me, however, is the fact that the Research Paper is dedicated to the memory of my son, Stuart. For this reason alone, I could not rest knowing that the Research Paper as originally published earlier this year contains errors.

The 2nd Edition is a huge step up from the first Edition; pages have increased from 75 to 110. The text has been reworked from front cover to back cover and the necessary corrections/amendments have been made - this includes an additional 20,000 words. My old dinosaur of a computer struggled with graphics and images but thanks to a major upgrade in this area, photographs which were sadly lacking in the 1st Edition are now included in a separate Chapter and elsewhere throughout the book. A limited number of copies have been printed. In lieu of a charge- and if you feel so inclined - a donation to your favourite charity would be very much in order. Nowadays my favourite charity is homeless kids (55 years ago I was a homeless kid)..."

Luftwaffe models Scale Model World Telford 2011 (2) - updated 24 November

2011-11-16T01:46:00.000-08:00

Continuing our selection of the best Luftwaffe models on display at Telford for IPMS Scale Model World 2011, the following grouping was photographed by Rowan Gough. Some of the best from the display tables around the hall ..and for the most part not seen on other web galleries from the show! Thanks Rowan ! A further selection from Rowan still to come. Click on the image to get in even closer.

I have now added another Telford Scale Model World gallery on my modelling blog
http://falkeeinsmodel.blogspot.com/2011/11/ipms-scale-model-world-telford-2011.html

Luftwaffe models Scale Model World Telford 2011 (1)

2011-11-14T02:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the photographers kind enough to allow me to post their photos here, in particular Radleigh Bushell. More to come hopefully

Radleigh's thread on britmodeller is here

Go here for Part 2 of Luftwaffe models from IPMS Scale Model World at Telford 2011 on this blog

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/11/luftwaffe-models-scale-model-world_16.html

Günther Specht Bf 109 G-5/AS WerkNr. 110 064 (JG 11 Gruppenkommandeur)

2011-11-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

Subject of a four-page article in Avions magazine issue No. 140 and a two-page spread (p842-843) in Teil 2 of the Prien/Rodeike JG 1/11 history ('Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung') is Günther Specht's Bf 109 G-5/AS as 'decorated' and photographed for his award of the Ritterkreuz on 8 April 1944 - note the RK representation over the cowl in the lower photo (bottom). Specht was Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 11 and his 29th and 30th victories had been achieved over Detmold on 22 Februay 1944 (a P-51 and a B-17). With 15 heavy bombers destroyed he was one of the leading 'bomber killers' in the Defence of the Reich, despite having lost his left eye in December 1939 when flying Bf 110 Zerstörer with ZG 26. See rudder close-up below. Interestingly in his photo caption for Specht's G-5, Prien suggests that the aircraft may have received a mottle of dark green or brown blotches although this variant was essentially designed for high-altitude interception and may even have been finished in overall RLM 76 from the factory, before receiving a rough 75 overspray. Note the 'cigar' shaped auxiliary fuel tank and the Geschwader emblem of JG 11 under the cockpit - the so-called Der Wächter from sculptor - and regime favourite - Arno Breker, which was first seen on the front page of German magazines after the fall of Stalingrad, usually under the title 'Revenge!'

Seen in the cockpit of Specht's machine being shown over the controls is Hptm. Gerhard Barkhorn, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 52 who had returned to Germany for the award of the Swords to his RK during March 1944. Note the extremely light colour of the Stabswinkel chevrons. The presence of the visible air scoop in front of the windscreen has led some Experten to conclude that this machine was not a pressurized "G-5/AS", but more probably a G-6/AS, which would cast some doubt on the WNr. Lynn Ritger in The Messerschmitt Bf 109 Part 2 states that a number of Bf 109 G-6/U2 fighters were converted to AS types (95 by Erla, 98 by Mimetall and 80 by Blohm und Voss) but interestingly no Bf 109 G-6/U3/AS are listed nor indeed any G-5/AS for that matter. On 15 May 1944 Specht was made up to Kommodore of JG 11 but was injured in a crash-landing during July. He led a Gefechtsverband or battle formation (an ad-hoc grouping of fighter Gruppen) during the Arnhem campaign claiming two RAF Typhoons and achieved his 34th and final victory on 5 December 1944.

The model build courtesy Jean Barby is the Hasegawa G-10 mated to an MDC conversion set which included a new 'nose' with enlarged prop blades, a new air intake and a deeper radiator bath. Decals are from Superscale.

Bf 109 G-6 of III./JG 26 Villacoublay

2011-11-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

This nice photo was previously published in Jean-Bernard Frappé's " La Luftwaffe face au débarquement " a 350-page French-language account of the Luftwaffe in Normandy and southern France during the summer of 1944, subtitled 'Messerschmitt 109 G and Focke Wulf 190 A au combat en Normandie et en Provence'. Unfortunately in the book this particular image is printed right across a page bind so much of it is lost. It shows Bf 109 G-6s of III./JG 26 taxiing and taking off from Villacoublay-Nord probably during June 1944. According to Frappé the aircraft are 'Blue 10' and 'Blue 18' from 12. Staffel. Note the III. Gruppe vertical bar aft of the Balkenkreuz. Jean-Yves Lorant owns the original negative although the photo is credited in Frappé to Genth via Caldwell.

Blitz Heinkel He 111 KG 4

2011-11-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

He 111 belonging to IV./KG 4 in Athies sous Laon and displaying a matt black distemper paint finish for night ops during the Blitz during mid-1941. Note the Hakenkreuz (swastika) appears to have to been 'blacked-out'. These images depict an unnamed crew being feted with flowers following their return from a milestone flight. Note the Kapok life jacket. Click on the picture to see the full image and the painted-out cross on the lower wing..

Latest Ebay sales from Michael Meyer
http://www.ebay.de/sch/macflly41/m.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A5023&rt=nc&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=2

Final Luftwaffe flights into and out of Berlin during late April 1945 - Grey Wolf : The escape of Adolf Hitler EDIT 05 November

2011-11-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Reluctant though I am to blog this book, you can hardly have failed to notice it given the megabytes of forum space that the authors have assiduously filled up in their valiant if rather vain attempts to dress it up as a serious work. And here in the UK author Williams managed to get a lengthy Sky News interview (his former employer) and the book has garnered plenty of (far more sceptical) newspaper column inches. Starting from the premise that there is no 'proof' that AH died in the bunker in Berlin in April 1945, the authors lengthy 'research' indicates that AH escaped to South America after being spirited away from Berlin in a Ju 52 during the last days of April 1945. It was during the night of the 27-28th April that AH and Eva Braun left the bunker via a 'secret' tunnel, their place in the bunker being taken by doubles - who presumably managed to fool Misch, Junge and all the other acolytes- and were flown to the coast on board a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52 before boarding a U-boot heading for South America. Fanciful and far-fetched, right ? Of course it is. British author Sir Max Hastings used the words "absolute drivel " when I mentioned this book in a 'question-and-answer session' in front of an audience of 250+ people at a recent book festival and added, " imagining new revelations from WWII is a disease of reporters and newsmen everywhere. In fact there haven't been any since the mid-1970s and the 'Ultra' secret ". However the subject of final flights into and out of the doomed Reichshauptstadt is certainly an interesting one but there are so few sources of any description aside from personal accounts that any attempt to either prove or disprove the version of events related in Dunstan's work is fraught with difficulty. With German-held territory shrinking rapidly and the country cut in two, flights reaching Berlin after the fall of the last airport within the city limits (Gatow, 26 April 1945) were 'resupply' missions - supplies dropped from transport aircraft and gliders operating from a handful of airfields on the Baltic coast. However, amidst a whirl of rumour, conjecture and half-truths -opinion masquerading as 'facts'- the authors believe that there was a concerted effort made to fly high-ranking personalities out of Berlin - among them AH. This operation - codenamed "Unternehmen Reichskanzlei" - was presumbly inspired by Günther Ott's articles published in Jet & Prop magazine during 1995 entitled "Unternehmen Reichskanzlei". However Ott did take the trouble to point out that no such codeword/operation for these flights existed - it being simply post-war journalistic shorthand for those various ad-hoc attempts to bring in supplies to Berlin for the besieged bunker occupants and their defenders. Dunstan and Williams conveniently overlook this small detail and go much further. Of course Hitler did indeed have his own 'flight' of transport aircraft, the so-called Fliegerstaffel des Führers (or more colloquially 'FdF' ..Für den Führer..) but this unit was equipped with large multi-engine types including Ju 290s from FAGr 5, virtually all of which had been effectively grounded for months due to shortages of fuel. AH may have been urged by his acolytes to flee to some Alpine 'fortress' or other in southern Germany but only a handful of ad-hoc transport flights out of Berlin for high-ranking regime members were possible from mid-April, activity suddenly spurred by the opening of the last Russian offensive against Berlin launched on 16 April 1945. On 21 April Lt. Herbert Wagner flew 48 passengers from Berlin to Salzburg in a FAGr. 5 Ju 290 A-2 transport (9V+BK), returning to Gatow on the following evening. Hitler's personal transport Fw 200 C-4 coded "TK+CV" flew 12 passengers to Wittstock on 24 April but by now the last remaining airport within the city (Gatow) was coming under heavy Soviet artillery fire.

An important role in this 'story' is played by the Charlottenburger Chaussee - the so-called Ost-West Achse. Hitler had designated this wide and long boulevard in central Berlin as a takeoff and landing strip in his 'order for the preparations of the defence of the Reichs capital'. But no large multi-engined aircraft could hope to land here. Perhaps this is why the authors of 'Grey Wolf' would have us believe that the 'final' flight was not made from this location! One of the most 'notable' final flights into the centre of Berlin and the East-West Axis was made by Ritter von Greim and related by Hanna Reitsch. Summoned to the bunker, the last CO of the Luftwaffe and his girlfriend had been flown into Gatow south of Berlin centre under escort from JG 4 Fw 190s. By 25 April Gatow was the only airfield within the city boundary that was still in German hands although coming increasingly under Soviet fire. Indeed 26 April may have been the last day Gatow saw Luftwaffe aircraft take off. Routes into the city from the airfield had already been cut and the only way into the centre and the Chancellery as Hanna Reitsch and Ritter von Greim discovered was via Fiesler Storch. Their Stork came under Russian fire on the subsequent flight and von Greim was injured. According to Reitsch's own account, Hitler (presumably his double) ordered them to save themselves late on Sunday 29 April 1945. They had one last chance to flee – a Junkers Ju 52 and an Arado 96 had just landed unscathed on the East-West Axis. Von Greim and Reitsch left the bunker and climbed aboard a half-track which drove them to the Arado under a night sky that was lit up by countless flashes and explosions. The pilots were waiting – the same Feldwebel who had brought them into Gatow aboard a Focke Wulf 190. This time he had touched down near the Zoo – the strip that was still in German hands amounted to no more than 400 metres in length and was shrinking progressively. The Arado trainer took off under a rain of fire and immediately sought refuge in the banks of cloud and smoke that had shrouded the city for weeks.

The Ju 52 that had 'successfully managed to land' on the Ost-West-Achse that night and then take-off again was apparently flown by one Oberfeldwebel Böhm from II./TGr 3. This was reported by another young Ju 52 pilot from this unit, Uffz. Johannes Lachmund who described events in his 2009 memoir. Although a pilot Lachmund flew on this sortie as a gunner. Lachmund records that this mission was flown from Güstrow to Berlin with five aircraft to evacuate high-ranking personnel from Berlin, including Ritter von Greim. As Lachmund reports, three of the five Ju 52s had to return after missed approaches, chiefly because the visibility was so poor from the heavy smoke from the fires everywhere on the ground. One Ju-52 was shot-down by the Soviets during the approach.
Lachmund mentions discussions via telephone from the 'air traffic control' command-post at the Siegessäule (Berlin's Victory column) between Ofw Böhm and the Bunker in the Reichskanzlei. There was apparently some dispute over the passengers to be flown-out, chiefly because Hanna Reitsch wanted to fly out the Ritter von Greim herself at the controls of the Arado Ar-96, and not leave Berlin as a passenger on this Ju-52 flight. Eventually, the Ju 52 boarded only a few other wounded passengers but not the VIPs. Because of damage to the 'runway' from shelling, the Junkers transport had only 400 metres in which to get airborne. It is worth noting perhaps that Deutsche Lufthansa record the minimum take-off distance for their lighter (unarmoured and unarmed) Ju 52/3m as 500 metres..
( Johannes Lachmund : « Fliegen ; Mein Traumberuf – bis zu den bitteren Erlebnissen des Krieges », Verlagshaus Monsenstein und Vannerdat OHG Münster, 2009.)

As mentioned one fighter Geschwader charged with escorting senior figures in and out of the smoke-shrouded capital, including Hanna Reitsch and Ritter von Greim, was Jagdgeschwader 4. JG 4 had flown some of its last ground-attack missions of the war around the capital and the area of Neustrelitz on 29 April. Uffz. Manfred Kudell of 8.(Sturm)/JG 4 was one pilot who paid the price, airborne over Berlin at 08:45 that morning;

“ Between 14 and 29 April I flew 29 combat sorties over Berlin and its suburbs. These were mostly Jabo ground attack flights but we also flew plenty of Schlachtflieger escort missions over the Kremmen-Nauen sector in an attempt to slow the encirclement of the capital. Over Berlin itself we generally ran into Yak fighters. During the last days we flew such a high rate of sorties that there was little time to properly plan them, which meant that they were mostly ineffectual. I was airborne – with my Schwarm – on 29 April. My Fw 190 carried a 250kg bomb and I had orders to target Soviet tanks heading for the Chancellery. There was little hope of us successfully carrying out this mission given the huge pall of smoke that shrouded the city – it was impossible to make out anything on the ground clearly. In fact only those pilots – such as myself – who knew the city and could pick out landmarks to navigate by were dispatched. Each pilot was assigned to attack a street in the vicinity of the Reichs Chancellery. My objective was Stresemannstrasse. Airborne from Rechlin, we swept in over the Reichskanzlei at roof-top height. We had no radio or visual contact with each other and Berlin was one huge cloud of smoke. We had no idea where our own troops were. We dropped our ordnance and turned onto a northerly heading in an attempt to reach Rechlin. As I came out through the clouds of smoke I was immediately set upon by Soviet fighters and despite my desperate manoeuvres, had to bale out at 3,000 metres..I landed – badly burnt – in the midst of street fighting. I was captured by Russian soldiers.."
(translated from Vol II of Erik Mombeeck's history of JG 4 " Storming the bombers ")

So with the Russians virtually at the gates of the Reichskanzlei and the Ost-West Achse swept by heavy fire we are being asked to believe in this new book that AH disappeared from the bunker to be flown out of the city. Pilot for what must have been an epic feat of airmanship was one "Captain Peter Baumgart", a 128-victory ace (sic!), seconded to " the secretive" KG 200 during 1943. So secretive that his name fails to appear in any of the documentation reproduced by Günther Gellerman in his history of KG 200 " Moskau ruft Heeresgruppe Mitte.." Perhaps this 'character' was a pseudonym ? No, apparently not - author Williams contacted me after the first draft of this piece to (i) take me to task over the 'factual' errors I'd made in this article and (ii) to confirm that 'Baumgart' was indeed a real person. Factual errors indeed. According to the authors "Baumgart" was apparently put on trial and sentenced to a term in prison in Poland postwar - the authors reproduce facsimiles of period newspaper reports.

" Luftwaffe Pilot Sent to jail For Five Years - WARSAW

Captain Peter Baumgart, a former Luftwaffe pilot, was sentenced to five years for being a member of the S.S., a crime which is punishable by death. He told the tribunal that he was born in South Africa but in 1935 he renounced British citizenship. He was the holder of the Iron Cross and other decorations. Baumgart said that " just before the fall of Berlin he flew Hitler and Eva Braun to Denmark, where they joined a submarine ”. The plane made a forced landing at Magdeburg, but, upon Hitler's insistence, he flew the following day through an artillery barrage to the Danish shore. Hitler “shook hands with him and gave him a cheque for 20,000 marks”.

One of the judges reminded Baumgart that Allied Intelligence reports showed that Hitler and Eva Braun killed themselves on May 3, 1945, but Baumgart stuck to his story, adding that Hitler was not the kind of man to take his own life...".

Some of the 'final flights' often referred to in the literature did occur- Bv 138 seaplane operations from Lake Havel. Others did not - the air transport of large numbers of Kriegsmarine- and SS- infantry by land aircraft to Berlin 26-27 April referred to in statements by Dönitz and Jodl. They were planned, but they did not take place. Researchers have found no evidence to substantiate this. (see Jet & Prop 2/1996, p.53). Various German specialists have written articles on the subject of final flights into and out of Berlin during late April 1945, but none are so far-fetched as to detail any multi-engine flight into Berlin after 26 April when Berlin-Gatow effectively ceased to operate. With the loss of Flughafen Gatow the Heinkel He 111s of II./KG 4 were reduced to dropping supply canisters at low level. The crew of Lt. von der Heide flew four resupply sorties in He 111 H-20 coded 5J+IM from Tutow during the night of 26-27 April and again during the night of 28-29 April 1945. Two final sorties were flown from Rerik on the Baltic coast during the night of 29-30 April and 30 April -01 May 1945, Cargoes on all sorties were five VAB or Versorgungsabwurfbehälter (resupply canister). Similar sorties are detailed in the Flugbuch of Lt. Hermann Stärke flying He 111 H-20 5J+KP. The sortie flown by this pilot at 01:44 on the morning of 01 May 1945 from Lübeck-Blankensee may have been the last flight ever undertaken by the Luftwaffe over Berlin according to Georg Schlaug in Jet & Prop 2/96. Elsewhere KG 4 was flying resupply operations for the 9th Army encircled some 20 km south of Berlin - the last of these was flown on the night of 27/28 April - He 111s of III./KG 4 dropped canisters at low level in the teeth of heavy ground fire.

While the Luftwaffe did attempt to use the East-West Axis as a landing site for container (Behälter) drops any attempts to land large transport aircraft on the Ost-West-Achse after 26 April - if they were made - are almost certain to have failed. Indeed there are pictures depicting a wrecked Ju-52 that apparently crashed on take off from the East West Axis on 26 April 1945.

In his Flugbericht Lt. Hermann Stärke related that his sortie over Berlin was fraught with difficulty due to the concentrated flak, the updraughts from the huge fires, the smoke, a lack of oxygen at low level which caused engines to misfire and fail, and the almost impossible task of navigating over the city. Georg Schlaug in his Jet & Prop article on Berlin tranport flights April/May 1945 (“Das Abgeworfene muß blitzartig an die Brennpunkte heran!” Jet & Prop, 2/1996 1.Teil, pages 50-55.) reports that following urgent radio messages from the bunker transmitted during the afternoon of 27 April 1945 - " Luftlandemoeglichkeit auf der Ost-West Achse muss mit allen Mitteln versucht werden " - a landing attempt with all available means must be attempted on the East-West Axis - attempts to land gliders on the East-West Axis also met such heavy fire that every such landing attempt was defeated. In part two of his article Schlaug records that a Feldwebel Heinz Schäfer witnessed two DFS 230 gliders departing Tarnewitz on the afternoon of 29 April 1945. These gliders had arrived the previous evening departing Rostock Marinenehe to Tarnewitz towed by a Heinkel He 111 of 3./TGr. 30. Interestingly Schäfer was shown the glider pilots Einsatzbefehl (mission orders) ; "Gruppe bereithalten, Führer aus Berlin befreien ". Interestingly, because by this time Hitler had already left Berlin according to Dunstan and Williams. Which begs one question of course; what was the point of these last desperate attempts to reach central Berlin, if not to prolong for a short while longer the lives of those in the bunker including that of the Machthaber - AH. According to Schlaug the likelihood that such flights took place is slim even so. As it was over the final days of April virtually the only supplies getting into Berlin were being dropped by faster single engine fighters; the Fw 190s of SG 1 had for example flown many re-supply missions to the besieged fortresses of Küstrin on the Oder and Breslau during March 1945, escorted by the Bf 109s of I./JG 52 and were likely to have flown similar sorties over Berlin. One bunker witness Rittmeister Gerhard Boldt records that an unknown Gruppe of Bf 109s dropped containers (Versorgungsbomben - supply bombs) over the centre of Berlin on the morning of 26 April 1945 but that few of them could be recovered. These may have been in fact the Fw 190s of SG 1 under Maj. Arthur Pipan, which were in Gatow up to 26 April 1945 before moving to Mecklenburg to fly Schlacht missions. One of the last attempts to drop supplies into Berlin was flown by III./ KG 200 during the night of 30 April /01 May 1945 from Lübeck-Blankensee when some 30 Fw 190s were airborne according to pilot Werner Mende. Each 190 was carrying a Versorgungsabwurfbehälter (resupply canister) equipped with a Lastfallschirm (cargo parachute). It was on this flight that Gruppenkommandeur Maj. Helmut Viedebantt crashed and died when his chute deployed prematurely and wrapped itself around the aircraft's tailplane.

More JG 26 on the Kanalfront

2011-10-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

More from Michael Meyer. As usual click on the images for the full view.

Nice pic of a Stab II./ JG 26 Me 109 G seen in March 1943 in Vitry en Artois. It is just possible to make out the Doppelwinkel (twin chevron) of the Gruppenkommandeur. Note the 2 MG 151/20 in the underwing gondola of the typical Kanonenboot and the bowser topping off the machine's oil tank.

Above; Me 109 G with gondola-mounted MG 151s (Gondelwaffen MG 151/20) as flown by Lt. Kurt-Erich Wenzel who was KIA on 20.1.1943. The pilot is seen here in January 1943 in Vitry en Artois and had returned at least two Luftsiege.

Early FW 190 A of 6./JG 26 in Wevelghem during the fall of 1941 undergoing undercarriage retraction tests.

Latest Ebay sales from Michael Meyer are currently on offer here;

JG 26 Emils in the West

2011-10-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Me 109 E with the so-called 'Gamsbockwappen' or mountain goat (ram) emblem of 6./JG 26 "Yellow 9" Werknummer 1937. This machine was brought down on 1.6.1940 by a Morane Ms 406 and belly landed near Lille. According to Meyer, the pilot on this sortie was Uffz. Artur Beese who spent a brief period in French captivity. He was KIA on 6.2.1944 with some 22 victories.

Me 109 E "gelbe 7" of 6./JG 26 during the campaign in France, June 1940.

According to Meyer's caption this is the Me 109 E flown by the Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 26 Oblt. Alfred Pomaska following a combat sortie -Feindflug during which he achieved his only victory on 1 May 1940, a MS 406. He was KIA near Cambrai on 1 June 1940. However the image appears to show Fw. Ernst Nischik in his regular aircraft "Yellow 5" which can just be identified here.

EK-Verleihung - award of the EK to a 6./JG 26 pilot during May 1940. Identified are Lt. Kurt Ebersberger (3rd from left ), 27 Luftsiege KIA on 24.10.1943, the Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 26 Oblt. Alfred Pomaska (back to the camera) 1 Luftsieg KIA on 1.6.1940, Lt. Otto-Heinrich Hilleke (right) 6 Luftsiege KIA on 26.6.1940 and left Hptm. Fromme. One of the Staffel's Emils in the background.

Latest Ebay sales from Michael Meyer are currently on offer here;

More JG 26 links on this blog - pilots and aces of JG 26

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-unknown-pilots-and-aces-of-jg-26.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2010/06/luftwaffe-fighter-aces-of-jg26-mietusch.html

Günther Josten's Gefechtsbericht - new from 296 Verlag - Günther Josten's War diaries

2011-10-27T03:56:00.000-07:00

Günther Josten's remarkable wartime service with JG 51 is the subject of this latest volume from Kurt Braatz at Verlag/'Edition' 296. A large extract from the book is published in the November 2011 issue of Flugzeug Classic magazine (cover llustration above). Assigned at the end of August 1942 to 3./JG 51 on the Eastern front Josten kept a diary both of his combat actions and his front-line Luftwaffe service, which 296 have published essentially in un-edited form with only a brief commentary introducing each chapter of his career. Josten's 'scoring' run began during the Kursk offensive in the summer of 1943. On 10 July 1943 he made claims 8 to 10. Three days later on 13 July he shot down five Il-2 Sturmoviks for victories 12 to 16. In total he claimed 19 victories in July and 30 in August 1943 to begin a remarkable run that saw him achieve some 178 victories over 420 combat sorties without ever being shot down himself. The war ended for Josten as Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 51 - his last seven aerial victories being claimed on 25 April 1945 - by which time he has filled no fewer than ten diary volumes and five photo albums, a fantastic legacy that Kurt Braatz has fully exploited in this new work. His brother, Reinhard Josten, also served in Jagdgeschwader 51 and was killed in action on 21 April 1942.

Günther Josten: Gefechtsbericht. Kriegstagebücher 1939-1945. Kommodore in der Starfighter-Krise. 330 pages , 101 mostly unseen photos

For Luftwaffe blog readers a small extract translated from 296's Leserprobe

" 08 July 1943. Oskar brought down several Russians on the early morning sortie flown with the boss. I had the same luck as yesterday - playing 'hide-and-seek' with eight LaGGs in the cloud deck. Sometimes they'd stick their noses out from their cover but when I tried a firing pass they'd quickly pop back in again. I blazed away but it drove me crazy. Nothing doing - no luck whatsoever. All the others got Il-2s or fighters which they were able to bring down without so much as a dog fight! It makes me sick !! I flew the last sortie of the day with Lt. Höfemeier " ohne Feindberührung " - no contact with the enemy. We flew low over the battle field and could observe the fighting that was raging.. huge numbers of tanks slugging it out as if in a giant arena. As the light was fading we could see every hit on target quite clearly. On the horizon batteries of 'Stalinorgel' (rocket launchers) could be seen unleashing salvo after salvo. Super to watch - ganz toll.....
09 July ; I'm woken again early by aircraft low over the field waggling their wings ! A lot of victories again. Well, my turn tomorrow, I'm flying the early sortie in the morning..as it is I fly the second mission of the day. As soon as we get airborne we hear that there's a lot of aggro going on over the southern sector but by the time we get there, there's nothing to see. Not a single Russian. At this rate I shall soon depair. At midday I'm up again with Oskar and he manages two Zement bomber. I could p...!...but I'm happy enough anyway as Lt. Brendel manages his 50th and we have now achieved 400 in the Staffel with the 'kill' returned by Ofw. Kossatz. This afternoon I was up again, this time flying with the 'boss' and hoping to have more luck with him..we spot six MiG 3s but no sooner have they sighted us than they high tail it for home..!
At 20:15 Fw. Moritz Franke's Ferntrauung (marriage by proxy). Very nice. The Kommodore is with us for the rest of the evening's festivities. Moritz and Piepel are awarded the EK II and the combat clasp in bronze (bronzene Frontflugspange). I get the silver combat clasp for sixty sorties. Well, a bit of a consolation prize for my run of bad luck you could say .."

new Luftwaffe books from Erik Mombeeck; JG 4 Vol II and Luftwaffe Gallery 3 - JG 26 special issue

2011-10-25T05:22:00.000-07:00

Belgian author and publisher Erik Mombeeck has been in touch with news of two books due for publication in November;

the second and last volume of his history of Jagdgeschwader 4 “Storming the Bombers, a chronicle of JG 4 – The Luftwaffe’s 4th Fighter Wing " and a new Luftwaffe Gallery 'special' devoted to JG 26 “The Abbeville Boys – JG 26”.

"...In our Luftwaffe Gallery series I am pleased to present this expanded 'special' edition devoted to JG 26, the famed "Abbeville Boys” or "Abbeville Kids” of RAF and USAAF legend. This super new title is a 96-page A-4 landscape format book with the emphasis on the finest photographic illustrations, exceptional artwork and new and exciting personal accounts. The heart of the book comprises some thirty high quality profiles drawn and painted by Thierry Dekker and a collection of rare and, in many instances, previously unseen photographs. The selection of new first person accounts, specially translated for this volume by Neil Page, provide an unparalleled view of air combat in the skies of Britain and France, from dog-fighting between Messerschmitts and Spitfires during the campaign in the West and the Battle of Britain, to fighter bomber missions over southern England, to the Allied invasion of Normandy and the desperate sorties flown by the unit's Fw 190s against the huge USAAF bomber streams...."

"..The concluding volume in our history of JG 4 covers the story of the Geschwader from Operation Market Garden in Holland during September 1944 to the final desperate battles over Berlin and capitulation in May 1945. The combats flown by the pilots of JG 4 throughout this nine month period are related with the aid of rare oral testimony and illustrated with photographs from private albums, including a selection of new images for this English-language edition. Covered in detail are the 'Storm' missions flown by the Sturmgruppe (including ramming attacks against USAAF bombers), ground-attack bombing sorties during the Ardennes offensive of December 1944, the fullest account yet of the unit's participation in the 1945 New Year's Day Operation Bodenplatte, the last desperate sorties flown on the Oder front against the Red Army with, for the first time, accounts in English of German kamikaze attacks flown against the Oder bridges and the final air battles over the ruins of Berlin.

Over the course of 20 years research I was able to track down and interview virtually every surviving pilot and compile their very often moving and desperate accounts into this book, giving it a uniquely human dimension which will undoubtedly be of interest to all former Allied aviators and their descendants as well as enthusiasts of the period.

Once again Neil Page has produced the translation and his knowledge of both the French and German languages as well as WWII aviation history has enabled us to present this superb English language edition. The work is illustrated with several hundred photographs and is completed with loss and victory listings, a table of commanding officers and Thierry Dekker's superb full-colour profile artworks. This is an unmissable 232-page A-4 format hardback, with much new information on WWII air combat over Europe, the pilots and their machines.."

More info and ordering details from http://www.luftwaffe.be/

Herman Graf III./JG 52 Friedrich

2011-10-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

More gems unearthed by Peter at the LEMB on his daily Ebay trawl. Registration required to view
http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=14122&pid=76585&st=0&#entry76585

Visit this thread and Thanks for the pointer

Currently on sale on Ebay here

http://www.ebay.de/sch/05wiking/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

30 year old Frog Heinkel He 219

2011-10-02T03:41:00.000-07:00

Difficult to believe that this is a 30-year old build of the Frog Heinkel He 219! Posted by 'yankymodeler' on britmodeller.com

Eric F. aka Yankymodeler writes ;

" ...This He219 is a bit of a mutt, combining the airframe of the Frog kit and the landing gear, radiators, exhaust and propellers of the Revell, a stretch-formed canopy was used over a basic cockpit. About the only thing of note is my first attempt at what I would consider a complex paint scheme, and the markings (except for the "G9) are painted with home made stencils. Paints used where enamels from the Pactra and Testors line, mixed via the TLAR method and shot through my dad's Paasche H airbrush. A custom display base and a snazzy Dymo label completed the project! "

Freeman field air show footage September 1945

2011-10-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

A selection of still images from a superb video compilation of two films shot during the September 1945 airshow at Freeman Field. The aircraft seen both in the air and on the ground are nothing short of spectacular. Many of the remaining captured aircraft have yet to arrive. The original Freeman Army Airfield Museum video has been posted on Facebook here

The footage opens with a sequence of the Junkers Ju 290 landing and taxiing in. The story of this machine's transfer to the US and subsequent 'display' career is covered on this blog at the following link

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-celebrated-junkers-ju-290-alles.html

Film footage of a captured enemy aircraft display held in Moscow is posted on this blog at the following link

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/05/wartime-colour-film-of-catured-german.html

Torpedo bombers of KG 26, JU 88s of KG 77 and Stab./JG 53

2011-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

More excellent shots offered on Ebay from my good friend Michael Meyer. Michael's ebay.de sales can be found here

First up is this nice clear shot of a Me 109 E belonging to the Geschwaderstab JG 53 seen in the autumn of 1940 on the Channel coast. The pilots with brief bios are identified as follows from the left; Lt. Ernst Klager - around 22 Luftsiege, taken captive on 3 July 1942, Oblt. Kurt Brändle - RK on 1.7.1942, EL on 27.8.1842, total victory tally 180 Luftsiege, KIA on 3.11.1943 after downing two P-47s west of Amsterdam, body later recovered from the sea, Kommandeur of II./JG 53 Hptm. Horst Bretnütz, RK on 22.10.1940 with a total of 37 Luftsiege, KIA on 22.6.1941 over Jubarkas/Lithuania, Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, RK + EL, 162 victories, and lastly Lt. Erich Schmidt, RK on 23.7.1941 for a total of 47 victories, missing since 31.8.1941 after a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire in the vicinity of Dubno.

A selection of nice Ju 88 images from I./KG 77. Note the white winter finish applied even to the prop blades in the lower picture

Torpedo-carrying Ju 88 of I./KG 26 taking off from Bardufoss in March 1945 to attack a Murmansk convoy. Note the Schiffssuchradar - shipping search radar FuG 200 Hohentwiel. To the right of picture Oberst Ernst Kühn is seen saluting the departing aircraft.

II.(Sturm)/JG 4 on the Eastern Front, February 1945

2011-10-01T04:10:00.000-07:00

Above; 'Yellow 8' of 7.(Sturm)/ JG 4 assigned to Hans Gerd Neuhaus being replenished with fuel and munitions at Neuhausen during February 1945. Note the black-white-black Reichsvertidigung fuselage bands and the snow on the ground..

By late January 1945, when the Soviets reached the Oder just sixty miles from Berlin, the Sturmgruppen suddenly had more pressing concerns than shooting down USAF bombers. ALL three Gruppen of Fw 190 bomber destroyers were deployed to the Eastern Front in short order, where their heavily armed and armoured Fw 190 A-8/R8s were committed on hazardous low-level strafing and bombing attacks on Soviet troops as the latter prepared their all-out assault on the Reichshauptstadt.

During early February 1945 the 48 pilots and 38 aircraft of II.(Sturm)/JG 4 were located at Neuhausen in der Lausitz under Major Gerhard Schroeder flying operations in defence of Cottbus and the surrounding area. The results of operations flown from this field during the first week of February were mixed to say the least. While the Fw 190s ventral racks now toted 250 kg bombs and their 20mm and 30mm cannon could inflict heavy losses on soft-skinned vehicles, horse-drawn columns and even tanks, it was often difficult to pick out valid targets on roads clogged with refugees fleeing westwards ahead of the Soviet advance. Soviet columns also quickly adopted the practise of using refugee Treks as human shields. Facilities for the Sturmgruppe at Neuhausen were rudimentary and the runway track was pitted and rutted and covered in puddles which grew ever-larger in the melting snow, resulting in a number of accidents.

During the week or so that the Sturmgruppe was based there, a constant round of ground-attack sorties was flown for which its pilots had received little or no training. From the cockpits of their Fw 190s the pilots could see Russian columns that stretched away to the horizon, their progress marked by columns of smoke. There was little evidence of German troops on the ground- just devastation, " as though the entire Steppe was unfurling over Germany.." Ogfr. Adolf Held of 6. (Sturm)./ JG 4 wrote in his diary;

" ..our runway track is little more than a lake which has already resulted in seven landing accidents over the last few days and further takeoffs have been prohibited. As the Soviets are now no more than kilometres away we have been given instruction on how to handle Panzerfaust bazooka rocket launchers.."

The picture above is taken from the album of Hans Gerd Neuhaus, formerly a nightfighter pilot who joined JG 4 during late 1944. The images from Neuhaus' album were published over three issues of the German magazine 'Flugzeug Classic' during 2010 and the image here is reproduced with the kind permission of FLUGZEUG CLASSIC editor Markus Wunderlich. Back issues and a chance to view an on-line sample of the current issue are available at the link.

STOP PRESS - images taken down since originally posted they have subsequently been secured for Volume II of the JG 4 history currently at the printers !

Arado Ar 96 gunnery training variant

2011-09-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

While it often mounted a cowl MG 17 firing through the prop, the famed Luftwaffe Arado Ar 96 trainer typically had no provision for a rear gunner or a lateral or rearward firing MG. However at least three prototypes, the V7, V8 and V9 featured a rear cockpit and canopy modified for gunnery training. Here is a rare view of the Arado Ar 96 V8 D-IXWP (WNr. 2074) with its cut away rear gunner's compartment. Below is the V9 WNr. 2075. It is believed that these variants were built for export and that the V9 may have gone to Bulgaria although its ultimate fate is unknown. (via Michel Ledet and Avions magazine)

Hartmann's last G-10 photos (2)

2011-09-26T04:23:00.000-07:00

As reported here the new photos of Hartmann's last G-10 have created something of a stir.

The subsequent discussion at the LEMB including contributions from leading profile artist/graphic designer Herbert Kruse intimates that these new pictures could have been 'photoshopped' and appear to be based on the well-known photo of Hans Dahmen's 2./JG 300 Bf 109 G-10 'Gisela' (below via J-Y Lorant- click on the image to get an easy-loading low-res full screen view). Certainly nobody seems to have pointed out that the 'new' view of Hartmann against the fuselage is apparently a slightly 'wider' one than hitherto published, although Hartmann himself is maintaining the same pose as seen in the 'original' and perhaps cropped image first seen back in the 70s. Catch up on the debate at the LEMB, where you will need to register to view.

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13864

Lastly, a link to some superlative artwork from Anders Hjortsberg based on these latest photo discoveries ;
http://theprofilepaintshop.blogspot.com/search/label/JG52

more on Gefr. Walter Wagner's "white 11" 5. (Sturm)/ JG 4 Bodenplatte victim - PHOTO EDIT 28 OCTOBER 2011

2011-09-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Lovely model build by 'Brad' on britmodeller of the DML kit (ex-Trimaster). Brad writes " the cowling fought me hard and I couldn't live with the incorrect stance of the landing gear so I cut the retraction struts and added about 1mm of plastic to get the right angle on the main gear. The prop was scavenged from a Tamiya 190A-3 as the prop fitted when repaired was a metal one. Decals came from a variety of sources (now also featured on the new Karaya 'Captured Butcher Birds' decal sheet) and gunze gloss red was used.."

Wagner forced landed this aircraft on 1.1.45 close to St. Trond (home to the 404th FG) during the Bodenplatte raids when Allied airfields across Western Europe were hit in the Luftwaffe's so-called grosser Schlag (big blow). Wagner's Focke Wulf 190 A8-R2 was recovered and repaired to running condition.

The 404th's CO Colonel Leo Moon wrote re this machine;

" the aircraft was painted red by a crew who had overheard me saying that I had always wanted to own a red airplane ..the OO*L code was placed on it because we had created an 'imaginary' fourth Squadron in the Group, and as in the 508th, we used the first initial of the pilot's name as the last of the three code letters. Since I agreed that we should try and get the 190 into flying condition everyone considered it my aircraft and added the 'L' accordingly..when it was ready I taxied it at all speeds up to near takeoff speed but we had no clearance to fly it from the Anti-Aircraft. After taxiing in I found the tires soaked in hydraulic fluid and they were so deteriorated I felt that they were unsafe..we spent considerable time looking for new tires without success. Then we had to move on and left the Fw 190 at St. Trond. I regret that I wasn't able to get that 190 in the air - I had even learnt the 'offs' and 'ons' of the switch labels in German but I don't feel too bad about not flying it. I did get to fly the Bearcat which I believe was more or less a copy of the 190 -although no-one ever admits it..."

Click on the images to expand. Note the yellow fan and prop tips and the red gear legs. The Sturm armour plate on the cockpit sides had been removed for the mission has had the upper cowl MGs.

Below; a rare view of the machine prior to the application of the OO-L codes

A full selection of Leo Moon's colour slides of this machine are posted at the following thread on the LEMB. You will need to register and become a forum member to view

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3817

and some nice stills from rare film footage of the 404th inspecting Wagner's "white 11" elsewhere on this blog;
http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2009/10/walter-wagners-white-11-iisturmjg4.html

colour shot of JG 51 Fw 190

2011-09-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Lovely colour photo offered as a wall poster in the centre pages of the November 2010 issue of the leading German aviation magazine "Flugzeug Classic" depicting an early JG 51 Fw 190 A-3 'black 2' with what appears to be a red lower engine cowl. Click on the image to see the full view. Since there is plenty of yellow in the image it would appear to be rather hard to argue that the 'red' cowl was as a result of some sort of colour shift... wouldn't it ?

Recently completed Revell 1:72 scale A-8 as Bretschneider's Sturmbock with the addition of armoured cockpit side panels and faired-in upper cowl MGs

Eastern Front Ju 88 night fighters of NJG 100 - August Fischer memoir "Bis der wind umsprang "

2011-09-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

If you are familiar with the Gebhard Aders Wittgenstein feature covered earlier on this blog then you may have noticed a reference to the memoirs of NJG 100 Staffelkapitän August Fischer - entitled " Bis der Wind umsprang " published in 1961 by Engelbert Verlag of Balve. This must be a pretty rare Luftwaffe memoir although copies do seem to be available from the usual sources. I've personally never seen it and have also read suggestions that it is a fictious or 'novelised' account as a number of well-known Luftwaffe memoirs indeed are. I have recently however come across a text extract which I was quite interested to read and translate. In it Fischer relates an account of shooting down an ancient Polikarpov Po-2 (U-2) biplane flying a night harassment sortie over the front lines in the East. The modest performance of the Po-2, allied to their manoeuvrability and small size meant that they were difficult targets for the comparatively fast and much larger twin-engine Ju 88 night fighters.

Firstly what is known of Hauptmann August Fischer, Staffelkapitän of 3./NJG 100 from the Kracker archive which like most of these sites probably contains some errors of omission. Thanks to EB for the pointer and the photos. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who may have a photo/portrait of Fischer himself (falkeeins at aol.com) ;

V/NJG-1, 12/NJG-5, 1/NJG-100, Kdr Stab I/NJG-100 (4/44 to end). Bf 110; Bf 109, Bf 110, Do 217, Ju 87 & Ju 88 in NJG-100. Awards : EP, EK 1 & 2, Night Fighter Operational Clasp.
A brief synopsis : his first known victory, a Soviet Il-4 on the night of 12-13 May, 1944. An Il-2 on the night of 17-18 June, 1944. Another Il-4 on the night of 7-8 July, 1944. Three Il-4's shared with Fw Düding the night of 8-9 July, 1944. Another Il-4 shared with de Vries the night of 9-10 July, 1944. Two known western bomber victories - a Halifax over Upper Siliesia on 5 August, 1944 and a Lancaster with I. Gruppe in April of 1945 in a Ju 88G-6.

The following is August Fischer's account as reproduced in the Mach 1 editions ATLAS (1981) monograph "Junkers 88 chasseur de nuit" ;

“ the front was starting to crumble in the central sector. The airfield at Orcha, where we had been based for so long and where we felt at home was now directly threatened. Some of our ground echleon had already fallen back to Dokoudovo. That night we flew our first sortie in the zone controlled by radar station Borneo – a mobile station mounted on a railway wagon. My radio operator Rôhrs transmitted our altitude; 4 000 m. “ Borneo, do you have any targets for us ? “

"Slow moving targets – descend to 3,000 m."

" You hear that Hauptmann, ‘crabs’ in the vicinity" ; said Rôhrs. Tautor made a gesture as the radar picked up a trace at that moment in the middle of the screen. I veered to port and started down in a slow spiral towards 3,000 metres. “Altitude, three zero.. . I was full of foreboding. During the many missions that I had flown I had not once managed to bring down a ‘crab’ - which is what we called the U-2 or R-5 biplanes. They were small targets, spotted fleetingly and then lost just as quickly, swallowed up by the darkness so that you had no time even to manoeuvre the aircraft to bring the nose-mounted armament to bear. And even if you could, you ran the risk of ramming the small Soviet machine before being able to open fire given that it would be likely travelling at less than 100 km/h - much much slower than our own kite. We had our slanting cannon of course, the so-called ‘Schräge Musik », two 20 mm weapons mounted obliquely in the rear fuselage that we could unleash if we passed beneath the target. But I wasn’t optimistic - I had already experienced too many disappointments.

I tried to erase these unpleasant thoughts from my mind. Below us, tracers zipped across the night sky like ghosts flitting from one location to another – the war did not know sleep.

“ Heading one-one-zero towards the target “. We were giving chase. I throttled back and wound in 45° of flap. I felt the thrill of the chase and my heart was already beating faster.

“ Turn onto heading two-eight-zero”

" Affirmative. Altitude ?"

" Altitude two, eight. "

" Understood ". I cut the throttle as I turned into a downwards spiral. My machine “W7 + AL” dropped its nose and went down. At 2,750 m altitude I opened the throttles again – indicated air speed was almost 200 km/h. With flaps down, the Ju 88 was heavy on the controls and responded sluggishly to the rudder. I requested ‘distance from the target’.

"Distance seven."

I glanced at my watch in order to work out my firing range. The 88 had started almost imperceptibly climbing again. Hein had his special glasses on and was staring hard into the darkness. ‘ Distance three’. It had taken us two minutes to cover 4 km, but we were still some 120 km/h faster than our prey. Now I let down the flaps to their maximum and throttled back the engines so that the aircraft, now tail-heavy, wallowed almost on the edge of the stall.

"Target in sight Kapitän. You are coming in behind him ! It’s a U-2 ! Do you see it as well ?"

‘No, nothing, I can’t see a thing’

"Straight ahead, about fifty feet above us".

"Yes, okay, got it now".

"Borneo, visual on enemy aircraft."

" Understood, enemy aircraft sighted."

I gently eased the Ju 88 to port and turned the dimmer switch, located on the ceiling of the canopy in order to avoid being blinded by the gun-sight. The silhouette of the U-2 danced in the graticule of the sight. Making careful adjustments I calculated the distance and opened fire. The two cannon deep in the fuselage emitted a low rumbling sound. Small flashes of light spat upwards and disappeared into the silhouette of the Russian aircraft. The U-2 dipped its port wing and plummeted vertically down, passing just a short distance in front of us. Flaps retracted, I stood 'W7+AL' on its wing and pulled into a turn to port. All three of us were staring down in the direction of the U-2 – but there was nothing there. Had we hit him – had the pilot -sitting in his open cockpit with no protection whatsoever- been killed? Had our explosive shells torn off a limb casusing him to lose control of his aircraft? Had he dived away solely to escape our fire? Who could tell? There was no fire on the ground. Borneo asked us if we had mounted an attack.

" Affirmative. We attacked – no luck "

" Understood. Heading seven zero. Another one for you ".

" Klar "

. We turned onto seven zero. Several minutes later we mounted a similar attack. This time I opened fire sooner – I assumed that I had miscalculated the range the first time. On this occasion the Soviet pilot pulled his biplane into a tight turn to port, was quickly on a reciprocal heading to mine and in a flash had disappeared into the darkness.

" Another attack – nothing observed "

Tautor said in a knowledgeable tone : " Herr Hauptmann, your salvo was too long. " He had observed my burst and evidently knew what he was talking about.

" You’re wrong Hein, I think I saw the wing of that one catch alight " added Rôhrs. He had a better view, being seated facing backwards to the direction of travel and therefore able to observe what was happening behind us..

" Do you think, Christian? Surely we would have seen it."

" Herr Haputmann, you can not expect a U-2 or R-5 to burn like a bigger type ".

" yes, that’s logical, Herr Hauptmann", replied Tautor as he belted himself back in to his seat. We arrived back over the airfield ten minutes later. A few days later the fighter controller at station Borneo called us : an officer at the front had witnessed a biplane plummet to the ground in flames in the no man’s land between the trenches. It had exploded on impact.

III./ JG 2 Emils on Ebay

2011-09-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

A nice selection of III./ JG 2 Emils on Ebay

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Orig-Foto-Flugzeug-Me-109-Richthofen-Jagdgeschwader-2-Staffelzeichen-/130579534946

Thanks to 'ouidijat' for the pointer

latest Luftwaffe/Axis titles, JAPO Me 262s of KG and KG(J) units, JG 4 Vol II off to the printers, Vol V of Stipdonk/Meyer, work on the latest Luftwaffe Gallery...

2011-09-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

Only a handful of updates so far this month - and with good reason as I've been incredibly busy helping M. Erik Mombeeck prepare volume II of the Jagdgeschwader 4 history for the printers - we should meet our deadline of 30 September ! This volume covers the period from Market-Garden to the final air battles over Berlin and I hope you'll forgive me if I state that this is probably one of the most riveting late-war Jagdgeschwader histories to yet appear in English - a must for all Jagdwaffe fans. With the dissolution of I./JG 4 during March 1945 and the remustering of pilots as infantry there are even personal accounts of the ground fighting as well as plenty of perilous ground-strafing missions and Mistel and "Kamikaze" escort sorties.
The first volume of Erik Mombeeck's two part history of JG 4 cover the unit’s establishment, deployments and combat actions through to Autumn 1944 and is 'reviewed' with a lengthy text extract on this blog at the following link.

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/09/latest-luftwaffeaxis-titles-jg-4-vol-ii.html

Elsewhere I have also completed my work on Band V of the Stipdonk/Meyer photographic series - some 500 captions into English. However I believe this volume is only appearing in conjunction with the first volume of a new photo series devoted to the Jagdgeschwader so is not exactly imminent. In fact Band V was almost not going to appear at all since VDM declined to pay for the translation of the captions - I stepped in to produce them 'unpaid' to 'unblock' the situation. In addition I have been hard at work on the personal accounts that will feature in the next issue of 'Luftwaffe Gallery' - which will be a 'special' . Now as I've mentioned this translation effort is - for want of a better word - 'unpaid' and very time-comsuming, which makes it difficult to keep up with blog matters....oh and I have a three-page feature on French Desert Storm Jaguars in the current issue of Airfix Model World (personal account by capitaine Alain Mahagne) !

I have managed to read a couple of new books though;

First up the new Pen and Sword title on the "Vichy Air Force at war" by Sutherland and Canwell.
These two authors have produced a huge body of work - some 200 books published - but sheer volume means that quality and quality control don't really get a look-in. Firstly the authors do not appear to have consulted any French-language sources (just one in the bibliography) nor speak French. No serious author would write " the l'Etat..." or even " a single raid did for all of the aircraft of GAO2/551.." There are no personal accounts whatsoever here - it would have been easy enough to source some exciting accounts from Jean Gisclon's "Chasseurs au groupe la Fayette" - Gisclon saw combat over Mers-el-Kebir in 1940 and Casablanca in 1942 with GC 2/5 and wrote about it in detail. Lela Presse in France have produced a range of exciting monographs on the period, including a 400-page history of the Curtiss Hawk in French service, none of which have been consulted. Nor does the Sutherland and Canwell work feature an index or any footnotes whatsoever. Chapter 1 deals adequately enough with the Battle of France but 'historians' and amateurs have generally made such a mess of this period that statements like "The French faced the invasion with 4,360 combat aircraft" need referencing and qualifying. The venerable Potez 25 biplane might have been an extremely potent aircraft in 1925 but it certainly wasn't in 1940 when dropping bombs on Gibraltar (not that the authors even mention this..)
Ehrengardt's two volume 'L'aviation de Vichy au combat' covering fighting in North Africa, Syria, Iraq and Madagascar should at the very least have been consulted. Rather, chapters such as those devoted to operations over Syria are largely based on English-language sources such as Heringtons "Australia in the war of 39-45" - entire page-long quotes in fact. Shores ' Dust Clouds in the Middle East .." must have been used, but doesn't appear in the bibilography. Finally it is worth pointing out that this book is also a pretty slim volume. Chapter 9 - the 'throwaway' last chapter of the book which features potted bios of French pilots who achieved various feats outside of the Vichy Air Force ie Normandie Niemen veterans etc - starts on page 139 and runs to P150. Total page count is 172. Chapter 8 is six-page long 'focus' on those Frenchmen who may or may not have flown with the Luftwaffe including Rene Darbois who flew Bf 109 fighters with JG 4 in Italy - nothing to do with the Vichy air force. As mentioned the photo insert pages are dark and murky. There are some appendices featuring two pages of victory credits and a quick 2-page treatment of the Vichy air Force in Indochina, the subject of new 400-page hardback book from Lela Presse - which just about sums up this rather poor Pen and Sword volume.

Next up is the latest Osprey Duel title entitled " La-7 vs Fw 190" ...Neat idea to get a Russian viewpoint on the two types but be aware that Khazanov is the author responsible for the " Erich Hartmann -352 victories or 80 " revisionist approach to the Eastern Front air war. Usual highly competent computer artwork from Hector & Laurier and yet another re-telling of the development history and chronology of the Fw 190 - including photos of early variants in the factory - which along with the more interesting La-7 chronology takes up some 33 pages of this 80 page work. Some curious translation as expected - first time I've seen the Fw 190 described as a "cavalier's horse" - the phrase in German used to describe the Fw 190 is "Arbeitspferd" or 'workhorse' ! The account of the air war on the Eastern Front itself occupies only some 10 pages before we arrive at May 1945! The authors then write, " the heavier armed, and armoured, versions of the Fw 190A-6, A-7 and A-8 were used almost exclusively by Defence of the Reich units in the west (although IV./JG 3 used its anti-bomber Fw 190A-8/R8s in strafing attacks on Soviet troops as the latter advanced on Berlin), and are therefore not detailed in this volume.." Of course not, there simply isn't the space! But by late January 1945, when the Soviets arrival at the Oder meant that there were more pressing concerns than shooting down USAF bombers, ALL three of the Sturmgruppen were deployed to the Eastern Front along with the Fw 190s of JG 11..and as a result of works by Mombeeck and Lorant there is now plenty of info out there on the deployment and activities of these late-war Fw 190s on the Eastern Front. The chapter devoted to training and conversion from the Bf 109 to the Fw 190 was frankly not of interest. Photographic content is best described as indifferent. Some personal accounts -previously seen- and also a look at the introduction of the Dora on the Eastern Front including the usual picture of " a smart, newly built Fw 190D-9 Wk-Nr. 210051 with a straight-topped cockpit cover ". I think that's a reference to the Dora's flat canopy. The 'meat' of this small book - if you can call it that - is the chapter entitled "Combat" (P58-72 but including full page profiles of Kozedub and Nowotny along with the two-page battle scene 'painting'). The bibliography ("Further Reading") again features mostly Osprey titles (from the Aces series) and always strikes me as being particularly pointless in these Osprey works. As it is, lots of text seems to me to have been drawn from these very books by the authors of this volume! As usual difficult to sum up - recommended with reservations, especially if your library is devoid of works on the La-7 or Fw 190.

Just time to mention here the latest JAPO 'Luftwaffe over Czech territory' title devoted to the Me 262 jets of KG and KG(J) units ahead of a more comprehensive review. A much heftier work of some 180 pages (A-4 softback) than previous titles in this series and featuring as co-author the talents of David E. Brown, the leading researcher on Luftwaffe camouflage and markings, this work should prove absolutely indispensable for late-war Luftwaffe and Me 262 enthusiasts. Needless to say I have been poring over it daily since it arrived and am very much enjoying what is a fine work. Among other subjects, it features a 20-page colour 'walkaround' section, a detailed history of IX Fliegerkorps jet deployment and combat operations over Bohemia, with a day-by-day reconstruction of events from mid-April 1945 to war's end over 55 pages, along with detailed features on all eleven identified KG and KG(J) jets with sumptuous artworks and a decal sheet covering the featured aircraft for scale modellers. Superb!

The German aces speak - Colin Heaton (forthcoming from Zenith Press)

2011-09-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Due in November from Zenith Press

Walter Krupinski: 197 victories; Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves; German Cross in Gold; Wound Badge in Gold
Adolf Galland: 104 victories; Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds; Spanish Cross in Gold with Diamonds; German Cross in Gold
Eduard Neumann: 13 victories; Iron Cross Second and First Class; Spanish Cross; German Cross in Gold
Wolfgang Falck: 8 victories; Knight’s Cross

These four prominent and influential Luftwaffe fighter pilots reminisce candidly about their service in World War II in The German Aces Speak. Although all were decorated by the Third Reich for their exemplary performance, this is not to say they followed the Nazi Party without question—indeed, none of them were card-carrying National Socialists. Between their duty to serve their country in war and the erratic and immoral leadership of Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring, these men elected to follow their own code of honor in combat. Although true to their oaths as German warriors, in the end they felt they and their countrymen had been betrayed by Hitler and the Nazis.

Colin Heaton personally interviewed these air combat leaders, aces all, gathering their unique perspective on World War II and the Nazi leadership. From thrilling air battles to battles on the ground with their own commanders, these stories bring the past to life in the aces’ own words.

Falck interview on this blog courtesy of Colin Heaton
http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview-with-wolfgang-falck-colin.html

Bf 109 Emils of Träger-Jasta 186 & JG77

2011-09-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

Currently at 350 euros with five days left is this very nice album featuring Bf 109s of Träger-Jasta 186 and JG 77 taken at Nordholz during the winter of 1939-40. From the seller's blurb; this album contains 72 images with a further 11 loose and 13 more not depicted of the Arbeitsdienst or 'work service' detail. These are rare images of the aircraft slated to embark as the fighter complement on board the carrier Graf Zeppelin in the so-called Träger-Jagdstaffel 186. Exceptionally sharp images of Me 109s with JG 77. All pages of the album feature text, guaranteed original.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Fotoalbum-Jagdgeschwader-136-Trager-Jasta186-JG77-orig-/140602136376

Thanks to Peter at the LEMB for the pointer, where you can view a full selection of this album's contents. The album also features a rare close-up of the Graf von Zeppelin's coat of arms as applied prominently on the bow of the carrier and on the aircraft of the Trägergruppe II./186 (T). The carrier's air complement initially consisted of a single dive bomber Staffel, 4.(St.)/186 (T), and two fighter Staffeln, 5.(J) and 6.(J)/186 (T).

Erich Hartmann's last Bf 109 G-10

2011-09-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

First posted by Flavio on the luftwaffe-experten.org board these are apparently two new views of Hartmann's last Erla-built Bf 109 G-10. You will need to sign up for the LEMB to view their thread here

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13864

Flavio's images are in fact photos of the actual photos seen in an album and are thus slightly 'murky'. I've enlarged them as far as I can without losing the 'quality'. The first image is 'well known' although this appears to me to be a 'new' slightly wider angle - picture was taken directly after the sortie resulting in Hartmann's 350th claim. Note the camouflage tunic worn in the air over the front to facilitate evasion should the pilot come down behind enemy lines. The second image is new to me and shows a little more of the aircraft and confirms that it had the black "tulip" on the nose.

Also on this blog; Erich Hartmann, 352 victories ..or 80 ?

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2010/03/erich-hartman-352-victories-or-80.html

Review of 'Captured Eagles' - Roger S Gaemperle's Vintage Eagle Publishing

2011-09-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

My copy of 'Captured Eagles' arrived! What an exciting publication this is! Quite stunning. We've all seen plenty of photographs of German types taken by Allied servicemen as they moved ever deeper into Germany during the last months of the war, but quite simply this new collection is superlative - with the promise of more to come. What distinguishes this book from similar titles is the range, extent and quality of the new images, all but three of which are previously unpublished anywhere. In addition the majority of the images in this Volume 1 are beautifully clear and reproduction is of the highest quality. Similar in feel to " LO+ST ", 'Captured Eagles' easily surpasses that volume in terms of quality of image reproduction, image size, page format and layout and of course in terms of the extensive supplementary details presented in the lengthy English-language captions.

Between its glossy card covers 'Captured Eagles' features more than 85 previously unpublished photos of captured German aircraft taken by US, British or Australian soldiers during 1944/45 over some 72 large A4 format pages with just three images previously seen. Eight original colour profile artworks were created for this volume by Simon Schatz ( known for his work for Classic Publications among others; 'Dornier Do 335' ´He 162 Spatz´ etc). Without wishing to give too much away, various aircraft types are featured such as Bf 109 G/K, Fw 190 A/D, Ju 88 A/G/T, Ju 188, Me 410, Me 262, He 162, Ju 290, He 111, He 219, and more. These are presented in chapters according to mission/type, ie 'reconnaissance', 'destroyer', 'jets', 'mistel' etc. And while there are one or two 'wrecks' most of the aircraft featured here are 'complete' examples. Illustrations of anciliary equipment (control columns, service hatches) and depictions of emblem badges are sprinkled throughout the text. Also featured are log-book extracts and even a personal account or two..

Each photo and caption are numbered to facilitate reading and subsequent further discussion on the author's website (address below) Highlights include a previously unknown Fw 190 D-13 and the first photographic proof that the Ju 88 G-7 actually entered production at the end of the war! One of my particular favourites is a lovely new image of the 7./JG301 Dora 'Yellow 15' which is soooo clear and its caption so detailed that it makes all previous published captions redundant at a stroke! But just about every photo here gets the treatment - well researched, described in detail -some captions five or six paragraphs long- and superbly presented on a single page. No photos across the binding here.

For the modelling fraternity decal sheets for both 1/48 and 1/32 are also available separately in a twelve-page booklet that features four very attractive aircraft illustrated in full colour (1x Bf 109 G-10, 2x Fw 190 A-8, 1x He 162 A). Stencils are provided as dry transfer decals (printed by Hobbydecals) and markings as wet transfer decals (printed by Cartograf). The quality of these exciting sets is further assured by the contributions of noted researcher David E. Brown and the profile artist Simon Schatz.

By profession an engineer and currently active as a consultant in the power generation business, Roger Gaemperle has created one of the most professional Luftwaffe photo-album books I have ever seen and he thoroughly deserves to be supported in his exciting new venture. A second book is already in the planning stages with rare photos of a Ju 388 prototype, a JG 300 Bf 109 G-10 with Reichsverteidigung bands and much more. In fact it is no exaggeration to state that you miss this one at your peril!

Much more at the Vintage Eagle Publishing web site

http://www.vintageeagle.com/

Heinkel He 111s of KG 53

2011-08-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

He 111 of 6./KG 53 taxies out for takeoff in Ödheim during the spring of 1940. Lt. Heinz Eicke at the controls, later Kapitän of 9 and 12./KG 53

He 111 belonging to 6./KG 53 airborne from Ödheim in early 1940. Flugzeugführer (pilot) Rascher at the controls

Above; He 111 A1+BP of 6./KG 53 seen here in an elaborate 'Sandsackbox' hide during August 1940 in Vendeville (south of Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) at the height of the Battle of Britain. Below; "A1+BP" again, a photo taken on 30 August 1940 in Vendeville. Beobachter (observer) Lt. Walter Spellig points to a hit in the forward fuselage glazing.

Below; He 111 of 6./KG 53 based in Vendeville seen returning from a sortie on 30 August 1940

Stab./KG 53 Geschwaderkommodore Oberstlt. Fritz Pockrandt 1944/45 in Bad Zwischenahn

More KG 53 He 111s from Michael Meyer's Ebay sales here

Seine bridgehead 22 August 1944 - the Jagdwaffe vs. US anti-aircraft artillery at Mantes

2011-08-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

During the last days of August 1944 the Luftwaffe fought one of its most desperate and least successful 'battles' – and possibly therefore one of the least well-known. With German forces falling back from Normandy in headlong flight and disarray as the neck of the Falaise pocket was closing shut (21 August), the focus of the fighting in France switched to the crossing of the Seine at the gates of Paris. The US 79th Infantry Division made the initial crossing of the Seine River at Mantes-Gassicourt on 20 August, establishing a small bridgehead on the east bank of the River. They were followed by the 30th Infantry Division who made an uneventful crossing and started the expansion and exploitation of the area, while rapidly pursuing the German Army in what was commonly known as the “rat-race”. The Germans of course attempted to mount desperate rearguard actions over the period 21-30 August 1944. The fighting around Mantes is notable for the first encounters of American ground forces with the Tiger II tank, as elements of 3./ sPz. Abt 503 had refitted with the King Tiger after Normandy. In the air the rump of the Luftwaffe – most notably Gruppen of JG 1, JG 2, JG 11, JG 53, JG 76 and JG 26 - flew hundreds of sorties against the bridgeheads and the pontoon bridges themselves, sustaining very high losses to American anti-aircraft artillery. The Mantes bridgehead actions were also significant for being one of the rare occasions on which the Luftwaffe utilized 21 cm Werfer rocket launchers against ground targets..

The Werfgranate was a make-shift adaptation of the 210mm Nebelwerfer artillery rocket system slung under the wings of Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters to bombard closely packed bomber formations from a safe distance astern in an effort to break them up. The weapon comprised a pair of open-tube Ofenrohre, the rockets weighing 110 kg of which 41 kg was explosive warhead and 18 kg solid fuel propellant - the tubes had a huge impact on the aircraft aerodynamics. They were never intended to be a pin-point application as was the case with Allied air launched rockets. This did not stop the Jagdwaffe from using them at very low altitudes against the pontoon bridges that had been thrown over the Seine..

Of course the Luftwaffe had already started to evacuate a number of major air bases in and around Paris and by 17 August 1944 when Luftflotte 3 was ordered to withdraw to Reims, most of its forces had been bled white by incessant Allied bombing. The Luftwaffe had been able to offer little help to beleaguered German ground forces escaping the Falaise pocket and had concentrated most of its efforts on attempting to hamper Allied tank spearheads pushing on towards Paris between Dreux and Chartres. Don Caldwell in his “JG 26 Top Guns..” mentions Werfer attacks on 17 August by II./JG 26. However the Shermans claimed by George-Peter Eder were apparently brewed up as a (highly improbable) result of Spitfires being brought down in their proximity. Eder’s Abschussmeldung (victory report) reproduced in Frappé's " La Luftwaffe face au débarquement ";

“ On 17 August 1944 I was airborne at 11:00 with II./JG 26 as the Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 26 to strafe Allied tank concentrations between Chartres and Dreux. At 11:53 I attacked two Spitfire IXs orbiting over a group of tanks and was able to open up at distances of between 60 to 50 metres. After my first burst I saw a plume of smoke from one Spitfire which then went down over its starboard wing and impacted the ground between two Sherman tanks which as a result of the Spitfire exploding also went up in flames. I saw pieces fly off the second Spitfire which also plunged straight down onto a third tank which exploded under the impact ..”

At least one of Eder’s witnesses- Fw. Hasenclever of 7.Staffel - was killed in combat the following day.
By the third week of August the Jagdwaffe had less than 150 serviceable fighters in France – attrition among its relatively inexperienced crews had been murderous and would become more so as the last crews were thrown into the ground battle; few if any had been trained for the ground-attack role.

One of the heaviest days fighting over the Mantes bridges across the Seine was 22 August 1944 – nearly all the fighter Gruppen of the Jagdwaffe still present on the western Front participated in the actions in and around the Mantes bridgehead during the day with as many as 100 sorties being flown on this date alone. Weather conditions were mostly poor, forcing the pilots down to low altitude and making them relatively easy targets for American AAA protecting the pontoon bridges that had been thrown across the Seine. The Werfer gave the Fw 190s something of a ‘stand-off’ range although accuracy suffered accordingly and there were no recorded hits on the bridges. Typically the heavily laden Fw 190s were escorted to their targets by the lighter Bf 109s and after the rockets were discharged the bridgehead area was strafed and machine-gunned with attacks continuing until dusk on this and subsequent days. At Magnanville the 456th Anti-Aircraft recorded the day’s attacks;

at 11:35 8 Bf 109s carried out a dive-bombing attack from 3,000 feet launching rockets. Three were claimed shot down.

at 12h22-12h45 a further attack by 20-30 Bf 109s

at 16:100 four Fw 190s launched rockets at battery ‘A’ dug in at Rosny-sur-Seine; two were claimed shot down.

At 20:00 a further attack by Bf 109s; one claimed shot down and its pilot captured.

The Fw 190s of I./JG 11 under their new Kommandeur Hptm. Walter Matoni had only just returned to France days previously and by 20 August had already lost two of their four Staffelkapitänen, Oblt. Herbert Christmann 1./JG11 and Lt. Rudolf Schmid of 4./JG 11. On 22 August they were airborne from their base at Dammartin north-east of Paris on four occasions through the day on 22 August for no apparent losses. That evening Erich Hondt, Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 11 wrote to his parents;

“ I have just returned from a Schlachtflug – ground-attack sortie. Four self-propelled anti-aircraft trucks and one flak position wiped out. My, you should have seen the confusion on the ground! My Staffel followed me in and took care of the rest! As usual my crate took the lion’s share of hits; I counted eight hits on my machine and had to turn back. Because of the petrol fumes from the hit in the fuel tank I was almost drunk when I got back. But not before getting tangled up with five Amis. I managed to hide in a one-man-cloud ( sic “ Ein-Mann-Wolke”) before finding my way home unscathed. That was my third sortie today and I stood in for the Kommandeur and achieved a good result. It was through sheer luck that I caught sight of the American flak position and immediately attacked; our infantry can be grateful for that. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to fly the fourth sortie of the day as I’d already spent three hours in the air. Things are difficult here and we really have to push ourselves. Many dear comrades, including once again my closest friends, have failed to return. So far though my Staffel has sustained the fewest losses and for that I am very proud..my pilots are just returning now from another combat sortie. Everyone is back, but they’ve taken hits. One of them has had to carry out a belly landing on the airfield..” (Prien, page 1141)

Above; belly-landed Fw 190 A-8 WNr. 173053 flown by Gefr. Paul Dorlöchter of 3./JG 11, downed by US anti-aircraft fire in the vicinity of Mantes, 24 August 1944

II./JG 53 under Hptm. Meimberg at Achery, close to La Fère, south-east of Amiens, was also heavily involved over Mantes on 22 August, its Bf 109s flying their first sorties against the bridgehead at 08:00, most probably as escort for the rocket-launching Fw 190s of I./JG 26. A second sortie in collaboration with III./JG 76 was flown at mid-day, with one Bf 109 shot down over the town by battery ‘D’ of the 313th US Infantry. Around 20 Bf 109s were intercepted by P-47s of the 379th FS over Gassicourt and in the resulting dogfight Oblt. Karl Paashaus, Staffelführer of 8./JG 53, claimed his 26th victory. Three more pilots of this Staffel, Uffzn Milcarek, Wigge and Weihrauch all claimed Thunderbolts shot down. A third and fourth sortie were flown later in the day with upwards of 25 Bf 109s airborne from Achery at 18:45 to escort Fw 190 rocket launchers. On their return they were caught on their approach by P-38s and in a matter of moments no fewer than ten Bf 109s went down. Oblt. Julius Schwarz, Meimberg’s wingman recalled;

“ We were quickly caught up in a violent combat – I took hits in the cockpit and my windshield shattered in my face, the shards of plexiglass inflicting deep lacerations. I was instantly blinded and groped desperately to extract myself from the cockpit. Moments later my fall was arrested as my chute caught at the top of a tree and impact with the ground was hard, resulting in a broken leg. As luck would have it, first aid arrived moments later. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Verdun before being transferred to Metz, followed by long months of convalescence. I was fortunate in one respect – the first aid that I had received at the site enabled the doctors to save the sight in one of my eyes..”

Three pilots of 7. Staffel were killed; Uffz. Lehmann crashed at the controls of his “white 14”, Gefr. Michaelis came down five km south of the airfield in his “white 5” and Uffz. Wucherpfennig in his “white 12” was brought down west of Achery towards Fargniers. The final victim of this aerial clash was the victorious Oblt. Karl Paashaus, killed having baled out of his “red 1” north of Achery – his comrades reported that he had been machine-gunned by an American fighter as he swung down under his parachute. Meimberg paid tribute to Paashaus in his memoir ‘Feindberührung’;
“ Paashaus was buried with military honours and I recall the ceremony even today. Paashaus was a first class officer and an excellent Staffel leader. He wasn’t always the easiest subordinate to manage and was not known to mince his words. As I stood in front of his grave I spoke some very private and heartfelt words and felt very alone…”

III./JG 76 under Hptm. Egon Albrecht had only arrived in France the previous day, 21 August, following the unit’s five-week conversion onto the Bf 109. With around 40 Bf 109 G-14s, they were based in the vicinity of Chalons-sur-Marne on the satellite field at the village of Athis and their first sorties against the Mantes bridgehead were flown on 22 August resulting in disastrous losses. At least four Bf 109s were shot down by ground fire, including “black 22 “ flown by Ofhr. Grab of the Stab III./JG 76, Lt Naumann and Uffz. Dunker’s 11. Staffel “yellow 9” and “yellow 15” and “blue 7” of 12. Staffel flown by Fw. Guttmann. Guttmann had succeeded in extricating himself from his doomed fighter but his parachute caught on the tailplane and carried him to his death. Naumann’s G-14s was excavated during September 2001 – no human remains were recovered although items were found at the crash site indicating that the pilot was still in the cockpit when the aircraft impacted the ground. Later during the afternoon of 22 August 1944, the Bf 109 G-14s of 9. Staffel were caught getting airborne from Athis on another rocket-launcher escort sortie - a squadron of P-51s claimed no fewer than eight Bf 109s shot down. Uffz. Kurt Renner of 9./JG 76 recalled;

“ ..it was some time after mid-day when I took off with my Staffel to escort rocket-launching fighters attacking the Seine bridges. Enemy fighters were reported approaching the field as we were getting airborne. I had barely reached a height of 800 feet when suddenly there was a terrible hammering noise behind me and the engine started to smoke. Visibility in the cockpit was quickly nil, while up in front of me flames erupted from the cowl. I was far too low to bale out and as luck would have it I was able to put down rather haphazardly in a field. With my aircraft now well ablaze I scrambled clear of the cockpit. At that moment a Mustang roared low overhead, I managed to make it to the cover of a thicket. I could see a church in the distance and starting running towards it. As I reached the first houses a woman came out and seeing what a state I was in led me into her house to give me first aid. She treated my burns with olive oil and made contact with the German authorities so that an ambulance could come and collect me. It may well be thanks to her that I am alive today…”

Gruppenkommandeur III./ JG 76 Htpm. Egon Albrecht, a decorated Zerstörer pilot, would be shot down and killed by P-38s only three days later.

Elsewhere a report from Battery ‘C’ of the 463rd Anti-Aircraft at Dennemont on one of the huge ‘loops’ that characterized the Seine in this locality reported;

“ around 15 enemy aircraft appeared at low altitude all guns blazing; two were hit and crashed in flames, one at Sandrancourt and the other at St-Cyr-en-Athies. Only one pilot was seen to bale out..”
These were most probably the heavily laden Fw 190s of I./JG 26, flying against the bridgehead from an air strip close to Vitry-en-Artois – it was this Gruppe that III./JG 76 was planned to escort to the target area. According to Bruno Renoult in his “ air battles over the Mantes bridgehead, August 1944” (article in 39-45 Magazine Sept 2002) the pilot seen to bale out at low level was likely to have been Uffz. Hans Sandoz of 2./JG 26 who succeeded in jumping clear of his blazing Fw 190 “black 4” only for his chute to fail to deploy correctly at the low altitude.. Lt. Fred Heckmann of 3./JG 26 claimed an “Auster” at 12:35 on the same sortie.

For the single day of 22 August the 463rd Anti-Aircraft dug in along the banks of the Seine claimed 11 Bf 109s and 3 Fw 190s over the course of 7 separate air attacks, the 456th AAA no fewer than 10 Bf 109s and 5 Fw 190s, although there is a good chance that the two US anti-aircraft units were firing at the same aircraft – even so 22 August 1944 was certainly one of the most intense of the war for the US AAA batteries along the Seine. Colonel J.B. Fraser of the 23th AAA Group later wrote;

“ when I think of the splendid work done (…) during the period when we were establishing a bridgehead across the Seine, probably never before has a Group Commander had the privilege of commanding organizations that have achieved what you have achieved; 94 enemy planes destroyed and 47 more probably destroyed…(..) we have established an all time record of 43 planes destroyed during the two days of 21 and 22 August 1944….”

Certainly the Luftwaffe failed spectacularly to hamper the progress of US forces across the Seine, with more than 20 crash sites being identified post-war within a 10 km radius of Mantes, with others further out. Paris was liberated on 25 August, although French histories lay the emphasis on the resistance insurrection and strike that took place with the Americans at the gates of the city. In total some 30 Jagdwaffe pilots were lost and at least 10 killed during the five-day air-ground battle for the Mantes bridges during the latter days of August 1944, with another 20 falling to combat with US fighters in the vicinity during the same period.

KG 51 Ju 88 photo album on Ebay

2011-08-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

According to the seller this album belonged to a member of II./KG 51 and mostly features images taken in Russia. Link follows - thanks to the LEMB for the pointer. Click on the image for a larger view.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/TOP-PHOTO-ALBUM-KAMPFGESCHWADER-51-EDELWEIS-JU-88-A-/360387625390?pt=Militaria&hash=item53e8c6c1ae

Aerojournal 22 - Barbarossa, Nachtjagd

2011-08-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

A few corrections to the captions in the 'Nachtjagd' article published by CJE (Chris Ehrengardt) in his latest Aérojournal issue 22 (June-July 2011)

Firstly, top page 14, a Focke-Wulf 190 presuming to be the : « Fw 190 A-8 'white 9' flown by Feldwebel Günther Migge of 1.NJGr. 10 …under the boars head is the inscription Kognak Pumpe..».

It's not. CJE has actually published a heavy pixelated image of Fw 190 A-6 « Ederle » (little boar), an aircraft which also served with NJGr. 10, but which is clearly not the Fw 190 A-8 assigned to Günther Migge. Migge's Neptun radar equipped A-8 'white 9' is reproduced in good quality (although low res) here..click on the image for a fast loading full screen view...

Note the clear view of "white 14" in the background - there is a discussion in an oldish thread on-going at scalemodels.ru as to whether this is "white 11" or not !
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_17767_start_20.html

Lower picture on page 19 of his article, CJE publishes a poor quality pic of Fw 190 A-6 WNr. 550453 flown by Hauptmann Friedrich-Karl « Nasen » Müller which he captions as being 'probably' « blue 3», since Müller flew in the Geschwaderstab of JG 300. From the Lorant/Goyat history of JG 300 we know for a certainty - as per Müller's flight log - that the aircraft of the Geschwaderstab of JG 300 had green Kennziffer or numbers in 1943. These aircraft were moreover based at Bonn-Hangelar and not at Rheine as CJE claims in his caption. Müller's 190 is seen here in October 1943 displaying sixteen night victory markings on the rudder. Note that the pilot's head armour has been removed as a weight-saving measure.

The picture of the Fw 190 on page 9 of CJE's article has been published many times previously - it is not an aircraft belonging to JG 300 or NJGr. 10. It is certainly not a machine belonging to 2./JG 300, which was a Bf 109 G equipped Staffel. Nor was Deelen home to any units of JG 300, even if the occasional Wild boar of JG 300 might have put down here prior to flying back to their home base.

The image on page 10 is the well-known photo of a Bf 109 G of I./JG 302 in front of the terminal at Malmi - once again not a photo of a I./JG 300 Gustav, since this Staffel never operated in Finland. Nor did the 'pathfinders'of Horst Bengsch as mentioned on page 13 provide navigational assistance for JG 300.

Casemate Publishing - autumn/Fall catalogue 2011, Mrazek Airborne Combat Stackpole

2011-08-23T05:39:00.000-07:00

A reminder that the latest Casemate catalogue can be downloaded as a pdf file from the Casemate web site. Casemate are distributors for a range of publishers producing exciting works that will be of interest to readers of this blog; Heimdal, Kagero, Stackpole, Histoire et Collections, Bernard and Graefe to cite just a few. See Casemate's publisher list here.

Latest from Stackpole is James Mrazek's "Airborne combat " (below) a history of fighting gliders in WWII. Mrazek has previously written about the German 'prise de main' of the key Belgian fort at Eben Emael during May 1940 and in this inexpensive 500-page softback, Mrazek presents details of all WWII combat gliders through accounts of all the significant operations of the war including Crete, Sicily, Normandy, Arnhem and 'Varsity', the crossing of the Rhine. Eben Emael proved that the glider could be used with devasting tactical surprise. Once again though this was a field in which the Germans were some considerable way ahead of the Americans. By 1942 German glider effort had reached a pinnacle of technical achievement that even the US with its huge technical resources could not attain. The US neither produced a glider anywhere as large as the Me 321 Gigant nor attained the excellence in innovation and design reached by the Germans. Mrazek's accounts of elite glider troops in action are nicely illustrated with rare images and first-hand accounts and include chapters on Soviet and Japanese gliders.

Eastern Front night-fighters - Wittgenstein, Fischer, Bertram (1)

2011-08-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Current reading is Claire Rose Knott's nicely done bio of Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn Wittgenstein ('Princes of Darkness'). At the same time I've come across Gebhard Aders 1977 article for Modell Fan magazine devoted to Wittgenstein, an interesting source that author Knott appears not to have seen. Wittgenstein scored many of his victories in the East and was particularly active during the summer 1943 Kursk offensive.

The first Luftwaffe night fighters on the Eastern Front were the so-called Nachtjagdschwärme Ost. Their organisation was piece-meal - venerable Heinkel He 111s drawn from the Eastern Front Kampfgeschwader with neither search radar -as was usually the case in the west- nor controlled by any kind of ground control as later existed in the shape of the Nachtjagdzüge - the night fighter trains. There were no fleets of four-engine bombers to contend with in the air either - operations over the front in the early stages of the war in the East consisted of hunting and engaging the small Russian aircraft, mostly U2 and R5 biplanes, that operated by night supplying mines and shells to partisan groups located behind the front lines. The He 111 were of course large and ponderous aircraft which were hardly suited to this form of aerial interdiction but there were no other available aircraft. The He 111 as flown by aces such as Gunther Bertram enjoyed some successes on nights when the moon was full.

" My first victim had only just got airborne. Closing from astern, I swept alongside and past it, presenting my Bordfunker with the opportunity to unleash a long salvo from his MG. Given that the Russians only managed speeds of between 150-180 kph, while I had to maintain the speed of our cumbersome He 111 at 230 kph at least, achieving a downing was always very much down to good fortune.."

Following re-equipment with the Ju 88 the Nachtjagd Ost was put on a more organised footing. NJG 100 was formed at Brjansk from IV./NJG 5 which had shifted to the Russian Front in early 1943. Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn Wittgenstein was appointed Kommandeur of I./NJG 100 during the summer of 1943. By this stage of the war in the East the Soviets were creating serious difficulties for the Germans in the air. At night the Red Air force specialised in harassment sorties with elderly biplanes - the Polykarpov PO-2, known to the Germans as the 'Nähmaschine' (sewing machine) or 'UvD' (Unteroffizier von Dienst, or Duty NCO), did little damage in night raids, but was an immense nuisance. Its pilots would switch off their engines and glide in from altitude during their bombing run; their small bombs thus often fell without warning. More often than not though their engines were fitted with silencers which made their engine sounds virtually inaudible from the ground at heights above 800 feet.

During the first half of 1943 Wittgenstein flew two Ju 88 C-6s with IV./NJG 5. These aircraft are particularly interesting for the modeller. Ju 88 C-6 C9+AE was equipped with FuG 212 radar, the lower fuselage Bodenwanne gondola and Schräge Muzik mounted in line astern and is generally reckoned to be one of the first Ju 88s so-equipped. C9+DE lacked all these features and was apparently flown on clear bright nights as an Expreßjäger or 'fast-hunter'. Wittgenstein scored the majority of his victories over Kursk in this machine. The image below is taken from Aders article and depicts AE with yellow fuselage Eastern theatre band, black lower surfaces and mottled dark grey finish (probably 74/75)

Simon Schatz's superlative artwork from Claire's book can be seen at Simon's blog
http://luftwaffe-aviation-art.blogspot.com/search/label/Junkers%20Ju%2088

Easy download of Gebhard Aders 1977 Modell Fan article is available at these links (two 600kB jpeg images)
http://www.multiupload.com/1CNNAYS9QV

http://www.multiupload.com/LFPOD4YAOP

Heinkel He 111 walkaround - bomb bay, cockpit, undercarriage views

2011-08-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Having looked at the new Revell He 111 P 1:32 kit here these internal views might come in handy. As usual click on the image to see a larger view

were Luftwaffe pilots sanctioned to bale out to avoid the P-51s in the air battles over Germany?

2011-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

In a post over on ww2aircraft.net, Jay Stout author of 'The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe' mentions that from the details given in USAF encounter reports, Luftwaffe pilots, once cornered, often abandoned their fighters even before they were fired on. Late in the war this certainly was not a bad idea from a practical perspective as it was much easier to produce a new aircraft than it was to produce a new pilot. But was this practice officially sanctioned or encouraged by the Luftwaffe leadership? From the history of JG 300, the leading Geschwader in the defence of the Reich, there is some insight into this practice, although only detailed specifically in relation to one sortie during 1945.

On 2 March 1945 a powerful American 8th Air Force formation of some 1,232 four-engine bombers protected by 723 fighters headed for fuel plants and tank factories at Böhlen, Magdeburg and Ruhland. The Gruppen of JG 300 were airborne from Borkheide, Löbnitz, Jüterbog and Reinsdorf between 09:05 and 09:40. Over the target area weather conditions forced some 660 Fortresses of the 1st and 3rd Air Divisions to divert to their secondary targets, Chemnitz and Dresden. Shortly after 10:00, east of Dessau, numerous German fighters were sighted converging to mount an attack on the B-17s of the 3rd Air Division. The 42 Mustangs of the 353rd FG, escorting the two leading groups of the 3rd AD, were able to fend off some of the Bf 109s but were unable to prevent II./JG 300 from closing with the bombers. Led by Ofw. Rudi Zwesken, the Sturmjäger flew a massed formation pass against two boxes of B-17s at 7,000 meters altitude between Wittenberg and Jüterbog. Unhindered by enemy fighters, the 31 Focke-Wulf 190 A-8s and A-9s closed on the Boeings with a slight height advantage, peeling away under the bombers following their firing passes, some of them having exhausted their munitions. Three B-17s were shot down, three more were eventually listed as missing.

Ofw. Rudi Zwesken, Verbandsführer 6. Staffel, knocked down two Boeing B-17s in less than five minutes. He lined-up on a third but broke off after exhausting his munitions. Over the radio he instructed his wingmen to avoid combat with American fighters. Although no more than hearsay, at this stage of the war Zwesken followed one golden rule during this late war period which he often repeated to his young comrades - “better to be a live parachutist than a dead pilot”. On this sortie he followed his own advice. As he saw Mustangs slide in behind his fighter, he baled out of his Fw 190 A-8 before the P-51s had the chance to open fire and plummeted several thousand metres before pulling the ripcord. Two of his 6. Staffel pilots took similar action. Abandoning a still intact fighter aircraft a year previously would have rendered its pilot liable to an immediate court martial charge. But during the last months of the war in the Defence of the Reich the circumstances behind a bale-out no longer warranted any form of investigation. Thus Ofw. Rudi Zwesken, Uffz. Erich Weisbrod and Fw. Ewald Preiß (6. Staffel) did not have to explain away their actions. And of course in Zwesken's case there were practical considerations - he had no ammo left after flying a firing pass against three B-17s, claiming two of them shot down. In fact this sortie would see the last II./JG 300 victories achieved against 8th Air Force four-engine bombers.

Below; Fw 190s of 6. and 7. Staffeln at Löbnitz in early 1945. Note the blue/white/blue Reichsverteidigung or Reich's defence bands which appeared on II./JG 300 Fw 190s during December 1944. An analysis of wrecks retrieved in Czechoslovakia indicates that the blue/white/blue bands were adopted between the raids of 14 and 21 December 1944.

Fw 190 & Bf 109 Emil - Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection Luftwaffe Day August 2011

2011-08-11T05:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spookythecat/6022687921/in/photostream/

"...Saturday, August 6, 2011 was a historic day in aviation history as the worlds only flying original Focke-Wulf 190 flew in formation with one of only two airworthy Messerschmitt Bf-109 E-3s. The Focke-Wulf 190A-5 features its original BMW motor and was restored to the exact condition it was in during its service in World War Two. This was the first time these two aircraft were in the sky together since WWII. Both of these aircraft belong to Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington, home of the flying warbirds.."

A single click to view these great videos here

The full story of Fw 190 A-5 WNr. 1227 'white A' is here

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/02/flying-heritage-collection-fw-190-a5.html

Fw 190 profile artwork Paint Simmers Workshop

2011-08-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Clint at the LEMB for the heads up, this is the excellent work of 'Jesters Ink' from the Paint Simmers Workshop

http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/forums/f29-aircraft-profile-painting/closing-fw190-anton-3353/index2.html

Note the colour photo of the Fw 190 horizontal stabiliser retrieved from a JG 1 wreck in France reproduced at the link above is taken from this blog..more here

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/05/fw-190-colours.html

Fw 190 A-4 'brown 8' of 3./JG 54 on the Russian Front in the field applied two-tone green upper surface 'splinter' scheme favoured by this unit during the spring/summer 1943. From Fw 190 Aircraft in Detail SAM 24/09 Nov 2002 article by Neil Page

Walter Loos successful Ta 152 pilot JG 301 and Sturmjäger JG 300 - the case of the 'smoking' log book

2011-08-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

It is very difficult to do an accurate write up on Walter Loos' war time career- the basic stuff you can get off Wikipedia, although even that short entry contains a certain amount of dubious information. After flying training he was sent to III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in January 1944. He achieved his first victory in the huge aerial battle over Berlin on 6 March 1944, when he claimed a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress shot down. Later he was transferred to IV. (Sturm)/JG 3 and was apparently posted to Jagdgeschwader 300 in June 1944 and flew as Walther Dahl's wingman in the Geschwaderstab from July 1944 to early December 1944. On 29 September was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, an award that was usually the precursor to the RK. In early December 1944 Loos was posted to undertake instructing duties with Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost. Loos then returned to combat duty in early 1945 with JG 301.With this unit he flew the FW Ta 152 for the first time at Soltau-Hannover. And according to photocopies of his Flugbuch in circulation, Loos claimed four victories over Russian Yaks around Berlin in the last days of the war flying the Ta 152. On 20 April 1945 Walter Loos was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 36 victories. Walter Loos flew 66 combat missions and is credited with 38 confirmed victories and 8 unconfirmed. 30 aircraft were claimed on the Western Front, including 22 four-engined bombers. He himself was shot down nine times.

One of the leading authorities on Loos' units, JG 300 and JG 301, is French historian J-Y Lorant who interviewed many former pilots and personnel of both Geschwader during the 70's and 80's. Re-examining the documentary sources that he has collected over the decades for JG 301 a few years ago he concluded that there was some discrepancies concerning 'claims' and 'victories' obtained at the controls of the revolutionary late war Ta 152. This is perhaps not at all surprising given the chaos and confusion at war's end. For the record Reschke in his 'history' of JG 301 states that on 24 April 1945 engagements with Yak 9's during the final throes of the Battle of Berlin resulted in four Yak 9's being shot down. In poor visibility, two were claimed by himself and two by Obfw. Walter Loos (in "Green 4"). The Stabsschwarm lost Hptm. Hermann Stahl and his Ta152 that day. However the point of this is that when interviewed in the late 1970's Walter Loos stated that he had no victories - not a single enemy fighter claim - while flying the Ta 152. In the context of the combats that supposedly took place on 24 April 1945 this is a startling piece of info - at least for readers of Reschke's account. However Loo's claim is apparently supported by reference to the personal diary of Fhr. Ludwig Bracht written during March-April 1945 and the letters of Uffz. Rudi Driebe. Incidentally other thus-far-unpublished JG 301 documentary sources indicate that Stahl was shot down and killed on 11 April 1945. Ofw. Josef Keil was flying as his wingman that day. And despite Jeff Ethell's account in his Monogram Close Up - Archie Hagedorn never flew the Ta 152 in combat. The 'problem' with Loos may lie with versions of his Flugbuch that are in circulation - a version of the final page of his logbook that has circulated only shows flights 860 to 880 and also shows amendments in the form of sections pasted over each other. However there does apparently exist an 'untainted' copy although I have not personally seen it. As to his Ta 152 claims, they can only be described as 'unsubstantiated'.

Another 'problem' with Loos's Flugbuch is that Loos does not appear to have flown with JG 300 after 4 December 1944. This is problematic because Loos figures prominently as a witness in many of Kommodore Dahl's claims from late 1944 to early 45, when Dahl was supposedly still flying with Stab/JG 300. Evidence perhaps that many of Dahl's claims during this period were bogus, or he flew alone and had no witnesses! Considering the questionable nature of some of Dahl's "victories", such as on 5 December 1944, it would seem that the former was more likely. On 5 December for example, Dahl listed Loos as a witness, but Loos' last flight with JG 300 was the day prior, 4 December, before he was posted out as a flight instructor. His logbook shows no flights on 5 December 1944 and indeed, none between 4 December and 16 December 1944. Of course most Flugbücher contain errors and omissions. It is not my intention to 'slander' Loos. Not only was he there, he has earned his place in aviation history as a rare front-line pilot to fly combat sorties at the controls of the Ta 152. As a small tribute - despite the factual errors therein - I offer a previously untranslated wartime newspaper report which was reproduced in a 1988 issue of Jägerblatt;

" War reporter Walter Henkels spent 11 April 1944 with the Sturmgruppe Udet - the date of Walter Loos 21st birthday and recorded his impressions under the title 'Pauke-Pauke '..........

"..Feldwebel Walter loos is 21 years old today. Reason enough to open up a bottle of Oppenheimer Goldberg. Because in Oppenheim am Rhein, his home town, they know about fine vintages and you are only 21 once! But he won't be telling his comrades about this important day - because the Staffelkapitän has ordered that no one flies on their birthday and the weather forecast already seems to suggest that there will be a sortie today. The sky is the only invitation on offer today ...barely an hour has past before news of an incoming raid is announced. The Gruppen get airborne, form up and then climb to meet the enemy as ordered. Below them through the morning haze lies their land, where their parents, wives and children live ..in among the bombed out towns and cities. Have Feldwebel Loos parents not been bombed-out in Oppenheim? A voice through the headset, " Four-engine bomber formation to our left.." Feldwebel Loos has seen them too, glinting in the sunlight, bomber Pulks drawn up in tight formation. Nobody will mention that their hearts are now beating a little faster or talk of that feeling in the pit of their stomachs or that their knees have started to tremble. But Feldwebel Loos can not forget that today is his birthday - today will be his lucky day. Suddenly, but as expected, the Kommodore's voice comes over the radio " Pauke, Pauke " The order for the Sturm attack .. the combat lasts just seconds, fractions of a second and just one word "him or me". The Fortress IIs loom up in the windshield like giants. It may be - since he no longer recalls exactly - that he shouted the hunter's cry 'Horrido' into the throat mike. Nor does he know how he managed to fight off the "Mustang" with which he was caught up in a wild dogfight at 8,000 metres altitude. Soaked in sweat, limbs still trembling, he climbs down from his trusty Fw 190. " My birthday was a day of good fortune" he smiled inwardly as he was congratulated by his comrades and his Staffelkapitän. And the bottle of Oppenheimer that he had brought back from home for this very purpose - well, that was opened after all..."

Owinni28 Ebay sales Me 109 Emil Jabo JG 52 Gilze-Rijen Holland

2011-08-07T04:15:00.000-07:00

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/0winni28/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

1/48th DML Ju88 G-1 nightfighter

2011-08-03T04:04:00.000-07:00

First posted on britmodeller.com and completed just in time for the US IPMS Nationals in Nebraska is Jim Root's superb 1/48th DML Ju 88 G-1 nightfighter finished in the markings of the 7./NJG 2 Ju 88 G-1 that landed at Woodbridge, Suffolk, England on 13 July 1944. More on this at the following link

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/02/karcher-de-icing-equipment-fitted-in.html

Jim's model was built with the addition of Eduard seat belts, Master Model Radar Antenna, Royale Resin Wheels and Master Model Machine Gun Barrels. My thanks to Jim for kindly allowing me to post his pictures here.

Elsewhere a recently restored Junkers Ju 88 G-1 night fighter fuselage WNr 714628 has been put on display in Berlin’s Deutsches Technik museum.

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/02/junkers-ju-88-g-1-nachtjager-on-display.html

Sturmjäger of JG 300 - Hubert Engst 6./JG 300 - edit

2011-08-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

The following images were furnished exclusively for this site via Jean-Yves Lorant, author of the two volume history of JG 300 published by Docavia in France during 2005 - 'Bataille dans le Ciel d'Allemagne'. This series of photos shows Hubert Engst of 6./JG 300 preparing for a spell of cockpit readiness during November 1944. The first photo shows Engst with his wife Elisabeth (and comrade Norbert Graziadei) in front of the pilot's FW 190 Sturmbock 'Yellow 2' W.Nr 682181 and provides a super view of his Lederkombination leather flying suit with the Luftwaffe armband.

Seen here from left to right, Elisabeth Engst (wife of Hubert Engst), Lt. Norbert Graziadei of 5./JG 300 and Fw. Hubert Engst. Löbnitz airfield, autumn 1944. (Engst via Lorant)

In the third picture below Engst is seen climbing up into the cockpit -note the EZ 42 gyroscopic sight above the instrument panel. Some background info on Hubert Engst might be of interest. The following of Petr Kacha's claims at the Luftwaffe aces web site would appear to any readers of the Lorant/Goyat JG300 history to be highly unlikely - that Engst achieved some twenty victories (there is no evidence for this), that he claimed a Mosquito shot down (no evidence for any Mosquito claim submitted) and that he was awarded the DKiG at the end of the war (he does not appear to have been).

Not unnaturally I will have upset the Czechs and Wolfgang Engst with that ;
http://hloubkari.cz/forum/index.php?topic=1484.135

Note that Wolfgang furnished his father's personal journal to the authors of the JG 300 history along with other papers and an unpublished magazine article written by Hubert Engst during the mid-1960s for East German magazine "Welt der Flieger - Aerosport" - all that is known of Engst is drawn from these sources. Claims at the end of his text that he witnessed Ta 152s flying out of Ainring at the end of WWII are indication enough that it is wise to be cautious with some veteran statements.

Engst was born on 10 November 1921 in Krauschwitz and completed his flying training at JG 110 at Altenburg in late July 1943 prior to being posted to JG Herrmann in late July 1943. Established expressly to take the war to the British bomber streams, Herrmann's Wilde Sau fighters were based at Rheine and Uffz.Engst flew his first combat mission three hours after his arrival at the unit, claiming his first victory, a RAF Stirling four-engine bomber shot down near Wüppertal. The victory was not recognised as his since Engst had not been 'officially' assigned to a Staffel. Engst's own account of his sortie that night appears in Volume I of the JG 300 history and was extracted from the pilot's personal journal. By June 1944, Feldwebel Engst was serving with 5./JG 300. On 21 June, he claimed two USAAF four-engine bombers shot down, recognised as the 20th and 21st victories of 5./JG 300. In June 1944, Engst was transferred to 6./JG 300. On 24 August 1944, he attacked a formation of USAAF B-24 four-engine bombers over the Neuhaus region (Jindrichuv Hradec area) of Bohemia. Engst shot down one B-24 to record his "sixth victory", but his Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 681 361) 'Yellow 7' was damaged by return fire and he was wounded. Once again this victory was never officially ratified. Engst claimed his second 'double' on 27 September 1944 high over Eisenach - however the first of these was also claimed by a flak unit and there is no official trace whatsoever of the second. On 24 December, Engst was shot-down and wounded in aerial combat near Hersfeld whilst flying Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 682 181) 'Yellow 2'. He parachuted clear with a round in his backside and had the scare of his life as he jumped clear of his blazing Focke-Wulf: the left-hand strap of the parachute harness, damaged by the round that had caught him, snapped under the force of the chute deploying. Suspended under the canopy by a single harness strap, Engst endured a terrifying and agonizingly slow descent....

Engst rejoined his Staffel during 1945 and flew sorties to the end of the war. He describes in his journal the rearguard retreat of II./JG 300 through southern Germany during March and April 1945 - an almost ceaseless round of Tiefangriffe strafing sorties against American tank spearheads. He has harsh words for his superiors including his Kommandeur who rarely flew during this period due to 'sickness'. On 9 April 1945 Engst was shot down by US fighters as described by Ernst Schröder in Volume II of the JG 300 history;

" We set out on a heading for Adlholz tucked in alongside each other, a “Rotte” with Hubert leading. Not far from Bayreuth, while we were progressing through a relatively misty sky at one thousand meters altitude, we were set upon by several P-51 D Mustangs. Hubert had not detected them at all. I saw them first, as often happened in such situations. For some reason unknown to me, my comrade did not hear my warning shout in his earphones and continued calmly on track. I saw a well positioned Mustang open fire on Hubert Engst’s 190 as I peeled off to be able to take up the fight without colliding with my Rottenführer! I straightened up and the 190 and its pursuer re-appeared in my field of vision. Hubert took to his parachute, unharmed, in front of my eyes. For a few seconds the Mustang that had just brought him down was framed in my windscreen. A perfect target but I could hardly open fire... my comrade had just bailed out of his 190 a few hundred meters ahead of me and was swinging in my sights as I bore down on him... not a pleasant position to be in! As far as I know, Hubert got off lightly, since all he lost was his 190 and his personal belongings left in his ship..".

Engst was present at Salzburg Ainring during the first days of May 1945 as the rump of JG 300 was ordered to fall back to Prague - Engst personally witnessed the unit's Fw 190 Doras get airborne for the last Verlegung - airfield transfer - of the war. He erroneously describes in his journal the aircraft he saw taking off from Salzburg on 3 May as the latest Ta 152 fighters ! There is no suggestion anywhere in his papers that he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. With the kind permission of Wolfgang Engst and Jean-Yves Lorant we hope to bring more from Hubert Engst's journal here soon.. it is perhaps worth bearing in mind that although he might not have achieved more than six or seven confirmed aerial victories Engst was nonetheless an ace - a night fighter and heavy bomber killer caught up - like so many of his comrades - in the terrible drama of bloody battles of the summer of 1944 who - unlike many of his comrades - survived to the end of the war, having witnessed some terrible sights and having lost virtually everything.

Il -2 board hosted by Asisbiz.com - picture and text theft

2011-08-02T02:44:00.000-07:00

Pictures are a large part of the stuff that makes this blog interesting. Some of my contacts have given me some fantastic images. However when putting these pictures on line, there is always a chance that someone will come along and copy it, and put it on their own site. Or in other words, steal it ! OK so we all 'borrow' the odd pic from time to time to illustrate our articles, usually with a link and a thank you I hasten to add, but at the Il-2 board hosted by asisbiz.com they make a habit of just taking whatever they fancy with apparent impunity - in fact most of 'their' stuff is taken from elsewhere. And when people contact me to say 'have you seen these great pictures' and they turn out to be mine then enough is enough! There are those who would argue that placing images on the web without setting limits on their distribution is tacit agreement for the images’ distribution. There are forums and sites that re-publish pictures from books with a suitable credit - their view is that this is free advertising so therefore nothing inherently wrong with it..I'm personally not sure about this argument, but would probably come up with a similar line myself if pushed. Many of the authors and publishers I've talked to about this don't accept it either. In fact there seems to be a big divergence between producers of copyright material and consumers on this point. The well-known photographer Scott Bourne says he makes more money from suing people who steal his images than from the ones he sells. He has created software that finds a copyright infringement in minutes after the photo is online. Then he sends an e-mail asking for fair payment in 48 hours. If none is forthcoming then all communications are cut and the next step could well be a court of law....

At a more mundane level many web site owners try to protect images they put on-line, usually by incorporating a bit of Java script into their code to prevent visitors 'right-clicking' an image. A complete waste of time; you can simply inhibit Java in your browser or even do a screen copy with the 'print screen' button, so most of us take other half-arsed measures such a putting a link or a 'water-mark' on the picture. This still doesn't prevent the thief from republishing the image.

Some of the pics posted on at least one particular link ( Fw 190 A, Hubert Engst) were taken from this blog and still have a my 'mark' on them, although most of them on this particular link belong to jg300.de. The point is they certainly don't belong to Asisbiz.com. There is not even the courtesy of a link back..

When I asked asisbiz.com to remove my pictures I received the following rather pathetic response ;

" I didn't steal the images they came with the skins. All my images are free and people are forever taking images from my site but that's why I upload them in the first place. As a photographer I also contribute to Wikipedia and upload all my images as copyright free. I'm just trying to build a good historical site. I don't put small images up but only the best I can find. This is history after all and like yourself it's my hobby. Unlike you I don't plaster my website name all over the images which I feel is so unnecessary but you obliviously (sic!) feel otherwise..I won't be taking them down as they are referenced to you..... Matthew "

You can probably imagine my response.

".. Hang on a moment. You cannot just take other web sites photos. They are not yours. Do you not understand that basic concept? Maybe when you've done some original research, corresponded with vets etc and received their photos, then maybe you can put your own photos up. I don't see why MY pics should end up on your page..by the way the only pics I mark with my website address are those that I have obtained personally, not just scanned in from somebody elses book - no doubt you do that too.."

To which the delightful 'Matthew' responded;

" ..I don't vandalize photos by putting my website name all over the image. I wont take them down because they show people the difference between someone who honors history and someone who vandalizes it. My parents had their house destroyed by German bombers my Dad was in the RAF. My family has fought German tyranny for two generations so basically get fucked.."

Of course it's not just my material that 'Matthew' helps himself to. For example the following is lifted almost exclusively from 'Luftwaffe in Focus' magazine, including pictures and text. I'm sure there's much more but you get the picture by now;

http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Ju-88/Ju-88A-KG26.3-%281H+FL%29.html

Storm in a teacup ? Maybe, but I fail to see why I should have my stuff taken by this unpleasant little tw*t. Had he bothered to ask and then linked back here I probably wouldn't have had a problem with it - I don’t mind people using the photos I put online as long as they add a credit and link to my blog. There’s a quid pro quo there.

Countering the blatant thievery practised by the IL2 board hosted by asisbiz.com is straight forward - I'm tempted to say that there simply won't be any more 'new' stuff posted here for 'Matthew' to lift. Jean-Yves Lorant was right - he tells me he won't be producing an up-dated edition of his 'Le Focke Wulf 190' book since in his view most of it, including all the best pictures, will likely end up scanned on some thieving little bastard's web site !

Revell 1:32 Heinkel He 111 P-1 - first look by Iain Ogilvie

2011-07-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Revell 1:32 Heinkel He 111P-1

A first look by Iain Ogilvie of the 32nd SIG

The follow-on to Revell’s 1:32 Ju-88 is finally here – and it looks superb! (Click on the images for a larger view.)

Comprising 433 very crisply moulded parts and with final dimensions when complete of 51.1cm long and 70.9cm wingspan, this model will be a real stunner when complete.

Model features full cockpit detail, individual bomb cells, radio equipment, spare ammunition cases and detailed bays and some of the clearest transparencies I’ve seen - important as they’re such a feature of the prototype. The model represents the P-1 version of this iconic aeroplane as used early in the war and during the Battle of Britain but I think it’s a safe bet that a later ‘H’ series kit will be on the cards at some point in the future if this one sells well.
A superb decal sheet is included (minus the swastikas as would be expected from a German company) and features markings for three aircraft:

5./KG 54 “Totenkopf Geschwader”, Coulommiers, France 1940

III./KG 27 “Geschwader Boelcke”, Delmenhorst, Germany 1940

II./KG 5 “General Wever”, preserved at the Norwegian Aviation Museum, Gardmoen, Norway

At a retail price of £59.99 (and many outlets offering discounts even on that!) this model represents astounding value in this day and age. The aftermarket manufacturers are bound to be releasing accessories for what will undoubtedly be a popular kit, but to my mind the most worthwhile addition would be a set of etched seat belts and Revell have just released a set of pre-coloured etch (by Eduard) to enhance the new kit.

Accuracy? Not had a chance to go through in detail yet – but there’s nothing that shouts ‘fix me’ yet – it’s just shouting ‘build me’!

This model will be built for a feature in a forthcoming issue of Military in Scale.

Click on the label links below for more He 111 reference on this blog. Check out Mike's review on http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74574

'Feindberührung' - Julius Meimberg memoir published by 296 Verlag

2011-07-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

On 12 May 1944 the US 8th Air Force dispatched hundreds of B-17s and B-24s- screened by long range escort fighters - to petro-chemical targets in central Germany. One unit that rose to meet this awesome array of strength was II. Gruppe of JG 53 commanded by Julius Meimberg. Aged twenty seven years old, he had seen service in France and Africa with JG 2 and was now responsible for some eight hundred men in the defence of the Reich, knowing already that the war was lost. His vividly written memoir 'Feindberührung' - Contact with the Enemy - opens with a description of his bail out that day. Scrambled from Eschborn at 11:30, Meimberg's Schwarm had sighted Mustangs glinting in the sunlight at lower altitude and swept down on the bounce. Opening up with the engine mounted cannon, Meimberg was quickly in trouble - a defective 30mm round suddenly exploded in his weapon..The following translated extract nicely captures the drama of Meimburg's vivid account..

" ......Get out! Out! OUT! Oh my God - get out! Quick!

While reason is still fighting the rising panic, my hands start to dart around the cockpit in a well-rehearsed ballet of actions...

My left hand pulls the throttle lever back to idle and with a jerk I disconnect the cable that runs to the flight helmet from the radio set. My right hand releases its grip from the stick and starts to grope for the clasp of the harness. Even as I'm doing this the aircraft has already started to fall away in an uncontrollable dive.

I do not want to get roasted as happened last year over Tunis.

The push-in buckle of the clasp has to be open before the negative acceleration of the plummeting fighter in its final dive pins me so tightly into my straps that it will impossible to release it. It has to be undone before I release the canopy - the force of the slipstream will whip and lash my body so powerfully that the belt lock will block.

With both hands I fumble around on the safety catch.

Done! My left hand flies up to the emergency canopy- jettison lever but the hood sits tight; both hands grab the lever which opens the canopy normally and and start to wind it furiously but the hood remains closed. I can feel the panic rising again, choking. The explosion must have bent something; some ridiculously small part, a peg, a locking mechanism, a linkage or a drill hole.

Through the black film of oil that the shot-up engine is spraying onto the plexiglass wind shield, I can see bight red flames streaming back along the fuselage. My 109 is on fire. Feet drawn up onto the seat already, I arch my back against the canopy hood desperately. The Messerschmitt continues its headlong plunge to earth - now no more than a blazing torch.

There-finally: a crack! A tiny opening! Any hope of being able to escape the deadly trap imparts almost superhuman strength.

A bang, the brute punch of the airflow against head and chest - I am free...right hand groping for the handle for the ripcord, I whirl down through the skies. As soon as I open my eyes, I see a grey-green expanse above me and deep blue at my feet. Strange how you always fall head first. I have to resist the urge to pull the ripcord now. This would be very dangerous: far too many comrades have been machine-gunned while hanging in their chutes recently. Discernable details come into focus in the grey-green mass above me - here a village, surrounded by fields of rape oil seed blossoming brightly, there a small forest. Now, country roads and gravel paths come into view.

No, don't pull it yet.

I've at least 500 or 600 more metres to fall - that would be two -much too - long, dangerous minutes hanging under the open chute. But very quickly the red-white area of the village resolves into individual houses and the light- and dark grey of the wood develops into conifers and broad-leafed trees.

Now!

One last moment of terror - I hold the ripcord handle with its short wire in my hand and think that it has been torn off – but then - just at that instant - the jolt of the chute as it billows out behind me brakes my descent and I float downwards, envelopped by the tender smell of Spring.

My jump ends on a slope full of fresh green. Suddenly the roar of the engines of the three American P-51 Mustangs - appearing out of nowhere they sweep over my landing site without attacking - resonates as a dramatic final chord.

And then - silence. This redeeming silence which talks even more vividly not letting you hear any sound at all.

I will be here forever, it says; behind the thunder of your engines, the hammering of your guns, the rattling inferno of your orders and your death-cries in the earphones, I will await you, timeless and indifferently. Your war – your war does not touch me …

In front of me a pair of rabbit ears pops up in a furrow. I do not move. Flat on my belly, my head raised, I listen into this silence. A hare stretches,bobs up for a few seconds and then jumps away without any hurry.

With a deep breath, childish joy flows through me: joy for the Spring, the sun, the colours and the smells around me. I'm alive. Again, Still. And infinitely thankful.

A whirling sound drills itself into my ears and ends in a hollow banging and splintering sound. Over there - where just seconds before the hare was musing - the cabin hood of my plane smashed into the ground.

I pull myself together and head towards it - the canopy is scorched, charred, bent, shattered and covered with a raw, blinding coat of boiling oil.

“Hands up !” I hear the voice behind me as -with shaking hands- I'm still trying to clean a fragment of the hood for safekeeping...the villagers are here, lead by a man who is being pulled by a barking mutt that looks very aggressive. No, I have to disappoint them. All they have before them is a German airman. A German fighter pilot, brought down by his own machine five minutes ago.

That must have been how it happened, I think to myself, while we are trotting towards their village; There is no other reasonable explanation for this turn of events. We were climbing, when I saw something flashing to the right below me- the glinting of sunlight on the aluminium body of an enemy aircraft, a glittering spot above the Taunus hills - still more flashing spots were swarming eastwards, weaving and bobbing. The American fighter sweep is below us, we are up at 5000 metres and have the sun in our backs. The ideal position to attack.... "

'Feindberührung' is published by 296 Verlag. An English-language edition has been promised for some time now. Unfortunately I have no news on its possible appearance. Elsewhere Meimberg contributes extensively to Erik Mombeek's history of JG 2 (two volumes published in French, one in English - translator Neil Page)

Jagdgeschwader 53 - the story of the Ace of Spades - Jean-Louis Roba

2011-07-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

New from Lela Presse publishers of 'Avions' magazine is part one of a two-part monograph by noted Luftwaffe author Jean Louis Roba covering the history of Jagdgeschwader 53.

Created as JG 334 in March 1937, JG 53 was one of the leading Luftwaffe fighter units of WWII. This first volume covers the period from the unit's establishment to the end of the Battle of Britain in late 1940. JG 53 was a 'nursery' for pilots who would go on to become some of the leading Jagdwaffe aces. The author describes the fascinating history of this great fighter unit that saw action in all the great air campaigns fought by the Luftwaffe. This brand new text (in French) is illustrated by dozens of photographs, some previously unpublished. Recommended for all Luftwaffe enthusiasts.

SUMMARY:

- The pre-war period (March 1937 - August 1939)

- The Sitzkrieg (Phony War) (September 1939 - May 1940)

- The Westfeldzug - campaign in the West (May-June 1940)

- Over England - the Battle of Britain (June-December 1940)

A4 format, 80 pages, 200 photos and 20 colour profile artworks by Thierry Dekker

Wekusta 2 - 'cloud chasers' of the Luftwaffe

2011-07-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Just ahead of the release of the huge new Revell Heinkel He 111 in 1/32 scale, part 1 of a small article on a little-known He 111 unit, the 'cloud-chasers' of the Luftwaffe, weather recce Staffel Wekusta 2.

Below; He 111 D7 + LH and a Do 17 Z of Westa 2 Ob.d.L. in front of the hangars and the tower at Brest-Lanvéoc, autumn 1940.

Wettererkungdungstaffel 2 Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (weather reconnaissance squadron) was established during July 1940 in Oldenburg, north-west Germany and located at the German-designated 'Brest Süd' (Lanvéoc) from the summer of 1940. The primary mission of the Staffel was long-range Atlantic weather observation for the preparation of accurate forecasting both for the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine, particularly the U-boot arm. During the course of its activities the Staffel not unnaturally fulfilled the secondary but equally important of role of spotting Allied Atlantic convoys. The Staffel operated under the auspices of, and drew its personnel and equipment from, Aufklärungsgruppe 123, whose Stab was located in Tossus-le-Noble and Buc in the Paris region from July 1940 until mid-1944. 3.(F)/123 was located in Rennes from August 1942. The Staffel was one of the rare Luftwaffe units to fly sorties with 'semi-civilians' on-board - each flight carried a meteorologist who was also trained to fire the on-board armament of the He 111s and Ju 88 Ds with which the unit flew its sorties out over the Atlantic and around the western coasts of Ireland. Note there were several grades/ranks of meteorologists from Regierungsrat and Wetterdienst Assessor. The full story of Wekusta 2 in Brittany is told by Pierre Babin in 'Avions' magazine issues 162 and 163. The images reproduced here are currently offered for sale in Michael Meyer's Ebay shop and some of them are featured in Pierre's articles....

He 111 H-3 coded 'D7 + CH' of Wekusta 2 Ob.d.L. in Brest-Lanvéoc during August/September 1940.

The first Staffelführer of Wekusta 2 was Oblt. Rudolf Prasse and the first of the unit's daily sorties out over the Atlantic were flown from mid-August 1940 and followed the same routine - an early, often pre-dawn, takeoff maintaining altitudes of between 500 and 3,000 metres according to the height of the cloud deck and following a pre-determined flight plan, with a weather information 'bulletin' broadcast back to Brittany every 90 minutes during the flight. A sortie could last anything up to six hours. The Staffel sustained its first loss that same month, an He 111 H-3 crashing on takeoff from Brest on 23 August 1940. On 23 September 1940 Prasse and his crew were shot down over the Atlantic by RAF Blenheims while flying a 'rescue' sortie for the He 111 H-3 flown by Lt. Horst-Max Dümcke. Dümcke and his crew had ditched safely in the Atlantic after technical problems but his 'SOS' messages had also been picked up by listening stations in the UK. Dümcke and his crew put their He 111 down near a small group of French fishing boats and were quickly rescued and subsequently picked up by a Do 24 of Seenotstaffel 1. Prasse meanwhile also ditched in the Atlantic after coming under attack by RAF twins sent out to the area and he and his crew spent the best part of two days and two nights in their dinghy before being rescued by another fishing boat, finally arriving back in Brest on 28 September 1940. One of Prasse's crew died of his wounds.

During 1941 the unit received its first Junkers Ju 88s. Above, a Ju 88 of Wekusta 2 Ob.d.L. in Brest-Lanvéoc suitably decorated on the occasion of the unit's 500th Feindflug (combat sortie) on 31 December 1941 (Meyer incorrectly states 'early 1941' on his 'caption'). The crew for this sortie comprised Reg.Rat Richard Not, Oblt. Horst Dümke, BF Wilde, BM Gajewski and Staffelkapitän Rudolf Prasse. Below; gound crews assemble in front of the aircraft decorated for the occasion.

On 6 January 1942 an RAF bombing raid on Brest Lanvéoc caused considerable damage to installations and aircraft and saw Wekusta 2 eventaully move to Nantes- Château Bougon during July 1942 where the picture below was taken.

" die lange Ju 88 " - the Junkers Ju 88 H

2011-07-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

First published in Jet & Prop 6/96 this image depicts a rare Ju 88 H-1 with extended rear fuselage. Conceived for long-range recce sorties, the H-1 - including this particular example DO+FS (?) WNr. 430931 - was deployed operationally with 3.(F)/123 during the first half of 1944 over the French Atlantic coast. Operating variants of the Ju 88 D, the Aufklaerungs (recce) unit flew typical Ferne sorties, roaming over the the ocean on convoy-hunting sorties in concert with Luftwaffe bombers and the U-Boote, additional fuel cells mounted in the rear fuselage providing extended endurance. WNr. 430931 was lost on 31 July 1944, shot down over the Atlantic by a Mosquito of 248 Squadron.

Flugzeug magazine (issues 1 & 2/90) featured an article compiled by Oliver Thiele entitled 'Die lange Ju 88' - unfortunately I don't have access to it. Two more Werknummern 430841 and 430941 are H-1s positively identified according to this article. A 4th H-1 WNr. 430 898 was lost on 6 April 1944 on a test flight shot down by Typhoons over Rennes where 3.(F)/123 was based at that time (Thiele in Jet & Prop 6/97).

According to some estimates Aukl.(F)123 had five or six of the H-1 variants equipped with remote cameras. Defensive armament comprised a twin MG 81 Zwilling and/or two MG 131 13mm machine guns fitted in the upper rear canopy. As the profile below suggests a single forward firing MG was also carried. The lower gondola was absent.

Also operating under the umbrella of Aukl.(F)123 was the Luftwaffe's 'cloud-chasers' Wekusta 2, a Brittany-based weather & long-range recce unit established during 1940 on the He 111 and then the Ju 88 D-1 and D-5 up until early 1944 when the unit received sixteen He 177s. These heavy bombers were deployed during July 1944 following the Normandy landings in ground-attack sorties against Maquis camps in the Gers! (see Pierre Babin in 'Avions' magazine May/June 2008)

For Hitler and Kaiser - The memoirs of General der Flieger a.D. Alfred Mahncke

2011-07-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

It goes without saying that this blog applauds each and every new publication conceived and published by Robert Forsyth. I am looking forward to reading this new work from Robert's latest imprint 'Tattered Flag' distributed by Casemate Publishing. Having already dipped in and out of the book for the purposes of this brief introduction I can report that Mahncke's memoir is a well-written, fresh and fascinating account from a Luftwaffe General of the pre-war rise of the Luftwaffe and the re-building of German air power under Nazi command in the first instance. From page 150 the book turns to Mahncke's involvement in the war against Russia with new insights into the Luftwaffe's defeat in the East and in Italy. His accounts of the chaos of the Stalingrad re-supply operation and the 'fighting' withdrawal through Sicily and Italy which Mahncke directly managed are particularly interesting. I think the book works less well when the author reports on events that he was not implicitly involved in. He also admits to having lost his diaries covering the period from November 1944, but this amounts to only some 30 pages at the end of the book and is pretty minor league criticism. Recommended !

The memoirs of General der Flieger a.D. Alfred Mahncke are the first from a former General of the German Luftwaffe to be published in the English language since those of Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring in 1953. Since then, thousands of books have been written on every aspect of the Luftwaffe’s history, development, personalities, aircraft, campaigns, operations and ultimate defeat. But the historiography has lacked a fresh, detailed and personal insight into the leadership and command of the Luftwaffe from its earliest years through to the period of crisis which ensued after the tragedy of Stalingrad. Alfred Mahncke’s For Kaiser and Hitler rectifies this omission, providing those with an interest in the history of the German military machine with an absorbing, detailed, highly readable and evocative account of life within the Luftwaffe at senior command level. Yet Mahncke’s account is much more than that – for as he states, his is a story spanning ‘…the national autocracy of the Monarchy and the unsuccessful parliamentary democracy of the Weimar Republic, to the failed National Socialist dictatorship.’
It is also a chronicle of the very beginnings of military aviation. Mahncke was among the first German military aviators and flew with the Kaiser’s fledgling air unit in 1911, witnessing and experiencing the exhilaration – and dangers – of flying in some of the earliest military planes. He met the Kaiser, the German Crown Prince and various members of the Imperial royal family, as well as Hindenburg and many prominent German political and military figures. He flew in an early Zeppelin airship. By the outbreak of the First World War, Mahncke was an experienced pilot and he flew subsequently over the Western and Eastern Fronts, before assuming staff positions in France and Russia where he controlled tactical air operations. He went on a dive in a German U-boat in 1915 and later traveled to Palestine. He also suffered, and describes in highly graphic and emotional terms, the carnage and horror of the trench warfare on the Western Front in 1917.

In the ‘dark years’ of the interwar period following in the wake of the Versailles Treaty, Mahncke served in senior positions with the military police and his writing offers a valuable insight into life in the Weimar Republic and of the uncomfortable rise of National Socialism and Adolf Hitler – whom he first met in 1933 – from the viewpoint of the German conservative middle classes and the military. He met Charles Lindbergh and attended the controversial 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin as well as the Nuremberg rallies where he shared a podium with the Führer.

In 1935, he joined the fledgling Luftwaffe, experiencing – from his position as overseer and champion of air sport in the Third Reich – at firsthand the politics, personalities and measures of stealth used to rebuild German air power under Nazi control. He witnessed, and describes vividly, the emergence of an awesome – but not flawless – new force in aviation and its eventual deployment in Hitler’s invasion of Russia in June 1941, culminating in the drive into the Caucasus and Crimea and the advance on the Volga. Mahncke was deeply involved in Luftwaffe operations at Stalingrad and later in the Kuban in 1943, before moving to Italy, where he coordinated the desperate German air defense of Sicily ahead of the slow, tenacious defense and ultimate retreat through the Italian mainland throughout 1943 and 1944.

Mahncke met and worked with Göring, Udet, Milch, Kesselring, Jeschonnek, von Richthofen and many other senior commanders of the Luftwaffe and German armed forces. He describes their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their vision – or lack of it.

For Kaiser and Hitler is unapologetic, honest, readable and engaging. It provides an intriguing insight for those with an interest in the air power and military history of the First World War and the Third Reich and forms an important resource for scholarship.

Translator Jochen O.E.O. (John) Mahncke was born in Königsberg, East Prussia in 1926. While attending high school in Berlin, he was conscripted as an anti-aircraft auxiliary in the Flak defense of Berlin from February 1943 to mid-1944. He joined the Wehrmacht as a Panzergrenadier in 1944 and was dispatched to Italy where he served as an NCO (Officer Cadet). He was taken Prisoner of War by American forces in May 1945 and handed over to the British later that year and was shipped to North Africa. He was held in various PoW camps at El Dabbah, near El Alamein, until 1947. In mid-1947 he was moved to Cairo and then to the Suez Canal Zone where he served in a guard unit intended to protect British troops in their camps. By the time he was repatriated to Germany at the end of 1948, he was working as an assistant paymaster for the British administration at Port Said/Port Fouad.

Karaya decals Captured Butcherbirds (based on Kecay books)

2011-07-07T02:49:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from the 65th Koksidje international airshow in Belgium with some new decal sheets from Karaya (Poland). These superb sheets, based on the Captured Butcherbirds books published by Kecay and reviewed elsewhere on this blog, cover some very colourful captured Fw 190s in 48th and 72nd scales with more sheets devoted to Soviet and Yugoslav (partisan) machines, including a very striking Focke Wulf Fw 190 F-8 of the Kommando Seydlitz with its "Freies Deutschland" titles across the lower wing surfaces as seen in Kurland, April 1945. Two rather more well-known aircraft are captured US machines- Col. Leo Moon's red Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8 W.Nr.681497 and Focke Wulf Fw 190F-8 W.Nr.583234, 511th Fighter Squadron / 404th Fighter Group USAAF, Kitzingen, May 1945.

Go here for much more on Leo Moon's red 00-L
http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-on-gefr-walter-wagners-white-11-5.html

Rather than list the entire contents of the sheets why not visit http://karaya.pl/ directly for more info and ordering details.

More aces of 5.Staffel JG 51

2011-06-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

Two admittedly rather indifferent views of the Bf 109 F flown by 5./JG 51 Ritterkreuz holder Ofw Willi Wilhelm Mink during the summer of 1942 in Russia. Mink was awarded the RK on 19 March 1942 and was KIA on 12 March 1945 over Hadersleben. Mink achieved at least 64 Luftsiege

Above, seen with Mink on the left of the picture is Fw Hans-Hermann Frank, KIA on 31 July 1942 after a single victory, alongside him, Mink with RK obscured, and right of Mink, Ofw later Lt. Albert Walter, at least 37 victories, KIA on 13 July 1943.

Below; Me 109 F "red 6" of 5./JG 51 in Orel 1942

Above, Me 109 Emil flown by Hermann Segatz seen about to climb down from the cockpit following a sortie. Seegatz returned around 40 Luftsiege and was KIA on 8 March 1944.

Below, Otto Tange seen in front of his Me 109 F "rote 3" in December 1941 in Brijansk/Russia. Otto Tange was awarded the RK on 19 March 1942 but was KIA with approximately 68 Luftsiege on 30 July 1943 when his Fw 190 took a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire south-west of Bolchow, the aircraft going down in flames on a Russian village.

A small selection of some of the very interesting images from Michael Meyer's current Ebay sales here.

Link to 5./JG 51 in the Battle of Britain

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2011/06/5-staffel-jg-51-battle-of-britian.html