Monday 28 October 2024
Friday 25 October 2024
Hans Ring, Luftwaffe victory claims
Hans Ring was one of the leading Luftwaffe victory claims researchers during the 60s and 70s. This image was taken from a 1961 issue of Jägerblatt, the article was entitled 'Were our victory claims too high?' It shows Ring (standing), and from left, Otto Boehm, Col. Ray Toliver and Ernst Obermaier.
Wednesday 9 October 2024
Axis Wings Volume 2 - Chandos Publications
Volume 2 of 'Axis Wings' is here! Volume I received high praise and Volume 2 should be no different. The 'Luftwaffe and co-belligerent air forces compendium' once again draws on the talents of some well known names in the Luftwaffe research and writing community (eg, Beale, Arthy, Hermann, Steenbeck etc) and has been put together by the same editorial 'experts' largely responsible for the reputation that Classic Publications enjoys. A Chandos masterstroke!
Sunday 6 October 2024
Hasso von Zieten and crew, II./NJG 101 -archive photo scan #34
Fw. Hasso von Zieten of II./NJG 101 (left) with his crew, BF (radio operator) Hubert Ungerbock and BM (flight mechanic) Fritz Hohensee in front of their Me 110 G nightfighter during conversion training in October 1944.
From Graz, Austria, Von Zieten was a Ju 52 transport pilot before being posted to 5./NJG 101 during April 1944 in Parndorf. From here Nachteinsätze were flown in the Bf 110 G and then the Ju 88 G even during their conversion training which lasted until the end of the year. Shortly before Christmas 1944 Von Zieten and crew were sent to Griesheim (Darmstadt) to fly a sortie during the Bodenplatte operation - possibly a night ground attack sortie on New Years Eve or as 'Lotse' (guide) for the fighter pilots on the morning of 1.1. 45 itself. At least two II./NJG 101 crews were shot down over Belgium. The fledgling nightfighters then returned to Parndorf before being posted to Unterschlauersbach (Nuremberg). From here II./NJG 101 - including the aces Herbert Ludwig, Hans Rasper, etc - continued to fly operational sorties until the end. Most of these were flown as Nachtschlachter against American road columns pressing into southern Germany.
Hasso & Fritz survived the war. Hasso emigrated to Canada in 1952 and met Fritz again at the 40th Battle of Britain anniversary air show in Toronto, 1980. Von Zieten died in December 1986 aged 71.
Friday 4 October 2024
Gustav 'gunboats' - archive photo scan #33
..this Gustav has apparently just been ferried in to JG 301, location unknown - other views in the series show a background of pine trees and note the Fw 190 nose left. Note 'TS +..' Stkz and the mid-fuselage (yellow) band (recalling the 'infamous' 'TS+MB' machines). The 'tall tail' with typical late-war finish, looks to be a replacement item.
The inscription adjacent to the fuel filler triangle reads " W=12 ", also repeated on the front face of the prop blades.. click on the image to view large.
and from Dr. Jochen Prien;
" ..This is Bf 109 G-6, WerkNr. 163 048, which was issued to 7./JG 301 at Gross Sachsenheim in April 1944, becoming „white 7“. Its further career at III./JG 301 is not known (to me), before it was assigned to I./JG 104, where it was badly damaged ( 65 % ) in a crash landing owing to engine failure on 13 August 1944, the pilot getting away unscathed. The marking at this time was still „white 7“. It was probably not repaired owing to the extent of the damage. There is a very similar Bf 109 G-6 – „black 6“ of 8./JG 301 published in JFV 13/I p 492.. "
I./JG 27 gunboats at Fels am Wagram defending the southern borders
Thursday 3 October 2024
Fw 190 in JG 26 - archive photo scan #32
An early JG 26 Fw 190 - an enlargement from a Nicolas Grebert image previously published in the author's " La Jagdgeschwader 26 - Histoire de quelques aérodromes de la Luftwaffe dans le nord de la France.." Note the aircraft shelter in the background. If this is Wissant/Audembert, about 23 km south of Calais, then the remnants of these are still visible from the road that runs alongside the field.
Click on the image to view large..
Sunday 29 September 2024
A modellers guide to the Ju 88 G-6 - John McIllmurray with David E. Brown
I just learnt that John McIllmurray's new e-book on the Ju 88 G-6 is available to purchase and download from KLP Publishing. So that's exactly what I've just done...While I'm not really a big fan of e-books I did purchase KLP's ebook on building the Revell 32nd scale Me 262 night fighter, which was very well done, and I knew that John and David's publication on the Ju 88 G-6 would be a 'must-buy'! Small disclaimer here - the Luftwaffe blog provided a big chunk of text for the 'Nachtschlachter' chapter of John and David's ebook. After all, what 'traditional' publisher in their right mind would produce a 1,031 page volume on a single Luftwaffe night fighter aircraft type in colour? (not to mention an additional 135 pages of losses, victory claims, plans and artworks in separate files..) And while I probably won't be building a 32nd scale G-6 anytime soon (..although I might feel inspired to try..), I will be studying the 'Crow Collection' Ju 88 G-6 photo archive and the loss and claims lists. And unlike some Ju 88 specialists, John is a draughtsman so his plans and artworks are likely to be spot on. Well done John and David ! And kudos to Del and Paul for making available what must be virtually the entirety of their extensive Ju 88 G-6 photo collections which are mostly scanned in very large, reproduced over the full (screen) page and 'zoomable'. And to Kevin for creating such a professional product, great to look at, easy to purchase and download, just click on the image to go straight to the KLP order page
Price by the way is AUD..not USD...
Also on this blog
Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände book series by Paul Stipdonk & Michael Meyer
Building the Zvezda Ju 88 G-6 in 72nd with AIMS resin
Hasegawa Junkers Ju 88 G-6 in 72nd