Maj. Karl-Heinz Schomann, Gruppenkommandeur I./LG 1 - PK Berichter Hans Gross

 

 Seen here supervising the mechanics working on his Ju 88 A-4, Maj. Karl-Heinz Schomann was a 'veteran' of the campaign in the West (May-June 1940). As Oblt. in 9./LG 1 he was WIA in combat with Spitfires during May 1940. LG 1 carved out its reputation in the Med and North Africa. Operating out of Heraklion, Crete, in support of Rommel's DAK and flying convoy escort as well as night bombing raids, Schomann as Staka 5./LG 1 was again injured on 8 December 1942 off the coast of Libya, his Ju 88 A-4 attacked by an RAF fighter. Schomann replaced Helbig assuming the role of 'acting' Kommandeur of I./LG 1 in January 1943 before being named as Helbig's replacement and promoted to Major in March 1943. He was awarded the RK in October 1943 for his leadership having claimed 29000 GRT of shipping sunk. During July 1944 Schomann was appointed Ia with the General der Kampfflieger and concurrently Inspekteur der Erganzungsgruppen der Kampfgeschwader. In 1945 he held a staff position with the General der Kampfflieger. Schomann survived the war having flown around 265 combat sorties. He passed in August 2006.

The ECPA-D caption gives the location as Greece during April 1944. LG 1 had previously operated from Heraklion between 14 November 1942 and 2 April 1943 and Eleusis between 2 April 1943 and 11 June 1943. Schomann is clearly wearing his RK which was not awarded until late October 1943. Note the Wellenmuster finish applied to the lower surfaces of the Ju 88, presumably in an attempt to 'tone down' the clear lower surfaces for night missions..

Photos by PK Bildberichter Hans Gross, below, wearing his EK 1 awarded in mid-1942. Gross was killed in January 1945 in Belgium - 80 years ago. His images - more than 1000 of them - are thus freely available on the ECPA-D website. Unfortunately 95% of them are landscapes of Greek islands and scenes of local inhabitants in North Africa including camels, which is particularly disappointing as Gross was author of the war-time " Mein Freund Marseille". Post war his various reports were collected together in a book entitled "Als Kriegsberichter im Einsatz"..

Oblt. Kurt Ruppert, Staka 9./JG 26 - Bundesarchiv photo report #8

 

Photographed in late August 1942, this is Oblt. Kurt Ruppert's Fw 190 A-3 WNr. 551 'gelbe 1+I' of 9./JG 26.  I'm assuming that is Ruppert seated on the cockpit being saluted by his comrades. There are 17-18 victory Balken on the rudder. Ruppert had returned his 15th in July and then claimed 3 Spitfires shot down on 19 August 1942 as he led his 9.Staffel over Dieppe flying out of Moorsele, Belgium. Note the high contrast finish and the very light yellow of the aircraft Kennung -  the 'darker' camo colour is either a 'grey-green' or 'green-grey' 74, almost certainly the Graugrün variation of '74'. See the link below for more on this. Claes Sundin's 'Profile book No. 10' has more on Ruppert and artwork. Strangely the only 'Ruppert' to appear in  'Buch 1, Flugzeugführer des Jagdgeschwaders 1939-Mitte 1944' is Ofw. Hans Ruppert. (109 Feindflüge, 2 victories) who, like his namesake, died bailing out of his burning machine. Kurt Ruppert was KIA during June 1943 as Kommandeur III./JG 26 with 21 victories. (thanks to Rudi Kneipp for help with this post)

Ruppert flew with;

3./JG 26 from at least the beginning of 1940 to 11.11.1940, 

9./JG 26 from 12.11.1940 - 06.04.1943 

9./JG 26 Staffelkapitän from 02.05.1942 (http://wp1097868.server-he.de/geschwader/jg26.html) from 01.09.1942 Hauptmann and T.O. (Technischer Offizier?) 

III./JG 26 Gruppenkommandeur m.d.F.b. (mit der Führung beauftragt, ie, he was only a interim commander) from 07.04.1943 - 13.06.1943

Also on this blog;

Richard Goyat on Fw 190 colours

November 2024 visit to the ECPA-D

 

The Luftwaffe blog is just back from a week at one of the world's great photographic archives - the ECPA-D in the southern Paris suburb of Ivry- sur-Seine. The ECPA-D houses an extensive collection of German PK photo albums captured by the French towards the end of WWII. This archive was reputedly being transferred from Berlin to some remote hideaway in southern Germany when it fell into French hands.  The collection comprises over 410,000 photos, films and sound recordings taken by German wartime PK 'Bildberichter' or photo reporters. Many of these are now digitised as part of the 'Fonds Allemand' or 'German collection' at the ECPA-D. This is the second time I've been to this incredible archive and - thanks in part to Del's work on an 'inventory' - I'm starting to feel like I know my way around this super collection of mostly unseen Luftwaffe/Wehrmacht photos. In total I've spent eight working days here now and probably only got to open around 50% of the albums. You are free to consult these and make low-res copies for personal use.You need to book a 'research' slot via the ECPA-D web site and hand over your passport as you go in as this is a department of the French military housed in the old Fort d'Ivry - built between 1841-45 - and part of the southern defensive belt of the city of Paris. 

Sadly the archive closed their photo-lab earlier this year so you can no longer order hard copies at 2 euros each. Digital copies can be ordered but the prices have increased to around 8 euros per image. However you can still take home low-res copies of any images for personal use - simply 'load' them into a 'basket' and the 'documentaliste' will send them to you in a pdf file. One of mine on day 3 of my visit comprised 902 pages and was sent to me via a file-sharing site. One tip from me - some reasonable results can be obtained by taking photos of the photos! If you want new photos or inspiration, whether you're a modeller or a 'researcher', you'll get a great welcome from the very helpful staff only too ready to help you explore their amazing collection of photo albums, both the physical and digital.  Thanks to Chris, Nico, Many and Del for making our visit a memorable one..

Below; a partial view of the 'physical' photo albums that comprise the 'German collection', followed by a 'mosaic' view on the screen of each 'reportage'. Each album contains a number of these. Each individual image can be enlarged to full screen size! These photos were all taken by professional photographers. 

Curator or 'documentaliste' Nicolas Férard has written a very nice book entitled "Propaganda Kompanien" about the work of the PK 'Bildberichter' photo reporters that appeared (in English) through publisher 'Histoire & Collections'. 

Ju 52 Transporter KG zbV 1 - ebay photo find #382

Crash-landed Ju 52 of KG z.b.V 1 with the Berlin bear as Geschwaderwappen (black on a yellow background). While there seems to be an issue with the starboard motor, the tarpaulin-shrouded engine is a good indication that this machine will be soon returned to service..

" ..eine Ju 52 fliegt nicht alleine..."  Possibly here en route to North Africa via Sicily "1Z+HV" according to the seller. Looks more like Russia. In his memoir (see below) KGzbV 1 pilot Horst Dinter relates that his resupply sorties to Rommel's DAK took place via Greece and Crete..and the Ju 52 has none of the yellow 'Balkans' scheme. Also is probably coded "1Z+HU".

The best view of the cockpit MG mount that I've been able to locate. An image from Dinter's book. About 18 months ago I was asked for a view of this part by the 'researcher' from a well-known local model kit company. To the disappointment of the guys in our model club, said researcher (hi Luke!)  has subsequently left the company. His replacement has yet to put in an appearance. (not that I particularly want him to...)

St.G 2 Ju 87 im Osten, October 1941 - ebay photo find #381

 

Soldaten des Pz.Rgt.29 bei Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" mit Truppenkennzeichen der Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 im Osten, 1941. 

 This is 'T6+GT', a 9. Staffel machine of III./St.G 2 photographed during October 1941 following a crash-landing close to the Rollbahn. The pilot may well have been attempting an emergency landing on the road. The emblem of III Gruppe visible forward of the cockpit was adopted in late 1939. The 'GT' appears on the yellow fuselage band on the port side, the 'G' being outline only. More images of this aircraft were published in the superlative book Stukageschwader 2 'Immelmann' authored by Marc Hazard. (Lela Presse, 2018).

Eugen Gremelsbacher, Bildberichter Fallschirmjäger A.O.K (formerly XI. Flieger.Korps), Heinkel 'Zwilling' and Gotha Go 242 transfer flight from France to Sicily

 

To bolster their forces preparing to defend the Allied landings in Sicily, the Germans organised an ‘air bridge’ to bring in reinforcements. On 17 July 1943, 16 Gotha Go-242 gliders from Luftlandegeschwader 2 (with the heavy equipment of the 1st parachute division: 1.Fallschirm-Jäger.Division) departed the huge airfield at Istres in southern France for Italy, landing at Torre di Faro (Sicily) between 20 and 27 July 1943 after a stop in Naples. The photo-report in ECPA-D file 11FLG F 1396/7 by PK photographer Eugen Gremelsbacher depicts a Heinkel He-111 ‘Zwilling’ tug on the transfer flight between France (Istres) and Italy (Naples-Pomigliano). Each Heinkel towed two Gotha Go-242 gliders and carried the heavy equipment (eg 2cm Flak 38) of 1. Fallschirm-Jäger-Division.

Below; He 111 Z coded 'DG+DX' taxying in after landing in Naples. Note three of the five engines already shut down.

The reporter on board the Heinkel followed the progress of the mission from the empty starboard cockpit of the Zwilling and photographed the crew: bombardier, radio-navigator, pilot and co-pilot. As the transfer mission drew to a close, the aircraft flew over Vesuvius before landing on the runway at Naples-Pomigliano airfield. The port of Naples is not far from the airfield, and the reporter took a shot of the docks, cranes and a medieval tower. In the shade of the Naples airfield buildings, paratroopers from the 1 Fallschirm-Jäger-Division were photographed recovering after the trip. The glider pilots had to destroy the Gotha Go-242s in Sicily.

 

Eugen Gremelsbacher was an Uffz. and photographic reporter for the Fallschirmjäger A.O.K (formerly XI. Flieger Korps). He was born on 13 March 1911 in Elbing (Westpreußen) and died on 08 March 1944 on the Eastern Front (see report reference FALLAOK F2024 for his grave) after being wounded the previous day. He is buried in Perwomaisk cemetery, grave N°24, row 8 (source Bundesarchiv). He filed photo reports from France (Orange, Istres) and Italy (Naples, Torre di Faro in Sicily, Livourno region in Tuscany). As Gremelsbacher died over 80 years ago, his photographs are 'out of copyright' and are in the 'public domain'. See here for more on this.

RAD 'Arbeitsmann' on airfield guard duty -Instapic #18

  

RAD 'Reichsarbeitsdienst' (labour service) personnel were often employed as airfield 'guards'. Here an 'Arbeitsmann' on airfield guard duty somewhere in the West from an ECPA-D PK photo 'reportage' on the activities of the RAD. (from the DAA files). The second image shows a close-up of the 'Dienststellenabzeichen' on the left upper arm.