Bf 108s in England, May 1937 - the Isle of Man air races

 

This Eduard Bf 108 finished as D-IHDD race number '22' in racing blue was seen on the competition tables at the recent US Fort Wayne IPMS Nationals. According to some, Messerschmitt Bf 108 B Taifun with registration code D-IHDD is 'famous' for participating in the 1937 Manx Air Derby (Isle of Man Air Race) in May 1937. (The Isle of Man is strictly speaking not part of the UK or England, but a British 'Crown dependency') Due to its unique historical racing livery, D-IHDD is a popular subject for modellers and it featured as a primary markings option in the Eduard Bf 108 Weekend Edition (1:48 scale). But was race number '22' really D-IHDD?  Unfortunately not.....

Above;  Bf 108 D-INKY and enthusiastic British (Isle of Man) supporters, May 1937..

Modellers are STILL building the blue Bf 108 in its Manx  air racing scheme as D-IHDD race number 22. This all started years ago with the release of a Techmod decal sheet depicting D-IHDD (race number 22).  It is impossible to know  how and why this error made it into print but Techmod's 'research' was then repeated by Eduard.  

Two Bf 108s took part in the 1937 Isle of Man air rally (Manx Air Races) entered by the Aero Club of Germany - these were D-IOSA (race number 21) and D-INKY. D-INKY was in fact the 'real' race number '22'. The aircraft were flown by (Major) Hans Seidemann and Ernst Gerbrecht. Seidemann was declared winner (after a delay and in somewhat controversial circumstances) of the London to Isle of Man race that took place on 16 May 1937; according to the Ronaldsway airport (Douglas) Isle of Man web page;

"...The crowds at Douglas, waiting for the first arrivals timed for 3 p.m., were to be disappointed and they only saw five machines across the finishing line.. A. M. Henderson (Monospar) was in front closely followed by Captain Higgins, A. V. Harvey (Comper Swift), H. J. Wilson (BA Eagle) and R. C. Hockley (Aeronca). But, amazingly, Major Seidemann was the first to arrive at Ronaldsway, landing at 3.22 p.m. As he had missed the finish line in Douglas Bay he was excluded. He immediately took off again and flew to Douglas. This resulted in a protest being lodged with the Stewards who held three meetings over the weekend to sort things out. It was not until Monday morning that they announced the final placings, declaring Major Seidemann the winner as he had been the only competitor to be recorded at Maughold Head. He was of course delighted to be taking the Challenge Cup back to Germany, claiming it was ‘better to race in peace than in war’.."

Three Bf 108s returned for the 1938 races - again no D-IHDD. The machines were D-IDNT (race number 26), D-IOSS ('27') and D-ICIS ('28') . The three Bf 108s were accompanied over England by the AGO Ao 192 Kurier, registration D-OCTB. Photographs of these machines in the UK are extremely rare and usually of poor quality. The images shown here are reproduced from the Manx Aviation museum archive. 

Details of rear fuselage stencils on D-IOSA

Above; this view taken at the 1937 rally in the UK indicates that there was no 'Messerschmitt Taifun' lettering under the cabin door, although the stylised 'bird' marking appears just ahead of the cockpit. D-INKY taxies in.

Below; Bf 108 '22' registration D-INKY with the pilot Ernst Gerbrecht settling into the cockpit. Note the different finish on the propeller blades, almost certainly not the usual dark green (see model photo above) 

Eduard Bf 109 K-4

.. latest Eduard 1:72nd Bf 109 from Michel Wilhelme. This one is from the K-4 'limited edition' box and finished as a III./JG 4 machine...

De-mining the Danube - Minensuchgruppe 1 (MSGr 1) by Peter Kassak

 

The Luftwaffe's Minensuchgruppe 1 (MSGr 1)—widely known as Sonderkommando "Mausi"—was a specialized airborne mine-sweeping unit formed in late 1940 to trigger and detonate British magnetic sea mines using modified Junkers Ju 52/3m aircraft fitted with massive electrical energizing rings. "Mausi" was short for Magnetspule or magnetic coil. Peter Kassak provides some details of mine-clearing operations flown by the Luftwaffe's specialist Ju 52 mine-sweepers along the Danube as the Allies sought to interdict German oil supplies ..

The recent hot weather throughout Europe (summer 2026) has caused a significant drop in river water levels - even in one of the largest rivers in Europe, the Danube. And the low water levels have exposed some long-hidden WW II relics. Aside from the wrecks of ships in Serbia, or Hungary, there was also ammunition of various types located on the banks of the river. In the southern Slovakian part of the river (the river is a border between the Slovak republic and Hungary) two RAF mines were located and detonated on 3 August causing the suspension of river traffic on the Danube for several hours. Given the location near the village of Virt, the British sea mines most probably originated from the “gardening” mission flown on 29 May 1944 by the RAF's 205 Group and its 178 Squadron Liberator crews. The Wellington and Liberator crews had to sow their mines (hence the slang term 'gardening') at low level on moonlit nights, running the gauntlet of night fighters, flak and balloon barrages.

Below; British 700 kg anti-shipping mines found in the Slovakian section of the Danube river, August 2026, source: Police of the Slovak republic FB page.

During WWII, the smooth functioning of the Danube river transport system was crucial for Germany, and its disruption was highly desirable. Two main options presented themselves to Allied planners in Italy. One involved the destruction of the oil refineries, port facilities and other infrastructure. The other required the interdiction of Danube river traffic by mining. Both options would be resorted to as the USAAF and RAF sought to cut Germany off from its much-needed Romanian oil.

The first attempt to disrupt Danube shipping was undertaken by the Russians in September 1941, when Soviet commandos penetrated the German lines from Bessarabia and dropped drifting contact mines in the river. These were however ineffective, damaging no ships although several were struck by them. Traffic was halted for 12 hours only. The first attempt by the Western allies to hinder the supply of Romanian oil to Germany was undertaken on 12 June 1942, when B-24 Liberators of the USAAF’s HALPRO detachment attacked the oilfields at Ploesti. However, the main “gardening” campaign was performed by RAF 205 Group between April to October 1944 and had the most impact. It is estimated that between April and October Allied mines caused a reduction of at least 60% in Danube priority traffic, while ordinary commercial traffic suffered still more seriously to the extent of complete interdiction in certain categories.

German counter measures involving the Luftwaffe were essentially two-fold - night-fighters were scrambled almost nightly with some noticeable results during late summer 1944 (also described in the latest book from AWP, "Nachtjagd over the Eastern Front"). The second counter measure involving the Luftwaffe was the deployment of mine-sweeping aircraft. MSGr 1 Ju 52s swept the river about four hours daily, usually in the early morning and again in the evening. These times were chosen because experience had shown that Allied fighter planes were least likely to appear then. It is believed that 165 mines were detonated by the aircraft.

Below; Ju 52 MS version flying over the bridge in Bratislava in summer 1944, source Dusan Bublik

 

DW 1 (Directional Wireless 1) was the RAF codename for a magnetically energized (degaussing) ring some 50 feet in diameter, fitted to some Mark I Wellington bombers and used to sweep magnetic sea mines by detonation. The aircraft flew low over the sea; the mines were detecting the magnetic field of the DW 1 and exploded accordingly. The crew of the Wellington were successful in destroying a magnetic mine on their very first sortie on the 8 January 1940 (aircraft was P2518 piloted by test pilot ‘Bruin’ Purvis, navigator Lt.Cdr. ‘Ben’ Bolt with Sq/Ldr. John Chaplin operating the gear in the fuselage). The Germans adopted the idea and fitted similar degaussing devices and rings to a number of  Ju 52s. The Ju 52/3m g4e MS (Minen Sucher = mine finder) was fitted with a large Dural hoop braced beneath the wing and fuselage. This hoop was energized by an additional motor installed in the fuselage. The magnetic field generated thus triggered magnetically fused mines.

The advantage of the Ju 52/3m for mine-sweeping operations was that it was easy to bring into action at various locations, and over remote areas. It could search for mines that were undetected by conventional water-borne mine sweepers. But there were also disadvantages. The radius of effectiveness of each aircraft was only about 50 metres. Operations could not be undertaken in bad weather and low visibility because the strong magnetic field produced by the mine degaussing equipment caused on-board compasses to malfunction. And the aircraft’s armament was weak, and insufficient to defend the crew if attacked. However, the machine had an endurance of around four hours at an average speed of 180 km/h. 

The M-devices featuring the huge MS ring (MS-Magnetspule) mounted under each aircraft were of course used for exploding magnetic mines. Other types of mines were acoustic. For sweeping , the so-called A-device (A for Acoustic) was used. Once installed in the Ju 52/3m, the acoustic device continuously changed channels and radioed various wavelengths, which triggered mines to explode. ELM/A mines were sensitive within 2200- 2600 meters and detonated at 600-800 meters from the source of the signal. ELM/A-St mines were sensitive within 600-800 meters and detonated at 200- 300 meters from the source. The signal wavelength was changed every 30 seconds, and was organized in 10 channels. In some cases, both magnetic and acoustic mines were dropped by RAF crews. Therefore combined formations of Ju-52/3m mine sweepers could be flown - aircraft carrying the M-device flew ahead, one aircraft carrying an A-device following. The distance between the planes varied according to flight speed and height, to prevent damage to following aircraft by the delayed detonation of a mine.  

Below; diagram depicting a mixed formation of M-and A- type mine sweeping Ju 52s  

The unit tasked with minesweeping was Minensuchgruppe 1 (MSGr. 1) formed in October 1942. The task of the Minensuchverbände (mine searching units) was to clear sea and river water routes of mines. MSGr.1 comprised six independent Staffeln, which were active in various theatres of operations. To operate over the Black Sea and later the Danube, a 3. Staffel was established in Varna. From February to October 1944 it was registered as an independent 3. Minensuchstaffel, using Junkers Ju-52/3m MS aircraft. For the last two months of its existence, it moved to Neusatz. Each Minensuchstaffel consisted of 18 Ju 52/3m MS aircraft, of which 14 were so-called M-planes and 4 were A-planes. But between June and September 3. Staffel MSGr.1 had 24 aircraft on charge, due to losses and also greater operational demands. At that time, according to some sources, six planes were stationed at Budapest (Budaőrs airport), eleven in Belgrade and seven in Craiova/Walachei. The aircraft carried the code 3K+.

At the beginning of April 1944, the unit had only one aircraft, but received 17 more during the month. In June one aircraft was lost to US fighters. This happened on June 6 north-west of Turnu Severin, Romania, where 1st Lt. James W. Stegman of the 82nd FG/96th FS claimed a Ju 52 with a strange ring device under the fuselage. This correlates with the loss of Ju 52/3m MS W.Nr. 501313 at location 44°46’ N, 21°32’ E. Its crew consisted of pilot Lt. Oskar Fuhrmann, observer Flg. Heinz Rietzsch, Onboard mechanic Ofw. Franz Bußkamp and gunner Fw. Max Muchowski. All four were KIA. 3./MSGr.1 ended the month of June with 24 aircraft. Four more Ju 52s were lost through enemy action in July. Three losses occurred on July 4th, when three pilots, 1st Lt. Walther J. Carroll Jr., Capt. Richard M. Gangel and 1st Lt. Arthur W. Kidder Jr., all of the 96th FS, 82nd FG each claimed a Ju 52 with a ring device shot down north west of Craiova, Romania. The losses were however made up and the strength of the unit remained 24 aircraft. August brought one loss due to enemy fighters, which was replaced. The only recorded loss of this unit for August, however, was due to a mine explosion. It occurred on 4 August and three men on board the aircraft died. On 25 August 3. Staffel of MSGr. 1 moved to Belgrade from Rumania. September 1944 was a disaster for the unit as 10 Ju 52/3ms were lost due to enemy action, with three more in October. The only loss we could identify occurred on 5 October, when a Ju-52/3m MS was lost at Dunaremete at km 1826 at 16:04 hours. Again, the cause was a mine explosion. The four crew were killed (pilot Ofhr. Karl Matula, radio operator Uffz. Willi Hendler, mechanic Fw. Hermann Fritsch and gunner Uffz. Franz Dreßler).

Above; Karl Matula, pilot in a Minensuchverband, killed during a Danube mine-sweeping sortie with his crew at the controls of his Ju 52 on 5 October 1944. Sterbebild, source eBay.com 

At the end of the month the unit had only eight serviceable Junkers. A Slovakian police report dated 6 October describes one of the last Ju 52 sweeps for Brtish mines in the Danube. Police officer Černý reported that since 14:20 hours every half an hour two German planes were flying low over the river up and downstream, and were fitted with big rings under the fuselage. 

Text and photos based on the book “ Gardening by Moonlight” – 205 Group RAF mining operations over the River Danube in 1944, published in 2016 by Peter Kaššák and David Gunby (David is a son of an airman, who was lost during a 'Gardening' operation over Danube). Click on the link to go to the Lulu.com 'print-on-demand' page

For more Peter Kassak posts on the Luftwaffe blog go here

Slovak Spectator article on British mines in the Danube during the summer of 2026

A Battle of Britain Emil - Oblt.Günther Schulze-Blanck

 

Unusually for a Battle of Britain Emil this Bf 109 E-4, “White 1” WNr. 963 of 4./JG 53, featured a small personal emblem under the cockpit in the form of a 'wasp'. It was regularly flown by the Staffelkapitän Oblt.Günther Schulze-Blanck. Schulze-Blanck led 4. Staffel of JG 53 during August 1940 to 9 September 1940 flying from Sempey in the Pas de Calais. During the afternoon of 9 September there were two large Luftwaffe raids on southern England and Schulze-Blanck was killed in a dogfight over Hastings. Reported MIA his body was washed ashore some two weeks later in France. In addition to the 'wasp', details of note on the Emil are the red stripe around the cowling, which was painted only in the period from the end of July 1940 to 20 November 1940. There are five victory markings on the tail fin. The first – not confirmed – was followed by claims on 13, 24, 25 and 29 August. Schulze-Blanck's last victory, returned on 6 September, does not appear here, thus dating the photo to the 29 August– 6 September time frame; the photo was taken on the airfield at Sempy in the Pas de Calais. Note the over-painted 'later 1940' mottle finish and the rear view mirror on the windshield as well as areas of white paint on the wings along with a white (?) rudder. The lower image from a recent Ebay sale shows what may have been an earlier JG 53 Emil (given the cowl 'ace of spades') also with the 'wasp' emblem below the cockpit - this 'white 11' was presumably also a 'white 1' flown by Schulze-Blanck but re-assigned to another pilot by simply adding another figure '1'...

More on the Luftwaffe Research Group and in JAPO's "German fighters in the West" (Stipdonk/Meyer, 2024)

Also on this blog; 

"rote Ringe" - red cowl bands on JG 53 Emils during the Battle of Britain

AI Overview 

Refers to the historical research by Luftwaffe historian Jochen Prien, featured on the FalkeEins Luftwaffe Blog, regarding the red stripe or "rote Ringe" cowl markings applied to Messerschmitt Bf 109 "Emil" fighters of Jagdgeschwader 53 (Pik As).

Historical Context of the Red Markings
The Order: Hermann Göring ordered the unit's famous Pik As (Ace of Spades) emblem to be covered up or replaced with a red cowl band/stripe under disputed circumstances.
Prien's Analysis: Jochen Prien's seminal 1980 study (re-examined on FalkeEins) analyzed which aircraft carried these red ring markings.

Significance: Prien concluded the red stripes likely identified command aircraft flown by formation and unit leaders (Staffelkapitän and Schwarmführer), or designated specific aircraft assigned tactical roles like Jabo (fighter-bomber) duties.

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch on offer at Eagles11.com

 

reproduced with the permission of warbird brokers Eagles11.com

"..Fieseler Storch Fi 156 C3 is now exclusively for sale with Eagles Eleven. Owned by “Historiske fly AS Ltd” this rare and very special aircraft spent ten years and over 9000 hours undergoing a meticulous full nut and bolt restoration. Currently on the Norwegian register... 

.... as LN-WNS, and with just 90 hours flown, this much loved Argus-powered Storch is now looking for a new owner with an appreciation for detail and craftsmanship..." 

 A slideshow of 'walkaround' images is available on the Eagles11 web site here

Fw 190 Schlachtflieger an der Ostfront - SG 77, April 1945

 

A chapter in Jens Bechler's book 'Aufschlagbrand' (Volume I) kindly sent to me by Davy McKee focuses on some of the events of April 1945 around Dresden when the 'close-support' Schlachtflieger of SG 77 sustained heavy loses as its Fw 190 F-8s - some toting Panzerblitz anti-tank rockets - and Ju 87 Gs were heavily engaged in ground-attack missions against Soviet forces while USAF P-51s were overhead almost constantly. 

Fw 190 F-8 of I./SG 77 in Alteno, February 1945

Although the month of April 1945 opened with a period of poor weather that largely grounded Allied air forces, the end of the war was fast approaching. Luftwaffe pilot and aircraft losses were increasing from day to day. This was especially true of those ground-attack units flying almost constant operations against Soviet ground forces. One of these units was SG 77- in a four-day period in mid-April 1945 SG 77 lost a 'one hundred-kill' ace and three Ritterkreuz holders. 

Through early February SG 77 was based at Kamenz and Cottbus. From mid-February to early March I. Gruppe of SG 77 shifted to Alteno, while II. Gruppe moved to Gahro on 18 February. Takeoffs were among the most tricky of operations for these Gruppen operating so close to the front with 'swarms' of Allied fighters overhead almost continually. There was literally nowhere to hide.

One pilot Fw Ernst Kelle recalled;

" ..according to my notes, we were in Cottbus from 10 February to 10 April. We were in constant action along the Bóbr (river flowing through the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland) and around Kustrin. I remember that on the morning of 2 April my room mate Horst Görtler (RK 30 March  1945) was feeling unwell with stomach problems (Magenbeschwerden) and asked me to stand in for him at cockpit readiness. Just the day before his machine  - Kennzeichen 'E' - had taken some flak hits (Flakbeschuss) but the holes had been riveted up overnight. Almost as soon as I had strapped into the Fw red and green flares were fired off  - the signal for 'Alarmstart' (scramble!). Two of us got airborne immediately - as I selected gear up and flaps in we were directed over the radio towards two La-5s south of Cottbus. I was in my third curving turn to the right when I suddenly realised that the rudder was not responding to the stick. I recall that I bailed out with the machine already on its back  - which was not easy. Hanging under the chute I came under ground fire - probably Volkssturm. The next morning I discovered bruises on my neck and thigh - I had opened the chute rather too early. In addition I was in uniform and in the rush had not put on my leather flying suit (Lederkombi). Once on the ground I made my way to the crash site of my machine..."

The Fw 190 had come down in a field close to the airfield narrowly missing a house whose occupants had been sitting down to breakfast.  On 6 April the Panzerjägerstaffel of SG 77 moved to Kamenz under their new RKträger Lt. Max Diepold. Diepold's Stukas now entered the fighting on the Oder. 

Horst Görtler and Max Diepold were the last two RK recipients in SG 77, awarded 30 March 1945, at Cottbus by Gen. d. Flieger Seidemann. Diepold's 10.(Pz.)/SG 77 was heavily committed around Bautzen. Görtler was a Soviet POW until the spring of 1947 when he was released due to illness. He was killed in a flying accident in October 1956.

The front moved ever closer. On 11 April Russian tank spearheads reached Forst despite the efforts of SG 77. It was on this date that SG 77 lost their Austrian RK-holder Hptm. Anton Andorfer. As he is still MIA it is presumed that he was downed by Soviet anti-aircraft fire somewhere along the Autobahn between Liegnitz and Forst. Of the nine Fw 190s airborne only one returned to Alteno.  Returning to Kamenz from a combat sortie on 13 April Uffz. Heinz Kroll crash-landed his machine on the airfield and sustained serious injuries. He was extricated from the wreckage before the machine exploded. With spinal injuries and a broken nose the young pilot was evacuated to a hospital in Karlsbad. His war was over.

On 16 April the Red Army launched the final battle of WWII on German soil - the assault on Berlin from the Oder and Neisse rivers. A dull rumbling disturbed the peace and quiet on SG 77's airfields. The Tagesmeldung from Heeresgruppe Mitte on 16 April reported the massive Soviet artillery bombardment targeting German defensive positions, particularly on the Seelow Heights, the last major defensive line east of Berlin. Thousands of guns, rockets, and Katyusha launchers fired simultaneously, creating one of the most intense barrages of the war.

(Map by Lonio17 / Orionist  under Creative Commons. Note Dresden/Kamenz/Bautzen at bottom centre with Cottbus/Forst/Gubin further north)

On 17 April, at Kamenz, Gruppenkommandeur III./SG 77 Studemann gave his orders to the individual Staffelkapitäne - all Staffeln were to get airborne. Pilots were already strapped in at cockpit readiness - for many it would be their last flight..A formation of 55th Fighter Group P-51s spotted the Fw 190s of 7. and 8. Staffeln getting airborne from the grass field - and the killing began. The Americans claimed ten Fw 190s downed and a further five damaged.At the controls of his Fw 190 F-8 'Black 9 +' Staffelkapitän 8./SG 77 August Lambert jettisoned his ordnance but in a running dogfight failed to evade his attackers. He was shot down near Hoyerswerda (north of Bautzen). He had achieved his 100th (aerial) victory earlier in the month. Lost with him was another leading SG 77 RK-bearer and Schlachtflieger - Lt. Gerd Bauer. He along with several others were killed in the dogfight 1 km north-west of Kukau near Kamenz. The crash site of Fw. Wolfram Szymanski (7. Staffel) was excavated near Kamenz-Thonberg in 2007 - the force of the 'Aufschlagbrand' was such that wreckage was found scattered over a 300-metre wide area. 9. Staffel pilot Ortwin Pech recalled;

" .. I flew three sorties on 17 April. The 'circus' started in the early hours. I was assigned to the Alarmschwarm and was scrambled when the first American fighter formation was reported on approach - 18 Thunderbolts. Wild dog-fighting was soon underway. I chased a P-47 to the east of Dresden before my effective fire forced the pilot to bail out. I returned to Kamenz bathed in sweat. But there was little respite. We were in the air again just before mid-day to strafe Russian tanks near Tschiwitz. then P-51s attacked the field. We looked on helplessly as the 'Scheiben Schiessen' (lit.'turkey shoot') ran its course. Among the comrades brought down were the two RK-holders Lambert and Bauer. We were ordered up again that evening to attack Russian road columns near Trebendorf. By the time I later fell into my 'cot' I was exhausted.. Not a day that I would easily forget.."

Franz Kugler, Gruppenadjutant in I./SG 77 later wrote to Lambert's widow; 

" ..shortly before the last Russian offensive the Geschwader moved to Kamenz north-east of Dresden. We were under threat from our enemies both in the East and the West. 17 April was a 'black day'.  The Americans were overhead from the early hours. Your husband - having already shot down over one hundred enemy aircraft - was leading the 'Alarmschwarm' and was again keenly awaiting the signal to takeoff. Heavy fighting was soon underway both over and around the airfield and your husband met a 'heroes death' ('Heldentod') - he had suffered a fatal head injury, which we assume occurred during these combats. We had lost an adored comrade and brave Staffelkapitän..."

On the following day, 18 April, SG 77 lost another Ritterkreuzträger. Hptm. Hans-Joachim Brand was Kommandeur I./SG 77. His Fw 190 was hit by Soviet flak in a dive and crashed at low altitude between Cottbus and Guben, in the Niederlausitz. Brand was a Battle of Britain Stuka veteran and had flown over 950 sorties including about 150 in the Fw 190. 

According to one eye-witness account Brand was shot and killed while hanging under his chute. Uffz. Ewald Bauer remembered;

".. In the period we were at Alteno on 18 April the Kommandeur was shot down. I remember it well as we were all horrified and furious when those pilots that landed back reported that they had seen Brand jump clear of his machine only to then come under Russian ground fire as he hung under his chute.."

Uffz. Robert Mewis later wrote to Brand's widow;

".. we had been ordered to wipe out a Soviet motorised column with our bombs. A heavy curtain of fire attempted to keep us at some distance from our target. Your husband was leading our formation and launched into a long diving attack heading from East to West. I was some 200m behind him in the Rotte. As we pulled out of our dives we were in the zone covered by the light flak and your husband's Fw 190 received several hits at around 400m altitude and a heavy plume of smoke soon developed. He jettisoned his canopy. At that moment his machine started to break up, the fuselage splitting apart behind the cockpit. The Fw 190 instantly rolled onto its back and went into a spin before plummeting earthwards in flames. Your husband managed to fall away at about 300 metres. Because of the heavy ground fire I was unable to pinpoint where he came down. But I did see the chute open correctly - and it was undamaged. It was heading for some woods about 4 km from our target.."

Author and crash-archaeologist Bechler spend twelve months searching for a possible crash site without result. Brand is still listed as missing on German soil. 

Uffz. Ortwin Pech almost met a similar fate. Attacking Soviet armour around Horlitza his Fw 190 took hits from anti-aircraft fire. His engine stopped with Kamenz in sight, forcing to take to his chute. He landed safely while the Fw 190 went down on the edge of the airfield. Not so fortunate were Lt. Reinhard Berbig and Uffz. Richard Linders whose machines collided and crashed, killing both pilots. Despite their high losses SG 77 claimed some 20 Soviet tanks destroyed on 18 April and other vehicles damaged. Just a day or so later tank spearheads had reached the outskirts of Kamenz. Bernhard Ellwanger recalled;

" during the night of 19-20 April the Russians had almost reached the airfield. Some time between 02:00 and 03:00 their first shells came down amongst our barrack buildings. We cleared out in a hurry and ran to our dispersals. Enemy fire continued. Three small reconnaissance patrols were sent out to scout the enemy's position and strength. Only two of them returned. Our ground crews slipped away under cover of darkness, while the pilots remained close to their machines. However heavy ground mist put paid to any early takeoffs. Only a small strip of marshland separated us from the enemy and we could clearly hear the engine noise of their vehicles. At around 06:00 our first machines managed to get airborne and immediately ran into the enemy. Other Fw 190s followed suit. Our maintenance hangars were already ablaze and we started to fear for our aircraft. When at around 09:00 our Stabsschwarm was finally ordered to get airborne the airfield was undergoing almost constant shelling. We set off straight across the field, so to speak, right through exploding shells, yet all four machines made it out unscathed. We could even see Russian tanks maneuvering around the burning hangars. At nearby Grossenhain we landed to refuel but as this base was under almost constant American Jabo attack we did not hang around and were soon airborne again. We flew past the destroyed city of Dresden into the Czech lands, where we landed in Pardubice.."

'Struck through' swastika on late-war Fw 190s by Peter Kassak

 

by Peter Kassak -  images via Peter Kassak and the Crow Collection

In the Axis Wings Vol.4 we have published an article covering the history of a 'new' III./JG 54 which later became part of IV./JG 51. The feature was illustrated with photographs of four Fw 190s belonging to the Gruppe, “black 15”, “black 17”, “white 15” and “blue 7”.  Aside from the 'elongated' Wellenlinie III. Gruppe wavy line on the rear fuselage, one markings 'feature' of all four of these machines was the swastika 'struck through' with a diagonal white stripe. The purpose of this marking has not been explained fully or satisfactorily. As the unit was mostly deployed on the 'Oder front' flying constant harassing and ground-attack sorties against the Russians in the last months of the war ( "...the target was yet again the bridges across the Oder built beneath the surface of the water during the night by the Russians..", Heinz Schmidt, 10./JG 54) it is usually suggested that the 'struck through' Hakenkreuz was some sort of  Oder front 'tactical' marking, perhaps to increase visibility for ground troops. Not that that makes much sense really as the swastika itself was highly visible!  The four aircraft mentioned above though were not an exception. This small post shows additional photos of these and  other machines on the strength of either III./JG 54 or IV./JG 51 (most probably taken on charge from III./JG 54 without repainting) and with similarly modified tail markings displayed. These images were, however, not of sufficiently good enough quality to be published alongside the Axis Wings article text so had to be omitted. 

Below; belly-landed Fw 190 of 10./JG 54 flown by Ofw. Willi Schlecht being put back on its 'feet', 11 March 1945, following a Jabo mission against the Oder bridges flown from a field strip at Müncheberg outside Berlin. The swastika in the image has been 'censored' although the white diagonal stripe has already had a similar effect on the actual machine...

Below; there exists in the Crow Collection (curated by Del Davis) a series of images showing the end of Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-8 W.Nr. 350859 “blue 7+~”. Flown by III./JG 54, “blue 7+~” fell into US hands at Mϋnster Handorf when the airfield was occupied by personnel of the 390th Service Squadron, 79th Service Group, responsible for the P-47s of the 406th Fighter Group.  Two other Fw 190s belly landed about 15 miles from airbase Y-94 at Mϋnster Handorf in late April 1945 so that their pilots could surrender to the Americans. Fw 190 “blue 7+~” was later repaired as seen in the second image below - the 'original' torn rudder has presumably been replaced as the diagonal stripe is limited to the tail fin only.

A 'wide' view (below, left) and a close-up of Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-8 W.Nr.350859 “white 11+~” at the wreck yard of the Luftwaffe at the end of WWII in Flensburg. The diagonal stripe through the swastika suggests that this was another late-war machine belonging to III./JG 54.

Below;  another view of the Flensburg dump - Fw 190 A “white 9+~” with blown canopy was a late-war machine assigned to IV./JG 51 and most likely saw service previously with III./JG 54  as it displays the diagonal white stripe through the swastika.

 Below; a well-known photo of Focke Wulf Fw 190 D-9 W.Nr.213097 “White 11+~” from 13./JG 51 photographed at Flensburg in May 1945. However, in the background to the left of the “Dora-9” is Fw 190 “white 5+~” with the 'amended' swastika. It was almost certainly an ex III./JG 54 plane that ended up in the hands of IV./JG 51. 

 Below; photos of Fw 190 A-8 “white 13+~” of 9./JG 54 at Eggersdorf were recently published in Prien JfV Teil 16/I. (pages 370-371)  The swastika is not visible, but this Focke Wulf belonged to the Gruppe and almost certainly featured the 'struck through' Hakenkreuz. Note the relatively 'dark' finish and the stencilled figure '3'. The somewhat 'elongated' Wellenlinie (wavy line) was  the Gruppe marking of the 'new' III./JG 54. The Gruppe moved to Eggersdorf from Grossenhain on 9 February 1945 and “white 13+~” is seen here carrying an AB 250 Abwurfbehälter on the belly rack.