The Jagd element of this Wochenschau newsreel was shot with JG 53 flying the Bf109 F from Sicily and features the Kommodore Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn and Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke Kommandeur III./JG53. The pilot with the moustache is Oblt. Otto Bohner Kapitän of 6. Staffel. There is an excellent set of colour photos of Bohner and his F-4 'Yellow 1' (complete with dog in cockpit) in Prien's Jagdgescwader 53 A History of the "PIK AS" Geschwader Volume One March 1937-May 1942. By mid 1942, the Axis air forces ranged against the island were at their maximum strength: some 520 Luftwaffe and 300 Regia Aeronautica aircraft. The main adversaries for the defenders were the 140 or so Messerschmitt Bf 109 Friedrichss of Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik As' and II/JG 3 'Udet' and the 80 Macchi C.202s of the 4th and 51st Stormo. Bombers units included the Junkers Ju 88s of II./Lehrgeschwader 1[13], II and III./Kampfgeschwader 77[14], I./Kampfgeschwader 54[15], Kgr.606, and Kgr. 806.
More JG 53 aces pictured on Sicily on this blog here
Just one click to view
"..FalkeEins Luftwaffe blog - my main modelling 'go-to' reference for all Luftwaffe subjects !" Paulo Castro ('armoured sprue') on Facebook.