Courtesy of Michael Meyer, more aces and pilots of JG 51 including two images of a pilot identified as Horst Haase (above & below)
According to the seller these two images show Lt. Horst Haase dismounting from his Me 109 Friedrich of 10./JG 51 during the summer of 1942 in Russia. AFAIK these are the first two images of Haase to surface - other than the standard studio portrait. Haase is a pilot I've always had a particular interest in, having written and published articles on IV(Sturm)./ JG 3. (the resemblance though to the "Haase" in the photo at bottom seems rather dubious..? ) Haase was awarded the RK on 24 October 1944 and achieved around 55-60 Luftsiege including around 12 Viermots. As Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 51 he had achieved 46 victories when he was posted back to the West during May 1944 with 2. Staffel being incorporated into IV.(Sturm) / JG 3 at Salzwedel becoming the new 16. Staffel./JG 3 in August 1944. He thus features in Prien's IV./ JG 3 Gruppe history - although not photographically IIRC. Flying a heavily armed and thoroughly unmanoeuverable FW 190 A8-R2 Sturmbock in close formation must have been a world away from the low altitude turning dogfights or Kurbelein that characterised air combat over the Russian Steppes. Yet Haase and other JG 51 aces such as Klaus Neumann and Oskar Romm were to become leading bomber killers and Knight’s Cross winners during the summer and autumn of 1944 in the Reichsverteidigung - defence of the Reich. Over Oschersleben on 7 July 1944 he claimed two B-24s and achieved victories during most of the Sturmgruppe actions that summer. Over Kassel on 27 September 1944 he downed a 445th BG B-24 for his 55th victory, while Oskar Romm brought down three B-24s in the same action. From 16 October 1944 he flew as Kommandeur of I./JG 3 but collided near Erkerlenz with his Rottenflieger on 25 November 1944 shortly after getting airborne in poor weather conditions and was killed in the crash. He was posthumously promoted to Major.
Below and bottom left; three images of Lt. Bernhard Vechtel seen here in the East during the summer of 1942 . Vechtal was awarded the RK on 27 July 1944 and claimed in total some 108 Luftsiege, surviving the war. During April 1945 he was Staffelkapitän of 14./JG 51, seen below climbing out of a Me 109 Friedrich of 11./JG 51
Below; Fw Herbert Friebel returned 58 Luftsiege and was awarded the RK on 24 January 1943. KIA on 15 May 1944 as Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 51 - after downing a Jak-9, hitting the ground and bursting into flames while chasing a La-5 (Bodenberührung mit Aufschlagbrand ) in the region of Horodyslyce south west of Tarnopol.
Below; 10./JG 51 pilot Ofw. Franz-Josef Beerenbrock seen during the summer of 1942. Awarded the RK on 6 October 1941 and the EL on 3 August 1942, claiming some 117 victories in total. Put down behind Russian lines on 9 November 1942 after shooting down three Russian machines north of Welish and was taken prisoner and survived the war.
Above, from left to right; Lt. Rolf Kickert, 6 Luftsiege as Staffelkapitän of 10. Staffel MIA on 17 December 1942, Lt. Bernhard Vechtel, Lt. Horst Haase (?) and Lt. Wolfgang Böwing-Treuding, awarded the RK on 24 March 1943 posthumously for 46 Luftsiege, KIA on 11 February 1943 while strafing a Russian transport column near Dubnitza west of Welikje Luki, hit by anti-aircraft fire.
Much more like this from Michael Meyer here
More pilots and aces of JG 51 on this blog
http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/JG%2051
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