Saturday 2 May 2015

III./ ZG 26 on Sicily, Me 110 F-2 "3U+.R" of 7./ZG 26 in Trapani, Ofw. Richard Heller of 8./ZG 26



Me 110 F-2 "3U+.R" of 7./ZG 26 in Trapani early in 1943. Crew member in the photo is Uffz. Robert Dworak, Bordfunker of Fw. von Kovarbasic. The pilot and his BF were both KIA on 22 December 1943 in the defence of the Reich after launching from Wunsdorf against raiding B-24s. Fw. von Kovarbasic was credited with a B-24 following this sortie.



Below; Me 110 F-2 "3U+AR" of 7./ZG 26. Crew of FF (Flugzeugführer; pilot) Uffz. Fritz Lauff (left) and BF Konrad Huber celebrating a 250th sortie from Trapani during the spring of 1943. Note the twin coils of the DF loop below the fuselage turned side-on in this view.


Below; click on the image to view large. Gruppenkommandeur  III./ZG 26 Hptm Georg Christl ( RK on 18 March 1942) in front of  a 9. Staffel machine Me 110 "3U+HT" delivering a pep talk to to the crews of III./ZG 26. Photo is dated 26 May (1942?). Third from left is Ofw. Richard Heller of 8./ZG 26 (RK on 21 August 1941 for his Stuka escort work). Heller was later KIA at the end of the war, apparently with 2./ JGr. 10, shot down by anti-aircraft fire near Wülfingerode (Wülferinge/Harz) on 5 April 1945. He had 22 victories. His best day in the Reichsverteidigung was 9 October, 1943, opposing US bombers raiding Münster. He claimed three B-17's brought down in the Kielerförde/Schauberg area.


"Auf Feindflug" ....Me 110 F-2 "3U+.R" of 7./ZG 26 over Tunis early 1943..


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