Leibold JG 26, JG 51 Wintertarnung, III./JG 2 , I./JG 52 Emil Calais 1940
Below; three views of JG 51 ace Lt. Heinrich Höfemeier via Manuel Rauh's ebay sales here
Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Höfemeier was assigned to 1./JG 51 on 22 March 1941. On 22 June, Höfemeier claimed four Russian SB-2 twin-engined bombers shot down for his first victories on the opening day of Barbarossa. On 13 October, Höfemeier claimed three Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft shot down to record his 20th through 22nd victories. By the end of 1941 had 25 victories to his credit. He was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz on 19 March 1942 for 30 victories and the Ritterkreuz on 5 April 1942 for 41 aerial victories and 12 aircraft destroyed on the ground. By January 1943, Höfemeier had 70 victories to his credit and had been promoted to the rank of Leutnant. On 20 March 1943, Höfemeier was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost to undertake a spell of instructing. Höfemeier returned to frontline duty as Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 51 on 2 May 1943. On 10 June he claimed three Il-2 Sturmoviks shot down (71-73). Höfemeier recorded 14 victories in July, including his 80th on 13 July. Höfemeier was shot down and killed in Fw 190 A-4 “Brown 5” (W.Nr. 145 667) by Russian Flak over Karatschew on 7 August 1943. He was credited with 96 victories in some 490 sorties. Below; another view of Höfemeier's Friedrich 'white 6'
Early yellow-cowled JG 51 Friedrich in northern France
A fine image from Manuel Rauh's latest sales - a line-up of 1./JG 51 Emils in northern France during the late summer of 1940, 'white 1' is presumably Staffelkapitän Douglas Pitcairn's machine. On 5 August 1940 Hptm. Pitcairn was injured in Bf 109 E "White 1" after colliding on take-off with Bf 109 E-4 "white 8" (W.Nr. 6266) of Feldwebel Willi Gasthaus also of 1./JG 51 at Pihen, south-west of Calais ('white 8' is just visible in the background below). Pitcairn's aircraft was 100% damaged while that of Gasthaus, who was unharmed, suffered less than 10% damage. There are two photographs of him as well as two of the above accident in the JG 51 photo-history by Stipdonk and Meyer. Note how the hellblau fuselage sides are now overpainted..Heinz Bär flew 'white 13' with the 'chamois' and Mickey Maus emblem. Recalls the photo series in the Karl Ries book!
on offer here
Below; prominent wild Boar emblem on this I./JG 52 Emil, also northern France during 1940
Below; three images via Michael Meyer's latest sales here depicting the FW 190 A assigned to the 11-victory ace in the Stab I./JG 26 Ofw. Erwin Leibold seen during 1942
