.." After proud successes, overtaken by fate.."
Rudder scoreboard of III./JG 27 StaKa Erbo Graf von Kageneck on the award of his RK, late August 1941. Von Kageneck was shot down on December 24, 1941 by RAF fighters and subsequently died of his injuries (early 1942). One of Erbo's (four) brothers, August von Kageneck stated in his French-language account that the ace was shot down by 112 Sqn's Clive Caldwell..
Below; - the same machine. Von Kageneck’s force-landed E-7 (WNr. 1326) ‘Yellow 1’, August 20, 1941. The Staffel number is painted on the engine cowl (see image above) while the rear fuselage displays a wide yellow band. The rudder scoreboard now displays 45 victory bars. His 45th had been achieved on August 16, 1941...
" ...On August 1, III./JG 27 moved to Soltsy, located west of Lake Ilmen. From this airfield, the Gruppe fought over the combat areas near Staraya Russa, south of Lake Ilmen, and Veliky Novgorod which is north of Lake Ilmen. On August 10, Kageneck claimed a SB-3 bomber shot down. He became an "ace-in-a-day" on 14 August, claiming his 39th to 43rd Abschüsse, an I-16 and four ‘DB-3s’ in the vicinity of Novgorod. On 20 August, Kageneck was hit in combat and made a forced landing in his Bf 109 E-4 (WNr. 1326) near Chudovo (Tchoudovo) – he had logged his 300th combat mission in this aircraft (below, wreath '300'). The next day, his Ritterkreuz was confirmed, the same day as his 48th victory, an Il-2 north of Staraya Russa...."
Below; - the same machine. Von Kageneck’s force-landed E-7 (WNr. 1326) ‘Yellow 1’, August 20, 1941. The Staffel number is painted on the engine cowl (see image above) while the rear fuselage displays a wide yellow band. The rudder scoreboard now displays 45 victory bars. His 45th had been achieved on August 16, 1941...
