Oblt. Georg Schirmböck joined the Luftwaffe at the end of 1936. In 1939 he was posted to II./ JG 77 (5./JG 77 and 4./JG 77). In May 1941 he flew as Stafü of 5./JG 77 before moving to the Stab. Seen here in France, the Emil appears to have the 4. Staffel 'Sensenmann' - death riding the scythe - emblem under the cockpit. Schirmböck survived the war, credited with 3 vics ..
'fliegende Holzschuh' emblem on the yellow cowl of this 7./JG 54 Emil
Bundesarchiv caption reads ;
"..Sowjetunion-Mitte.- Ritterkreuzträger Heinz Frank (links) mit Hund auf seinem Flugzeug Messerschmitt Me 109.."
Sowjetunion-Nord (Eismeer).- Hauptmann Horst Carganico (mit Ritterkreuz) vor Jagdflugzeug Messerschmitt Bf 109; Hund (Schnauzer auf dem Flugzeug); PK Luftflotte 5. During 1940 Carganico served as Adjutant to the Gkr. II./JG 77 Hentschel throughout the deployment of this Gruppe in Norway.
two more from III./JG 2;
Note the fox cub on the (unknown) pilot's shoulder. Click on this image to view in full screen!
Below; seen here on the left, Hptm. Alexander von Winterfeldt of 3./JG 2 is in discussion with fellow pilots Pflanz (dark glasses) and Strümpell following a sortie flown from Signy-le-Petit, France during May 1940. On May 20, 1940 3./JG 2 claimed eight LeO 451 bombers shot down, one being credited to Great War aviator von Winterfeldt. Staffelhund is ‘Cognac’ the terrier.
4./JG 26 Emil also in France at the end of the Westfeldzug.
below; from the wartime publication "Schwert am Himmel" (Heinz Orlovius, 1940)
Below; Dr Adolf Rossbach was flight surgeon with JG 53 on Sicily. He is seen here seated on Heinz Bär's I./JG 77 Bf 109 G-2 at Comiso during 1942.
Below; Ofw. Stefan Litjens, 4./JG 53, Sicily, in October 1942. He had been seriously injured in combat in late 1941, losing an eye. Despite his vision impairment he returned to combat and flew missions over Malta from Sicily before the unit was transferred to Tunisia. Here he claimed eight Allied aircraft shot down and flew many ground attack missions. Litjens was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 21 June 1943 for 32 victories.
Above; Oblt. Werner Gayko - Staffelkapitän 9./JG 5, Herdla, 1945 - Gayko survived the war credited with 13 victories. Born in May 1923 in Wehlau (East Prussia) he arrived in Petsamo at III./JG 5 during the autumn of 1943. Appointed Staffelkapitän 9./JG 5 during 1944 he led the Staffel through until the end of the war and is mentioned on numerous occasions in Girbig's history of the unit. During February 1945 he was shot down off the coast of Norway, ditching his Fw 190 before being eventually rescued by Norwegian fishermen. Postwar he joined the Bundeswehr, retiring in 1982. He passed away in October 1994.
more Luftwaffe pets!