A modellers guide to the Ju 88 G-6 - John McIllmurray with David E. Brown

 

I just learnt that John McIllmurray's new e-book on the Ju 88 G-6 is available to purchase and download from KLP Publishing. So that's exactly what I've just done...While I'm not really a big fan of e-books I did purchase KLP's ebook on building the Revell 32nd scale  Me 262 night fighter, which was very well done, and I knew that John and David's publication on the Ju 88 G-6 would be a 'must-buy'!  Small disclaimer here - the Luftwaffe blog provided a big chunk of text for the 'Nachtschlachter' chapter of John and David's ebook.  After all, what 'traditional' publisher in their right mind would produce a 1,031 page volume on a single Luftwaffe night fighter aircraft type in colour?  (not to mention an additional 135 pages of losses, victory claims, plans and artworks in separate files..) And while I probably won't be building a 32nd scale G-6 anytime soon (..although I might feel inspired to try..), I will be studying the 'Crow Collection' Ju 88 G-6 photo archive and the loss and claims lists. And unlike some Ju 88 specialists, John is a draughtsman so his plans and artworks are likely to be spot on. Well done John and David ! And kudos to Del and Paul for making available what must be virtually the entirety of their extensive Ju 88 G-6 photo collections which are mostly scanned in very large, reproduced over the full (screen) page and 'zoomable'. And to Kevin for creating such a professional product, great to look at, easy to purchase and download, just click on the image to go straight to the KLP order page

Price by the way is AUD..not USD...

 

Also on this blog

Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände book series by Paul Stipdonk & Michael Meyer

Building the Zvezda Ju 88 G-6 in 72nd with AIMS resin 

Hasegawa Junkers Ju 88 G-6 in 72nd

Theo Boiten - Nachtjagd combat archive - Biographies

 

Theo Boiten's comprehensive operational history of the German night fighter force is now concluded with a final volume of 'Biographies'. Rather than 'review' this last indispensable tome in the series - this blogger contributed extensively to the original 'Nachtjagd War Diaries' (Red Kite, 2008) - I've reposted an appreciation of Theo's work published by Andy Saunders in his 'Iron Cross' journal, because (1) I can only agree with every word Andy has written and (2) I really couldn't have put it any better myself, especially that last sentence!

Ju 88 G-series nightfighters - Dragon Ju 88 G-6 in 48th by VolkerR

 

The G-series were the first Ju 88 variants not based on the Ju 88 bomber ‘A’ fuselage. Re-designed and streamlined, the Ju 88 G-series had a new 'nose' and omitted the A-series' Bola ventral defensive gun position and featured a single ‘fish-eye’ armoured defensive weapon mount in the rear cockpit. It was fitted with the enlarged squared-off vertical fin/rudder tail unit/rear fuselage of the Ju 188 (making it slightly longer than the C-series) - this was an attempt to compensate for the increased torque of the BMW 801 D-2 radials which "due to manufacturing difficulties" (Becker, p75) did not rotate in opposing directions. The wing had the extended tips with enlarged ailerons and the tailplanes also had extended tips.  As with the C-series there was no 'standard' armament fit, although the 'G' usually toted a quartet of cannon in a ventral weapons tray.  See John McIllmurray's new 'Modellers guide to the Ju 88 G-6' for discussion and drawings on the location and variations  in the G-6 of the 'Schräge Musik'. The G-6 used the Jumo 213 in-line engine with the characteristic raised supercharger intakes.

Above; Ju 88 G-1 with ventral Waffenbehälter (‘weapons gondola’) toting MG 151/20 cannon. Probably an NJG 2 machine, autumn 1944. Below; another NJG 2 Gustav, note Totenkopf death's head painted on the ventral gondola and open cockpit access hatch. Pilot is Lt. Johannes Strassner..

Below; one of the most modern nightfighters in the Luftwaffe's fleet was this G-6 'C9+AR' (WNr. 623211) used by 21-victory NJG 5 ace Hptm Werner Hopf to desert to Switzerland on the night of 30 April 1945 in a flight from Lübeck-Blankensee to Dübendorf. Note nose-mounted FuG 218 VR  Neptun AI radar and associated tail-warning antenna on the enlarged 'Ju 188' vertical fin..

Above;  the dark camo finish and bomb racks indicate the nature of  Hopf's last sorties around Berlin - night ground attack sorties against Soviet troops. Also on board Hopf's aircraft were two fellow officers, two women and a child. Hopf was a former Staffelkapitän of 8./NJG 5 and had been awarded the DKiG..



Ju 88 G-6 coded 'B4+SA', W.Nr. 623363 of 4./NJG 3 (formerly Nachtjagdstaffel Norwegen) which landed at Bredakra, Sweden on May 8, 1945. The aircraft had been ordered to fly to Kurland from Trondheim and assist in the evacuation of encircled German forces but landed in Sweden. Crew was Hptm. Werner Hüschens and Ofw. Sebastian Falk.  Dragon 48th build of 'B4+SA' by VolkerR. Read his report below.

by VolkerR

" ...This Ju88 G-6 is equipped with FuG 218 which looks quite different from the usual FuG 220. It was quite difficult to scratchbuild the radar antenna. The basic "cross" is from the old Revell Me262 Nightfighter kit. Unfortunately the dipoles could not be used because they are at a different angle. So I tried to scratchbuild the dipoles from metal rod but failed miserably. Then I ordered the Master FuG218 which is perfect, but does not contain the basic "cross". So I drilled tiny holes in the Revell part and it turned out ok. Decals are from the AIMS Ju88 Nightfighter sheet. 'B4+SA' was not equipped with rear warning radar, so I had to extend the rudder (like it was used on the Ju188) with plastic and putty. 'B4+SA' was stationed in Norway and on May 8, 1945 it was ordered to help in the evacuation of German troops from the Kurland pocket. On the flight from Norway the aircraft encountered engine problems and diverted to Sweden (or the crew considered that a better idea). Note the cockpit framing was not RLM 66, but 76. You can also see the type of green overspray over the 76/75 factory paint and the black underside of the starboard wing..."

Also on this blog;

Kärcher de-icing equipment in the Ju 88 G-1  

Uffz. Heinz Vinke 5./NJG 2 - first 'kill'

 

A night fighter and his prey. Uffz Heinz Vinke (left) of 5./NJG 2 with his radio operator Uffz Karl Schödel sits proudly on a wing of Whitley Z9280 of 77 Squadron. They shot the aircraft down at 22:58 on 27 February 1942, just north of Driesum (north-east of Leeuwarden). Pilot S/Ldr Leslie H.W. Parkin, co-pilot Sgt Douglas J. Sandin, radio operator st Sgt Wilfred Whittam and tail gunner Sgt Edmund S. Ayton were killed in the crash. Navigator Sgt R.C.S. Hancock managed to save himself with his parachute and ended up in captivity. It was Vinke's first victory. When, on 26 February 1944, during a search for a missing German aircraft off  Dunkirk, Vinke was shot down by two 198 Sqn Typhoons and killed, he had scored a total of 52 night victories. Schödel had already been killed on the night of 17-18 August 1943, when Vinke's Bf 110 was shot down by a Serrate-equipped Beaufighter during an RAF attack on the V-weapons site at Peenemünde. Vinke spent twenty hours adrift in his dinghy. He was the only survivor from his crew.

Aces and pilots of JG 51, part 18 - correspondence from Günther Schack (1)

 

Günther Schack (12 November 1917 – 14 June 2003) is usually credited with 174 victories in 780 combat missions, all claimed in the East.

Born in Bartenstein in Eastern Prussia, Schack joined the Luftwaffe in 1939. He had previously applied to join the Luftwaffe in 1937 but was declared 'unfit' following an earlier sports injury that had left one leg 3 cm shorter than the other. He reapplied on the invasion of Poland as " I did not feel that I was a cripple.." This time he was accepted and following flight training, he was posted to 7./JG 51 in March 1941, based in St. Omer (northern France) flying the Bf 109 F. 

"..  my training lasted until February 1941. When I arrived at Jagdgeschwader Mölders on the Kanalfront I had never taken off from a concrete runway and only ever got airborne directly into the wind. With just a little side (cross) wind I veered sharply off the runway to the left. As I cut the throttle, the port gear left broke off and I spun around onto the port wing  ..my first ground-loop..('Ringelpietz'). I was a 'young  buck' and Gefreiter and this happened twice. My career as a fighter pilot was almost over before it had begun. Instead of 'washing me out' they sent me back home  -  'um starten zu lernen..' - to learn how to take off... of course 'das Ausbrechen' was not just down to 'cross winds' but the prop torque which we had not been told how to manage with the rudder.  ..[..] As a 'Bruchpilot'  I was tasked with lots of ferry flights and only occasionally flew sorties during the period when it was relatively easy to rack up victories. Then I flew around 200 sorties as a Rottenflieger and had very little chance to shoot down enemy aircraft..."

Schack claimed his first victory the day after the launch of Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. On 23 July 1941 his Gruppe was at Orsha, approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Smolensk, and flew combat air patrols along the Dnieper in the area between Mogilev and Zhlobin. That day he shot down a Tupolev SB bomber northeast of Babruysk and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) on 10 August 1941.

In October 1941, German forces launched the strategic offensive named Operation Typhoon which resulted in the Battle of Moscow. Schack claimed his second victory during this offensive when he shot down a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber northeast of Yukhnov. On 23 October, he bailed out of his burning Bf 109 F-2 (WNr. 9189) following aerial combat in the vicinity of Kaluga. He achieved his third victory after 100 combat missions, on 10 November 1941. On 30 July 1942, he flew his 250th combat mission. That day, he also damaged Bf 109 F-2 (WNr. 8117) in a ground collision during a 'sharp start' (emergency takeoff) at Dugino in the Novoduginsky District. In October, III Gruppe predominantly flew combat air patrols in the vicinity of Rzhev where the German 9th Army was deployed.Schack claimed his 18th aerial victory on 15 October, an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down west of Bely.

" ..I preferred to go after the bombers since they were 'easier' to shoot down than fighters which rarely flew straight and level - and I wasn't a particularly good shot. This was the 'problem' I had with the Me 109  -  the onboard armament was mounted centrally along the flight axis so to hit anything you had to be a decent shot.  '...Ich war mit der 109 kein besonders guter Schutze..' Things changed decisively for me with the arrival of the Fw 190 at the front - you didn't necessarily have to have the enemy in the gun sight to hit them..."

During November 1942, III. Gruppe converted to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 at Jesau, present-day Juschny, located southeast of Königsberg. Because Luftwaffe units were already stretched in the combat area of Army Group Center, fighting in the Battles of Rzhev, conversion was done in rotation, one Staffel at a time. The first units converted were the Gruppenstab (headquarters unit) and 7. Staffel while 8. and 9. Staffel were still engaged over the left flank of Army Group Center. In total, III. Gruppe received a complement of 41 Fw 190 A-2s and Fw 190 A-3s. On 16 December, the first elements of 7. Staffel arrived at Dugino. The next day, on his first mission on the Fw 190, Schack shot down five Soviet Pe-2 bombers in the vicinity of Sychyovka. Six weeks later, on 29 January 1943, Schack almost repeated this on a Junkers Ju 87 escort mission, when his Schwarm encountered eight Soviet Pe-2  crossing the German lines at Novosil. Within five minutes all eight were shot down including four by Schack.

" .. I'm not really what you would consider a typical Me 109 pilot as I scored most of my victories flying the Fw 190. I flew over 700 combat sorties, some 600 of these in the Me 109, so my 'kill' ratio in the Fw 190 was much better, 90 kills in around 100 sorties.. by the time the Fw 190 arrived in the East I  had acquired a lot of experience, I knew the trade craft of war better...on two occasions I downed four bombers in one sortie with the Fw 190..."

He claimed his 100th  in September 1943 and was awarded theRK on 29 October 1943. Schack was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9. Staffel and received the EL on 20 April 1944 following 133 aerial victories. In December 1944, he was appointed GKr. I./JG 51.

(to be continued..)

Also on this blog;

Aces and pilots of JG 51

JG 53 Friedrich, JG 26 Fw 190 -archive photo scan #31

 

'white 8' of II./JG 53 with yellow cowl and spinner somewhere in Holland prior to Barbarossa. Note rough over-painting of the yellow areas. A single click on the images for a wide view.

Fw 190 A-5 of the Stab./JG 26 being prepared for a sortie in its 'shelter'. Electric starter cart plugged in.

Le Fana latest issue Sept 2024 - Luftwaffe pilot training in south-western France (excavating an Emil)

 

by Gilles Collaveri

"...31 January 1944, Pau, south-west France. Friedrich Kisslinger climbed into the cockpit of a Messerschmitt 109 E coded ‘red 5', an E-3 built by Erla in April 1940, from a batch of 500 constructed between August 1939 and April 1940. According to German archives, it had already been damaged twice, the first time on 29 August 1942, when it sustained 35% damages in northern France, and a second time on 25 March 1943, again at 35%, at La Rochelle Laleu airport [when a plane was damaged, the Luftwaffe recorded the degree of destruction. Thus 100% meant total loss]. Friedrich Kisslinger was 21 years old and had followed the standard curriculum by learning to fly gliders before arriving in Pau. On 31 January he got airborne. Once at altitude, he somehow lost control of his aircraft and was unable to stabilise it. When he finally bailed out he was too low. He was killed on impact with the ground, and his plane crashed nearby. How did the young Friedrich Kisslinger find himself in 1944 in south-west France? Quite simply because in 1943 and 1944, Tarbes, Pau and Toulouse were three major Luftwaffe training bases. These airfields were far from the front line and enjoyed decent weather, ideal for training young pilots. Jagdgeschwader 101 and the Jagdgruppe Ost, Süd and West were based here. Formed at the end of 1942, JG 101 was based in Pau, Tarbes and Ossun, while JGr. West and Ost were based in Cazaux, Biarritz, Toulouse, Mont de-Marsan and Landes-de-Bussac. These training units sometimes opposed Allied raids. On 5 March 1944, for example, Chuck Yeager's P-51 B was shot down by Irmfried Klötz, a young pilot from JGr. West flying the Fw 190..." 

So-called 'Idiotenbock' Emil trainer with 'fixed' landing gear and wing-tip 'stabilisers'  -   from reading the piece it is not clear if they were flown like this - that seems unlikely. These 'skids' were more likely designed as an aid to 'rough-field' taxiing. 

 After a long investigation and thanks to local eye witness accounts, Gilles Collaveri's association "Aérocherche" located the field where Friedrich Kisslinger's Me 109 crashed. Parts of the aircraft were uncovered, albeit damaged where the field had been ploughed. Nonetheless, one oil temperature gauge plate had miraculously remained intact because it was folded in half, protecting the inscriptions. It confirmed that the 'aviation archaeologists' of  'Aerocherche' were looking at the remains of an Emil. Numerous parts gradually came to light: equipment components, a fragment of an instrument panel counter, ammunition cases of different calibre: cannon and machine guns. Some of them still showed traces of green camouflage paint. In the spirit of respect and remembrance the pilot's family was located near Munich, more specifically the pilot's nephew, who shared the same first and last name as his uncle. He expressed a strong desire to visit the site of his uncle's crash. More than 70 years after the accident, Friedrich Kisslinger arrived from Germany with his son to visit the crash site of his uncle's Me 109 ‘red 5’. 

See Friedrich Kisslinger's visit towards the end of Gilles 20-minute film on Vimeo here

Parts of this article were previously posted on line at the Aérocherche FB page here

1:35 Border Model Fw 190 A-6 from 'StudioSam' and new ICM Fw 189 in 72nd

'StudioSam' build of the amazing Border Model Fw 190 A-6 (1:35). This looks to be a stunning kit. And an excellent professionally-made video. Slightly strange then that a number of the decal options in the kit are for A-8s! Just click once on the red button to view the video here!

New from ICM, a Fw 189 C/V6  in 72nd and a Luftwaffe 'field equipment' set in 48th scale