Death of the Kommodore - Obstlt. Volprecht Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach, new KG 54 history!

 

'Review' by Simon ('Siko54') 

" Have just received my copy and wow! This is a mighty and very weighty publication indeed - nearly 400 pages, hundreds of photos, Flugbuch/wehrpass scans and various annexes. I can’t really do it justice here but this is an absolutely incredible unit history and without a doubt the final word on KG 54. It’s a shame it’s in French but google translate works well and very grateful that Mr Taghon and Lela Presse have published it in any language! Congrats!...."

from Volume II of Peter Taghon's history of KG 54

 On the morning of 9 February 1945, the Kommodore of KG 54 ordered some 18 of his I./ KG (J) 54 Me 262s up from Giebelstadt to counter a huge 8th AF raid. Kommodore Volprecht Riedesel led this meagre force into the overcast skies at the controls of his Me 262 'B3+AA'. An eyewitness on the ground, Adolf Keller, mayor of Würges at the time, recalled;

‘On 9 February 1945, around midday, I witnessed an air battle near Würges. Several aircraft were in the air. A German machine appeared to collide with an American, both bursting into flames and crashing in Würges. A company of Russian Hiwis (Hilfswillige - volunteers) was stationed there. These men went to the site of the double crash and began a recovery operation. That afternoon Fw. Herrmann, who was on the Stab, gave me a ring found by a Russian. It was gold with a black stone. I asked for everything that had been collected to be brought to me and the next day Herrmann brought me the identity plate of a Cpt. James E. Browning, a photograph with his name written on the back, a small empty bag and a few dollars. In the evening, I visited the site to look at the remains of the two aircraft. Both had been burnt to a crisp. The body of the German pilot, Obstlt. Freiherr von Riedesel, had already been taken over by the Luftwaffe. I searched for the remains of the American but found only a few pieces of flesh and bone’.

The Kommodore had collided with a P-51 D (s/n 44-15630, ‘Junior Miss’) flown by Capt. James Browning of the 357th FG. Both Me 262 and P-51 came down at Würges, three kilometres east of Camberg (in a field north of the present-day Idstein Golfparks). From Keller's account, it would seem that the Kommodore deliberately hit the Mustang. This would support the rumour within KG 54 that von Riedesel gave his life voluntarily. According to Oblt. Eberhard von Brunn;

‘There is a version of the Kommodore's death that circulated within the unit. I can partly confirm it. Von Riedesel took off on 9 February probably with the intention of sacrificing himself in the face of a formation of American bombers. This would have been in response to Reichsmarschall Göring's remarks at the presentation of the Oak Leaves. In January, von Riedesel and others had been called to Karinhall for a decoration ceremony. The ceremony was due to take place at 11.00 am, but Göring kept the Kommodore waiting for a long time before arriving in his pompous clothes and without inviting the recipients to share his meal. He told the officers present that he was very surprised by the poor performance of the Luftwaffe, especially the flying personnel of the fighter and bomber units. He gave them their decorations but made it clear that they were not worthy of them. This deeply hurt von Riedesel, who left Karinhall very disappointed. He reportedly described this episode to his Adjutant, Hptm. Karl-Friedrich von Oppel, adding that he could not ignore such an affront. Shortly afterwards, he called the Kommandeure and their adjutants (for II./KG 54, Major Stamm and myself) to Giebelstadt to share an evening meal of venison, and we could see a change of mood in our Kommodore. His death on 9 February came as little surprise. As I knew him personally (having served for a time with the Stab), I was asked to prepare his funeral at Altenburg Castle near Alsfeld (Hesse). I remember talking about this Karinhall episode at the Alsfeld station hotel in front of, among others, General Harlinghausen, Major Zauner and Hptm. Petzold.."

Zauner confirmed: ‘At the burial ceremony for Obstlt. Freiherr von Riedesel, which I was able to attend shortly before my transfer as Kommandeur of III./KG 76 (Ar 234), some officers from KG 54 - whose names I have forgotten - told me about Hermann Göring's disgraceful and wretched attitude during a presentation of decorations. Freiherr von Riedesel had put his heart and soul into the conversion of KG 54 to the Me 262. This was an unacceptable and grotesque performance by the Luftwaffe's senior commander! Freiherr von Riedesel's mother and wife also told me about it. This unjustified criticism had seriously affected the Kommodore and would have been the reason for his last flight. He wanted to set an example and prove that he had always done his duty’.

It fell to Hptm. Petzold and Oblt. von Brunn to take on the delicate task of notifying the family of the deceased. Oblt. von Brunn was to write to his mother;

‘I am at the moment in Alsfeld where, with my Kommandeur Petzold, I had to inform his mother of the death in action of our Kommodore. The news was received with calm and dignity. A noble attitude that is rarely seen these days. I was impressed by her understanding and respect for her son's airmanship and build. I am looking for a billet for the honour guard and have ordered the wreaths. I shall be returning to Altenburg Castle shortly to discuss the other arrangements.."

Available direct from the publisher here

8th AF raid on Avord airfield, 5 February 1944, Fw 200 C-4 of 8./KG 40

 

The airfield at Avord, ten miles east of Bourges in the Cher departement (Loire valley region), was one of the biggest military airfields in France even prior to the German invasion. From July 1940 it was continuously occupied by Gruppen of Luftwaffe bombers but escaped attack until February 5, 1944 when it was hit by the 8th AF flying mission no.210. A US reconnaissance mission carried out one month prior to the raid took photographs showing an Fw 200 on the northern ‘dispersal’, and a further five Fw 200s facing the hangars along the Avord-Farges road and a He 177 taking off. In front of the southern hangars, there was one Fw 200, two He 177s, two He 111s and a single Caudron C 445. Finally, three Fw 200s were stationed in the western part of the airfield. According to US intelligence, through 1943 the prinicpal activity was crew training. The attack on Avord on February 5, 1944, targeted along with Châteauroux and Tours, was flown by 8th AF B-17s and B-24s escorted by 20th and 55th FG P-38's (two kills) and several P-47 FGs (4 kills). By the time the American bombers reached Avord, the alerted Germans were apparently attempting to 'scramble' the aircraft occupying the taxi-ways. At 11.09 am, the first bombs fell on the base. A tail gunner recounted: ‘I saw a German bomber taking off, but four P-38 fighters swooped down on it and knocked it out’. Several hangars received direct hits and were seriously damaged. The surrounding area was not spared: 16 houses in the hamlet of ‘Les Vignes’ were hit by bombs and partially destroyed. Fw 200 C-4 of 8./KG 40 (W.Nr. 0170) was one of two machines to get airborne as the raid started but was caught and shot down along the Crosses-Saint-Just road, Annoix, some 10 km south of Bourges-Avord as seen here in the P-47 gun-camera stills. KG 40 pilot Hptm Anton Leder along with four other members of the crew was KIA. The Fw 200 came down in the marshes between Fenestrelay and Bourges. There were three survivors. Research by 'archaeologist'.

Volume 5 of the Stipdonk/Meyer Zerstörer and Nachtjagdverbaende series forthcoming from JAPO

 

Nearly 15 years after volume 4 (but only three years after the successful "German fighters in the West), Volume 5 of the six-part series on the Luftwaffe  Zerstörer and night fighter units 1935-45 – and the first to be published by JAPO - has been announced on the JAPO website. Caption writing and text editing is completed and the publisher is hard at work designing and preparing the lay-out...

Volume 4 concluded with coverage of 8./ZG 26 and this 5th volume takes up the story with extensive photo coverage of, among others, 9./ZG 26, the Ju 88-equipped V./KG 40 and ZG 76 and its Me 410s in the defence of the Reich.   English-language text features brief career details for all Verbandsführer.

More from JAPO here

Appraisal of Parts 1 - 4 of this series on this blog here

Please note too parts 1 - 4 of this series are still available direct from the authors, details at the previous link..

new-tool Fw 190 in 1:72 from KP - first (..and second build) from Michel Wilhelme

 

"...Hi Neil, here is the latest new-tool Fw 190 kit from Kovozavody KP - this is from the A-3 "Aces" box finished in the markings of Oskar 'Ossi' Romm of JG 51 in Eastern front greens. This is one of the markings options on the kit decal sheet. Unfortunately this new-tool KP Fw 190 is not a particularly straight forward build. It requires a fair bit of filler and sanding of various parts. Even so I think I got a nice model out of it. The pictures give you an idea of the other options in the A-2 and A-4 boxes..."  Michel Wilhelme

 

" Hi Neil, here is the second Fw 190 from KP that I just finished. This is Detlev ROHWER's A-3 in 1942 in France. Nothing special on this assembly I begin to know what it is necessary to make to obtain a good result.."

Kampfgeschwader 54 Volume II by Peter Taghon (Lela Presse 28/02/25)

Another imminent publishing event for Luftwaffe enthusiasts - volume II of Peter Taghon's huge history of KG 54 is due at the end of next week. From the publisher's blurb; (adapted and translated by this blogger) 

 " ..With its skull and crossbones emblem Kampfgeschwader 54, the Totenkopfgeschwader, was one of the few Luftwaffe bomber/combat units to fly from the first to the final days of WWII, and has long warranted a detailed history. With its origins in KG 254, KG 54 made a modest entry into the war, with just a single Gruppe engaged in September 1939 in Poland. In April 1940, its second Gruppe, formed during the Phoney War, took part in the fighting in Scandinavia. Then, the following month, the Geschwader was increased to three Gruppen and launched in the Westfeldzug: the campaign in the West. With its third Gruppe disbanded after suffering heavy losses throughout the May/June engagements, KG 54 fought in the Battle of Britain, continuing its missions over England during the Night Blitz. In June 1941, the two Gruppen were deployed in the USSR during ‘Barbarossa’, completing large numbers of missions but suffering such heavy losses that they were recalled to the Reich at the end of the year. However, the military situation had become such that the Totenkopf was forced to disperse its forces, with I./KG 54 moving to the Mediterranean and II./KG 54 returning to the USSR (with a brief period in France). During the aerial assault against Malta, I./KG 54 operated in concert with K.Gr. 806, subsequently renamed III./KG 54. These two Gruppen supported Rommel's Afrika Korps before being joined in 1943 in Sicily by II./KG 54, the Gruppe taking part in the final battles over Africa (Tunisia) which is where this new Volume II picks up the story..

Now at full strength, KG 54 fought the Allied landings in Sicily before being withdrawn to mainland Italy. The Totenkopf left the Mediterranean for good at the end of 1943, returning to the West. It was then deployed again over England as part of the bloody and futile operation ‘Steinbock’. Casualties were so high that II./KG 54 was disbanded in April 1944. Two months later, the Geschwader - once again reduced to two Gruppen - faced the Allied landings in Normandy on missions that were just as costly in terms of men and equipment. Fighting tooth and nail, KG 54 returned to the Reich where, in September 1944, it became a fighter unit equipped with the famous Me 262 jet. However, the aircraft still suffered from serious ‘teething problems’, and KG (J) 54 - despite having been reinforced by a second Gruppe - was hardly able to stand out against the vastly superior Allied air forces, and was decimated. On 8 May 1945, the surviving personnel of the skull and crossbones Geschwader surrendered, their numbers then being mainly dispersed in Austria and Czechoslovakia. 

Volume II contains 392 pages, over 650 photos, 17 colour profiles and period documents. Volume I has been available since October 2024..."

Below; from volume II, a 6./KG 54 Ju 88 in Bergamo, Italy

Hello Peter, many of us are no doubt eagerly awaiting Vol II of your KG 54 book. Can I please ask you a couple of questions for my blog report?

How long did you spend researching KG 54 and how much time did you spend writing these two huge volumes?

Hello Neil,

It’s not easy to say exactly how much time I’ve spent researching KG 54. It all started for me in the mid-1980s with my research on Luftwaffe operations during the Westfeldzug. Through this, I made a lot of contacts with pilots and crew members of the Lehrgeschwader. Some of them had extensive documentation and had also been active in Belgium in 1944. It didn’t take much encouragement from them for me to start writing the history of their Geschwader. That KG 6 would follow was only natural.

Once I had finished working on KG 6, I looked for a new subject. During my research on the Westfeldzug, I had already made quite a few contacts with crew members and pilots of KG 54. I also had extensive communication with Sigmund Radtke from the Traditionsverband KG 54. However, most of my contacts had only been active during the western campaign or had been shot down over England as early as 1940-41. A few went on to have rather impressive careers. So, I already had a decent amount of documentation on KG 54.

By coincidence, the archive of Sigmund Radtke, the author of the book on KG 54, had been passed on to my good friend Ulf Balke. Part of it had already been given to Morten Jessen, but both Ulf and Morten were willing to make the archive available to me. That’s when I discovered that Radtke had far more information than he had used in his book. In addition, I found a lot of supplementary material in the Bundesarchiv.

I got even luckier—through my contacts at the AMC, I was able to access their archive as well. They turned out to have a large collection of photographs, some interesting logbooks, and, most importantly, the diary of Hauptmann von Brunn. He had been very active in the final years of the war, and his notes proved to be of great value for that period.

How long I spent researching/writing is hard to say. A large part of it was done in the 1980-90s (mainly focusing on 1940-41), and after that, I worked on it in small steps until I finally decided to tackle the chronicle in earnest, which led me to resume intensive research. That was during the peak of the COVID period. Writing itself took about 3 to 4 years, partly alongside the research. I did this partly in my free time while I was still working, and then for about a year and a half as a retiree—spending a considerable number of days working on it full-time.

Peter, there were plenty of great images in volume I and I've already been fortunate enough to have seen some of the highlights from volume II. Do you have any particular favourites?

Which photos interest or appeal to me the most? Most readers will undoubtedly be very interested in the photos of the Me 262. There are so many photos that I find fascinating, but the ones I have the strongest emotional connection with are the photos that started it all. For example, during my research on the Westfeldzug, I came across a couple of photos in an infantryman’s album showing the crashed Heinkel 111 of Hauptmann Willers in Scheldewindeke. Through Sigmund Radtke, I got in touch with Willers himself. He was very eager to visit his crash site again. That was a truly special experience, and his information proved very valuable for the chronicle.

Even more significant was a photo of a He 111 that had crashed in Oudekapelle—also a KG 54 aircraft. I had no idea who the crew could be, but one of the infantrymen had taken a clear photo of the pilot. I sent the photo to Sigmund Radtke, and he immediately recognized him as the future Ritterkreuzträger Ernst Petzold. I was able to get in touch with him, sent him the photos, and he turned out to be very interested. He immediately invited me over, and through him, I gained an incredibly interesting insight into his long career within the Geschwader. So, if you ask me which photos appeal to me the most, then yes—it would have to be the photos of Willers and Petzold.

Peter, thank you for helping to put together a nice presentation for the Luftwaffe blog and thank you for allowing me to to translate some extracts of your KG 54 history into English (coming soon)

No problem! Many thanks for the publicity! I know Lela Presse appreciate it. Can I conclude by saying that I’m very lucky that Michel at LeLa Presse took the risk of publishing two such voluminous books. Cheers!

Below; ground crew pose for a souvenir snapshot in front of "B3+AP" flown by Staffelführer of 6./KG 54 Oblt. Karl-Egon Hellwig. Hellwig and his crew were shot down over Kent on the evening of 21 January 1944, crashing at Sellindge (between Ashford and Folkestone). Hellwig was killed.

 

Oblt. Eberhard von Brunn, attached to the Stab./KG 54 noted in his diary; 

 "..In the late evening of 21 January, the crews received their instructions on the the airfield where I. Gruppe was also located. We learnt that the attack we had been planning would be aimed against London, which few had anticipated. We had assumed that this operation ('Steinbock') would concentrate on ports, airfields, certain industrial installations or even Allied troop concentrations and supply depots in order to disrupt the invasion preparations. None of us were happy about the situation... We were loaded with  high explosive 'Sprengbomben' (1000 kg container) and a 500-kg  incendiary 'Brandbombenbehalter' container and took off from Marx at 6.33pm in the dark. Given the weight of the ordnance, I could only with difficulty maintain 330 km/h and the climb performance of the Ju 88 was just as abysmal. Of the fast bomber designed as such in 1940, there was nothing left. We flew alone over Deventer and Ijmuiden (on the coast of the Netherlands) to within twenty-five kilometres of central London. We then turned towards the city and dropped our cargo. In the sky, but also on the ground, the target was well marked by light ('Leuchtbomben') or incendiary bombs. We attacked horizontally. The defences were terrible. Over London, we were greeted by searchlights and flak. But the enemy appeared to have been caught by surprise because no night fighters intervened. During subsequent operations, the defences strengthened. One weapon surprised us. We called it 'Fliegerschreck' - airman's terror. It consisted of rockets fired in salvoes. We could see fifty rockets going off below us (later there would be more) and a few seconds later, the same number of explosions in the sky at around five thousand metres. After three seconds, a large cloud of dark smoke rose from some two hundred points. We assumed that the rockets were dispersing highly explosive projectiles. Hence this cloud of smoke. We also thought that some of the shells were coming down by parachute. During our four subsequent missions over London, no one could tell us anything about this weapon..." 

These 'anti-aircraft rockets' were undoubtedly the so-called 'Z' rocket batteries. The first were equipped with a single launcher, the Projector, 3-inch Mark 1. As this equipment did not give complete satisfaction, it was improved, with rockets subsequently being launched in large numbers in powerful salvos. The Projector, 3-inch, No 2, Mk 1 was a double launcher, while the N°4 Mk 1 and Mk 2 could fire thirty-six rockets simultaneously. On this first ‘Steinbock’ mission, London's defences were limited. Despite this, one of the KG 54 Ju 88s 'B3+AP' flown by the crew of Oblt. Karl-Egon Hellwig (the Stafü of 6./KG 54, below) was shot down by F/Lt John Hall and F/O ‘Jock’ Cairns flying a 488 Sqd Mosquito for their first victory..

 

(blogger note;  the  grave of the 30-year old Karl-Egon Hellwig who was from Hamburg can be visited in Hawkinge cemetery. His crew Uffz. Johann Jehle, Uffz. Walter Flossmann and Fw. Roland Kühnert bailed out successfully and were taken captive)

 

Fw. Kurt Knappe - first Abschuss in the West

An 'unexpurgated' view of Fw. Kurt Knappe's rudder scoreboard on his Fw 190 A-4 WNr. 2413 from the ECPA-D file DAA 2693 - recently posted elsewhere without commentary. Knappe arrived in the West at III./JG 2 with 51 Eastern Front 'red star' victory markings on his rudder. This image was taken on the occasion of his first 'kill' in the West - his 52nd - marked with what appears to be an RAF 'roundel' visible here (bottom row) but which is in fact an American 'star'. This first victory with 7. Staffel was achieved on 30 December 1942 -a USAF B-17- shot down over the sea during a 1st Bomb Wing raid comprising some 40 B-17s on the U-boat pens at Lorient. B-17 'kills' were soon represented with a double-bar with US star superimposed on JG 2 rudder scoreboards. Knappe was posted to the West in late 1942 along with another JG 51 ace - Erich Hohagen - to 'beef up' 7./JG 2 who had lost Oblt. Egon Mayer following Mayer's appointment as Kommandeur of III./JG 2. Mayer replaced 'Assi' Hahn who departed for JG 54 in the East on 1 November 1942.

The 8th USAF's raid on the U-boat pens at Lorient on Wednesday 30 December 1942 - the 27th mission of this fledgling force- was significant in the story of the Fw 190-equipped III./ JG 2. Kommandeur Mayer and his Stab along with nine Fw 190s from 7. Staffel were airborne from Vannes to counter the incursion. Mayer was determined to carry out a new tactic that he had been considering over the previous weeks - the frontal attack, hitting the B-17s where their defensive fire was at its weakest. Flying alongside Knappe that morning was another ace encountering four-engine bombers for the first time - Lt. Georg-Peter Eder.
 

Oblt Albrecht Bellstedt - a novice Fw 190 pilot in III./JG 2 ..and an ace in V./KG 40

For a brief period during September and October 1944 the 22-year-old Albrecht Bellstedt from Bremen was Staffelkapitän of 9. /JG 2. He had been posted to the newly reconstituted III./JG 2 – sent to Königsberg/Neumark (Poland) for rest and refit after heavy losses in Normandy. Here he converted onto the Fw 190 and was appointed to lead 9. Staffel on 17 September 1944. But Bellstedt flew just a handful of sorties in the Fw 190 - he would be shot down and killed over the Rhineland/Palatinate on 21 October 1944 in combat with US fighters.

But Bellstedt was no novice aviator - in fact he was a leading fighter ace on the Ju 88 C-6. He had made his ‘name’ with V./KG 40 and during the course of 1943 had claimed around 10 aircraft downed over the Bay of Biscay. His most ‘notorious’ victory (participation) was returned on 1 June 1943 - a KLM DC-3 flying civilians between Lisbon and Whitchurch, Bristol in England. Seventeen passengers including women and children and the famous American film star Leslie Howard were killed. The Ju 88 crews were apparently not aware this was a regular 'civilian' service - it would perhaps have been a better option to escort the DC-3 into a French airfield.

 Below; 500th Feindflug in 14./KG 40,  - Obslt Kurt Necesany (left) and Albrecht Bellstedt, 21 May 1943.

Bellstedt’s 14./KG 40 was re-designated I./ZG 1 in October 1943. The ace flew his last sortie over the Bay of Biscay on 16 May 1944. With the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June I./ZG 1 along with III./ZG 1 was hastily deployed to fly strafing attacks against the beaches, for which neither the aircraft nor the crews were prepared. Losses were heavy. In the space of just four days, 33 ZG 1 airmen were killed, three captured and five wounded. Among those killed were Oblt. Ulrich Hansen (Gruppenadjutant III./ZG 1), Lt. Kurt Löw (Staffelführer 7./ZG 1) and Lt. Knut Gmelin (Staffelführer  1./ZG 1). Bellstedt flew his fourth and last mission over Normandy on 10 June 1944. He was fortunate that for the rest of the month I./ZG 1 was withdrawn from the front and Bellstedt recorded seven so-called Bandbekämpfung or ‘anti-partisan’ missions against the Resistance in southern France. His last flight of the month took place on 30 June 1944. It was his 116th Feindflug.

The date 5 August 1944 marked the end of I./ZG 1. With its disbandment,its members were posted to other units. Until then, Bellstedt had only flown the Ju 88 and was now sent to Königsberg to retrain on the Fw 190. On 17 September 1944 he began flying fighter missions as the Staffelkapitän of 9. / Jagdgeschwader 2. Mombeeck published a poor quality image of Bellstedt and his new Staffel in his JG 2 history (volume 6). It is presumed that he did not survive his third mission after clashing with US fighters. He may have fallen victim to the 365th or the 368th Fighter Group. His Fw 190 crashed in the Limburg-Montabaur area (north-west of Frankfurt). Still only 22 years old, he was buried in Neuwied. To paraphrase Chris Goss, his 'successes', just like those of many of his pilot comrades in V./KG 40, have mostly been forgotten. 

new from Chandos - KG 40 - the Luftwaffe's multi-role strike Wing 1940-45 - A History

 

" ..Drawing on many years of research including interviews and correspondence with former aircrews, private accounts, unit records and reports, aviation historian Chris Goss presents the history of Kampfgeschwader 40 (KG 40), the Luftwaffe’s principal maritime anti-shipping unit and multi-role strike wing. KG 40 was formed in 1940 and operated successfully in the campaigns in Norway, the seas around Great Britain, over the Bay of Biscay, the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean, including missions over North Africa,and for a short time the Soviet Union. At various times the unit was equipped with the He 111,Fw 200, Ju 88, Do 217 and He 177. During the first half of the war, its four-engined, long-range Fw 200 Condors operated far out into the Atlantic, attacking merchant shipping and accounting for thousands of tons damaged or sunk. The unit also operated the Do 217 and He 177 bomber types, the latter armed with the latest, state-of-the-art guided bombs against maritime targets in Great Britain and the Mediterranean. Its Ju 88 C-6 ‘heavy’ fighters patrolled the waters of the Biscay from 1942-1944, protecting U-boats and Axis shipping and taking a heavy toll of Allied aircraft. This is the first time the complete operational record of this renowned bomber unit has been told, Gruppe by Gruppe, in the English language. The Geschwader’s story is enhanced through many personal accounts, archival research, some 600 photographs depicting the various aircraft types, their crews, the anti-shipping ‘aces’, the weapons and their Allied opponents, as well as many colour aircraft profiles. The appendices include valuable information such as officer lists, award lists and tables of known losses..."

Contents: 312 page hardcover, 560+ photos 29 colour profiles (11 Fw 200, 1 Bf 110, 4 Do 217, 3 He 111, 3 He 177, 7 Ju 88) 

Head over to the Chandos web site for page views,  pre-orders ,and more..

new from KP - early Fw 190s in 1:72

new-tool early Fw 190s in 1:72nd from KP due imminently. I built the Zvezda A-4 some time ago, but that one was a little disappointing in the area of the cowl exhausts, especially the lower cowl. More on that one here - and Peter Rodeike's article re the JG 1 'devil in the clouds' emblem, research which KP appear not to have seen...

II./JG 3 over Canterbury on 26 August 1940

" At 11.30am on Monday August 26, 1940, a large raid, including 12 Dornier Do 17’s and 40 Heinkel He 111’s, escorted by over 80 Messerschmitt Bf 109’s and Messerschmitt Bf 110’s approached Dover. While around 70 Hurricanes and Spitfires fought the Heinkels and their escorts, from Dungeness to Maidstone, the Boulton Paul Defiants of No.264 Squadron were directed alone onto the Do 17s, in the vicinity of Herne Bay. As they attacked the bombers from below, the Bf 109s immediately dived to protect the Do 17s..." (Hawkinge Battle of Britain museum FB page)

Among the Me 109 escorts over the coasts of north Kent was II./JG 3. Uffz Willy Finke of 4. Staffel JG 3 pressed home an attack on a Defiant but was spotted by P/O Kenneth Marston of No.56 Sqd. Marston opened up from close range (70 yards) sending Finke's Me 109 E-4 down. Finke crashed on the Chislet Marshes, south of Grays Farm near Reculver at around 12:30. In fact Finke was Marston's second Emil that morning - he had already also shot down Uffz. Fritz Buchner of 6./JG 3. Most sources have Buchner coming down in the sea (see below). Posted missing over the Thames estuary on 26 August 1940, Buchner's fate was only confirmed 44 years later when his Emil was excavated at Westgate on the north Kent coast..

"..During 1984, this crash site was the subject of a major excavation. The main wreckage was discovered at a considerable depth (between 35 and 40ft) and within the compacted tail section and cockpit were found the remains of the pilot. Evidence from the excavation, in the form of Uffz. collar tabs found on the uniform, an embroidered handkerchief with the initials "FB", a lucky charm and serial plates indicating the identity of the aircraft, seemed to provide compelling proof that the pilot was Unteroffizier Fritz Buchner, who had been officially listed as missing 44 years previously. However, it took a further two years for British and German authorities to agree on his identity. He was finally laid to rest, in the presence of surviving members of his family, with full military honours in the German War Cemetery at Cannock Chase on the 8th May, 1987.."   (dunkirk1940.org)

 Now that certain relics of Buchner's E-1 have been given to my local museum I was asked if I knew anything about his machine. The quick answer was not a lot! The loss listing does not reveal much about his Bf 109 aside from the variant and Werknummer. No Kennung given. Extract from the now-digitised Bundesarchiv "GQM Verluste und Unfälle" file RL 2- III/1574-75 covering the period Jun 40-Jan 41. See line 11. (Click to view full screen)

From the Breuer/Waiss " Heinz Sannemann -Ein Jagdfliegerleben in Berichten, Dokumenten, Fotos" (Helios, 2018)

 " Flug 924 am 26.08.1940. Start mit Bf 109 um 12:25 Uhr in Wierre au Bois. Landung um 13:50 Uhr in Wierre au Bois, 'Begleitung Do 17 Sauterborg, Defiant abgeschossen.."

On 26 August 1940, II./JG 3 were up from Wierre au Bois (12 km south-west of Boulogne on the Channel coast) to escort bombers raiding London. Gruppe TO Lt. Heinz Sannemann flying as Rottenflieger to the Kommandeur recorded in his 'Gefechtsbericht' that he shot an RAF fighter off the tail of his Kommandeur as the latter was downing a Defiant. It was Sannemann's second victory claim. A trail of white smoke streamed out behind the British fighter as it dove away heading back over the Kent coast. In a letter to his wife sent the next day, Sannemann wrote;

" Gestern haben wir über der Themsemündung eine Mords-Luftschlacht gehabt. Berstende Maschinen, Rauchsäulen und Fallschirme über Fallschirme!. Es is schon schoen, nur die armen Bomber sind dabei zu bedauern. Die müssten alle das EK I haben. Wir waren schon wieder in unserem Wigwam!  " 

.." Yesterday we had a hell of an air battle over the Thames estuary. Exploding machines, columns of smoke and parachutes upon parachutes! Everything's fine now, but the poor bombers are having a hard time. They must have all earned the EK I. We were already back in our wigwam!.."  (pilots accomodation 'Villa Wigwam' in Le Touquet that Sannemann shared with von Werra, until 5 September of course..)

After the chaos of the clash over the north Kent coast/Canterbury area that morning Sannemann spent the afternoon paddling a dinghy in the canal in Le Touquet and swimming with Simba the lion cub. Pfundig! ..just great!

Oblt. Heinz Schmidt 6./JG 52 - ebay photo find #386

 

This next 'find' is arguably more 'rare' than the previous image but 'only' sold for 121 euros; Heinz Schmidt, StaKa 6./JG 52, on the cockpit sill of his Gustav after returning with his 150th 'kill' on 12 August 1943 barely one month before he was posted missing. He had been awarded the EL for 102 vics in September 1942 at Pitomnik during the assault on Stalingrad - raising his 'score' from 50-100 in less than one month that summer. On the morning of 5 September 1943 he 'scored' victories 172 and 173 according to the Abschussliste in Barbas ('Geschichte der II. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52') but failed to return and was reported 'Nach Luftkampf vermisst, bei Kotelwa-Senkow, SU'. According to Barbas he was likely flying a 'yellow 7'. Lipfert replaced him in charge of 6. Staffel from mid-September 1943

Fw. Eugen Wintergerst 4./JG 77 - ebay photo find #385

 

Expired ebay auction

Bf 109 E  "white 8" belonged to Fw. Eugen Wintergerst, ace of II./JG 77.  Note 'Seeadler' emblem just forward of the cockpit. This image dates from August 1941 and shows his rudder scoreboard with some 14 Abschussbalken. He had filed seven claims following a single sortie on the early evening of 12 August 1941 on what was supposed to be a straightforward Werkstattflug or air test from Zebrikowo, north-west of Odessa. Wintergerst subsequently found himself single-handedly pursuing a Russian bomber formation of nine SB-3. When he returned to Zebrikowo, a 'higher-up' was waiting to congratulate him. Wintergerst was reluctant to get out of the cockpit of his Messerschmitt because of his (lack of) attire -  he had got airborne clad only in swimming trunks...(see Jochen Prien's JG 77 Vol 2, p 749 pp). He quickly gained six further victories before colliding with Lt Zuzic's Bf 109 to become a POW on 24 September 41. 

This image sold in December 2024 for nearly 500 euros...

Luftschraube Uhrzeit 12:30 - setting the propeller pitch in the Bf 109 Emil

 

In his 'Inside the cockpit - 'Messerschmitt Bf 109 E' video, Chris from the 'Military Aviation History' channel describes the dials on the instrument panel of the Deutsches Museum Emil. One small 'clock-like' indicator on the bottom right of the panel is marked "Luftschraube" - 'propeller'. All we see is a clock dial with no numerical markings but divided into hours and minutes.  This simple instrument relates to engine management in a 109 by aiding the pilot in selecting propeller pitch. This is the propeller pitch control indicator on early Emils - in early Emils there was no automatic propeller pitch control.

Simply put, the pilot set the pitch manually  - degrees of either 'fine' or 'coarse' according to the rpm - by selecting a 'clock time' - the  "Luftschraube Uhrzeit " as seen on performance charts. The Luftwaffe fighter pilot would have to learn the rpm and associated 'clock' settings to manage the engine at its most efficient settings and avoid 'over-speeding' the engine.

 Below; an extract from a wwiiaircraftperformance Bf 109 engine settings chart for 'Sperrflug'  or 'patrol'. From left to right , 'Altitude', 'RPM' 'Manifold pressure' and 'Prop pitch time' (Luftschraube Uhrzeit). Note the low rpm settings for increased endurance (lower fuel consumption).

Note: the sentences under the 'Sperrflug' table refer to later Bf 109 variants with auto pitch control and/or earlier variants with retro-fitted auto pitch control - which could be disengaged as required, eg takeoffs, landings or as here, when in the 'Sperrflug' regime - 'switch off' (ausschalten) the 'autocontrol' and adjust (einstellen) pitch either using the thumb control (Daumenschalter) on the throttle or the lever on the instrument panel' . The power settings given in the table give very low fuel consumption, perhaps about 100 ltr/h.

The electric VDM system was produced to compete with the American Hamilton standard 'hydramatic' pitch propeller control system and was different from most other propeller hub and pitch control systems - the centre of the hub was hollow so that it could be fitted to engines with centrally mounted engine armament such as the DB 600 series of engines. This resulted in the need for the propeller pitch control system to be remotely located as opposed to being located in the hub as it was in most other systems. 

 Below; prop pitch control mechanism on the side of the DB 601 engine in the Emil.

Prop pitch control lever on an Emil instrument panel

 When flying the Me 109 the pilot did not really need to know the exact degrees of the propeller's pitch, just what indications on the instrument related to the selection that was required; there were essentially two options, to 'coarsen' or to 'fine' the pitch. This corresponds to the two options available - "größer" moving the lever up and "kleiner" moving the lever down (in the same way a modern Airbus pilot does not need to know what exact degrees of flap and slats he is selecting - he just needs to know when he needs flaps one or flaps two) 

In early 109s (including the Emil) the control 'switch' was a lever attached to the instrument panel but as it became clear that flying an aircraft in combat and having to move your hand off the throttle (or the stick) to change the prop pitch was not a good idea, a rocker thumb switch was added to the top of the throttle. From this point on all the pilot had to do was move his thumb up or down to increase or decrease the prop pitch. 

A decrease in engine rpm means an increase in propeller pitch or coarsening the propeller blades and an increase in engine rpm means a decrease in propeller pitch and a 'fining' of the propeller blades. Thus there are no markings on the face of the 'Luftschraube 'clock'. It is read just like a clock - higher rpm means that the clock needs to rotate clockwise to its maximum reading of 12:30 which is fully fine on the prop pitch ( about 22 degrees). For lower rpm the clock should be rotated all the way round anti-clockwise to 4:30 which indicates the propeller is now fully coarse. (blade pitch about 70 degrees) .. 

The "Bf 109 Mecanik" youtube channel explains how this worked in both early (DB 601) and later (DB 605) variants of the Bf 109 in this short video.

Also on this blog

Contending with engine torque in late-war Bf 109s

new from Lela Presse - KG 54 Death's Head Geschwader history in two volumes, Luftwaffe in Romania

  

New from Peter Taghon through Lela Presse is a two volume history of the Death's Head Geschwader, KG 54, one of the Luftwaffe's most 'famous' bomber wings.  Volume I covers the Polish campaign to France and the Battle of Britain. Gruppen of  KG 54 were deployed on the Eastern Front, against Malta and in support of Rommel's Afrika Korps. A 16-page PDF extract is available on the publishers web site here. This superb 398-page large format volume was released at the end of last year with volume II due on 31 January. Free postage if ordered before the publication date...

Volume II opens with the Totenkopf facing the Allied invasion of Sicily before undergoing various withdrawals in mainland Italy. The Totenkopf left the Mediterranean for good at the end of 1943 to return to the West. The Geschwader was then deployed to operate over the UK as part of the bloody ‘Steinbock’ operation. Casualties were so high that II./KG 54 was disbanded in April 1944. Two months later, the Geschwader - now comprising just two Gruppen - faced the Allied landings in Normandy on missions that were just as costly in terms of men and equipment.

Fighting tooth and nail, KG 54 returned to the Reich where, in September 1944, it became a fighter unit equipped with the famous Me 262 jet. However, the jet still suffered from serious ‘teething issues', and KG (J) 54 (despite having been reinforced with a second Gruppe) was barely able to inflict more than pinpricks on the vastly superior Allied air forces. The unit was decimated. On 8 May 1945, the surviving personnel of the skull and crossbones Geschwader surrendered, their numbers then being mainly dispersed in Austria and Czechoslovakia. Volume II is another near 400-page volume with over 650 photos, 17 colour profiles and period documents. Table of contents follows..

The latest issue of BATAILLES AÉRIENNES has arrived! N°111 covers the history of the Luftwaffe in Romania, covering units such as JG 52, JG 77, JG 4, JG 301, various short and long-range recce units, SG 2, NJG 6 and NJG 100, all deployed at various intervals to cover the Ploesti oilfields. The artwork is by Eric Schwartz - the cover profile shows Kommandeur Ubben's III./JG 77 Gustav. This 96-page A-4 issue features around 200 photos, 8 high quality profile artworks and is also available as a digital download in PDF format. Just 10 euros! (for the downloadable version). Go here to order..

 

Messerschmitt Bf 109 V-13/14 - AZ Model 1:72nd

 

 Me 109 V-14 D-ISLU. Click on the image for a full-screen view..

The Me 109 V-14 was a 'racing' prototype powered by the new DB 601 engine. It is easily distinguishable by its large 'cylindrical' supercharger intake. The V-14 was coded D-ISLU and flown and crashed by Udet at Dübendorf in  Switzerland in 1937.  Devoid of all military equipment the V-14 was probably built from a very early Emil airframe - AZ refer to the E-01 and E-02. AZ do mould new fuselage halves and make a reasonably good job of it, although leaving the modeller to undertake some filling and filing work; most notably on the upper cowl MG troughs and the lower wing cannon bulges - which was a surprise as their E-1 kit comes with two sets of wings, one of which does not have the lower wing bulges. Unfortunately, this is just one of a number of modifications required to make a proper V-14 : spinner, air intakes, landing gear covers and bays all really need some attention. Note that all the cooling louvres are of different shape and position than on an Emil. The lower cowl oil cooler may be larger than AZ have made it  - simply cut off and substitute a normal Gustav radiator. Colour was 'weinrot' - not blue.. 

Model built by Michel Wilhelme. Photos of the V-14 scanned from the Van Ishoven archive. Click to view full screen.

Eduard Bf 109 G-6 as Kurt Gabler's 8./JG 300 'Moskito-chaser'

 Here's a great looking interpretation of Kurt Gabler's 8./JG 300 'Moskito-chaser' in 72nd scale!

" my first completion for 2025, wrapping up the 1/72 Eduard Bf-109 G-6. So impressed with this kit, but found room for some extra detailing with the cockpit, wheel wells and wheels, prop/spinner and aileron mass balances from the Brassin sets. The kit canopy was replaced with a Falcon vac-form, added the Fine Molds brass pitot and the seat belts were scratchbuilt using an old Model Technolgies buckle set. I have tried to follow some of the conventional wisdom that this Mosquito-Jager flown by Kurt Gabler of JG 300, had its fuselage paint removed, leaving a heavily worn natural metal finish. To try to capture this, the fuselage was covered with oxidised pieces of aluminium foil (mainly Reynolds wrap), then painted RLM 75 and gently sanded off with 4000 grit and steel wool to leave the worn finish and paint remnants in corners, around the panel lines and rivets, which was the effect I was looking for. The photos probably exaggerate it in the close up shots, but I am quite happy with the effect in real life. MRP and SMS paints were used with some very subtle oil paint weathering on the painted surfaces added and oil paint washes. The decals are from the EagleCals set, however, I also added the scribble on the rudder using a home made decal. Cannot praise this kit more, it’s a great model to build and I feel it really captures the look and sit of a 109..." Paul from 'Glossy Kits' on FB..

Below; the original Gabler 'red 8' pic here published over two full pages in a two-part feature I compiled for the now defunct 'Model Aircraft' magazine which appeared in the June and July 2014 issues. Entitled "Wilde Sau und Moskito Jagd" the 6000 word article featured the recollections of JG 302, NJGr.10 and NJG 11 pilots Fritz Gniffke and Walter Schermutzki over 12 pages in the two issues with some great artwork by Anders Hjortsberg. Osprey have a new title 'Wilde Sau' title in their combat units series (Streetly, 2024) but Gabler is not even mentioned. Nor are other JG 300 wilde Sau aces such as Wischnewski - while pilots that never flew 'wilde Sau' (eg the WWI vet Lindenberger) are featured in the 'Pilot bios' section...

 

Gabler flew both day and night sorties. For his account of downing the first Mosquito to be shot down over Berlin see the Casemate 'Day Fighter Aces' volume.. 

" As an Osprey book addict, I was quite impressed with this volume. The focus is less on detailed encyclopedic knowledge and more on interesting anecdotes and rare insights into the world of the late-war Luftwaffe. There are excerpts from memoirs long out of print and never printed in English, which are, to my knowledge, impossible to find anywhere else. I enjoyed the small handful of beautifully illustrated aircraft profiles and the attendant descriptions of the stories behind the aircraft.

As someone who collects books of this type, I'd say this is one of the best. A volume I return to again and again. Do get the printed version instead of the kindle version though. With the best will in the world, the formatting of this book does *not* lend itself to a kindle's screen, and you will just get frustrated with it..."

Review by Wolfgang Mercer