new Luftwaffe books - AXIS WINGS Volume 3 is here!

 

Volume 3 of the best Luftwaffe review/journal in the market is now on sale. Thick card covers, 184 large format pages on quality paper with a host of fascinating photos, artworks and articles from acknowledged Luftwaffe experts, attractively designed and laid out by Mark Nelson, who has his own Battle of Britain Me 109 feature in this issue. I won't list all the contents as I'm slowly working my way through the publication but some highlights;

-Tim Oliver presents a detailed biography over 20 pages of Hs 129 pilot Franz Birnbaum.

-Nick Beale with a diary record of a Ju 87 Nachtschlachter crew during the last months of the war on the Eastern Front.

-Chris Goss on KG 2 Me 410 ops over England.

-Sven Carlsen looks at KG 1 He 177s on the Eastern Front.

There are 12 lengthy articles in total plus 'Photo album', 'Reader feedback' and 'Axis library book review' pages. I'm looking forward to reading the Reggiane RE. 2000 feature (Mikael Olrog) - lets have more Italian fighters please, say, the G.50 in Finnish service, CR. 42 etc etc. For modellers planning to build a He 111 you need to read Alexander Steenbeck's feature on He 111 paint schemes.. The more 'technical' features in this issue cover anti-shipping radar (Martin Streetly and Andrey Kuznetsov) and Fw 190 high altitude fighters (Dietmar Hermann) while there is a comprehensive account by the editor of the activities of the 'Enemy Aircraft Servicing and Storage Unit' during 1945-46 which details a whole raft of flights and transfers undertaken by Luftwaffe aircraft - in particular of the 66 Ju 52s - that were flown to the UK after the war!

Given the amount of 'content' in Axis Wings it is excellent value and a 'must-have' for Luftwaffe enthusiasts. The text is always interesting, the photos of high quality and reproduced large, and the articles feature excellent maps, diagrams, Flugbuch and document extracts where appropriate with lots of informative captions. The colour profiles are superlative and feature 'cutaway' views of fuselage/cockpit area details where these would otherwise be obscured by wings/engines. Issue No. 4 of Axis Wings is in preparation. Issues 1-3 are still available via the Chandos website, following a limited reprint of Volume 1 along with a 'bundle' offer for all three.

To quote my friend Mike, this series is becoming a great source of knowledge for those of us that don't know everything already.

Don't miss them!

Go directly to the Chandos Publications website here

JG 54 von Bonin, Gruppe Philipp Friedrich - archive photo scan series #44

 

Geschwaderkommodore Maj. von Bonin's Fw 190 on a field strip somewhere in the East. Von Bonin was Kommandeur of I./JG 54 for 18 months before taking charge of III./JG 52 - while he scored some 60 victories with III./JG 52, this didn't stop Oblt. Grislawski (9./JG 52) referring to him on one occasion as an 'incompetent bastard' after a screw-up during a combat sortie. Maj. Bonin was subsequently appointed JG 54 Kommodore just before 'Zitadelle' in July 1943.

Below; Gruppe Philipp Bf 109 F-4 with 250kg bomb, spring 1942. The next two photos depict the new Kommandeur alighting from his F-2 at Krasnogvardeisk during March 1942. Major beim Stab markings (<II)

Above; 5./JG 54 StaKa Wolfgang Spate in March 1942. He was awarded the EL in April 1942 for 79 victories. At the same time he was recalled to take charge of Erprobungskommando 16 at Rechlin (Me 163). Below; 'Black 4' of 5. Staffel at Siverskaia during the winter of42-43. The first snow fell on 15 October..

new Luftwaffe books - Claes Sundin Luftwaffe fighters Profile book No. 15

New from Claes Sundin - Luftwaffe fighter aircraft Profile book No. 15

A limited-edition 'special'  (only 200 copies printed) which brings together all of the Eastern Front profile artworks produced by Claes to his best standards including some 30 brand new profile subjects prepared especially for this volume. This comprehensive collection of German fighter aircraft from the Eastern Front - some 230 machines illustrated including new Doras and KG(J) machines - will provide readers with an understanding and appreciation of how Luftwaffe fighter pilots - not necessarily all decorated aces by any means - responded to the evolution of aerial combat during the period 1941–1945, from the early days of Operation Barbarossa to the unconditional surrender in May 1945. Notes on colours and camo application for individual aircraft written by David E. Brown. Claes intends to produce similar limited editions in the future devoted to particular theatres and operations such as 'Fighters defending the West' or 'Luftwaffe fighters in the Mediterranean theatre' etc. The book is produced to the same landscape format as previous titles, presenting one profile per page, after an introductory text. As usual all the artworks are created after careful study of all available photographic evidence.

" ..Once again, Claes returns with a superb book. But this time, it's also larger in size, making it even more superb. Magnificent profiles and longer and more interesting texts. This new book dedicated to the Eastern Front should be the start of a mini-series of books dedicated to the different fronts, allowing us to learn about these aircraft from a different perspective. In short, a must-have without a doubt. Always waiting for the next one. Kudos to Claes..."

Stocked by the Lela Presse bookshop in the EU. 

Or from Claes directly. Not on his Centura website. Go here

Friedrich-Karl Müller's Bf 109 G-6/AS 'Red 2' - another update, another mystery ? (edit 22/10)

 

Another 'new' photo of  the 1./NJGr.10 Bf 109 G-6/AS 'Red 2' has come to light. Anders Hjortsberg has kindly modified his artwork for the Luftwaffe blog. Note the enlarged swastika painted across the rudder hinge line and WNr. 166277 across the top of the tailfin with the 77 in bold.

This 'Red 2' has come from the archive of the former Lufthansa B747 pilot and researcher Hartmut Küper. 

Küper has already published two volumes in his "Bonn-Hangelar: Geschichte eines Flugplatzes.." book series. In the course of his research he has been in contact with an aircraft mechanic by the name of Trapp - who worked on Friedrich-Karl Müller's machines at this airfield during the summer of 1944 and forwarded the following rather amazing image which, now for the first time as mentioned above, shows a Werknummer rather crudely painted across the top of  a tail-fin above Müller's scoreboard.

Anders Hjortsberg, who prepared the artwork of the 'original' 'Red 2' which first appeared here some 10 years ago and which can now be widely found on decal sheets and kit box artwork - although not with a detailed rudder scoreboard or WNr - has studied the image and produced the following revised profile. Anders writes;

" ..here's an updated version of the profile. I've added the enlarged swastika and the crude W.Nr. I've updated my templates with new shapes and such since I first did the Müller machine so here it is, in my current standard with bolder "77" and a new fuselage cross, as I realised that Müllers machine had the slightly broader angles sometimes seen on Mtt Regensburg aircraft. I dislike doing these kind of markings as in the end, unless you know the photo it is based on, it just looks as if I'm a sloppy artist !.." (Click on the artwork to get a large wide screen view)

And the 'new' mystery?  The rudder decoration appears to be the same as previously illustrated here when this artwork of 'Red 2' was last updated in March 2023.  25 victory markings, the 24th displaying the inscription 'Mosquito' (English-language spelling!).

Or is it? 

According to evidence presented in Peter Schmoll's "Me 109 Produktion und Einsatz" (a report into the structural integrity of the tall wooden tail built by sub-contractors) the WNr 166 batch may have contained some G-14s as well as G-6 and G-6/AS machines. Note the non-standard camouflage on the horizontal stabiliser - a sort of 'stripey' effect- which seems to suggest a non-standard or sub-contracted  tail and horizontal stab. This indicates to one informed commentator at least that perhaps F-K Müller had a second machine at his disposal. After all, most unit leaders certainly did. And as he suggested to me;  " Müller may have had a second back-up machine  - the last two digits of the Werknummer were in BOLD to easily distinguish between the two machines.."  Of course there may or may not be logbook evidence to back up this theory - but then again, even if there isn't, Müller only flew a handful of sorties in 'Red 2' anyway...

Anders again;

".. The area around the cockpit clearly shows factory applied camouflage in a pattern you'd expect from Mtt Regensburg at the time. Yet the tailplane is not standard at all. At first I thought that this was perhaps a conversion from Erla Antwerp but those would have been all RLM 76 and not shown original camouflage on the rest of the fuselage. So I guess the tailplane was perhaps repainted or replaced at one time or another. So Red 2 could still be 166277 although two different aircraft would still be possible. The main wings might be painted in a rare, very simple scheme sometimes seen on Regensburg Gustavs that I haven't been able to nail down exactly. I've yet to find an explanation for the tailplane though... .."

Bf 109 G-6/AS “Red 2” was flown by Hptm. Friedrich-Karl Müller, CO of 1./NJGr 10 during July and August 1944. This rare image (below) was taken on the occasion of the visit of Müller’s wife and son to the ace during the summer of 1944. The very large bunch of flowers was most likely presented to mark the  award of the Ritterkreuz during July 1944 for 23 victories which was followed shortly thereafter by Müller's promotion to command I./NJG 11. Müller’s 24th victory on 23 August 1944 was his first (and only?) Mosquito. He made at least six flights with this Bf 109 G-6/AS “Red 2” from 26 July 1944, including two combat sorties from Werneuchen during the night of 27-28 July 1944. These Moskito hunting missions were timed at 00:03-00:44 and then from 01:10-01:53 followed by landings back at Werneuchen in both cases. Both sorties were evidently unsuccessful. According to his ‘erster Wart’, Gefreiter Hans Knott, it was this same ‘Red 2’ which was then repainted ‘Green 3’ early in September 1944 when Müller took over I./NJG 11 and elected to re-use his preferred number. I./NJG 11 was established in early September 1944 by expanding Müller’s 1./NJGr. 10 to Gruppe strength. The unit shifted back to Bonn-Hangelar before moving to Biblis near Mannheim.

Thanks to Anders Hjortsberg, Hartman Küper, Jochen Prien and Brian Bateman Art for assistance with this blog post. Brian is currently researching and illustrating aircraft flown by F-K Müller.

The long life of Werner Mölders' Bf 109 F-1 WNr 5628 - 85th anniversary of the first combat flights of the Bf 109 Friedrich

 

written and researched by Dom Massard (with additional material by FalkeEins)


On 9 October 1940 - as the Battle of Britain was drawing to a close - the leading ace on the Channel Front, Maj.Werner Mölders, Kommodore of JG 51, flew his first combat sortie ('Frontflug') out over the channel from Pihen, south-west of Calais, at the controls of a Bf 109 F.  He flew a second almost hour-long sortie in the new machine that same afternoon. More of the new Friedrichs continued to arrive through the month. At I./JG 51 Kommandeur Brustellin was photographed in the cockpit of one machine, just prior to being transferred to I./JG 53 to replace Hans-Karl Mayer who disappeared on 17 October. Meanwhile Mölders brought his 'score' up to 49 at the controls of his 'old' Bf 109 E-4 (WNr. 3737). His first victory in the Friedrich was returned during the afternoon of 22 October. That day the Kommodore was airborne from Pihen at 15:00 (CET) at the controls of Bf 109 F-1 WNr. 5628 with his Geschwader on a Jabo escort mission over Kent.

The Luftwaffe fighters were intercepted by 605 Sqn Hurricanes some 40 minutes later. According to the written annotation in his 1940 Flugbuch, ".. Major Mölders accounted for three Hurricanes north-west of Maidstone, Kent for his victories 49, 50 and 51. "  Mölders repeated this feat on 25 October, with two more RAF fighters apparently downed. This second sortie was flown with his wingman and friend Hptm. Hans Asmus, who  'famously' came down in England in Mölders' Emil.  It is therefore entirely probable that during the early afternoon of 25 October 1940 Mölders was flying Bf 109 F-1 WNr. 5268 with 53 victory markings on the rudder scoreboard alongside his own Emil with its 49 victory markings on the rudder! (as depicted, below, by Bruno Pautigny on the cover of Many Soufan's now-defunct "Aces" magazine issue no. 14)

To complete the story of the early combat history of the Friedrich, Kommandeur Brustellin had been replaced by the StaKa of 1./JG 51 Oblt. Joppien who was in turn replaced by Oblt. Georg Claus. Up to 8 December when JG 51 shifted back to Germany Joppien returned some seven victories. Claus claimed three but was lost over the Thames estuary on 11 November flying Bf 109 F-1 WNr. 5635 (SG+ED) - the first Friedrich lost in combat. Meanwhile Mölders completed some 15 sorties at the controls of a Friedrich before the Geschwader went back to Germany for rest and refit on 8 December 1940.. 

Most writers discussing the early career of the Bf 109 Friedrich stop here. However Dominique Massard recently had the opportunity to access one of ace Werner Mölders' Flugbücher covering the period from February 1941 up to Barbarossa  – available via the website of the NASM archive (thanks to Jasmine Faye for help accessing the Flugbuch...) . 

Dominique continues;

"...When reviewing Mölders' Flugbuch for early 1941, I was surprised to discover that his preferred machine during early 1941 on the Channel front was not the recent Bf 109 F-2 tested during December 1940 and received during January 1941, but his older Bf 109 F-1 WNr 5628… that he first flew  during October 1940 !

The Flugbuch data speaks for itself - I've looked at the data for the six-month period from December 1940 to May 1941:

- Bf 109 F-1 WNr 5628 was flown on 105 missions (70% of missions of this period), the last one on May 7th, just after having scored twice on this plane, on May 4th and 6th (his 66th and 67th victories)

-Bf 109 F-2 WNr 6060 was flown on 10 missions only (9,5%): 1 or 2 flights only per month, from December to May, except for the months of March and April when the ace flew no sorties in this machine…

- More surprisingly perhaps, during late February 1941 Mölders flew sorties in an 'old' Bf 109 E-4/N WNr 3819. He later flew another 7 missions on another 109 E-4 WNr ? “Black 6” … and even returned victories on both of these “old” Emils ! He also flew  five missions on the spare F-1 WNr 5629 during April 1941.

As a result, during this six month period he claimed;

 

- eight victories on the F-1 type : 

- five victories on WNr 5628, and three on WNr 5629 

- four victories on the old 109-E : two on WNr 3819, and two on  'weisse 6'

- a single victory only on his new 109 F-2 WNr 6060… 

Strangely enough, this Bf 109 F-1, easily recognizable with its over-painted factory code letters "SG + GW" and absence of Kommodore markings, was rarely photographed. His Bf 109 F-2 appears to illustrate most of the published images showing his Friedrich and is thus often confused with this F-1 and vice-versa, having very similar victory scoreboard displays on their rudders….."

Below; a rare view of Mölders’ Bf 109 F-1 WNr 5628, with the factory code "SG + GW" still visible, despite being roughly over-painted. Image dates from around December 40 - January 41 (55 victories on rudder). The lower half of the rudder still appears to be painted in yellow. Mölders’ scored his 54th victory on 29 October 1940 - at the controls of an Emil. (D. Massard photo)

With the help of the National Air & Space Museum the following further commentary by Dominique Massard is the most complete analysis of  Werner Mölders combat career in the Bf 109 F over the Channel front yet published. Indeed up to now the only published Mölders log-book extracts have been taken from the 1940 book. These extracts from the ace's 1941 Flugbuch are reproduced here with permission of the NASM.

below, Page 43 of Mölders’s 1941 Flugbuch shows that Bf 109 F-1 WNr 5628 was regularly flown in February 1941 rather than his F-2 (three flights only); a single victory (his 56th) was claimed on WNr 5628 on 10 February 1941. This clarifies a note in the "Aces" magazine feature which stated ".. it is not known whether Mölders' 56th victory on 10 February was returned on his F-1 WNr. 5628 or his new F-2 WNr. 6060 delivered in late-January 1941 in Germany.."

 Page 44 of Mölders’s Flugbuch : From 19-22 February 1941 Mölders even flew an old Bf 109 E (“Weisse 6”)…. and claimed his 57th and 58 victories ! (the existing pictures of Mölders on this plane, were therefore certainly taken this day)

 Page 45 of Mölders’s Flugbuch :  during March, Mölders flew his 'old' F-1 WNr 5628, and claimed his 61 and 62nd victories.

 Page 49 of Mölders’s 1941 Flugbuch : On  15 and 16 April, Mölders claimed a total of three victories on his spare F-1 WNr. 5629 (his 63-65). Again not on his F-2 ! Colour period images showing 65 victories on a yellow rudder usually state that the aircraft concerned is Bf 109 F-2 WNr. 6060. This appears increasingly unlikely as he was not flying this machine...

Same page 49, bottom : In April and May 1941, his F-1 WNr 5628 was still his preferred plane, with two more victories claimed in this machine (66th and 67th victories) He flew his F-2 (WNr 6060) only during his final two sorties on the Channel Front, flown on 8 May, claiming his 68th victory, a Spitfire off Dover. (Note WNr. transcribed as 6660!) His subsequent victories were claimed on the Eastern Front, during Barbarossa.

Thanks to Dominique for sharing his research. He adds that his next research 'step' will be to identify which plane flew Mölders one month later, during Barbarossa… If anybody has a copy of the second Flugbuch from 1941, we would very much like to take a look! Maybe some other surprises to discover ? 

Below; Mardyck, just west of Dunkirk, on the Channel coast, probably late April 1941 - 65 victories on the all-yellow rudder. The Friedrich is probably his F-2 WNr. 6060, but the Kommodore was only very occasionally flying this newer machine. (via Roba)

Doras of Jagdgeschwader 6 on the Eastern Front - archive photo scan #43

 

Brand-new Dora-9s as delivered to JG 6 early in 1945.  These machines seen in Welzow are still in their factory finish. Previously published in Rodeike's 'Jagdflugzeug 190'

Below; two views of the new Kommodore of JG 6 seen in early February 1945 after a Werkstattflug test flight in one of the unit's new Doras. Just below the canopy note the stencil for the MW 50 tank. Early Doras fitted with the 'stock' Jumo 213 A engine did not provide much of a performance improvement over the Fw 190 A-8 and were fitted with MW 50 boost tanks. Availability of supplies of methanol were erratic, so a "Ladedruckssteigerungs¬Rustsatz" modification was put in hand. As the name suggests this allowed higher manifold pressure and enabled an increase in power output from 1750 to 1900 hp without an additional boosting agent such as the MW or the GM-1 kit. 

If, by late April 1945, Berlin was on the verge of capitulation, in south-eastern Germany and parts of Austria and Czechoslovakia, there were still large German formations continuing to resist the Soviet 4th and 1st Ukrainian Fronts. On or around April 20, the Dora-9s of II./JG 6 flew into Kummer am See in northern Bohemia, Czechoslovakia – part of the so-called and hastily thrown-together ‘Gefechtsverband Rudel’. Rudel, the ‘famous’ Stuka ace recalled his return to a front command and a sortie in the new Dora following his leg amputation;

“ ..Shortly before I take off Fridolin rings up and tells me to fly straight to the Sudetenland; he is just on the point of moving the unit to Kummer am-See near Niemes. In the aircraft at first I feel very strange, but I am soon back in my element. Steering is complicated by the fact that I can use only one foot on the rudder-bar. I can exert no pressure on the right because I have not yet got an artificial limb ..[..], So an hour and a half later I land on my new airfield at Kummer.. our airfield lies amid magnificent scenery between two spurs of the Sudeten mountains surrounded by forest with good-sized lakes near by and at Kummer itself a lovely forest-girt tarn. On the other side of the Sudeten mountains it is still foggy and as we cannot go out on a sortie I take up a FW 190 D 9 and give an exhibition of low and high flying acrobatics. That genius, Lt. Klatzschner, my engineer officer, has already readjusted the foot brakes, which are indispensable for this fast aircraft, so that they can be operated by hand. As I come down to land all the men are gesticulating violently and pointing up into the sky. I look up and through the gaps in the ragged cloud cover I can see American fighters and Jabos, Mustangs and Thunderbolts circling above…..[..] .Fresh weather reports from the Gorlitz-Bautzen area forecast a gradual clearing-up of the weather, so we take off. The Soviets have by-passed Gorlitz and pushed on beyond Bautzen, which is encircled with its German garrison, in the hope of reaching Dresden by way of Bischofswerda to effect the collapse of Field Marshal Schoerner's front..”

Their Doras loaded with AB 250 Abwurfbehälter the pilots of II./JG 6 flew ground-attack and strafing sorties against these Soviet spearheads pressing north along the Bautzen-Königswartha-Hoyerswerda road between Görlitz and Dresden.

According to Rudel’s account, Bautzen was ‘relieved’ and a large number of vehicles and tanks destroyed. The logbooks of two surviving Fw 190 D-9 pilots allow a glimpse at some of the last-ditch sorties flown. Just after mid-day on Tuesday 24 April Tuesday Fw. Karl ‘Charly’ Hoffmann was up from Kummer am See (Niemes-Süd) in his ‘black 4’ and claimed four Soviet trucks destroyed before landing safely at 13:30. His comrade, Ofw. Herrmann ‘Hermy’ Härtel of 7./JG 6, was airborne at 15:20, returning to Kummer at 16:15 having again accounted for four trucks as noted in his Flugbuch. Härtel had flown over one hundred combat sorties since 1940 and had claimed his first victories just days earlier, downing two Yak fighters on April 17.

The following day Soviet forces reached the Elbe at Torgau (Saxony) where they linked up with American forces. The Doras of II./JG 6 continued to fly defensive sorties. Fw. Hoffmann was airborne at the controls of ‘black 2’ in the sector Sagan-Cottbus. Flying Fw 190 D-9 ‘Langnase’ ‘black 8’ Härtel was up from Kummer am See but landed late in the afternoon in Görlitz. Despite adverse weather conditions that hampered flying activity during early May, Ofw. Härtel noted several further sorties in his log book. On May 5 he flew a combat mission from the Feldflugplatz (field strip) of Alt-Chemnitz - some five days after Hitler’s suicide. On May 8 both pilots flew west into Halle-Nietleben and American captivity, probably the last flights undertaken by the Fw 190 D-9.

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R2 Butcherbirds / Rammjäger of IV./JG 3 - archive photo scan #42

 

New Fw 190 decals in 48th from the Czech ASK Art Scale Kit (Art Scale Kit Item No. D48075 - Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R2 Part 2) features Butcherbirds / Rammjäger of IV./JG 3.

Reference photos are provided in the package ..but here is a better view of 'black 12' which was apparently lost during the transit from Germany to Normandy making a forced landing in France shortly after the Gruppe was sent west following the D-Day landings. Note over-painted rear fuselage band. Click on the image for a wide-screen view.

Fw-190 A-8/R2, 'black 12', Wnr.730282, IV.(Sturm)/JG 3,  June 1944.

more Zerstörer - new Luftwaffe books

Volume 5 of the Paul Stipdonk/Michael Meyer ZG/NJG series is now published in hardback by JAPO. Click on the cover image to go to the JAPO web site for a contents listing and sample pages. Another 304-page book of Zerstörer, this volume is devoted primarily to III./ZG 26, ZG 52, V./KG 40 and ZG 76 and features around 600 photos, the majority processed by the authors from the original negatives and reproduced in high quality by JAPO. The text comprises outline histories of each individual Staffel and StaKa with loss details where known.

Vols 1-4 of this series were previewed on this blog here

A few examples of each of these volumes are still available from the authors at this link, while in the US you can still get these from ebay seller 'Luftdad'. 

 Elsewhere the current issue of "Flypast" has published a review by Andy Thomas of Book 2 of the Casemate Illustrated two-volume set on the NJG aces

And a comment from a blog reader just received;

".. Just received the night fighters book - very nicely done! Actually a few pics I have not seen before, including that He 219 pic and several others. Only criticism was on page 20 where Hajo Herrmann was listed as one of 4 KIA. Great personal accounts of mission action and using Claes Sundin as the profile artist is top notch... "

NAG Gustav - archive photo scan #41

 

an image recently seen on ebay.de as part of the Petrick archive sale showing the activities of an NAG - battlefield short-range recce -Bf 109 G Staffel on the southern sector of the Eastern Front during 1943. This is 'white 3' - other images show  'white 2'. Click on the image to view full-screen.

These images are part of a bigger PK series in the LWEK files held at the ECPA-D in the southern Parisien suburb of  Ivry

Uffz. Karl Schmitz, 6./JG 27 -archive photo scan #40

 

Uffz. Karl Schmitz of 6.Staffel JG 27 is seen here on the presentation of an EK II for his first victory, a B-17 downed over Nancy during the Schweinfurt-Regensburg raid on 14 October 1943. Wearing the award, Schmitz poses proudly for photos in front of his Bf 109 G-6 ‘yellow 4’. 

After shifting back to Germany from Italy in late July 1943, the Gustavs of II./JG 27 were based in Wiesbaden but from early September regularly flew out to their 'advanced' airfield at St. Dizier (north-eastern France, west of Strasbourg) when put on alert to counter USAAF raids. According to Schmitz - who flew as Rottenflieger to Oblt. Kientsch - 6. Staffel claimed 14 victories during their brief spell on mainland Italy, 13 of which were 'credited' to Kientsch.....

For personal accounts and more images from Karl Schmitz see my 16-page feature "JG 27 in the defence of the Reich" published in "Luftwaffe Fighters - Combat on all Fronts" Vol 2

" Die England-Einsätze " - Oblt. Theo Rossiwall 5./ZG 26

 

Extracted from a period 'booklet' published in late 1941 ("our third Christmas at the front") for members of 5./ZG 26 and apparently written/compiled by the Staffelkapitän of 5./ZG 26 Hptm. Rossiwall and individually signed by him. I was given this on a trip to Belgium a few years ago. Rossiwall's introduction alludes to the fact that ZG 26 had by this stage of the war shot down over 700 enemy aircraft and destroyed around 1,000 on the ground and the last sentence of his diary text concludes " [..].. the end of the huge campaign in the East is slowly drawing near.."

Die England-Einsätze

 ".. the period of missions against England ('England-Einsätze') began in mid-August 1940. For obvious reasons I can't go into as much detail as I have done on the campaigns already concluded. Looking back on it though everyone says that it was the best time in terms of combat ("..so sagt jeder, dass es kämpferisch die schönste Zeit war..") We shifted from Crécy to St.Omer and found ourselves assigned the best accommodation in a small farmhouse with running water and electricity. We later moved to St. Aubin near Lisieux were we were put up in a villa with a bathroom and warm running water. In total we flew 45 missions over England, firstly against London and targets in the vicinity of the capital - usually from our Absprungshafen or 'jump-off' airfield at Théville - and then against towns along the south coast, penetrating inland as far as Yeovil and Bristol.  

The Staffel was extremely fortunate (..' Die Staffel war ausgesprochen vom Glück begünstigt..'). We shot down twenty enemy aircraft - all fighters - for the loss of just a single crew. Although this one hit us hard - Ofw. Rochel and his BF Uffz. Schöffler failed to return from an 'enemy flight' on 2 September (Feindflug or sortie). It was not until 24 September that we were enormously relieved to hear that they were both uninjured in British captivity. Uffz. Franke with his radio operator Uffz. Hübner were assigned to 6. Staffel the unit they were flying with when they were shot down on 30 August. We learnt on 13 September that they too were in British hands..attempting to put down on one engine on 2 September Fw. Müller crashed from a height of 10 metres and flipped over on his back. He himself was able to return to the Staffel in December but his Funker Uffz. Gröhl was badly injured and as I write this is still undergoing hospital treatment. On 23 August we lost Oblt. Niebuhr who was posted to take charge of 4. Staffel. He took Uffz. Thiessen with him. On 31 August Uffz. Lohoff - BF in Uffz. Leinfelder's crew - was slightly injured and hospitalised in Brussels. On 29 September Oblt. Hubel took over the leadership of 4. Staffel with his BF Uffz. Schrodt following the death of  Oblt. Niebuhr ( shot down and KIA on 27 September in Bf 110 '3U+IM' with his BF Thiessen near Arne, Dorset) Oblt. Ihrcke was transferred to 6. Staffel... "

ZG 26 Kommodore was Oberst Huth up to 31 August 1940, succeeded from 01 September by Oberstleutnant Johannes Shalk. ZG 26’s I Gruppe was commanded by Hptm. Wilhelm Makrocki through the Battle of Britain. Awarded the RK in October 1940 he was shot down on 21 May 1941 off the coast of Crete during the operation to take the island - 'Merkur'. Hptm Ralph von Rettberg headed II Gruppe during the Battle of Britain. Rettberg was awarded the RK on the eve of Barbarossa on June 14, 1941.

In addition to these aces, ZG 26’s line-up included several among the Staffelkapitäne: Hptm Wilhelm Spies (RK also on 14 June, 1941) of 1./ZG 26 later Kommandeur I./ZG 26, Oberleutnant Johannes Kiel of 4./ ZG 26 and Oblt Theodore Rossiwall of 5./ZG 26 who had replaced Hptm. d'Elsa badly wounded on 18 May. 

Above; Hptm. Makrocki with RK awarded 6 October 1940. 

A 'souvenir' photo of flying personnel and ground-crew of I./ZG 26 taken in northern France (St. Omer) probably just prior to the Battle of Britain during June. Makrocki's Bf 110 with Kommandeur chevrons is the backdrop. 

Frankreich-West.- Zerstörergeschwader 26, Oberleutnant Theodor Rossiwall am Cockpit seiner Messerschmitt Me 110 (BA Bild 101I-341-0496-33)

Bottom left;  portrait in Rossiwall's booklet of Oblt. Sophus Baagoe who claimed two Spitfires off Dover on 14 July and two more on 18 August ('the hardest day') and made further Spitfire claims on 11,12 and 13 September with 8./ZG 26. At the time of his death - just prior to the landings on Crete - he was flying with 5./ZG 26 and with around 14 claims was one of the leading Zerstörer pilots. His BF Ofw. Daniel Becker is lower right.