#50 in our ongoing series of rare images scanned for this blog from various 'professional' and 'personal' collections. A selection of these KG 76 Ju 88s recently appeared for sale on ebay.de but obviously the seller didn't post them in this quality. Professionally photographed, they depict the activities of a motorised Werftzug on an Eastern Front airfield (Kursk) during the summer of 1942. The Werftzug was an organizational unit, specifically a technical or maintenance platoon/section, typically attached at the Gruppe level. Its primary function was to provide essential maintenance, technical support, and repair services for the aircraft within its assigned Gruppe, which usually consisted of approximately 30-40 aircraft. The personnel in the Werftzug included ground crew, mechanics, and other technical specialists responsible for keeping the aircraft operational. The Werftzug was an integral part of the operational structure of a flying unit, ensuring that the aircraft were maintained and ready for combat missions. The term Zug translates to "platoon," indicating a relatively small but vital body of specialist personnel and equipment. Note the 'F1' code on the Ju 88 (KG 76) and the 'C' heavy fighter with the 'fake' over-painted nose intended to 'disguise' the heavy forward firing armament.
