Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey Stuka in colour

 

A Ju 87 D-5 of the Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey seen about to depart on a sortie from Immola during July 1944. Earlier D-series aircraft generally retained the 7.92 mm MG 17 wing machine guns, but the D-5 replaced them with a pair of MG 151/20 cannon to improve the Stuka's ground-attack capability. This may be an SA-Kuva image (see p71 of Falconer's "Haynes Manual") and may be (period) colorised.

On the Ju 87 D-5, the underwing racks were not simply generic ETC racks. The D-5 could carry a variety of underwing stores on specialized wing-mounted bomb carriers or Schlosslafetten (bomb-carriage mountings) as here. The D-5's ground-attack role made extensive use of these wing stations for SC 50s, SC 70s, fragmentation bomb containers and other stores. The underwing ETC 50/VIIIdTp bomb racks allowed bombs and containers weighing up to 300 kg to be suspended... The fuselage racks: 1000/500/IXb — centreline rack for the heaviest bombs. 500/IXc — centreline rack for lighter bombs. Detachment Kuhlmey (Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey) took 33 Ju 87 D-5 Stukas to Finland as the dive-bomber component of I./SG 3. The complete force that arrived at Immola in June 1944 consisted of approximately 70 combat aircraft, including: 33 Ju 87 D-5 dive bombers (I./SG 3) 29–62 Fw 190 A-6 fighters (II./JG 54) 16 Fw 190 F fighter-bombers (I./SG 5) 1–8 Bf 109 G-8 reconnaissance aircraft (I./NAGr 5)

more KG 100 He 177s - archive photo scan #53

 

Loading a KG 100 He 177 for a raid on England on a French airfield, perhaps Châteaudun just south of Paris - this is most likely an He 177 A-5 which featured the broader wing and heavy under-wing bomb carrying capability. The bomb being manhandled under the wing is likely either an SC 1000 'Hermann' or possibily an SC 1800 'Satan'. The SC 2500 'Max' was the heaviest air-dropped bomb used by the Luftwaffe and could be carried by the He 177. It was also too large for the internal bomb bay of the He 177 which was divided into two longitudinal 'sections'. Given that the ground crew are still able to manipulate the bomb on a wheeled trolley the ordnance being loaded is probably not the 'Max'.. The SC 1000 had a length of 2.5 m and a width of 0.65 m.

Kurfürst K-4 cockpit revisions

 

The cockpit of the Bf 109 K-4 was not simply a late-war Gustav cockpit with a few new instruments. One of the most noticeable internal changes was on the starboard sidewall, where Messerschmitt redesigned the layout as part of the K-series standardization program.

On the Bf 109 G-series, including the G-6, a prominent fuel line associated with the external drop tank system ran along the upper part of the starboard cockpit sidewall. It featured a 'clear' window cut-out to enable the pilot to detect the first air bubbles indicating that the tank was approaching empty. All Friedrichs and Gustavs had the fuel line for the drop tank running on the upper right hand side of the cockpit. On the K-4 the fuel system routing was revised. The conspicuous starboard-side fuel feed pipe was eliminated from the cockpit sidewall, reducing exposed 'plumbing' within the cockpit. As a result;

- the K-4's right sidewall appeared cleaner and less cluttered than that of a G-6.

- the large exposed fuel feed pipe characteristic of the Gustav cockpit was absent

- equipment and controls on the right side were rearranged around the new sidewall structure.

- the Kurfürst starboard cockpit wall features a circuit breaker box. (below) Note the FuG 16 and FuG 25 to the bottom right. 

K-4 instrument panel showing the Revi 16 sight which could be folded aside when not in use. In this view the Revi has been re-positioned out of the pilot's line of sight to improve visibility (eg, when taxiing). Below this the classic six instruments of the blind flying panel. Note too just under the coaming three ammo indicators for the K-4; one for the 30 mm MK 108 cannon firing through the propeller hub and two for the engine cowl 13 mm MG 131 machine guns. (thank you Charlie!) 

Wurmheller receives the DKiG - Bundesarchiv photo find#14

 

This brief report by PK Brütting consists of just three images entitled 'Frankreich.- Feldflugplatz. Auszeichnung eines Piloten'. (A field strip in France - a pilot is presented with an award). These show Oesau pinning a DKiG to the tunic of JG 2 ace Wurmheller who received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold) on 21 August 1942. He was awarded this 'honour'  - the 'Spiegelei' or 'fried egg'- just days after the actions over Dieppe where he supposedly shot down 7 opponents with a broken leg!  At the time he was an Oberfeldwebel. He would soon be promoted to Leutnant and be nominated for the Eichenlaub. He is seen here in front of 'yellow 3' of III./JG 2.

Also on this blog

Wurmheller at Vannes, August 1943

Wurmheller at Dieppe, August 1942

Maj. Helmut Leicht - St.G 77 - archive photo scan #53

Helmut Leicht enrolled at Luftkriegschule 4 (Air Warfare School No. 4) in Berlin-Gatow on 6 April 1936 and, on 1 July 1937, joined I. Gruppe of Stuka Wing 165 as a Leutnant; this unit became I. /Stukageschwader 77 in May 1939. With 1. Staffel he took part in the campaigns in Poland and the West, flying sorties over both France and England during the summer of 1940. On 6 February 1941, was appointed Staffelkapitän  of the Ergänzungsstaffel des Stuka-Geschwaders 77. On 28 June 1941, he returned to 1. Staffel and was seriously wounded during his first mission over Russia. Following his recovery, he served as Staffelkapitän of 2./ StG 77 from 3 January 1942 to 10 January 1943 and also as acting Kommandeur of I. Gruppe. After around 400 combat sorties, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross with the rank of Hptm. on 3 September 1942. From 11 January to 22 April 1943, he served on the staff of IV Fliegerkorps and took command of II./Stukageschwader 77 in April 1943. Promoted to Major on 1 October 1943, he was seriously wounded on 9 November 1943. After his recovery, on 5 May 1944 he resumed command of II. / Stuka-Geschwader 77, which became III. / Schlachtgeschwader 10 in May 1944. On 26 June 1944 Leicht failed to return from his 600th combat mission. Sellhorn who flew with him in 1./St.G 77 indicated that he was lost on 22/06/44 in his own caption to this image, while 'Kracker' states this occurred on his 900th sortie! Flying Fw 190 F-8 WNr. 930483 "Green 1" he was reportedly last seen attacking enemy columns in the area south-east of Vitebsk. Probably the first Ju 87 Stuka 'ace' to be shot down and killed in a Fw 190, Leicht was awarded a posthumous Eichenlaub. In this rare image Leicht is seen at the controls of a Storch, probably during 1942. Click to view full screen,

Lt. Frommlowitz of the Gruppenstab I./St.G 77 in front of a Ju 87 D, 1943

 

Ju 87 Stukas in the Blitzkrieg

 

On 10 May, 1940, the Wehrmacht launched the Westfeldzug, code-named 'Fall Gelb', the campaign in the West. All Ju 87 units (except I./St.G. 1) were committed over France, Belgium and the Netherlands, i.e. around 350 machines. The Ju 87s were quickly feared by their adversaries as they pursued their Blitzkrieg (lightning war) in close collaboration with German ground and Panzer forces. Flying up to four sorties per day, the Stuka units suffered about 30% losses. With barely any rest period they were then dispatched on missions over England. This dusty, slightly battle-worn Ju 87 of III./St.G. 51 was photographed at the end of the campaign. This Gruppe would soon be incorporated in St.G. 1.

Probably unsurprisingly the Junkers Ju 87, the Luftwaffe’s 'Sturzkampfflugzeug' (dive-bombing aircraft) or 'Stuka' has inspired myth and urban legend.. As Spanish Civil War historian Gerald Howson  described, a veteran of the International Brigades who was at Dunkirk related how the Stukas operating over the Low countries and France during May 1940 had not been a novelty for him since he had already encountered them in Spain... Unlikely since the Germans sent only a handful of Stukas to Spain and, in all probability what had been seen in Spain was another type entirely. Similarly, Italian Ju 87s flew from Belgian bases in May 1940 to bomb columns of refugees in the south of France. The Italians though did not receive Stukas until much later, and the Stuka's endurance hardly allowed it to operate at those sorts of ranges. But then Ju 87s were 'omnipresent' during the Second World War. Popular TV 'historical' documentaries - including episode 1 of a brand-new WW II history series- generally feature footage of panicked columns of refugees fleeing in May/June 1940 interspersed with clips showing the 'shrill screams of the Stuka's sirens' as they dive-bombed these same columns. Horrific stories accompanied by 'blood-curdling' sound effects are related over background scenes of the ever-present Ju 87s swooping down accompanied by film of entire buildings collapsing like a house of cards. Even 'serious' authors are not immune;

"..with its distinctive cranked wing and vulture-like looks, the blood-curdling shriek of a Stuka in a near-vertical power-dive was certain to strike fear and panic into the most battle-hardened soldiers as well as defenceless civilians.." (Falconer, Haynes Workshop Manual, 2018)

Of course, by the time French, Belgian and Dutch refugees had started to flee southwards during May 1940, the 'Jehrico trumpet' sirens had been removed from the aircraft. And Ju 87 pilots had more than enough on their hands than setting out to massacre unfortunate civilians. As for flattening towns and cities, the Stukas' usual payload could at best barely penetrate a single building, far less collapse an entire block of flats/apartments. But worth noting perhaps -  as per Marc Hazard in his 'Stuka in the Blitzkrieg' (Lela Presse, 2023) - that somewhere between 80-100 Stuka pilots who took part in the campaign of May/June 1940 went on to receive the RK, ie some 25% of all Stuka pilots who took part in the Westfeldzug. And that the defeated Allies (Britain and France) did much to 'demonise' the Ju 87 and its crews - the "Teutonic harbinger of destruction [... and] stylised figureheads of the invincible German war machine " (Falconer)  - as part of the explanation for their rapid collapse and defeat in May/June 1940..

Below; a newspaper account published in a March 1942 issue of the NS Leipziger Tageszeitung newspaper written by Schlachtflieger ace Oblt. Dieter Pekrun relating his shooting-down (by Spitfires of course) on his second sortie of the day while piloting a Stab I./StG 2 Stuka on the third day of the Westfeldzug, 12 May 1940 - Pekrun managed to bail out and came down in a field of 'irate' cows at Geetbets, Belgium - behind  the lines. With his BS dead, Pekrun evaded the various search efforts mounted to locate him and returned home some 24 hours after being presumed MIA. Pekrun was awarded the RK in June 1941.

Also on this blog

Stuka crew of LG 1 relaxes ahead of the attack in the West

'Stukas in the Blitzkrieg', Marc Hazard, Stukageschwader 77, summer 1940

German WWII warbirds at La Ferté-Alais 2026

'Red 12' calling in at Headcorn on Sunday evening for a first stop in the UK. Louis Prebble photos.

Displays representing the wartime Luftwaffe featured at Le Temps des Hélices 2026, including the traditional three-ship of Junkers Ju-52/3M, Pilatus P-2* and MS-505 Criquet**, and a solo display by Charlie Brown in Bf 109 E-4 "Red 12". The P-2 is not an authentic German WWII type, but was commonly used to represent the Luftwaffe in war films before genuine Luftwaffe aircraft became available, hence its inclusion here. The MS-505 is the French version of the Fi 156 Storch.