Luftwaffe pets - archive photo scan #46

 

Another unpublished image, scanned for this blog. This beautiful Alsatian is the photo subject rather than the slightly out-of-focus Trägergruppe 186 Emil in the background. Note the Hakenkreuz across the rudder hinge line. The leading edge slat is deployed. Photo from the album of III./JG 77 mechanic Schramme and taken during the winter of 1939-40. Click on the image to view large.

JG 27 Bf 109 G-6/AS - archive photo scan series #45

 

A line-up of Bf 109 G-6/AS fighters of 5./JG 27 seen in early summer 1944 at Fels am Wagram. ‘Black 14’ has the WNr. 412x29 (‘x’ is probably an '8' or even a '3'). The finish comprises an unusual 'snake' mottle along the fuselage sides extending to below the exhaust stacks. Note the curved 'shield' above the exhaust stack on the port side of the engine - designed primarily to prevent hot gases from being ingested into the supercharger intake, a feature of most Gustavs. Click on the image to view large..'Black 14' is illustrated by Claes Sundin in his 'Luftwaffe Fighter aircraft - Profile book no. 12'

Leaving Wiesbaden at the end of May 1944 for Unterschlauersbach (near Munich)  II./JG 27 was briefly subordinated to the JG z.b.V before going to Eisenstadt for rest and refit on 3 June. Just three days later D-Day brought this period to a swift end and the Gruppe was sent to Fels am Wagram as part of a Sammelgruppe for Western front fighter and fighter pilot replacements. A host of new machines was assigned to the Gruppe including their first G-6/AS fighters, with which they were due to be re-equipped. This period came to an end on 1 July. Assigned to 8 JD the Gruppe was scrambled against 15th AF raids heading for the south of the Reich and Hungary on no fewer than 13 occasions during the month and on a further four days was directed against 8th AF incursions over the Reich. During July the Gruppe claimed five bombers shot down for the loss of 33 Bf 109s - 19 pilots were killed and 7 wounded. A further (approx) 20 Messerschmitts were lost in accidents! 

" ..after one month of operations following refit [during the summer of 1944], combat readiness [of II./JG 27] had already shrunk to Staffel strength level.." 

(adapted from Jochen Prien's JfV Teil 13/V p283-284)

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..

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.

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

Karl ‘Quax’ Schnörrer - JG 54 - archive photo scan #38

 

Click on the image to view full screen. The original scan is a 50 Mb image.

Uffz. Karl ‘Quax’ Schnörrer in front of his Bf 109 G-2 (equipped with 20mm cannon wing pods) after the award of the EK II following his second victory in 1./JG 54 on May 12, 1942.'Quax’ was an accident-prone cartoon character popular at that time – Schnörrer wrecked a number of Messerschmitts early in his career. In late 1942, Walter Nowotny chose Schnörrer to be his Kaczmarek (or ‘wingman’). Schnörrer usually flew a 'white 9'.

Keep checking in here for more images scanned exclusively for The Luftwaffe Blog...

'Assi' Hahn's Friedrich -archive photo scan #37

 

#37 in this on-going scan series - this one from the Voss JG 2 'archive' ..

The Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2, Hptm. Hans Hahn returned his 40th, 41st and 42nd victories on 12 August 1941 - two Spitfires shortly before 13h00 over Cap Gris-Nez, just south of Calais, apparently followed by a third six hours later near Ramsgate. These Abschüsse earned him the Eichenlaub. On 27 September 1941, Hahn claimed his 46th victory (Rudorffer in charge of 6. Staffel got his 40th). Here Hahn's erster Wart has just added the additional victory marking on the rudder. Hahn achieved his 50th on 13 October 1941. He was not the leading scorer in the Geschwader as Schnell had 54 at the time..

more Fw 190s - archive photo scan #36

 

more Fw 190s scanned - #36 in a series of photos scanned for this blog..

Staffelkapitän 2./JG 11 Erich Hondt’s A-5/U12 WNr 410 266 ‘schwarze 13' with the Staffelzeichen on the cowl. Hondt's machine displayed the so-called Schwarmführerstreifen or red diagonal stripes of a Schwarm leader along the fuselage sides appearing as a 'Vee' from above..The U12 Rüstsatz comprised underwing gondolas each containing a pair of MG 151 cannon, one of the few armament Rüstsätze to reach operational status

Ofw. Bigge's 'Black 2' of the Fw 190 nightfighter Staffel 2./JG 2 in the early summer of 1943 in western France seen flipped over after a bombing raid according to the hand-written caption on the image - or as a result of a landing accident on 6 September 1943 according to another source....Fw 190s of this Staffel were finished in overall 76..

 Another JG 11 Kanonenboot with the underwing Gondelwaffen

..and from the ongoing Petrick archive ebay sell off.  Oskar Romm's Dora seen in Prenzlau, March 1945. I don't recall this image from Jochen Prien's history of IV./JG 3. A nice find...

Werfer rocket launcher-toting A-7/8s of I./JG 26 getting airborne from a field strip in western France during the summer of 1944. These aircraft were used with limited success on ground attack sorties against Allied armour and road convoys..

Dornier Do 217 M-1 KG 2 - archive photo scan #35

 

Scanned by this blogger from an image in an album previously owned by Ulf Balke, author of a two-volume history of KG 2, this photo shows an 'anonymous' KG 2 Do 217 M-1 (....and crew). The M-1 was a night bomber variant, equivalent to the Do 217 K, but powered by the liquid-cooled DB 603 and operated by III./KG 2 from mid-1943. Note the absence of exhaust flame dampers - perhaps a shot taken during conversion training in Coulommiers during the spring of 1943. Click to view large.... 

new for 2025, an M-1 variant from ICM in 48th scale

Hasso von Zieten and crew, II./NJG 101 -archive photo scan #34

 

Fw. Hasso von Zieten of II./NJG 101 (left) with his crew, BF (radio operator) Hubert Ungerbock and BM (flight mechanic) Fritz Hohensee in front of their Me 110 G nightfighter during conversion training in October 1944.

From Graz, Austria, Von Zieten was a Ju 52 transport pilot before being posted to 5./NJG 101 during April 1944 in Parndorf. From here Nachteinsätze were flown in the Bf 110 G and then the Ju 88 G even during their conversion training which lasted until the end of the year. Shortly before Christmas 1944 Von Zieten and crew were sent to Griesheim (Darmstadt) to fly a sortie during the Bodenplatte operation - possibly a night ground attack sortie on New Years Eve or as 'Lotse' (guide) for the fighter pilots on the morning of 1.1. 45 itself. At least two II./NJG 101 crews were shot down over Belgium. The fledgling nightfighters then returned to Parndorf before being posted to Unterschlauersbach (Nuremberg). From here II./NJG 101 - including the aces Herbert Ludwig, Hans Rasper, etc - continued to fly operational sorties until the end. Most of these were flown as Nachtschlachter against American road columns pressing into southern Germany. 

Hasso & Fritz survived the war. Hasso emigrated to Canada in 1952 and met Fritz again at the 40th Battle of Britain anniversary air show in Toronto, 1980. Von Zieten died in December 1986 aged 71. 

Gustav 'gunboats' - archive photo scan #33

 

..this Gustav has apparently just been ferried in to JG 301, location unknown - other views in the series show a background of pine trees and note the Fw 190 nose left. Note 'TS +..' Stkz and the mid-fuselage (yellow) band (recalling the 'infamous' 'TS+MB' machines). The 'tall tail' with typical late-war finish, looks to be a replacement item. 

The inscription adjacent to the fuel filler triangle reads " W=12 ", also repeated on the front face of the prop blades.. click on the image to view large.

and from Dr. Jochen Prien;

" ..This is Bf 109 G-6, WerkNr. 163 048, which was issued to 7./JG 301 at Gross Sachsenheim in April 1944, becoming „white 7“. Its further career at III./JG 301 is not known (to me), before it was assigned to I./JG 104, where it was badly damaged ( 65 % ) in a crash landing owing to engine failure on 13 August 1944, the pilot getting away unscathed. The marking at this time was still „white 7“. It was probably not repaired owing to the extent of the damage. There is a very similar Bf 109 G-6 – „black 6“ of 8./JG 301 published in JFV 13/I p 492.. "

I./JG 27 gunboats at  Fels am Wagram defending the southern borders

Fw 190 in JG 26 - archive photo scan #32

 

An early JG 26 Fw 190 - an enlargement from a Nicolas Grebert image previously published in the author's " La Jagdgeschwader 26 - Histoire de quelques aérodromes de la Luftwaffe dans le nord de la France.." Note the aircraft shelter in the background. If this is Wissant/Audembert, about 23 km south of Calais, then the remnants of these are still visible from the road that runs alongside the field. 

Click on the image to view large..

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.

Ju 88 1(F)./123 Brittany, 1941 -archive photo scan #29

Luftwaffe Helferinnen welcome back a crew from 1.(F)/123 somewhere in Brittany, possibly Morlaix or Brest, following a 'milestone' sortie somewhere over England and the Channel during 1941.

Bf 109 T, 2./JG 77 - archive photo scan #28

 

A 'Toni' from Kurt Hammel's photo album. 2. Staffel JG 77 Bf 109 T 'Red 1' appears to have suffered a landing accident as the port gear leg has collapsed. Fuel from the fuselage tank is being drained. The Staffel number appears to have been over-painted on a lighter pale patch perhaps obliterating a previous identity. Fuselage and wings have been re-sprayed at some point. See the neat Swiatlon artwork in the Chandos 'Graf Zeppelin's Eagles' title. According to the Marshall history this is Lister in 1941. Click on the image for a larger view..

Bf 109 G-6/AS Hptm. Horst Carganico Kommandeur I./JG 5 'Mickey Maus' - archive photo scan #27

 

A 'new' view - at least not published by Mombeeck in his JG 5 history or elsewhere - of Hptm. Horst Carganico's Kommandeur I./JG 5 machine, an overall blue-grey 76 Bf 109 G-6/AS, seen at Herzogenaurach during May 1944. (incorrectly listed as a G-5/U2 on p243 of 'Eismeerjaeger'). Note the refined cowl bulge, tall tail, Erla Haube, short antenna mast and enlarged supercharger intake. Although not visible here - apart from an 'ear' above the officer's cap, middle - markings included Carganico's large 'Mickey Maus' on the port fuselage side. Artworks show the lower engine cowl in yellow although that now looks unlikely. Carganico had claimed some 60 victories by the time he was KIA on 27 May 1944 attempting a crash-landing after clipping high tension wires following combat with US fighters - 27 May 1944 was a 'black day' for I./JG 5 who lost 13 Gustavs (at least seven or eight G-6/AS machines) shot down in high altitude combat over the Franco-German border (south-west of Strasbourg) out of 19 machines scrambled. One of the first downed was 'black 7' of the Stab flown by Hptm. Heinz Deuschle, Carganico's wingman and the officer partially visible behind Carganico in the image below, seen exchanging words with Carganico's mother.

Arado Ar 196 in the harbour at Kos -archive photo scan #26

 

Arado Ar 196 in the harbour at Kos town, on the Aegean island of Kos. The Neratzia castle ramparts are visible in the background. The Bundesarchiv image is dated October 1943, shortly after the island was 'captured' following the Italian change-of-sides.  Bottom, a modern image by way of comparison.

A reminder that BATAILLES AÉRIENNES N°100 covering the air battles over and around Kos and Leros entitled " La dernière victoire de la Luftwaffe en Méditerranée - Les combats du Dodécanèse (Sept-Nov. 1943)" by Shores and Roba is still available from the Lela Presse website here 

Stukageschwader 77, summer 1940 - archive photo scan #25

 

" ..Zwischen den England-Einsätzen in Maltot, Caen. Die Rumpfbombe hängt schon. 1.Staffel St.G. 77..".  Pilot Fw. Knauer (left) and Bordfunker Uffz. Sellhorn.

Ju 87 B of 1./StG 77 bombed up and ready for another sortie against England. From the Sellhorn archive.

"..Wartungsarbeiten an der Ju 87 B bei der 1. Staffel in Maltot.."

Click here for all images scanned/copied exclusively from a number of archives/collections for this blog. Click on the images to view large.

And published in October 2023 and still available from Lela Presse, two volumes entitled "Stukas in the Blitzkrieg" by Marc Hazard. These are 96-page A-4 soft covers filled with artworks and photos. French text. Vol I covers Poland and Scandinavia, while Vol II deals with the campaign in the West, May-June 1940. Only 13 euros per volume. Top quality and recommended by this blog! To order, go here. English spoken.

JG 54 Friedrich -archive photo scan #24

 

From the same sequence as the well-known Mütherich and Pöhs Ritterkreuz presentation series. Generaloberst Keller of Luftflotte 1 who made the presentation in August 1941 is seen (left) in conversation with Maj. Trautloft. The II./JG 54 Friedrich in the background  -  possibly 'black 1'- was apparently not the aircraft flown by the Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 54, since Mütherich reportedly flew 'black 10' and was pictured leaning on the horizontal stabiliser of that machine when awarded his RK. According to one author 'black 1' was being flown by Richard Hausmann, StaKa of 8./JG 54. Mütherich was shot down and killed on 9 September 1941. Click on the image for  a 'wide-screen' view.