Storming the bombers - Egon Mayer's first 'frontal' attack, 23 November 1942

 

The air war in the West and over the Reich determined the fate of the Luftwaffe - with a higher percentage of casualties to participants than in the East, it was by far the most costly theatre for the Luftwaffe. And the Allies for that matter. The USAAF lost over 79,000 airmen between 1942-1945 and the RAF lost over 8,000 aircraft in the period 1939-1945 resulting in similar numbers of air crew killed. Over 60% of these losses were attributed to enemy fighters, both day and night respectively. The USAF lost over 8,000 bombers from November 1942 to May 1945 with German fighter pilots shooting down over 6,000 American and 7,000 RAF bombers, at a cost of 150,000 Allied airmen combined. The Germans themselves lost almost 20,000 fighter and 'destroyer' crews men and pilots, more than half killed fighting against the heavy bombers and their fighter escorts on the Western Front. Attacking a bomber formation was dangerous. Initial encounters with US bombers flying by day during mid-late 1942 were inconclusive, but the Germans quickly grew to realise that the American four-engine bombers with their heavy defensive armament - well able to absorb punishment especially when flying in their mutually protective ‘combat boxes’ - were tough opponents.  

Egon Mayer scored his first heavy bomber kills as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2 on 23 November  1942 - this may well have been his first such encounter with the '4-mot. Kampfflugzeuge' or “Viermots.” Having been appointed Gkr. at the start of that month, Mayer - known as a conscientious, studious and pragmatic fighter pilot and leader - had studied tactics and angles of attack to develop procedures against the 'Viermots' - most notably the B-17.  Other pilots in his unit had been doing likewise - Jules Meimberg recalled in his memoir;

“ we sought out as much information on these machines as we could find..first flight in 1935, steadily upgraded and improved..three revolving turrets, eight heavy machine guns for defence..and only one point of weakness – the cockpit. Whereas Mayer wanted to launch attacks from all directions simultaneously to disperse the defensive fire, I argued that head-on – hitting the B-17s where their defensive fire was at its weakest - was the only certain way to bring a Fortress down..”  

US bombers were increasingly penetrating the airspace of western and northern France. Mayer's Gruppe was specifically tasked with defending the U-boat bases in Brittany.  While JG 2 was not scrambled on the 9 October 1942 attack on the 'Lille industrial area', this was the first raid for which the US VIII BC managed to assemble over 100 bombers. However events elsewhere (North Africa) meant that it would be another six months before such a large force could be put together again over Western Europe. 

On 7 November, some 34 B-17s and B-24s raided Brest. Oblt. Bruno Stolle claimed one B-24, the first of this type shot down by the Richthofen Geschwader. St. Nazaire was the target of 36 bombers on 23 November 1942. Mayer led off 7. and 9./ JG 2 from Vannes at around 12:00 mid-day. 

As the Fw 190s sighted the bomber formation, Mayer made a rapid assessment of the situation and elected to attack the bomber formation 'head-on'. Climbing almost a mile above and three miles ahead of the formation, he turned and started  a shallow diving attack from the front. Receiving light defensive fire he held his approach for several seconds, focusing his aim on the port engines.  Perhaps less than thirty feet above the bomber 'box' he veered away as the target headed to earth. He repeated this pass on a second B-17. Fifty calibre rounds pounded his armor plate around his cockpit and according to one account, damaged two cylinders in his engine. Pulling up and gaining altitude, he then closed on a box of B-24s, an attack timed at  14:00.  By this stage he was probably almost out of ammunition and running low on fuel. Mayer decided to return to base. While he claimed two B-17s and a B-24 on 23 November 1942 (his victories 52-55) and brought back a relatively unscathed aircraft, no B-24s were lost. Four B-17s in total did fail to return - two credited to Mayer, one for Uffz. Friedrich May of 8./JG 2 and the fourth was credited to Oblt. Siegfried Schnell, StaKa of 9./JG 2, his 72nd victory. Mayer's 7. Staffel wingman Uffz. Theo Angele was the only loss suffered by III./JG 2- Angele's Fw 190 A-4 was hit by the bombers' defensive fire and went down into the sea. Angele's body was later washed up on the coast.

General der Jagdflieger Galland was quick to praise Mayer's initiative against the Viermots on 23 November 1942. In a message sent to all units  (below, dated 14 December and received at I./JG 54 on 13 January 1943) he urged all formation leaders to adopt this frontal attack method where possible in order to increase the 'lethality' of the German fighters and overwhelm the bomber formations. 

RL 10/291 contains a combat report 'Erfahrungsbericht' (a  'retour d'experience' written for the JG 54 pilots shifting  to the Western Front) which indicates that Mayer almost certainly employed the new frontal attack method for the first time during this raid. The traditional attack from the rear had proved risky, with attacking fighters likely sustaining many hits from the defensive fire of a typical staggered trail formation. 

 There were of course several 'negatives' to the frontal pass - attacking from head-on gave the German fighter pilot only a few seconds to line up, aim, fire and either pull up or dive away after a closing speed of 500 mph or more. Few German pilots could do this, which was considered an acquired skill and required steely nerves. Those who did master this method risked collision and damage or destruction once they pulled up, or in most cases rolled into a 'split-S' manoeuvre and dove away following the attack. On the other hand, only the top turret twin fifties on the B-17 F models could engage the incoming aircraft, reducing exposure to the numbers of guns in a formation until the fighter passed underneath or overhead. But by then the German was too fast for the ball turret to track and engage. Waist gunners had to be cautious in firing for fear of hitting the bomber on their flank. But the frontal pass directly concentrated fire on the most vulnerable part of the bomber - the cockpit. In response to this new method of German attack, the Americans introduced new models - the B-17 G and B-24 H both incorporated the forward firing “chin” mounted twin fifty calibre machine guns to defend against the head-on attack. This soon led to the exclusive use of the more heavily armed Fw 190s to attack the bombers, leaving the Messerschmitts to engage the American escort fighters.

Below; Oblt. Egon Mayer (fifth left) with his 7. Staffel seen in Poix during October 1942. Uffz. Theo Angele KIA on the 23 November raid is fourth right.

These developments deterred all but the most dedicated and efficient bomber 'killers'. Those aces who 'specialised' in the frontal attack simply changed their angle of attack, above the chin turret guns’ elevation, rolling over exposing the undersides of their Fw-190s, where the armor plating absorbed the impact of the enemy rounds. Most of the German fighter pilots who amassed many bomber kills paid a heavy price and fought a long war. For example, Georg-Peter Eder was shot down on multiple occasions and wounded numerous times. He had three kills confirmed after colliding with his targets, surviving the crash and being thrown from the wreckage, the last being in a Me-262 jet, breaking both legs in January 1945, ending his war. Anton Hackl was shot down eight times and also wounded on four occasions, including a collision. Eder was not that an unusual case. Most of Germany’s pilots were shot down and often wounded several times. Returning to combat was expected unless the loss of sight, a limb or other crippling injury was the result. The fortunate few became instructors until they healed, passing on their knowledge to the next group of future fighter pilots. This protection was far less available in the front of a formation, and an attack described by Heinz Knoke shows how on the job training often developed a better result, but was a much more difficult and dangerous proposition: 

“We draw closer to the bomber formation…I can distinguish the individual enemy aircraft now. Most of them are Liberators….They look as if their fat bellies are pregnant with bombs. I pick one of them as my target…I shall make a frontal attack. The Yank is focused in my sights. He grows rapidly larger. I reach the firing buttons on the stick. Tracers come whizzing past my head. They have opened up on me! Fire! I press both buttons, but my aim is poor. I can see only a few hits register in the right wing. I almost scrape the fat belly as I dive past. Then I am caught in the slipstream, buffeted so violently that for a moment I wonder if my tail plane has been shot away. I climb up steeply and break away to the left. Tracers pursue me, unpleasantly close. “Damn all this metal in the air! Three hundred heavy bombers carry a total of 4,800 super heavy machine guns. Even is only one in ten has a chance to fire that still means we run into quite a barrage. I come in for a second frontal attack, this time from a little below. As I swing round I turn my head. Flames are spreading along the bottom of the fuselage of my Liberator. It sheers away from the formation in a wide sweep to the right. “Twice more I come in to attack, this time diving from above the tail. I am met by heavy defensive fire. My plane shudders under the recoil from the cannon and two 13 mm guns. I watch my cannon shell bursts rake along the top of the fuselage and right wing, and then I hang on to the stick with both hands. Fire spreads along the right wing. The inside engine stops. Suddenly the wing breaks off altogether. The body of the stricken monster plunges vertically, spinning into the depths. A long black trail of smoke marks its descent. “One of the crew attempts to bail out. But his parachute is in flames. Poor devil! The body somersaults and falls to the ground like a stone. At an altitude of 3,000 feet there is a tremendous explosion, which causes the spinning fuselage to disintegrate. Fragments of blazing wreckage land on a farm 200 or 300 yards from the Zwischenahn Airfield, and the exploding fuel tank sets the farm buildings on fire.”

Also on this blog;

rare images of Georg-Peter Eder JG 2

Storming the bombers ! IL2 movie based on Heinz Knoke's memoir - in two parts

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)

Eduard Bf 109 Friedrich - Rudi Pflanz JG 2

 

Great work on this Eduard Friedrich in 1/72 from 'Ingram'. 

" This is the Eduard kit with Aerobonus pilot cast and Kits-World number decals. Had a lot of fun with it, especially creating the pilot. The pose had to be customized in order for him to fit in to the aircraft, and I needed to change the parachute from a backpack to the proper low hanging position..Also getting the semi gloss finish to approximately what I saw on references was an interesting challenge. The build itself was super smooth and straight forward!"

The pilot pose/aircraft reminded me of this nice and rarely seen image of Rudi Pflanz exiting his machine. Oblt Pflanz was Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 2 in November 1941 prior to taking over the (high altitude) 11. Staffel of JG 2 in May 1942 flying the Bf 109 G-1 with pressurised cockpit. On 5 June 1942 he claimed three Spitfires downed over the Somme. According to his comrade Bigge, Pflanz by this time was almost completely 'flown-out' and on 31 July 1942 he was shot down and killed in combat with Spitfires, his Bf 109 G-1 (WNr. 10318) coming down south of Moncheaux, northern France. He was credited with 52 victories - the last usually awarded when an ace was KIA. He was succeeded by Oblt. Julius Meimberg in charge of 11. Staffel. Pflanz is buried in the Bourdon German war cemetery, on the Somme.

'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..

Bf 109 aces - Hptm. Paul Schauder JG 26

 

Born in Munich on 27 April 1921, Paul Schauder was studying architecture when he was called up for the army. Like many of his comrades, he wanted to become an aviator. After training as a fighter pilot he was posted to 3./JG 26 at the beginning of 1941. He took advantage of the RAF's so-called 'Non-stop Offensive' of 1941 to open and then build up his score (9 victories). In December 1942 he was promoted to Kapitän of 11./JG 26. His command lasted only a month, however, as he was called up to the Stab II./JG 26 before taking over command of 9./JG 26 in May 1942. On the 23rd of that month, III./JG 26 shifted to northern Germany, where Schauder shot down his first first B-17. Back in the Netherlands and then to France, Schauder scored another victory over the RAF before seeing his 9./JG 26 renamed 10th Staffel. 1944 saw him fighting over France and, in the weeks following the landings in June 1944, he was one of the pilots to be credited with three air victories over Normandy, including a 354th FG P-51 on 17 July. Having taken temporary command of III./JG 26 at the end of 1944, Hptm Schauder was officially promoted to Kommandeur, claimed his 21st and last victory over Germany on 21 April 1945, a 3 Sqd Tempest near Perleberg. On 1 May 1945, he was shot down and captured. According to one source, he was a victim of anti-aircraft fire; he also claimed to have hit a P-38. In June 1945, he took advantage of a passing truck loaded with liberated POWs to clamber into the vehicle. Having ‘escaped’ in this way, he was soon reunited with his family. After the war, he resumed his pre-war activity but eventually joined the Bundesluftwaffe. Paul Schauder died in his home town on 22 January 2004.

Lt.Paul Schauder (3./JG 26) supervises the application of a victory bar on the rudder of his Friedrich.

There are currently 182 Bf 109 ace biographies on this blog, most featuring rare photos and personal accounts.

new Kommodore of JG 2 and Wick's successor, Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar

 

Late February 1941 saw the appointment and arrival of the new Kommodore of JG 2. Wick's successor, Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar, was another ace who enjoyed a considerable reputation. Born in 1914, he had been orphaned following the death of his father on the Western Front. Following his enlistment in 1933 and service in an artillery regiment, Wilhelm Balthasar had subsequently transferred into the Luftwaffe and gone on to serve in Spain. Appointed to lead the recce detachment of the bomber arm of the Legion Condor (claiming a single aerial victory), he had moved to the fighter arm and added a further six Luftsiege to his score. Kapitän of 1./JG 1 in Poland and during the offensive in the West, Balthasar had been awarded the Ritterkreuz on 14 June 1940 having achieved twenty three victories. In August 1940, the young officer headed up III./JG 3 during the air battles over England. He had added to his tally during the Battle of Britain but sustained injuries on two occasions. It was only following his return to flying duties that this experienced veteran was appointed to command the "Richthofen". Hptm. Karl-Heinz Greisert stood down from his temporary role in charge of the Geschwader and resumed command of his II./JG 2.

Balthasar's presumably 'brand-new' yellow-nosed Bf 109 F-2, most probably only just received at the unit. Rudder scoreboard shows 31 victories (May 19, 1941).

my ICM Friedrich is finished in the markings of Kommodore Balthasar as seen in late May 1941 in the three greys, but being an early F-2, there’s a chance it could have been finished in BoB Emil colours - 71/02/65. Decals assembled from various remnants, including the rudder ‘kill’ markings. Balthasar was one of the leading Luftwaffe aces during the campaign in the West and the Battle of Britain. He was killed in his new Friedrich during July 1941.

Overall the ICM Bf 109 Fs are a little tricky in parts -especially the cowl - but the detail is reasonably good..

More on Balthasar's Battle of Britain Emil
https://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2016/03/more-on-balthasars-battle-of-britain.html

Starboard view Kommodore machine, May 1941

Kommodore JG 2 Balthasar Bf 109 Friedrich May-June 1941 - ebay photo find #329

In February 1941 a new Kommodore was appointed to succeed Helmut Wick at the head of JG 2. Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar was an ace who at the time enjoyed almost as big a reputation as Wick's having been one of the leading Luftwaffe fighter pilots through 1940. Following seven victories in Spain he was 'side-lined' during the Polish campaign but made up for it in the West and was awarded the RK during June 1940 for around 33 victories, a tally that included (at that time) at least 11 ground 'victories'!

Two 'new' views of Balthasar's presumably 'brand-new' yellow-nosed Bf 109 F-2, most probably only just received at the unit. Rudder scoreboard shows 31 victories (May 19, 1941).

here 

Balthasar was probably already dead by the time these pictures were developed. He was killed in combat on July 3, 1941 over northern France. Here a rare view taken at Kommodore Balthasar's funeral ceremony..

Also on this blog;
More on Balthasar's Battle of Britain Emil
https://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2016/03/more-on-balthasars-battle-of-britain.html

Starboard view of the JG 2 Kommodore machine, May 1941

More aces and pilots of III./ JG 2

Above; Lt. Benno Eder, Oblt. Ferdinand Müller and Ofw. Fritz Hartmann of 9./JG 2 seen in February 1943 probably at Vannes, north of Nantes in Brittany..Eder would achieve his 5th victory on 30 July 1943 claiming a B-17 from an 8th AF force en route to Kassel. Hartmann was already an ace - his regular aircraft were marked "gelbe 11", one of which was photographed below during 1942. This A-2/3 (probably WNr. 2187) features the stylised eagle wing with an Adlerkopf (eagle's head) marking on the cowling which would be later over-painted and replaced with the cockerel. The rudder featured a row of at least eight Abschussbalken ..

Above; Müller and Hartman (alongside the engine cowl) seen with their comrades in 9./JG 2 are  assembling by their aircraft for a transfer to Calais/Marck on the Channel coast in February 1943 where they were subordinated to the Stab JG 26 following the move of I./JG 26 to the Eastern Front. An Austrian, Müller was appointed Staffelkapitän 1./JG 2 in May 1943. Attacking B-17s raiding Le Bourget just north of Paris on 16 August 1943, he would be shot down and killed by the P-47 escort. Perched on the wheel (leaning against the cowl) is Fw. Willi Kopp who claimed a B-17 shot down south of Jersey on the afternoon of 29 May 1943 for his second victory. His 5th  -also a B-17- was returned on 3 September. He was shot down and killed over northern France on 9 September 1943 in Fw 190 A-6 WNr. 550548 attacking B-17s. Playing with the dog is Rudolf Gehrhardt also seen below on his 'yellow 6'.

Below;  posted on FB by Christophe Blanluet -where I was able to provide the pilot identification. This is Rudolf Gehrhardt of 9./JG 2 on his A-5 (157319) 'yellow 6'. Gehrhardt was seriously injured in a crash landing on 17 May 1943 at Vannes after a sortie against B-17s and probably for this reason alone managed to survive the war, one of the few 9./JG 2 pilots to do so..

Erik Mombeeck has now completed his six-volume history of JG 2. The last tome in the series covers late-1944 and 1945, the increasingly ferocious large-scale combats against USAF bombers, the operation against Allied airfields in Belgium and the futile failed attempts to destroy the bridge at Remagen. 

More on this blog here

Also on this blog;

III./JG 2 convert onto the Fw 190 May-June 1942 - 7. Staffel Kapitän Oblt. Egon Mayer. Fw 190 im Westen, Channel Front aces

III./JG 2 in France - 30 December 1942, first frontal attack - Channel Front ace Uffz. Friedrich May

Oblt. 'Sepp' Wurmheller Staffelkapitän 9./ JG 2 Fw 190 A-6 and A-5 ' yellow 2 '

Aces of JG 53, funeral ceremony Kommodore NJG 6 Mjr. Heinrich Wohlers - ebay photo find #312

A line-up of notable aces of JG 53 in front of a Stab JG 53 Emil in Etaples, France, November 1940.

Second left, Oblt. Kurt Brändle (Kapitän 4./JG 53) and alongside him moving to the right,  Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke (Kommandeur III./JG 53)  Maj. Günther von Maltzahn (Kommodore from 9 October 1940) and Hptm. Heinz Bretnütz (Kdr. II./JG 53). Third from the right is Obfw. Stefan Litjens and alongside him to the right is Lt. Erich Schmidt and Oblt. Franz Götz (Kapitän 9./JG 53).

Flugzeug Me 110 Nachtjäger , NJG 6 , Beerdigung Mj. Wohlers in Echterdingen

Funeral ceremony Kommodore NJG 6 Mjr. Heinrich Wohlers in Echterdingen during March 1944. Note the three coffins  - as well as BF Ofw. Kleilein, Wohlers was carrying a passenger on what was a transfer flight..

Heinrich Wohlers was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./NJG 6 on 13 January 1943. By the end of May, he had nine victories to his credit. In June and July, Wohlers was detached to 3./NJG 1. During his period with the unit he recorded seven victories, including his 10th victory, a RAF Lancaster four-engine bomber shot down near Broich on the night of 16/17 June, two RAF four-engine bombers shot down over Holland on the night of 22/23 June (12-13) and a further two RAF four-engine bombers shot down on the night of 29 June (15-16). On 1 August 1943, IV./NJG 4 was redesignated I./NJG 6. Wohlers retained command of the newly redesignated unit. By the end of 1943, Wohlers had increased his victory total to 28, including three RAF four-engine bombers shot down on the night of 10/11 August (18-20) and a further three on the night of 27/28 August (22-24).

On 11 November 1943 Wohlers was promoted to the rank of Major and awarded the Ritterkreuz on 31 December for 28 victories. Major Wohlers was appointed Kommodore of NJG 6 on 2 February 1944. His final 'tally' was 29..

 According to the now long-inactive luftwaffe.cz site Wohlers was killed on 15 March 1944 during a transfer flight from Schleissheim to Echterdingen. He crashed in fog while attempting to land on one engine in Echterdingen in his Bf 110 G-4 (W.Nr. 5353). According to the handwritten remark on the reverse of the image offered on ebay (below) the funeral took place on 14 March 1944.....

Lt. Egon Mayer JG 2 - Spitfire V of 611 Sqd shot down 24 June 1941 -Ebay photo find #307

Lt. Egon Mayer, a member of JG 2 since the autumn of 1939 had moved from II. Gruppe to the first, before being transferred to 8. Staffel of III./ JG 2 - all during 1940. He was subsequently entrusted with Machold’s 7. Staffel after Machold was shot down over England during June 1941.

One of the ‘kills’ achieved by JG 2 on 24 June 1941 in the course of Circus No.21 seen burning out on the ground near Ligescourt - the proximity of the airfield enabled the personnel of III./JG 2 to come and contemplate the scene. The Spitfire V R7349 coded FY-A belonged to No. 611 Squadron. The Spitfire’s pilot, F/Lt. Theodorus Buys, catapulted from the cockpit upon impact, lies just a few metres away from the wreckage in other pictures in this sequence. Seen on the left of the picture (bottom) looking at the Spitfire's shredded tailplane is Lt. Egon Mayer.

latest from Marco Auer's ebay sales here

2./JG 2 Schwarm Focke Wulf Fw 190 victory stick - ebay photo find #265 - EDIT (new 'Dans le ciel de France' Erik Mombeeck)

courtesy Oliver Rogge is this nice JG 2 grouping - these pilots are enjoying the spring sunshine in front of their (presumably) new Fw 190 A fighters while admiring their Abschuß-Stöcke or 'victory sticks'. Note too a (red? or US ?) star is clearly visible at the top of the victory stick in the lower image. One of the pipe-smoking pilots is wearing a French-style beret! This appears to be Fw. Karl Schweikart of 2./JG 2 who can be seen smoking and wearing a beret in a number of pictures. During April/May 1942 2./JG 2 was based on the Channel coast at Le Havre (Octeville). All the pilots are wearing life jackets.

below;  ".. a little souvenir of my aerial victory, loyally yours, on the Channel front, 21 May 1941,
Günther..."

 So 'Günther' in the image below - serving on the Channel front- would appear to be the pilot leaning on the victory stick above and admiring his victories (including the 'star') in the photo at bottom.

I can find no ID for an Unteroffizier pilot fitting the description named Günther; (either Vorname or Nachname) returning a victory in May 1941 with JG 2 .  One possible candidate I suppose;

Günther Behrendt, 4./JG 2, Spitfire, 16h35, 1st    (but this victory is dated 24 June 1941)

Of course the Fw 190 did not enter service with JG 2 until much later on. The first loss was September 1941 with JG 26.  However thanks to suggestions from several correspondents I did find this 

A letter from Uffz. Günther Keil addressed to his family in late July 1941;

"..I have some surprising news for you. I am being sent back to the Channel  - either to Galland or to the 'Richthofen'. The transfer is going ahead at any time. According to orders from the higher-ups, each Gruppe must designate a pilot with at least three victories and who has previously taken part in engagements over England. Of course, no one was willing to go, but it looks like I am fated to do so. I am obviously very moved at having to leave my comrades with whom I have shared so many joys and sorrows for almost a year during the battles over England and Russia..."

'Günther' is therefore presumably Fw Günther Keil. Keil had claimed a number of victories flying in combat over England and then Russia with 8./JG 3 - hence the 'red star' at the top of his victory stick.. Keil returned his 5th victory on 14 April 1942 with 2./JG 2.  2./JG 2 were in Le Bourget during the last week of May 1942 converting onto their new Fw 190 As before returning to Triqueville. Stk. was Hptm. Siegfried Bethke.

Keil was KIA on 20 June 1942 in heavy fighting with large numbers of Spitfires over the Channel, only a short while therefore after these photos were taken. There are two accounts of the combats that took place that day in Erik Mombeeck's 'Dans le Ciel de France' Vol II (1942). In a letter to the family his Staffel comrade Karl Schweikart wrote;

"  Günther must have told you that since he has been with us he has returned four victories and so had seven Abschüsse  - but he was not the sort of pilot who was 'Abschußgeil' - desperate to return victories - as we say...on the morning of the 20th he was happy and good-humoured, but he did say to me, 'Karl, if the Tommies come over today then I'm going to get one..' Well they did come...we sighted a large formation of Spitfires over the Channel and set out after them..Günther was leading.."

Major Walter Oesau JG 2 100th Luftsieg 26 October 1941 - Channel Front aces (7)

On 26 October 1941 the Kommodore of JG 2 Major Walter Oesau returned his 100th victory, only the third Luftwaffe ace to achieve this landmark after Oberst Werner Mölders and Günther Lützow. At 28 years old he had already been awarded the 'Swords' for his 80th victory in July 1941. Here he is being feted by ground crews while Lt. Gerhard Lohmann of the Geschwader Stab presents him with a 'commemorative' banner. All three of these aces would be blocked from further combat flying in the immediate aftermath of their 100th...

".. the machines are straight away prepared for their next sortie..."

Fw. Josef 'Jupp' Bigge recalled;  "...On 26 October 1941, our Kommodore, Major Walter Oesau won his 100th victory. But his satisfaction was marred by an order from the highest echelons - he was banned from flying on the same day. To date, the Kommodore had flown almost all missions with his Stabschwarm, comprising Oblt. Erich Leie (Adjutant), Oblt. Rudi Pflanz (Technical Officer) and Stabsfeldwebel Fritz Stritzel (a comrade from Oesau’s time at Döberitz). To complete the Stabschwarm, the Kommandeur of III. Gruppe also based in St Pol, Hptm. 'Assi' Hahn, had been ordered to surrender the pilot that seemed best suited for this position. It was I who was chosen with the consent of my Kapitän, Oblt. Stolle...We were relatively independent of the rest of our Geschwader and enjoyed great flexibility of action. In addition, we had the best equipment. Sometimes it was Oesau himself who gave the order to take off. Relying on accurate maps and good information, we were usually sent directly to the areas of fighting. Neither myself nor Stritzel had much opportunity to win victories for our job was almost exclusively to protect the backs of our Rottenführer. We were more than satisfied when we managed to follow Leie and Pflanz since in combat they would usually embark on a series of manoeuvres that would be as tight as they were acrobatic - we simply had no time to consider any success other than simply to cover them. Moreover, our bosses were appreciative of our efforts and never failed to thank us. Personal contacts within the Stab were excellent in spite of a strict respect for rank. After the missions, events were analysed with great precision and calm. We rubbed shoulders in the mess or in the barracks in an atmosphere of camaraderie and independence..."

Also on this blog

Walter Oesau and JG 20 in the French campaign

Kommodore Oesau's last sortie May 1944 JG 1 Bf 109 G-6/AS

the aces of JG 2 victory claims and credits during 1941