'Struck through' swastika on late-war Fw 190s by Peter Kassak

 

by Peter Kassak -  images via Peter Kassak and the Crow Collection

In the Axis Wings Vol.4 we have published an article covering the history of a 'new' III./JG 54 which later became part of IV./JG 51. The feature was illustrated with photographs of four Fw 190s belonging to the Gruppe, “black 15”, “black 17”, “white 15” and “blue 7”.  Aside from the 'elongated' Wellenlinie III. Gruppe wavy line on the rear fuselage, one markings 'feature' of all four of these machines was the swastika 'struck through' with a diagonal white stripe. The purpose of this marking has not been explained fully or satisfactorily. As the unit was mostly deployed on the 'Oder front' flying constant harassing and ground-attack sorties against the Russians in the last months of the war ( "...the target was yet again the bridges across the Oder built beneath the surface of the water during the night by the Russians..", Heinz Schmidt, 10./JG 54) it is usually suggested that the 'struck through' Hakenkreuz was some sort of  Oder front 'tactical' marking, perhaps to increase visibility for ground troops. Not that that makes much sense really as the swastika itself was highly visible!  The four aircraft mentioned above though were not an exception. This small post shows additional photos of these and  other machines on the strength of either III./JG 54 or IV./JG 51 (most probably taken on charge from III./JG 54 without repainting) and with similarly modified tail markings displayed. These images were, however, not of sufficiently good enough quality to be published alongside the Axis Wings article text so had to be omitted. 

Below; belly-landed Fw 190 of 10./JG 54 flown by Ofw. Willi Schlecht being put back on its 'feet', 11 March 1945, following a Jabo mission against the Oder bridges flown from a field strip at Müncheberg outside Berlin. The swastika in the image has been 'censored' although the white diagonal stripe has already had a similar effect on the actual machine...

Below; there exists in the Crow Collection (curated by Del Davis) a series of images showing the end of Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-8 W.Nr. 350859 “blue 7+~”. Flown by III./JG 54, “blue 7+~” fell into US hands at Mϋnster Handorf when the airfield was occupied by personnel of the 390th Service Squadron, 79th Service Group, responsible for the P-47s of the 406th Fighter Group.  Two other Fw 190s belly landed about 15 miles from airbase Y-94 at Mϋnster Handorf in late April 1945 so that their pilots could surrender to the Americans. Fw 190 “blue 7+~” was later repaired as seen in the second image below - the 'original' torn rudder has presumably been replaced as the diagonal stripe is limited to the tail fin only.

A 'wide' view (below, left) and a close-up of Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-8 W.Nr.350859 “white 11+~” at the wreck yard of the Luftwaffe at the end of WWII in Flensburg. The diagonal stripe through the swastika suggests that this was another late-war machine belonging to III./JG 54.

Below;  another view of the Flensburg dump - Fw 190 A “white 9+~” with blown canopy was a late-war machine assigned to IV./JG 51 and most likely saw service previously with III./JG 54  as it displays the diagonal white stripe through the swastika.

 Below; a well-known photo of Focke Wulf Fw 190 D-9 W.Nr.213097 “White 11+~” from 13./JG 51 photographed at Flensburg in May 1945. However, in the background to the left of the “Dora-9” is Fw 190 “white 5+~” with the 'amended' swastika. It was almost certainly an ex III./JG 54 plane that ended up in the hands of IV./JG 51. 

 Below; photos of Fw 190 A-8 “white 13+~” of 9./JG 54 at Eggersdorf were recently published in Prien JfV Teil 16/I. (pages 370-371)  The swastika is not visible, but this Focke Wulf belonged to the Gruppe and almost certainly featured the 'struck through' Hakenkreuz. Note the relatively 'dark' finish and the stencilled figure '3'. The somewhat 'elongated' Wellenlinie (wavy line) was  the Gruppe marking of the 'new' III./JG 54. The Gruppe moved to Eggersdorf from Grossenhain on 9 February 1945 and “white 13+~” is seen here carrying an AB 250 Abwurfbehälter on the belly rack.

Ofw. Walter Karbstein, 2./ZG 76

 

While researching his history of ZG 76, author Peter Kaššák came across a unique gun camera video from this unit. It was filmed by Ofw. Walter Karbstein of 2./ZG 76 on Sunday 2 April 1944. On this date, Bf 110 Gustavs of I. and III. Gruppe of ZG 76 were scrambled from Ansbach and Öttingen and participated alongside crews of II./ZG 1 in the defensive actions over the Reich as US bomber formations flew a major raid on targets in Austria and Yugoslavia, including the ball-bearing plant at Steyr. Some 28 Bf 110 Gs were airborne at 09:15 and, upon return at about midday, reported just one claim that would be confirmed - Walter Karbstein's attack on a lone B-17. Karbstein was in 2. Staffel, but flew his attack in cooperation with others. His victim was likely destroyed southwest of Linz at 5000 meters at about 11:15. Thanks to the Eric Zemper Collection of the 457th BG Association we can see this action on a short gun camera video clip - Karbstein's Bf 110 closes from astern on a lone B-17 which already appears to have had its port wing set on fire but continues to fly straight and level. Note the picture shake as the German pilot unleashes his salvos; 

 Just a short time after this action ZG 76 converted onto the Me 410 and battled against the 15th USAAF over the south of the Reich area. On one such sortie, flown on 27 June 1944, the Stab flight of Zerstörergeschwader 76 lost two machines - one of them was the Messerschmitt Me 410 B-2/U2 coded 'M8 + chevron 3', which crashed at Bánhida in Hungary. The crew, consisting of pilot Ofw. Walter Karbstein and his Bordfunker Uffz. Ernst Keller, were both killed. 

 A civilian photo of Walter Karbstein taken when he entered military service 

This material does not appear in the recent book published by Peter Kaššák and M. Žatkovič entitled 'Zerstörergeschwader 76 - History of the German Luftwaffe unit 1939 - 1945'. 

Since publication Peter's book has received excellent reviews from Luftwaffe and airwar history enthusiasts - " one of the best texts on a Luftwaffe unit of the past 10-20 years.." It is a high quality 'print-on-demand' title, available at the lulu.com book store and previously reviewed on this blog here. 

The Eric Zemper collection can be found at https://457thbombgroupassoc.org

new Luftwaffe books (1) - Zerstörergeschwader 76 - History of the German Luftwaffe unit 1939 - 1945 - edited 06/05 20h00 CET

 

Peter Kassak has released his new 'print-on-demand' title 

 "..I am very excited to announce that the ZG 76 book is available for ordering. Here is a short blurb: Zerstörergeschwader 76 - History of the German Luftwaffe unit 1939 - 1945 by Peter Kaššák and Marek Žatkovič. Soft cover, 414 pages (80 grams coated paper) printed in color (however, most of the photos are B/W). Maps, appendices (losses, victories, COs, bases) and 46 color profiles (sample below). Price: 60 EUR.."

 Available at lulu.com at this link

"..Zerstörergeschwader 76 had two eras of its existence. The first installment was active from the first days of WWII until 1941. A description of this very combat-active and successful episode of the unit history is published as the first part of this book. The second installment, which is a matter of the second part of this book, was active from autumn 1943 until early 1945. It has been a long time since. Many men in the unit also had active duties linked to other units, and it is hard to trace all of the facts. But what was available to us from the known sources, is compiled in the text on the following pages. We believe that this work may be considered as a decent tribute to all men of the ZG 76, and we hope it can be a starting point for other researchers in, if not broadening this work, then just bringing more information and facts about partial events involving ZG 76...

a review from Giampiero Piva

"..This month I had to decide whether to buy the Chandos KG 40 volume or Peter Kassak's ZG 76 and my choice was the latter. Let’s say right away that from a historiographical point of view it’s a magnificent work, accurate in detail and accompanied by numerous images. If we look at it from a modeller's viewpoint, I would say that the photo quality is not always the best (maybe it depends on the type of paper used) and a good number of them are in quite small format. However the color profiles are good..[..].... Considering that the authors certainly didn't start with the idea of producing a work for modellers, we're 'settled' to have in our hands one of the best texts on the history of a Luftwaffe unit published in the last 10-20 years..."

 

(A final word - this book is a print-on-demand service with printers on each continent (Asia, Australia, UK, France, and three locations in the USA), the delivery and postal costs are as low as possible, and the book is dispatched from the nearest location to the purchaser.)

Peter Kassak's other books via lulu.com are available here

New book title by Peter Kaššák: '2 July 1944 - Allied strategic aerial operations in the MTO and the Axis defense response'

 

Peter Kaššák has recently managed to finish another of his 'day' airwar histories from the summer of 1944. On 2 July 1944, the US 15th AF dispatched a total of 161 B-17s, 551 B-24s, 198 P-51s (including 45 8th AF P-51s) and 140 P-38s against oil industry, aerodromes and railroad infrastructure targets in the Budapest area in Hungary - one of the biggest raids of the war against the city and part of the Allies attempts to destroy Hungary’s most important industrial and transport facilities. A heavy overcast encountered over Budapest Almásfüzitő Oil Refinery limited the complete success of the day’s operations. The other targets were, however, successfully attacked. Peter's new book features detailed descriptions of the combats as seen from both sides - including Luftwaffe fighters from JG 52, JG 301 and JG 300, the Hungarian 101 Pumas and US fighters from the 325th and 52nd Fighter Groups. P-51s from the 8th's 4th and 352nd FGs also flew sweeps over the city - the mission is 'famous' for the loss of Ralph 'Kid' Hofer. Blakeslee had offered his P-51s as additional escorts for the 15th Air Force’s heavy bombers. Over Hungary the 4th ran into a large formation of Bf 109s and was scattered in the melee that ensued. When the P-51s returned to Italy later that day six were missing, including Hofer's.The fates of airmen KIA and MIA and the results of the attacks are presented in the text for the reader along with a complete list of Axis losses and victories, as well as those for the 15th US AF. This self-published 'print-on-demand' and inexpensive softback is now available to order through lulu.com. 

For more information and how to order Peter's book "2 July 1944" on lulu.com please go here 

Books authored by Peter Kaššák - a presentation on lulu.com here

Peter's '16 June 1944' title is the subject of an in-depth review here

new book title - " 16 June 1944 " by Peter Kaššák

 

"  AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a number of oil depots and refineries in the Vienna area through extremely heavy and determined opposition, including waves of rocket-firing Ju-88s. While covering the bombers during the penetration, target, and withdrawal phases of the mission, pilots of the 1st, 31st, 52nd, 82nd, and 325th Fighter groups down 40 GAF fighters between 0935 hours and noon.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack oil-industry targets around Bratislava.."

Eric Hammel in 'Air War Europa'.

Books describing a single day's events in the long war in the air have been popular since the classic Ethell/Price "Target Berlin" and perhaps even before that with the Middlebrook-penned "Schweinfurt-Regensburg". This is Peter Kaššák's second book covering one particular day - his previously released "Ordinary Day" related in detail the events of March 2, 1945 one of the last major battles of the air war over Germany. In  his new self-published title, "16 June 1944" the author relates the story of the US 15th AF attack on Vienna's petroleum refineries (Floridsdorf, Kagran, Schwechat) and the supplementary mission mounted on the same occasion against Bratislava'a 'Apollo' fuel refinery. Both raids were notable firsts in the campaign against Axis oil and the recently posted CO of 8.Jagddivision (formerly JaFü Ostmark or Austria) Obst. Gotthard Handrick (J 88, JG 77 etc etc ) could deploy only meagre resources, a handful of Gruppen from JG 302, ZG 1 and ZG 76 assisted by the Hungarian JGr. 101 and the Slovakian 'emergency flight'. Other units from 7.Jagddivision such as I./JG 300 based in southern Germany also participated in the air battles. 

The bulk of the text and images recount events as seen by the attackers as some 170 B-17s and nearly 500 B-24s were dispatched over the targets from bases situated along the 'heel' of Italy's boot, while the German and Hungarian defenders response is detailed in the text and then summarised in the last 15-20 pages of this 150-page title. Each Bomb Group's sorties are analysed in their own 'target' chapter with exciting personal accounts, a treatment extended to the escorts with chapters covering the actions of the 1st and 82nd FG P-38s and the P-51s of the 31st, 52nd and 325th FGs. Chapter 12, " Yellow-tailed Mustangs in action" recounts the 52nd FG's only loss during the raid - a P-51 B shot down by a P-38! This was the only escort fighter lost on the Bratislava mission and after 12 days in Budapest prison pilot 2nd Lt. Fred Crawford ended up in Stalag Luft III. The raid on the Bratislava refinery  - situated on the Danube just 33 miles from Vienna -  was flown by around 160 B-24s of the 98th, 450th,  479th and 376th BGs. Although small, the Czech petroleum industry supplied high grade oils and gasoline for the German war effort  and the author's account is probably a first in English.

" ..Suddenly the nose gunner's voice crackled the expected dreaded news - 'German fighters, 12 o' clock high, closing fast...' With adrenalin flowing I was no longer cold. The German planes hit like Thor's hammer, all guns firing. More went through the formation than broke short. I tried to hit them as they roared past but failed. I couldn't swing the heavy machine gun fast enough..Luckily for us they were concentrating on the first section. The first wave of fighters left us. I reloaded, shovelled empty cartridges overboard and prepared for the next attack. Then the slower German machines arrived - Me 410s, Bf 110s and Ju 88s - a second attack wave. ...[..]  out of the cloud layer above us and from the left a single Bf 110 fired rockets on our first section..it was caught in the cross fire and set alight..burning fiercely it rammed into a B-24  and both planes exploded.. the single Bf 110 was followed by a wave of Bf 110s...."

This vivid personal account is 'interrupted' by the author to  be 'dissected' and analysed - the reader even discovers who was flying the single rocket-firing twin out in front. Some of the most vivid accounts from the bomber crews concern the 459th BG - one B-24 released its bombs through closed bomb bay doors setting the big heavy on fire. The text highlights many more notable combat actions and incidents as crews were downed and then either rounded up on the ground or helped to evade by partisans. One downed 460th BG crew got into a firefight with the Germans hunting them but reached the Yugoslav coast just five days after being brought down.

 

On 16 June 1944 the German and Axis defenders flew at least 200 sorties and in both JG 302 and ZG 76 there was a certain amount of satisfaction at their performance. While ZG 1 made no claims their actions contributed to the break-up of the bomber formations. 'Stories' such as Hammel's "rocket-firing Ju 88s" are assessed and other 'myths' that crop up in the literature are closely examined (black-painted Bf 109s ? - quite possibly, yes). The descriptions of combat are backed up with the usual array of Appendices detailing claims and losses and include a German fighter Gradnetz  grid chart for the zone of operations. A final 'conclusion' details what happened next at the installations hit - the Schwechat refinery was not hit again until September but was regularly raided into 1945, while at Floridsdorf there were more raids in June 1944. The air battle of 16 June 1944 was just the beginning of a series of huge clashes in this central European region while the 'battle for oil' was only just getting underway.

 This is a very worthy and well-done 'print on demand' book from a well-known researcher.  Peter Kaššák has written and produced this book single-handedly and his exhaustive research has resulted in a very readable account. The text is loaded with photos - not just portraits either - and print and paper quality is good. An excellent little title to add to your WW II airwar library! 

Peter Kaššák "16 June 1944" via lulu.com. Click here for more info and orders

Below; jacket illustration of Peter Kassaks' "16 June 1944". Top image shows a formation of 4./ZG 76 Me 410s on June 16.

Luftwaffe book review and article news - Captured Eagles digital edition, ZG 1 by Peter Kassak, 'Star' of Africa & Axis Fighters from Flight Journal

Roger S. Gaemperle has launched a digital edition of his well-received 'Captured Eagles' previously reviewed here



Roger writes;   "  ..some time has passed since my first book was published. I have been working on the 2nd, but it is not yet finished. However, a digital version of the first book has just been released today at Apple's itunes store. It is available in 50 countries, among them of course the UK and USA.
 The digital edition is an even better value than the printed edition (at less than 50% of the price of the printed book) and on top of that offers 13 additional photos that have not been published in the printed book, but were sent to me afterwards. They show some of the aircraft shown in the printed edition from different views and sometimes reveal additional information (e.g. the serial number, tactical marking and unit of the previously unidentified Ju 87 D in the Ground Attack chapter)... I hope to publish volume 2 during next year. It will first come as printed edition again and only maybe one year later as a digital version (depending on the success).

Best regards,

Roger....."

US-Link:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/captured-eagles-vol.-i/id581787151?mt=11&uo=4

UK-Link:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/captured-eagles-vol.-i/id581787151?mt=11&uo=4

For other countries, readers should just enter "Captured Eagles" or "Gaemperle" into itunes to find the book in their corresponding regional itunes store.

Elsewhere Peter Kassak has compiled a neat article devoted to ZG 1 over Slovakia published in the latest Eduard newsletter which should be familiar to all active modellers.

http://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2012/info-eduard-2012-12EN.pdf

Colin Heaton's latest title 'Star of Africa' is getting good reviews. 


"...Heaton understands and writes about WWII as a historian would, of the big picture and the tactics. But he also pulls out an ace card in this book and slaps it on the table. During the 80s, while he was an American soldier stationed in Germany, Heaton befriended and interviewed countless German pilots. At the time, these men were overlooked in their own communities, even shunned. But Heaton saw something where others didn't. That's how this book brings something new and enthralling to the table--it's jammed with new stories from the veterans who knew Marseille, gems about Marseille strafing a comrade's tent, banging out jazz tunes on a piano in a room full of Generals, and ultimately, fighting with chivalry as a knight over the desert...."

Colin was in touch recently to explain that his forthcoming title devoted to bomber destroyers (provisionally entitled 'Giant Killers' ) may be on the back-burner as the publisher wants a second volume of  " The Luftwaffe Aces Speak .."  first! I must say that I was looking forward to 'Giant Killers' featuring as it will do some very rare interviews with the likes of Georg Peter Eder and Walther Dahl to name just two 'bomber killers' who have very rarely spoken to authors. I have also recently contributed some unpublished material from Willi Unger and Hans Weik. Colin Heaton's web site is here

Flight Journal's Winter Special is devoted to Axis fighters...Seth at Rare and Collectable Aviation Books on Facebook writes ;

" .. only very occasionally  (other than perhaps an article or two in a very eclectic aviation monthly (or bi-monthly), does any aviation magazine  "special" hit the bull's eye this dead on. What I'm describing to you here, only slightly touches on the treasures you'll find inside, as this publication is a treasure-trove! With comparisons of Allied/Axis fighters, personal accounts of Axis pilots fr

om countries other than only Germany and Japan, etc., this "FLIGHT JOURNAL COLLECTORS EDITION" is a VERY special edition! Having purchased it earlier today and now in the middle of reading it, I will be putting this within the AXIS AIRCRAFT section of my aviation library when I'm done reading it. It is that unique, informative (nothing is recycled) and an outright aviation masterpiece. It's my opinion that this sets a new standard in a "magazine style" aviation publication. Some of the best aviation writers in the business (Tillman, Boyne, Smith, Creek, etc.) have definitely hit the target, compiling something refreshing different. You really owe it to yourself to pick up a copy before they're all gone. It's really a gift at $7.99!.."

..also available in the UK for only £4.25 in the larger branches of WH Smith. A nice publication indeed, certainly the Smith & Creek piece on 'Watson's Whizzers' is well worth checking out. The JG 26 images from the Schroedter collection may not all be "previously unpublished" as far as I can see since some of them have certainly appeared in 'Luftwaffe in Focus' before now..

'Wespengeschwader' Bf109 Emil Jabos on the Eastern Front - edit May 2011

Photos of the "Wespengeschwader" Bf-109E-7 Jabo sub-types used in 1942 on the Eastern front are pretty hard to come by. The following images appeared a few years ago on ebay - I have no idea whether they have been published since. They appear to depict two different machines, 'S9+GT' and 'S9+GS'. Decal sheet manufacturers have for ages given us various profile options ( usually 'S9+RS') while the old Hasegawa 1/72nd model Wespen was 'S9+CD'. A few years ago, decal manufacturers MSAP gave us a 'Russian Campaign' sheet in their Bf109 Emil series which also included 'S9+CD', captioned as a "Bf109 E-7B of III./SKG210, central sector, autumn 1941." Not withstanding the confusion surrounding the unit designation - some quoting "8./ZG1" and others "III/SKG210" - this particular offering got it all wrong !

On 4th January 1942 SKG 210 was redesignated ZG 1. The Geschwaderstab/SKG 210 was re-designated Geschwaderstab/ZG 1; I./SKG 210 became I./ZG 1 and II./SKG 210 became II./ZG 1. A III. Gruppe was formed with pilots from training school and an SAGr unit. This new III. Gruppe was equipped with Bf 109 E-7s. All Bf 109 E Wespen aircraft were thus assigned to III./ZG 1 and not SKG 210.

The machines seen here in these rare shots were E-7 variants, identifiable by the pointed nose. The first Emil Jabos had their electrical and mechanical plumbing modified to carry bombs and were E-4/B sub-types. The E-7 came from the factory with the plumbing, and electrical terminals already in place either for ordnance to be loaded on a bomb rack or for a belly tank on a drop-tank rack. Hence their designation as E-7s with either load.







Thanks to Peter Kassak for the following images and artwork of 'S9+FS'. As usual click on the images for a larger view. As to colours; the following courtesy Lynn Ritger on hyperscale;

"...If you're planning on modelling a Schlachtgeschwader aircraft, bear in mind they would often receive "cast-offs" from other units which had transitioned onto the F, and as such were just as likely to be painted in 71/02/65... 2.(S)/LG 2 is a good example of this, they received some old E-4/bs from III./JG 77 in April-May 1941.It's admittedly a judgment call, and I would be the last one to say it's unequivocally wrong should you decide to go with 74/75/76, but given the "chain of custody" of those aircraft (i.e. where they came from) and the timeframe, 02/71 seems more likely....".







Model pic Dave Sherill (via hyperscale.com). My own build of the new Airfix Emil in Kagero Wespen decals is here http://falkeeinsmodel.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-airfix-emil.html