III./JG 301 Fw 190 A-8

Three 10./JG 301 pilots in front of an A-8 WNr. 681992 " rote 11" seen in Salzwedel. This machine was shot down with Uffz. Dieter Göthel of 9./JG 301 at the controls on 20 January 1945. Like other western Geschwader - most notably JG 300, JG 1, JG 3, JG 4, JG 11 and JG 77 - JG 301 were about to be ordered to transfer to the Eastern Front. Combating US bombers had suddenly become secondary to bombing and strafing Soviet ground forces now approaching to within 60 miles of Berlin. On this date Göthel was caught up in a dogfight and crash landed his machine in Helerau, close to Dresden. Severely injured in the crash, he would not return to his unit. Note the two white stripes around the rear fuselage, an ID marking worn by the aircraft of the Schwarmführer. Unlike the profile artist I'm not entirely convinced that there is a coloured band between the white stripes as the Grau 74 appears to be present along the fuselage spine.
Photo credit 10. Staffel pilot Rudi Driebe via Rodeike

© Claes Sundin

more Wespengeschwader ZG1 and ZG 26 Bf 110s currently on Ebay - Ebay photo find # 105

Thanks to all those blog readers who have messaged me recently. No, the 'Blog..' wasn't closed, or at least not definitively. Having resolved some PC issues and managed to close down the 'mirror' sites copying these pages directly, 'The Luftwaffe blog' may now perhaps resume something approaching normal service ..although be aware that my interests are evolving, and I'm now doing much more modelling than Luftwaffe 'research', so I'll mostly be posting what I consider to be good modelling reference..

Me 110 C/D mit dem Wespenwappen des ZG 1 der 4./SKG 210 in Rußland im Sommer 1941

below; Me 110 E displaying the ZG 1 Wespe emblem on the strength of 5./SKG 210 in Scheikowa or Shaikowka, late summer 1941. Note the enlarged oil cooler, the 300 litre Zusatztank and a small row of Abschußbalken on the rudder.

Above; displaying the upper surface finish neatly for the camera this is a Me 110 G-2 coded "3U+." of III./ZG 26 in Trapani 1943

Above; Me 110 G-2 "3U+.. " of III./ZG 26 in Trapani 1943. The two Warte are painting the white ring of 7. Staffel onto the prop hub


Michael Meyer's Ebay sales are here

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Luftwaffe Gallery 'special album' JG 77 - Fighting on every front

this second "Special Album" of the "Luftwaffe Gallery" series is devote to JG 77. This is not a day-by-day history but a compilation of stunning photographs (many published here for the first time) and new translated personal accounts (by this blog author) from the pilots and ground crews who were there, superbly illustrated with the aircraft profile artwork of  Thierry Dekker, one of the best in his field.

 The story of JG 77 is told here in broad strokes and to all intents and purposes for the first time in English. Characterized by the diversity of its origins, the unit fought on all fronts where the Luftwaffe was committed (hence the title of the album) and its pilots flew the Messerschmitt Bf 109 virtually from first to last. JG 77 was notable not only for the number and quality of its emblems and personal insignia but also for the presence in its ranks of a very large number of the leading Luftwaffe fighter aces. As was the case with Erik's first "Special Album" dedicated to the "Abbeville Boys" of JG 26, the limited print run of this latest title in the series will make it a highly sought-after collector’s item in just a matter of months.



Soft cover, 96 pages, landscape format ......
Around 200 photos and 30 profiles
Published 15 August 2015

Focke Wulf 190 A-3/U3 “Black 3″ of 14 (Jabo)./ JG 5

The Norsk Luftfartsmuseum - Norwegian Aviation museum - in Bodø has recently put on display a newly restored Fw 190 A-3

The museum’s Focke Wulf FW-190 A-3/U3 “Black 3″ was built in 1942 at the AGO factory in Ochersleben, WNr. 0132219. The machine was transferred to Herdla in Norway and in September 1943 went to Petsamo in North Finland with 14.(Jabo)/ JG 5. The aircraft was lost on 5 October 1943 when pilot Hans Gunther Kleemann lost his way in bad weather and ran out of fuel. He baled out with only slight injuries. “Black 3″ was recovered - minus most of the removeable parts - in the early 1980s. Full story on the museum's web site here.

14.(Jabo)/JG 5 was activated in Petsamo in mid February 1943 under the 27-year old Hptm. Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn, the former Staffelkäpitan of 12./JG 5. This new Jabostaffel extended the Luftwaffe's Eastern Front bomber force beyond the Polar circle to the tip of northern Norway - albeit with an initial strength of just eleven Fw 190 A-3s, modified to carry bombs in a Norwegian repair facility at Kjeller. The second-hand A-3s, formerly belonging to 11./JG 5, were supplemented by a couple of older, overhauled A-2 variants. The basic modifications consisted of adding the ETC 501 bomb rack under the fuselage and removing the outboard wing MG FF cannons. Such machines were unofficially designated Fw 190 A-2/U and A-3/U.

For such a small force the unit's achievements apparently earned a number of notable plaudits;

  " ..the unit owed a lot to the great personality of its commander, “Straks” Strakeljahn. A characteristic figure in a white fur cap, permanent smile and neatly-trimmed beard, he was usually to be found among his pilots. “Hptm. Strakeljahn was like a father to us; the perfect officer” – one of his pilots recalled. Lenient and cheerful on the ground, in the air he was an aggressive and efficient fighter pilot. This would be proven during a three-day run of luck for 14.(Jabo)/JG 5 in early May. On 7 May German recce aircraft discovered a Soviet convoy sailing across the Motovskiy Bay. In late afternoon six FW 190s, escorted by four Bf 109s of 9./JG 5, took to the air. It soon became apparent that the convoy was defended from the air by about 20 Hurricanes and P-39 fighters. As the Messerschmitts engaged the escorts, the Focke Wulfs, each armed with SC 250 bomb, went for the vessels. Fw. Karl-Heinz Froschek sank a “M”-class submarine escorting the convoy, whereas “Straks” sent to the seabed a 2000-ton auxiliary with a direct hit. The following day Uffz. Walther Pohl sank another “M”-class submarine. On 9 May Hptm. Strakeljahn himself sank a 3000-ton freighter. Further attacks were not so successful; on 11 May Lt. Günther Busse, flying “black 7”, fell to anti-aircraft fire from the ships in the Pummanki Bay. Nonetheless, on the same day the commander of Luftflotte 5 Generaloberst Stumpff sent his personal congratulations to 14.(Jabo)/JG 5 - five days later, more compliments came, this time from… AH himself!..."

 ..quoted in Fw 190 Vol III (Kagero)

more III./ JG 2 Fw 190s and Bf 109s

 Fw 190 A-2/3 "gelbe 7" (probably WNr. 5257) of 9./ JG 2 features the stylised eagle wing design associated with III./ JG 2 with an Adlerkopf (eagle's head) on the cowling. Directly below this, "Yellow 8" is another 9. Staffel machine

currently on offer from Manuel Rauh here

from Oliver Rogge's current Ebay sales, a selection of 7./ JG 2 Emils  somewhere in France featuring the Staffel Zylinderhut emblem on the nose (a thumb pressing down on the British top hat) rather than the III. Gruppe emblem. The pilot in front of the rudder with the victory markings appears to be Kommandeur Mix. Note the sponge mottle appears to have been applied over the top of the III. Gruppe wavy bar.

Bf 109 Jabos of JG 2 1941 - Oblt. Frank Liesendahl, Kapitän of 6./JG 2 - Channel Front aces (4) Ebay photo find #104

JG 2 assigned 2., 6. and 7. Staffeln during the autumn of 1940 to the specialist anti-shipping Jabo role. According to Erik Mombeek in his history of JG 2 "Dans le Ciel de France" (Vol II) JG 2 had approached this new commitment only half-heartedly and during the spring of 1941 was still training with 50 kg cement bombs in the Seine estuary. The Staffeln of neighbouring units (such as JG 26 for example) had made considerably more progress.

Fritz Schröter recalled the training sorties flown by 6. Staffel - the so-called Jagdbomber Staffel;

  " ..Some distance to the north of Beaumont-le-Roger- in the Seine estuary to be exact- lay a ship wreck which made an ideal target for our training exercises. We approached it at wave-top height or from the direction of the shore at low altitude. At a precise distance from the target we would pull up three hundred metres before diving back down towards the wreck, throwing the throttle wide open in order to make ourselves as difficult a target as possible for potential anti-aircraft gunners. The bomb would be jettisoned just before the target disappeared beneath the nose of the aircraft, followed by a sharp pull-up which took us virtually through the masts and superstructure of the vessel. If we had judged the distance and speed correctly, the bomb struck the ship at the waterline. A 250 kg bomb could tear a breech large enough to sink a ship. Otherwise a near miss would detonate with the force of a sea mine. However during training we only employed 50 kg bombs -which had far less explosive force- in order not to totally destroy our practice target..."

Above; in the spring of 1941, 6./JG 2, the Jabostaffel of II. Gruppe, took on strength several of the new Friedrichs - note the Staffel emblem painted on the bright yellow cowling.

Pilot accounts from the Jabostaffel of I./ JG 2 focus on the relatively inauspicious results achieved by the Jabos - on the morning of 17 May 2./JG 2 flew a sortie that saw the unit dropping its twentieth 'live' bomb. According to Oblt. Dietrich Wickop's account (quoted in 'Dans le Ciel de France' );

"..Mund and Niesmann flew a Jabo mission against a convoy south of Swanage. The secondary target was the port of Swanage but no shipping was sighted in either location. Mund then headed west towards Portland before coming across a well defended convoy. He attacked but on his first pass his bomb failed to release. On the second pass the bomb hit the water some two hundred metres from the ships. No-one saw where Niesmann's bomb fell. A pity that things again turned out as they did.. I have promised myself that next time I will get one directly on target. To ensure that it doesn't bounce like it did last time I've had a large metal ring attached to the casing of the next bomb I haul. Let's hope that this provides the solution !..."

During the evening of 17 May 1941, Oblt. Frank Liesendahl’s Jabostaffel 6./JG 2 (whose emblem in close-up above clearly hints at its specialist mission) claimed considerable damage inflicted on a cargo ship of some 2,500 GRT. However Uffz. Helmut Ries failed to return from this sortie.

Oblt. Frank Liesendahl’s rudder does not display any victory bars but is seen here in 1942 (see 'blue 1' below) decorated with the silhouettes of the ships sunk or damaged as a result of his attacks, including an armed merchantman of some 10,000 tonnes GRT (third silhouette from the top) which was claimed on 23 June 1941 during what was almost certainly the last Jabo sortie flown by  Liesendahl's 'first' Jabostaffel  6./JG 2. On 10 July 1941 Liesendahl, Kapitän of 6./JG 2, was wounded in combat with a British fighter.. he nevertheless managed to land his aircraft in Abbeville but for the second time in just over a year he started a two-month stay in hospital. After the first three sihouettes, Jabo successes resumed in 1942 following Liesendahl's return to JG 2. By that time command of 6./ JG 2 had reverted to Lt. Erich Rudorffer and new Jabostaffeln had been established...

Below; close-up of the ship-munching fox emblem of 10.(Jabo) / JG 2 also affords a good view of the belly  ETC 250 rack enabling a  250 kg bomb to be hauled. Probably Liesendahl's F-4/B "blue 1"

All images above are currently offered on ebay.de here