'Edu' Neumann, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 27, Eduard Friedrich

"...Here is my Eduard Bf 109 F4. I didn't fancy the schemes in the boxing I had so raided the spare decal box and made a JG 27 machine as seen in the "Africa" combo boxing, complete with the attractive yellow nose. I could have gone with Marseille's machine, maybe next time! Gunze and Tamiya exterior with Vallejo interior details. There is a fair bit of tonal variation on the wings and fuselage as I lightened/darkened various panels to break up the monotone RLM79 finish. There is some restrained chipping with a silver pencil. Tyres flatted and pitot replaced with hollow tube. Everything hanging down. The spinner is held on with magnets. I found it centres more precisely that way and can be easily removed for transport to shows. Amazingly it even spins. A joy to build notwithstanding the cockpit is pretty busy and a bit of a tight fit here and there, especially the instrument panel. Keep 'em coming Eduard..."

Rick 'gryphon28'

'Edu' Neumann, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 27 returning from a combat sortie, a scene depicted on the cover of a recent issue of ‘Avions’ magazine. Somewhat surprisingly (perhaps) for the Kommandeur I./JG 27 (subsequently Kommodore) most of his ‘kills’ - after a couple in Spain - were returned over southern England during the Battle of Britain. A more or less 'factory fresh' Bf 109 F-4 (note armoured windscreen) would suggest that the photo was taken in September/October 1941.

"Doppelabschuss!" Auf dem Feldflugplatz eines Jagdgeschwaders......more Messerschmitt Bf 109s - ebay photo find #326

Press photo of Oblt. Johannes Steinhoff at the controls of his 10.(N)/JG 26 Dora

"Doppelabschuss!"  Auf dem Feldflugplatz eines Jagdgeschwaders......

Ofw. Max Martin 8./JG 26

  Bf 109 E ‘black 5’ flown by Leutnant Gustav Langanke of 5./JG 27

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 Major "Tutti" Müller Stab JG 3 Mai 1944. Left, Dahl

Bf 109 G-2 of I./JG 54 in winter 1942-43.

Bf 109 E-3/N flown by Hptm Herwig Knüppel Kommandeur II./JG 26 Westfeldzug 1940. As an Oberleutnant, Knüppel was one of the first German fighter pilots in Spain (departed Germany on July 31, 1936). Knüppel was killed near Valenciennes on May 19, 1940 in WNr. 1452 while leading II. /JG 26. He had 3 victories to his credit (in addition to his 8 in Spain).

The 'Luchy' trial - III./ZG 26 pilot murder - May/June 1940

Roadside grave in northern France of Uffz. Wilhelm Ross shot in cold blood after jumping clear of his stricken III./ZG 26 Bf 110 on May 20, 1940.

On May 20, 1940, while flying an escort mission for He 111s on a bombing mission to Beauvais, two Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 were shot down by Sgt Edouard Le Nigen of GC III/3. One of the twin-engine aircraft crashed in Luchy along the Amiens-Beauvais road, the two crew successfully bailing out of their stricken machine. The aviators touched down in a field between the road and the hamlet of Rougemaison. The pilot, Uffz Wilhelm Ross, was then attacked by refugees before being shot in the head by a French soldier or officer, whose unit in retreat was apparently on the road in the same refugee column, possibly intentionally. A sergeant in charge of the 106th artillery regiment held off a baying crowd, which enabled the radio operator/gunner, Gefr Alfred Wetzel, to avoid a similar fate to his pilot.

left; Gefr Alfred Wetzel, a witness at the Luchy trial during September 1940

Wetzel went into captivity and was released after the fall of France. Ross was briefly buried by the roadside for a while. With the end of hostilities on the continent, an investigation was conducted by the German authorities.

Ross was not of course the only German airman murdered by military or civilian personnel on the basis of a foolish and criminal order promulgated by the French military authorities according to which any 'paratrooper' had to be shot. The order in question was 'reviewed' on or around May 20 after several French and British airmen were killed by 'friendly' fire. Despite the repeated occurrence of these gratuitous crimes, the German authorities apparently had little desire to make publicity out of them, possibly to avoid memories of those few snipers of August 1914 whose disordered actions had led to bloody uncontrolled and disproportionate reprisals in Belgium as well as in northern France.

Somewhat unusually the 'Luchy case' resulted in a 'show trial' that would attract media attention.

As the responsible French soldier had not been identified, a local farmer Alfred Mullot who lived in Rougemaison was charged with the crime. Mullot had seen the German aircraft coming down and had been quickly on the scene with his shotgun. He had been denounced by another local as the murderer. The 'witness', an agricultural worker, apparently wanted to 'settle a score' following a humdrum village dispute. Mullot was arrested on August 2, 1940 and imprisoned for a time in Ghent.

Brought back to Beauvais, he was put on trial in a very theatrical manner on September 12 in the village square of Luchy itself. Photos taken at this "trial" were widely published in the press. Although Bordfunker Wetzel, a witness at the 'hearing', stated that he did not recognise Mullot, the farmer was nonetheless sentenced to death. However, his sentence was soon commuted to five years in prison. After a year and a half in the Reich, he was sent back to Luchy (where he died in 1980). Mullot's release demonstrated that, in the end, no one had seriously considered him to be the killer and that the 'Luchy trial' was something of a farce.

(Farmer Mullot accused of murdering III./ ZG 26 pilot Uffz. Wilhelm Ross on May 20, 1940 at his 'trial' - the newspaper caption read " I was only following the orders of the Prefecture"...)

However, his release raised a number of questions. Why did the German authorities expend so much unnecessary energy on this 'show' trial when a simple examination of Ross' remains would have revealed that he was killed by a bullet fired by a soldier and not by Alfred Mullot's shotgun? Why even use such publicity to condemn an innocent man (even if, according to how events could have played out, Mullot might well have acted in the manner of a 'franc-tireur'). After all, far less coverage was given to the four civilians sentenced to death and executed after the murder of a KG 54 crew at Vimy on 18 May 1940. Was the Luchy trial the 'unfortunate' initiative of a local German official... the answer to this and other questions will probably never be known.

Extracted with permission from Jean-Louis Roba's new history of III./ZG 26 published by Lela Presse. Free shipping on this title up to 10 January 2020. Go to the Lela Presse website for pdf extracts and ordering info.

Best wishes and Happy New Year/ Meilleurs Voeux to all friends and contributors at Lela Presse!

Herbert Kutscha IV./JG 3 - Bundesarchiv photo report series #5

Oblt. Herbert Kutscha (left) earned his Knights Cross with II./ZG 1 in the East (see link below). He briefly led IV./JG 3 in the air during early 1944, 83-victory ace and IV. Gruppe Kommandeur Franz Beyer having been shot down and killed on 11 February 1944 (a successor not immediately appointed). IV./JG 3 operated in concert with the Sturmstaffel from Salzwedel during February-April 1944. Kutscha would be shot down by P-47s near Venlo on 23 February 1944 and was out of action for several months.

 more on Kutscha on this blog

https://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2016/11/bf-110-skg-210-kennung-s9-nn-in-ruland.html

Wurmheller Jagdgeschwader 2 - ebay photo find #326

Jagdflieger Lederkombi Pilot Josef Sepp Wurmheller, Frankreich, Feldflugplatz, vermutlich 13. November 1942

new Luftwaffe book series from UK publisher Mortons

new and forthcoming series from this ambitious UK publisher..."Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe " and "Eagles of the Luftwaffe"

First volume in the "Secret Projects.." series is a new history of the Blohm and Voss BV 155, which according to author Dan Sharp, "..sheds new light on the development of the type based entirely on primary source research. The book has photos of the last surviving example of the type in the world. And it's in remarkably good condition!.."

According to Dan's Twitter feed ..".. NASM's BV 155 V2 at Silver Hill is in deep storage and inaccessible to the public - so the team at NASM sent someone in for me to get pictures. The Me 155 started out being essentially a 109 with new wings/undercarriage but what ended up as the BV 155 shared few components with the 109 series..."

 There has been nothing on the Blohm and Voss BV 155 since the Monogram Close-Up of 1990 by Thomas H Hitchcock (that I'm aware of).

Mortons' Luftwaffe series are here

Fritz Galland, reluctant fighter pilot - eldest and least well-known of the four Galland brothers

Above; Fritz Galland, elder brother of Adolf Galland, seen strapping into the cockpit of his G-6 'white 1' as StaKa 2./NAG 11 in Italy during late 1943. See profile artwork of 'white 1' below, published in the long defunct 'Histoire de guerre' magazine (via J-L Roba).

Interview extract with Adolf Galland via Colin Heaton on history.net

Interestingly both interviewer and interviewee got that one wrong - all three of Galland's brothers were combat pilots! However they did at least both note that there were four Galland brothers including Adolf - most authors only seem to account for three ! Fritz Galland - the 'attorney' according to brother Adolf Galland - alongside AG (left) and in the cockpit of his "white 1" (top) was the eldest brother and had - like Wilhelm-  joined the flak arm. It was possibly as a result of his brothers' achievements in fighters that he had then 'chosen' or taken the opportunity very late on to train as a fighter pilot. Fritz Galland's first posting was to JG 3. During the summer of 1942 he flew Bf 109s with 7./JG 5. According to writer Brian Cull it was possibly Fritz Galland who was held responsible for the shooting down of a He 111 of 8./KG 26 near Petsamo, a loss that occurred on 8 September 1942. However sources are few and far between. Exactly what did happen to Fritz Galland? What we do know - from first person accounts - is that he must have been demoted from his rank of Hauptmann. He was subsequently posted to NAG 11 (2 Staffel) in Italy -where presumably he could do less damage- and arrived there as a lowly Feldwebel. He was appointed Staka 2./NAG 11 in October 1943. (note the error in the Stankey/De Zeng data base entry below)

Even here apparently he wasn't particularly highly rated as a pilot -at least one of his pilots says he always tried to avoid flying with him..(personal account via Jean-Louis Roba published in the now-defunct 'Histoire de Guerre' magazine)

Below; an entry from the superb Stankey/De Zeng Luftwaffe officers database resource which can be found here; I wonder if the single victory mentioned is in fact the 'victory' that cost him his fighter pilot career. Note that after the NAG he went to various training Geschwader.

GALLAND, Dr. Fritz. (DOB:21.05.10 in Recklingshausen). 26.05.42 Oblt., 2./JG 3. 13.06.42 Oblt., in 2./JG 3. 01.07.42 promo to Hptm.(d.R./Fl.). 10.08.42 in 7./JG 5. 10.43 appt Staka 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 (to 11.43)? c.15.11.43 appt Staka 1./NAGr. 11 (and 01.44). 07.44 Hptm., appt Staka 3./JG 104 (to 02.08.44). 03.08.44 trf to JGr. 10 and then appt Staka in JG 111. 23.09.44 Hptm., appt Staka 1./JG 104(to 28.04.45). Older brother of Adolf Galland. Credited with one victory.