Daily Ebay Luftwaffe photo find - Fw 190 JG 26, Galland's Bf 109 Emil WNr. 5819, Willi Nemitz 6./ JG 52 RK award ceremony, Hptm Hans-Karl Mayer I./ JG 53

A slightly different angle on WNr. 5819 - nice image - click to see the full view. Galland took over this machine on 7 September 1940 and returned his 31st victory on 11 September 1940. It was his 'regular' aircraft until mid-April 1941. The 'victory' markings were painted on a pale blue panel either in red or black - see "Galland's Emil" by Michael Payne in Aviation News, May 1992. Over the winter of 1940-41 this aircraft was thoroughly overhauled, repainted in the new grey colours (RLM 74/75/76) and re-engined..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOP-FOTO-GRUPPE-ME-109-STAFFELWAPPEN-ABSCHUSSE-/330841568573?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

and two more recent views of WNr. 5819

See these pages elsewhere on this blog devoted to Galland's Emils and Friedrichs

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/adolf-gallands-emil-and-friedrich.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/der-reichsmarschall-bei-oberst-galland.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/galland-bf109-e-4n.html

 Ofw Willi Nemitz of 6./ JG 52 (7th from the left in the front, first image below) following his Knight's Cross 'award ceremony' held in the field, late March 1943 Anapa/Taman. 4th from the right, wearing the Feldmütze, is Lt. Günther Kurz, an ace who achieved 33 victories and who was KIA on 11 October 1943. The two aces are photographed here with men of the Ungarn (Hungarian) Staffel. Nemitz filed some 81 claims before being KIA -  in combat with Russian fighters on 11 April 1944 eye witnesses saw his aircraft plunge  earthwards out of the cloud deck north of Nishne-Bakanskaja and bury itself deep in the ground. He was given the rank of Leutnant posthumously. The aircraft that serves as backdrop to these images is Bf 109 G-4 "gelbe 3" WNr. 14898, which is the machine in which the ace went to his death....

http://www.ebay.de/sch/m.html?item=380531144984&pt=Militaria&hash=item58996c7918&_ssn=macflly41&_pgn=2&_skc=25&rt=nc

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Foto-Westfront-Flugzeug-FW-190-Focke-Wulf-Kennung-4-11-Flugplatz-orig-/380533737935?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

Another view of 'brown 4' from II./ JG 26 as featured in Der Adler, May 1942

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Fotos-Messerschmitt-ME-109-JG53-Bordkanonne-Charleville-Frankreich-1940-/300829449228?pt=Militaria&hash=item460ad51c0c&_uhb=1

Atmospheric views of Charleville, north-west of Sedan and briefly home to Gruppen of JG 53 during the Westfeldzug..also on offer from this seller, two later portraits of one of JG 53's leading aces during the campaign in the West, Hans-Karl Mayer, subject of a recent Chris Goss Flypast feature. Mayer was awarded the RK during September 1940, but disappeared on a test flight over the Channel during October - he was most probably caught up in a fight with RAF fighters, but according to at least one German-language source had taken off with unloaded magazines. His body was washed up on the beach between Dover and Folkestone and he was subsequently buried in the cemetery at Hawkinge where he still lies, a rare Luftwaffe Ritterkreuztraeger still on British soil...

Zurück von der Nachtjagd -Nachtjagd aces Oblt Alfons Köster and Hptm. Leopold Fellerer in Wochenschau film report, Bf 110 G-4

..zurück von der Nachtjagd - return home from the night hunt, some interesting stills from a 1944 Wochenschau film report on the exploits of the Nachtjagd aces Oblt Alfons Köster  and Hptm. Leopold Fellerer. Below, a Junkers Ju 88 C, probably of II./NJG 2, taxies in after a night sortie. Note the prominent flame dampers over the Jumo 211 exhausts...

Lt. Alfons Köster disembarks from his aircraft and is then seen (below) in conversation with another RK-holder, probably Major Paul Semrau, Kommandeur of II./ NJG 2. Köster was killed when his machine hit a farmhouse while attempting to put down at Varel-Obenstrohe on 7 January 1945. He had achieved 26 night victories. Semrau was shot down and killed by Spitfires the following month.

" ..die Machinen sind wieder startklar gemacht....the aircraft are prepared for their next sortie.."
Below, a pep talk from the Kommodore, Hptm. Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein ...

... As Gruppenkommandeur II./ NJG 5 Hptm. Leopold Fellerer claimed two USAAF heavy bombers by day during January 1944. He then claimed five RAF bombers during the night of 20-21 January 1944 and these Wochenschau film stills depict his return from that sortie during the early morning of 21 January 1944 (above and following stills..). Filmed on taxying in at Parchim, his Bordschütze Uffz Arthur Schopf hastens to help the successful Gkr. out of the cockpit of his Bf 110 G-4. The Geschwaderkennung of NJG 5 'C9' is briefly visible ahead of the fuselage Balkenkreuz as the crew dismount. Fellerer then poses alongside his rudder marked with his then-total of 22 victories. He was subsequently awarded the German Cross in Gold in February 1944 and the RK for 34 victories in April 1944...according to the commentary "... that cigar tastes good.."

Daily Ebay Luftwaffe photo find - Friedrichs and Emils of JG 53 and JG 52 (continued..), Jagdflieger Gustav Denk 6./JG 52

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Foto-Luftwaffe-Flugzeug-Me-109-F-JG-53-Pik-As-mit-Wappen-Fruhjahr-1941-Kanal-/380531145586?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

Above, 6./JG 53 at Comiso, Sicily

Below; general views at Lepel-Ost (also transcribed as Ljepel) of Me 109 Friedrichs of 6./JG 52  in early July 1941. "Yellow 7" undergoing an engine change

Below; more from Ebay seller foto-historiker from the estate of RK holder Gustav Denk, 6./ JG 52, 67 victories in approx 500 combat flights, KIA 13 February 1943

Two views of Me 109  Emils of  3./JG 52 seen preparing to taxy out at Calais-Coquelles during the Battle of Britain and then getting airborne - located right on the Channel coast Coquelles is a small village - and site of the Channel Tunnel terminal..

Below; burial ceremony for Oblt. Karl Ritzenberger (6./ JG 52,  total 21 victories) who was forced to ditch in a lake having sustained damage in combat with Russian fighters. Brought ashore unconscious he subsequently died of his injuries, crash indicated as taking place south of Noworossijsk Plqu. 7545 SU on 24 May 1943. Buried in Anapa.

http://www.ebay.de/sch/m.html?item=380531145012&pt=Militaria&hash=item58996c7934&_ssn=macflly41&_pgn=3&_skc=50&rt=nc