Bf 109 F-4 'black 9' of Josef Poehs from 5./JG 54, Russland - ebay photo find #208

Pöhs was a JG 54 Ritterkreuzträger who flew the Me 163 Komet in JG 400.

PÖHS, Josef (Joachim?) (“Joschi”). (DOB: 14.03.12 in Altkettenhof near Wien). (R, DKG). 1934 joined the Austrian Luftstreitkräfte and served on the aerobatic team. 1938 trf to the Luftwaffe and posted to JG 138. 09.39 in I./JG 76. 04.40 Lt., in 5./JG 54. 08.40 in 4./JG 54. (via De Zeng Luftwaffe officer career summaries)

Pöhs claimed two Russian SB-2 twin-engine bombers shot down on 22 June 1941, the opening day of Operation Barbarossa, to record his 10th and 11th victories. On 13 July, Pöhs claimed two Russian DB-3 twin-engine bombers shot down to record his 19th and 20th victories. Leutnant Pöhs was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 6 August 1941 for 28 victories achieved in 225 missions. On 11 August, he shot down three enemy aircraft (29-31). He recorded his 40th victory on 7 September so the photo above dates from August 1941. In September 1941 he transferred to the Erg.Gr./JG 54 as an instructor and in February 1942 he transferred to the Erg.JGr. Ost before moving to the E.Stelle Rechlin in June 1942.

Oblt Pöhs was killed on 30 December †30.12.43 Oblt., Erprobungskdo. 16 – in a crash at Bad Zwischenahn when the undercarriage dolly of Me 163 A V8 "CD + IM" (W.Nr. 163 000 0005) bounced higher than normal following release and struck the underside of the aircraft rupturing a T-Stoff fuel line thus prompting an installed safety device to shut down the engine. In attempting to return to Bad Zwischenahn one of the wings clipped the tower of the radio ground station antenna causing the aircraft to cartwheel into the ground where it exploded. He was credited with c.300 combat missions and 43 Luftsiege (air victories).

Fw 190 vs. B-17 - Sturmstaffel Fw 190 A-6 - Piotr Forkasiewicz

Seriously good artwork cover illustration from forthcoming issue of Aérojournal on the Sturmstaffel..digital artist is Piotr Forkasiewicz

the article- which will have a hard job living up to the quality of the artwork -covers the period October 43-May 44 ie the Sturmstaffel

via the Aérojournal FB page

More on the Sturmstaffel on this blog;

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/gerd-vivrouxs-fw-190-6-white-2.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/pauke-pauke-iv-jg-3-and-sturmstaffel-1.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/focke-wulf-190-6-sturmjager-white-4.html

Luftflotte West no 5 February 1943- Fw 189 Aufklärer im Osten

JG 26 Eichenlaubsträger Major Priller in front of his FW 190 details his latest combat engagement to his fellow pilots; photo by PK reporter/war correspondent Doege.

Recently acquired a selection of these little 16-page publications via wartimepress.com.(link below) 'Luftflotte West' was a weekly and then monthly Zeitschrift or magazine for Luftflotte 3 published 1941-44 and intended for Luftwaffe personnel of Luftflotte 3 based in German-occupied areas of Northern France, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Vichy France. In this particular issue there is little of great interest for the blog, aside from a brief look at the work of Fw 189 "Aufklärer im Osten". Given the date this edition appeared, most of the text unsurprisingly refers to the 'heroic' defeat of 6.Armee at Stalingrad and plays up Germany's role as bulkwark against the Eastern (Mongolian) hordes; " Deutschland - Bollwerk Europas gegen den Osten ". Elsewhere a two-page travelogue about the Russian people describes a journey made by train and aircraft out to the Front in the East waxing lyrical about the great vastness and open space of the Steppe ; " Ich habe vergessen wie vielgestaltig, wie frei, wie lebendig Russland war.."  This edition also featured a full one page illustration given over to Arno Breker's work " Kameraden".

" ..every day in the East our Aufklärer face new tasks and challenges ....the Fw 189 - a weapon feared by the enemy because of its high speed, superior maneuverability and heavy armament....here the recce aircraft is at altitude, the crew have put oxygen masks on. While the pilot orbits enemy positions, the observer relays every move and deployment to our own troops on the ground..the type's twin boom configuration enables the three-man crew to be housed in a fully-glazed central nacelle affording all-round visibility.."

wartime press offers PDF issues of this and other German wartime publications
http://www.wartimepress.com/epier.asp

Messerschmitt ME110 II./ZG 76 Haifisch-Geschwader im Flug M8+C -daily Ebay photo find #207

Super selection of shark-mouth Bf 110s on offer from Marko Auer - Messerschmitt ME110 II./ZG76 Haifisch-Geschwader im Flug M8+C

on offer here

and via the Archiv KH, this ZG 76 'ace' presumably flying M8+ZC seen on reel 78. Note the mottled finish, yellow rudders and line of white victory markings on the tailfin.

These stills were captured from footage made available via the Agentur Karl Höffkes film archive AKH and are reproduced here with the kind permission of Karl Höffkes.

new AIMS - the Ju 88 web site - Facebook page

Good friend of the Luftwaffe blog John McIllmurray has established a new FB page to show off those marvellous creations realised with the help of AIMS parts, conversion sets and decal sheets. Here a splendid G-6 and Ju 388L conversion. Much more at the link below!

AIMS Facebook page

Fw 190 Jagdflugzeug JG 2. Wurmhellers Rottenflieger nach einem LS zurück bei seinen Kameraden -daily Ebay photo find #206

"..Fw 190 Jagdflugzeug. Wurmhellers Rottenflieger nach einem LS zurück bei seinen Kameraden..."

According to the seller this is Wurmheller's wingman being carried on the shoulders of his ground crew after a successful sortie in (presumably) "white 21", a machine on the strength of the Geschwaderstab - (cf  'Dans le ciel de France' - 1943 Vol 4)

Also on offer from the same seller, an A-8 with III./JG 301 seen at Stendal during mid-to-late 1944 ('black 10' possibly?)

On offer here

JG 51 (JG 3?) Friedrich Flugzeug Wrack im Osten -daily Ebay photo find #206

shown here courtesy of Marco and currently on offer at koelsch333 this Friedrich 'black 10' of III./JG 51 (or possibly JG 3 -traces of an obscured emblem under the cockpit?) with yellow fuselage Rumpfband has been stood back on its legs after a belly landing (note bent prop blades) somewhere in the East and appears to be undergoing dismantlement (wings removed) for rail transport to a rear area repair facility. Click to view large

Edit- image caption via George Morrison. Thank you!

"..the wingless 109F "schwarze 10" is indeed from 8./JG 3, and can not be from JG 51. JG 51 invariably used a white vertical Balken on their III Gruppe machines, beginning on their 109 F-2s, then the 190 A-3/4/5/6, then again when they reconverted to 109 G-6s. This was true across the Gruppe, irrespective of the color of the Kennung. III./JG 3 used a rather-tall vertical bar on their 109Es and 109Fs..."