bounce two First Gruppe Staffeln at 25,000 feet over St. Omer, but no Focke-Wulf sustained recordable damage. One Spitfire pilot was wounded, but the Gruppe filed no claims.

10 November Routine patrols and Alarmstarts were flown without encountering Allied aircraft.

14 November 10(Jabo )/JG 26 transferred to Marseilles-Istres, where it joined lO(Jabo)/JG 2 and I1JG 2 in sup­

Lt. Hans Hartigs ' "black 9" in the 8th Staffel porting the German occupation of servicing area at Wevelghem. The airplane's crew chief was Uffz. Franz-Wilhelm Bauerhenne. Vichy France and guarding against Hartigs was taken prisoner on 26 December 1944. the possible invasion of southern (Bauerhenne) France by the Allies. The two Jabo­staffeln and a Bf 109 Staffel from the Erg/JGr West were formed into an ad hoc unit, Jabogruppe 226, and given the task of patrolling the Mediterranean for submarines. The aerial defense of the Channel coast was thus left to four Jagdgruppen: I1JG 26, II/JG 26, III/JG 26, and IIIIJG 2.

Gefr. Heinrich Heuser and Uffz. Heinz Munch joined the Geschwader from fighter training and were assigned to the First Gruppe.

15 November l1(Hohen)/JG 26 was subordinated to II/JG 51 in Tunisia, but half of the Staffel's ground crews never arrived; their Ju 52s were probably shot down by Beaufighters on the flight from Sicily. l1(Hohen)/JG 2 was already in North Africa, flying with II/JG 53.

16-18 November Routine patrols and Alarmstarts were flown without encountering Allied aircraft.

19 November Routine patrols and Alarmstarts were flown. Only one resulted in combat. The 9th Staffel scrambled from Maldeghem and was directed to intercept a squadron of Spitfires that had strafed the airfield at Flushing. Uffz. Edgar Dorre's wing­man, Uffz. Heinz Muller, was trapped by Spitfires after some maneuvering and was shot down and killed. Dorre claimed one of the Spitfires, but all in fact escaped. The victorious unit was the 335th Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group, the sole American fighter unit remaining in England.

Adolf Galland was promoted to Generalmajor, giving him a rank equal to his position as General der Jagdflieger. At age thirty he was the youngest general in the Luftwaffe.

Uffz. Wolfgang Polster and Uffz. Hans Pritzke joined the Geschwader from fighter training and were assigned to the Third Gruppe.

21 November The 4th Staffel transferred to II/JG 2's former base at Beaumont-Ie-Roger to help bolster the defenses of the Paris region.

303

v

up the JaW 2 orders to Mayer 's unit, and No. 609 Squadron was quickly scrambled from Manston. The two flights met over the damaged MTB. The Typhoons shot down three Fw 190s of Mayer's Stabsschwarm in the subsequent battle, killing all three pilots; two Typhoons were also lost with their pilots.

15 February The Germans successfully passed convoys of small ships through the Channel for much of the war. The Allies, uncertain of their nationality, usually let them pass. From time to time a blockade runner or an armed merchant raider attempted the passage. The presence of a large ship in the Channel always prompted a brisk response from the RAF, which still smarted from the embarrassment of the previous February's Channel Dash. The German armed merchant ship Coronel was now berthed at Dunkirk. Three Circuses were mounted today, beginning at 1300, in an attempt to sink it. The Jafii 2 controllers were slow to recognize the target, and failed to position their fighters for an interception. The second Circus was a repeat of the first; again, no contact was made. When a third attack force was detected, the defenders were directed not to the coast, but to mid-Channel, to intercept it on its return flight. This third Circus was the largest of the day ; its bomber component comprised twenty-two B-24s from the 44th Bomb Group. One B-24 was shot down by the Dunkirk Flak. A second was shot down east of Dover by ObIt. Hohagen, the KapiUin of 7 fJG 2, but the attempted interception was otherwise unsuccessful. Hptm. Galland and a 7fJG 2 pilot claimed Spitfires off Ramsgate, but no RAF loss has been traced. Uffz. Johannes Kemper and Uffz. Karl Bruhn, both of the 7th Staffel, were shot down in mid-Channel, and two more Third Gruppe Focke-Wulfs crash-landed on Wevelgem after this mission. Fighter Command claimed 11-2-5 Focke-Wulfs during the day, and the 7th Staffel suffered the only two losses; these match up best with the claims made by the Norwegians of the North Weald Wing, which sustained no losses.

Gefr. Heuser flew a last nonproductive sortie from Vendeville in mid-afternoon, and then boarded a train for East Prussia with the last group of First Gruppe pilots to leave for the Eastern Front.

JG 26 Casualties: 10 - 15 February 1943

Date Rank Name Cas Unil Aircraft WNr Mkgs Place 10-02A3 F\V. Fricdrich , Karl KIA 11 /54 Bf 1090A 16103 rd 10 N of Cap

Blanc Nez 15·02-43 Uffz. Bruhn. Karl KIA 7 F\V 190AA 5728 \Vh 6 15km NW

of Dunkirk 15·02-43 Uffz. Kemper. lohannes KIA 7 Fw 190AA 2434 \Vh8 15km NW

of Dunkirk

16 February

Time Cause Allied Unit 1715 Typhoon 609 Sqd

1546 Spitfire 33 1 or 332 Sqd

1550 Spitfire 33 1 or 332 Sqd

Improved weather brought a resumption of the Second Gruppe coastal patrols, which on this day found nothing. A noon scramble by Major Priller's Stabsschwarm and the Second Gruppe was also unsuccessful , and it was not until late evening, when another Circus was sent to bomb the Coronet at Dunkirk, that contact was made. Claims for two downed Spitfires were confirmed; the day 's only three Spitfire losses were attributed by the RAF to oxygen failure, but one could have resulted from Obit. Naumann's attack, which was made at an altitude of 8000 meters (26,000 feet).

The major Allied attack of the day was on the St. Nazaire submarine pens by seventy-one B-17s and eighteen B-24s of the understrength 8th Bomber Command. Once again the JaW 3 controller held his fighters away until the eleven escorting fighter squadrons turned back. Lt. Stammberger's 9th Staffel, termed the "Vannes Staffel" in the 8th Bomber Command operations research summary, was the first to attack the bombers, just as they left the target. The Staffel attacked continuously for the next forty-five minutes, in head-on passes to very close range by one or two aircraft. The bombers claimed 16-11-2 of the dozen Focke-Wulfs, but only Lt.

28

Stammberger's aircraft was hit hard enough to be entered in the German records. One shell smashed his canopy, and fragments hit his left hand. He and Fw. Dorre teamed up to shoot down one B-17, and Uffz. Schwarz downed another. Stammberger's injuries were slight. The next day he and his Staffel were ordered to rejoin its parent Gruppe in Belgium, after receiving a commendation from the JG 2 Kommodore, Obstlt. Oesau.

The III/JG 2 Staffeln flying from Brest apparently failed to score, but the three Staffeln of I/JG 2, flying a second sortie from St. Brieuc, attacked in groups of four to six until the bombers were halfway back across the Channel, before turning back at the approach of the Spitfire withdrawal escort, which was apparently running very late. l/JG 2 filed six victory claims, of which five were confirmed. Some Bf 109s from a reconnaissance Staffel, 2/NAGr 13, put in a late appearance and claimed two B-17s over the Channel, but these claims were not confirmed. Six B-17s failed to return from the mission, two each from the 303rd, 305th, and 306th Bomb Groups.

JG 26 Victory Claims: 15 - 16 February 1943

Date Rank Name Unit CI# Aircraftd Place Time Opponent Conf 15-02-43 Hptm. Galland W-F. 11 CO 30 Spitfire 6-8km SE of Ramsgate 1604 yes 16·02-43 11. Stab 11 St 4 Spitfire 8km NW of Abbeville 1735 402 Sqd yes 16-02-43 Obit. Naumann 6CO 11 Spitfire BOllrseville 1728 402 Sqd yes 16-02-43 Fw. Dorre 9 5 B- 17 2.5km SW of 1120 i.O.

Pleuradeur 16-02-43 Uffz, Schwarz E, 9 2 B- 17 6-IOkm W of Ploennal 1125 i,O, 16-02-43 Lt. Sl.ammberger 9 B-17-HSS St Nazaire 1120 no

17 February The day 's major Allied operation was another attack on the Coronel, which was still at Dunkirk and was still undamaged by the week's attacks. Twelve No. 21 Sqd. Venturas made the attempt, but were turned back by clouds. No. 124 Squadron, flying high cover in its high-altitude, Spitfire VIs, was blown all the way to St. Omer by a strong tailwind. The isolated squadron was easy pickings for the thirty Fw 190s of the Second Gruppe, which downed four of the Spitfires without loss. Uffz. Gomann took part in this mission and was then assigned to escort a VIP's Ju 52 from Vi try to Calais­Marck and back.

The JG 26 Jabostaffel was redesignated 10 (Jabo)/JG 54 today; this Staffel would be staying in France when the rest of JG 26 moved to the Eastern Front. A change-of­command ceremony was held at St. Omer-Wizernes. It was attended by the Green Heart Kommodore, Obstlt. Hannes Trautloft, who flew over from his command post near Leningrad. The Jabo pilots removed their Schlageter armbands, but little else changed; they remained under JG 26 for administration, while tactically they operated independently, as before. During its twelve months as JO(Jabo)/JG 26, the Staffel had lost eighteen pilots killed and two POWs, by far the highest losses of any JG 26 Staffel.

The 7th Staffel pilots left today by train from Courtrai. Their ultimate destination was Krasnogvardeisk, on the Leningrad Front; advance detachments from the Third Gruppe Stab and the 7th, 8th, and 9th Staffeln were already there . The 9th Staffel had returned from Vannes to Wevelgem to replace the 7th Staffel in JafU 2. A Green Heart Staffel , 4/JG 54, was en route from Russia, and would be assigned to III/JG 26 until the remainder of its own Gruppe, II1JG 54, arrived from the Eastern Front.

In all probability ll /JG 26 was officially redesignated ll /JG 54 on this date. (The designations II /JG 26 and 111JG 54 are used almost interchangeably in documents dated from January to June, 1943.) General Galland intended to raise the establishment strength of each of the Jagdgruppen based in the West to four Staffeln. Thus the 11th Staffel was a convenient "extra", available to augment any Gruppe of JG 54 upon its arrival in the West. There was apparently no plan to send this Staffel to Russia.

29

return escort, but the RAF did not pursue the Jabos across the Channel. Two III/JG 54 Messerschmitts collided northwest of Lille while airborne on this reception flight, and one pilot was killed.

12 March The Jabostaffeln flew their second combined mission in two days. Twenty-four Jabos crossed the English coast at 0730; apparently some penetrated as far as London. Only No. 609 Squadron 's standing patrol was able to make contact. Two Typhoons followed Fw. Emil Bosch of 10(Jabo)/JG 54 back across the Channel and shot him down off Dunkirk. A lO(Jabo)/JG 2 Focke-Wulf crashed on Coxyde with combat damage, killing the pilot. The Second Gruppe, patrolling the Thames Estuary, and Priller and III/JG 54, patrolling the French coast, failed to make contact; two Green Heart Messerschmitts force-landed with engine problems.

The four B-17 groups bombed the Rouen railroad yards shortly after noon. Jam 2 had its fighters up from Lille and Vitry in ample time to make an interception, but no contact was made. It is possible that there was a problem passing the control to Jam 3, in whose area the target lay.

The American 8th Fighter Command, which had only one fighter group, the 4th, operational at this time, seemed to be fighting an independent war. It rarely took part in escort missions, but instead flew small-scale sweeps which the Germans usually ignored. In late afternoon two squadrons from the 4th swept St. Omer. The two formations were fifteen miles apart, and two airborne 9th Staffel pilots saw the opportunity to make a clean bounce. Fw. Dorre shot down one American Spitfire, and the two Focke-Wulfs then escaped untouched.

13 March The Second Gruppe scrambled from Vitry at 1345 after a formation was reported over the Channel ; the Allied aircraft apparently never crossed the French coast, and the Germans landed forty-five minutes later, only to take off again in twenty minutes when a large formation which included heavy bombers was plotted east of Dieppe. At this time Major Priller led III/JG 54 up from Vendeville, and 12/JG 2 and I/JG 27 took off from their bases west of the SOl1une. The bomber force comprised eighty B-17s en

The Geschwader Stabsschwarm catch up o n the ir reading while at readiness . Major Priller is second from left; Hptm. Gath , third . The Fw 190A-4 is Priller 's W.Nr. 2386 - Yendeville, earl y J 943. (Cranston)

35

JG 26 Casualties: 6 - 7 September 1943

Date Rank Name Cas Unit Aircraft WNr Mkgs Place Time Cause Allied Unit 06-09-43 Uffz. Hallke, Erwin WIA 4 Fw 190A-5 732 1 wh 9 Romi lly-sur- no fuel n/a

Seine 06-09-43 Uffz. Berger, Waiter KIA 6 Fw 190A-5 7306 br 8 12km NE of Poix Spitfire 06-09-43 Fw. Jerg, Adolf KIA 6 Fw 190A-5 7300 br 3 Molins Spitfire 07-09-43 Lt. Kipping, Peter K IFA 5 Fw 190A-4 7054 bk 14 Beauvais alf crashed non-op

8 September Operation Starkey, the Allied invasion exercise which to date had gone completely unnoticed by the Germans, reached a crescendo today when the mediums targeted the long-range guns at Boulogne. The principal diversion was an attack by two B-26 groups on Lille-Nord and Lille-Vendeville. Most of the pilots of the First and Second Gruppen and the Geschwadergruppe made two sorties, but had very little luck. Fw. Erich Schwarz of the 8th Staffel scored the only success against the Lille raiders, shooting down a No. 302 Sqd. Spitfire near Menen. In mid-afternoon, Schwarz and Uffz. Wiegand took off from Moorsele to chase a pair of No. 414 Sqd. Mustangs; Wiegand caught his Mustang over Mardyck and shot it down, for his third victory.

Two First Gruppe pilots were shot down by Spitfires at unrecorded times. Obit. Beese bailed out with slight injuries after his Focke-Wulf was hit west of Cambrai. Fw. Helmut Baumener, who had just returned to the unit after a long convalescence, was hit and force-landed in a farmyard near Lille. He was again severely injured, and this time did not return to the Geschwader.

The Third Gruppe began transferring today from Schipol, where it had seen little action, to Lille-Vendeville. The aircraft of the 7th and 9th Staffeln landed on Vendeville just in time to be bombed by the B-26s, which destroyed two of its Messerschmitts. Fw. Edgar Dorre of the 9th Staffel, with five B-17 victories the best non-commissioned "bomber-killer" of the Gruppe, was hit by Spitfires and crashed north of Mons in his airplane. The Third Gruppe had been displaced from Schipol by IIIJG 3, which had come from the Eastern Front and had been declared ready for operations after one month in training at Uetersen . The 11 th Staffelleft Lille-Nord and flew the few miles to Vendeville, where it joined the Third Gruppe for the first time. The fourth Staffel of the Third Gruppe, the 12th, remained in isolation on Moorsele.

The 10th Staffel also left Lille-Nord at some time this week and rejoined its parent Second Gruppe at Beauvais. The 8th Staffel left Vendeville and, after flying from Moorsele and Wevelgem for a few days , joined the Geschwaderstab at Lille-Nord. The three organic Gruppen of the Geschwader were now in close proximity, and Priller broke up his unofficial Geschwadergruppe. The 8th Staffel was to stay under Priller 's direct command as the Fiihrungsstaffel (leader's squadron), however, until the following June.

9 September The 8th Bomber Command brought Operation Starkey to an end with fragmentation and high explosive bomb attacks on eight Luftwaffe airfields in France. Several members of the Geschwader ground staff were killed or injured in the raids , and six of its aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground. The four P-47 groups of the exclusively-American escort were extremely effective. A Luftwaffe report stated that the P-47s prevented any head-on attacks by turning aggressively into every German approach. No Geschwader pilot filed a claim; Fw. Peter Crump, who had just returned to the 5th Staffel after a long home leave, noted in his logbook that he had downed a B-17 near Beauvais, but no bomber of the Beauvais force was in fact lost.

The B-26s and RAF bombers kept up the attacks on airfields and coastal installations for the rest of the day, but the Spitfires kept the German fighters away. The Third Gruppe was still digging out of Vendeville and Moorsele, but the other Staffeln of the Geschwader were involved in combats, most of which were

153

2

inconclusive. The Focke-Wulf of Uffz. Herbert Kind was hit near St. Omer, and he force-landed with injuries. The only success of the entire day was scored by Uffz. Wiegand, who shot down a No. 122 Sqd. Spitfire as it was exiting France near Berck­sur-Mer.

JG 26 Casualties: 8 - 9 September 1943

Date Rank Name Cas Unit Aircraft WNr Mkgs Place Time Cause Allied Unit 08-09-43 Obit. Beese, Arlur WI A I CO Fw 190A-5 550474 wh 2 W of Cambrai Spitfire 08-09·43 Fw. Btiumcllcr. Hel1l1Ul WI A 3 Fw 190A-5 2688 W of Cambrai- Spitfire

fl l Vendev ille 08-09-43 FlY. DOrre, Edgar KIA 9 Br 109G-6 18829 yl 5 Lens 1600 Spitfire 09·09-43 Urfz. Kind, Herbert WI A 2 Fw I90A-4 2366 Coyecqucs-- Spitfire

IJI St Omer

11 September There was so little air activity over the Channel in the morning that the Second Gruppe scheduled and flew a rare, full-strength training mission in mid-afternoon, probably as a way of introducing its new Kommandeur, Major 10hannes Seifert, to his unit. Seifert had been reprieved from his exile to Bulgaria after an appeal to General Galland. Since Seifert's former First Gruppe command was now held by Hptm. Borris, Hptm. Naumann, the junior Gruppenkommandeur in the Geschwader, was bumped from his job to make room for Seifert. Naumann returned to the 6th Staffel, and Lt. Radener resumed his previous position as Hptm. Naumann 's deputy.

Shortly after the Gruppe had landed at its Beauvais fields and refueled, it was scrambled in response to a large raid approaching the coast west of Dieppe at low altitude. Peter Crump recalls:

"About half-way to the coast we struck the enemy formation with what [ believe were thirty aircraft - I can no longer remember exactly. We attacked the 20-25 Typhoons from above; our altitude was about 2500 meters [8000 feet].

I fired at one from the left rear - I remember clearly that it turned very poorly compared to a Spitfire - after which it trailed a thick light-gray smoke plume and dived away steeply. I immediately found a second opponent in the by-now general dogfight and, after a quick glance around for security, attacked from the right and below. It too smoked at once, but this time with a darker color. The pilot, by now right down at ground level , steered toward a meadow. To my astonishment, his landing gear was down ; I couldn ' t tell if my fire had caused it to drop, or whether it was a sign of surrender. At any rate, the plane touched down in good shape, but while still at a high speed it hit a small group of trees which stood in the meadow and exploded in a fireball. "

No Focke-Wulfs were hit in this encounter. The Typhoons were the three-squadron No. 124 Wing on a bombing mission to Poix. Crump 's victim was a flight sergeant from No. 175 Squadron. Lt. Hoppe shot down the Typhoon of the wing commander, W /C Alex Ingle; Ingle survived as a prisoner. Hptm. Naumann filed a third claim, but this was rejected.

JG 26 Victory Claims: 7 - 11 September 1943

Date Rank Name Unit CI# Aircraft Place Time Opponent Conf 07-09-43 Obit. Beese I CO 18 P-47 w o f Rotterdam (1J9) 1003 4 FG yes 07-09-43 Lt. Kehl 4 3 Mustang near Rosay ? 1627 168 Sqd yes 08-09-43 Fw. Schwarz E. 8 5 Spit fire NW of Menin 1026 302 Sqd unk

08-09-43 Uffz. Wiegand 8 3 Mustang nr Dunkirk 1500 414 Sqd yes 09-09-43 Fw. Crump 5 13- 17 Beauvais-Somme 0930 no 09-09-43 Uffz. Wiegand 8 4 Spitfire St. Po l 1600 122 Sqd yes 11 -09-43 Lt. Hoppe 4 CO 2 1 Typhoon S of Aumale-Beau vai s 1848 124 Wing yes 11 -09-43 Fw. C rump 5 11 Typhoon near Haudramont 184 1 175 Sqd yes 11 -09-43 Hpllll . Naumann 6 CO 24 Typhoon near Forges unk

154

In die Verteidigung gedrangt 207

lein schien geschlagen. Der ganze Spuk mag eine Minute gedauert haben, uns schien es eine Ewigkeit. Drei Bombentrichter von etwa 16 m Durchmesser und 4 m Tiefe bdanden sich im Umkreis von 50 Metem. Meine Zigarette war ausgegangen und hatte sich tid in den Mund geschoben. Oberhalb seiner Umwallung war der Gefechtsstand von Splittem durchsiebt. Die kleine Halle mit den Kuriermaschinen brannte lichterloh, hier war nichts mehr zu retten. Die FW 190 aber waren samtlich unbeschadigt. Das TO-Geschaftszimmer am Platzrand war ver­wiistet. Die Decke war von oben heruntergekommen. Mein Schreiber, Unteroffizier Schmidt, war vor Schreck vom Stuhl gefallen und hatte sich unter dem Schreibtisch in Sicherheit gebracht. Ein Mann der Nachrichtenkompanie blieb fur immer verschollen, wir fan den nicht die geringste Spur von ihm.

1943 erlebten wir noch mehrere Bombenangriffe auf die Platze Lille-Vendeville und Lille­Nord. Der Maschinenschaden war meist gering. In Lille-Nord hatten wir den Verlust eines Mannes des technischen Personals zu beklagen. Die Angriffe zwangen uns, den Gefechtsstand jeweils etwa 2 km vom Platz endemt aufzubauen. Das technische Personal wurde vor erwar­men Angriffen mit LKW vom Platz abgefahren.

Wiihrend der Invasion 1944 erlebten wir einen schweren Bombenangriff auf Guyancourt bei Paris. Der Angriff erfolgte durch eine geschlossene Wolkendecke, also ohne Zielsicht haargenau auf die mit Hallen besetzte Platzseite. Mehrere Maschinen gingen verlustig. Der Gefechtsstand befand sich in einem Betonbunker am Platzrand. Mein inzwischen zum Feldwebel avancierter TO-Schreiber Schmidt schlief neben dem Bunker im TO-Geschiiftszimmer. Als der Anflug er­folgte, erinnerte man sich im Gefechtsstand noch rechtzeitig an Schmidt, der nach seiner niicht­lichen Bereitschaftsdurchgabe morgens um 8 Uhr naturlich noch im Bett lag. So wie er war, wurde er aus, dem Bett geholt und 'in den Bunker gezerrt. AIs sich die Tur hinter ihm geschlossen hatte, fie! die erste Bombe als Volltreffer in seine Schlafstatte. Samtliche TO-Akten und die Schreibmaschine konnten nachher unversehrt im Umkreis von 50 Metern geborgen werden.

In die Verteidigung gedrangt

Im Sommer 1943 wurde die deutsche Jagdwaffe weitgehend in die Vertei­

digung geddingt, wenn auch die schweren Tag- und Nachtangciffe der anglo..,amerika­

nischen Bomber nicht die von den AUiierten erwartete W.irkung hatten. Der gesamten

Jagdwaffe konnten bis ins Jahr 1944 hinein monatlich etwa 700 Flugzeuge zugefuhrt

... erden, was die Ausfalle ersetzte und die Aufstellung neuer Einheiten ermoglichte. Die

erfahrenen Flugzeugfuhrer, die gefallen waren, lieBen sich nicht ersetzen, wahrend der

Gegner uber unerschopfliche Reserven an Fliegendem Personal und Material verfugte.

Fur den Kommodore war im Juni eine schwierige Lage entstanden. Kawn war die

1. Gruppe aus dem Osten zuruckgekehrt, als sie am 23. Juni nach Rheine und die

Ill. Gruppe nach NorcLholz verlegt wurde. Der Grund lag.in feindlichen Luftangriffen

auf das rheinisch-westfalische Industriegebiet, wodurch eine Verlagerung der Abwehr

nach Norden erforderlich wurde. Bis die Ill. Gruppe Mitte August nach Schiphol in

Holland verlegt wurde, unterstand sie dem Jafu Deutsche Bucht.

Das Gesprach der Fuhrung, der Offentlichkeit und naturlich der Truppe war der Abwehr­kampf gegen die "Viermotorigen". Im Sommer 1943 lieE Hauptmann Waiter Hockner, bis zum 19. Juni Kapitan der 1./26 und dann Gruppenkommandeur im JG I, in Rheine eine Anzahl

208 23. 6. 1943 bis 5. 6. 1944 - Im Operationsgebiet der Wtst!ront

Boeing-Modelle, etwa 30, basteln, hangte sie in einer Turnhalle in ihrer gewohnten Flugform auf und demonstrierte damit dem Reichsmarschall erstmals genau, mit welcher Abwehr der angreifende Jager zu rechnen· habe. Gt:niitzt hat es nichts. Die Kriegsberichter kamen zu den Frontgeschwadern, urn sich Rat zu holen, was sie in der Presse erzahlen sollten. Eine riesengrolle Schlagzeile "VIERMOTORIGE werden bezwungen" und alle durchaus wahren Einzelheiten konnten nicht verbergen, was unsere Jager wu!hen, daE namlich der Gegner zwar empfindliche Verluste hinnehmen muEte, auf die Dauer aber den langeren Atem hatte. Trotzdem warell unsere Manner unverzagt. lrgendein Jacky aus USA, der als zweitcr Pilot in einem Bomber flog, schon von alteren Kameraden einiges iibcr die "Abbeville-boys" gehort hatte, sagte nach seinem AbschuE durch Hauptmann Galland anerkennend: "Wirklich schneidige Teufel, dim Abbeville-boys! " Feldwebel Dorre von der 9.126, als musterhafter Pilot selbstverstandlich an seiner Maschine angetroffen, als ihn der Kriegsberichter nach seiner Meinung fragte, lachelte nur: "Ach ja, die Viermotorigen. Idl will Ihnen was sagen : Man muE mit Kopfchen fliegen-, das ist alles. Durch die Abwehr kommt man durch, wenn man den notigen Schneid hat! ~untcr kriegt man die Dinger aber nur, wenn man genau weiE, was man will. Die Panzerung der Vier­motorigen ist genauso stark wie ihre Abwehr und dagegen kommt man eben nur an, wenn man sich nach jedern Angriff iiberlegt, was man falsch gemacht hat ... " Obrigens ist damals eine Boeing flugfahig erbeutet worden, zu der wir am 3. Juli den Begleitschutz stelltcn.

Am 12. Juli verlegte die I. Gruppe nach Grimberghen und am 28.JuLi die 11. von V.itry nach Deelen, erste Bewegungen zur Versammlung des JG 26 im Raum Holland. Am 30. JuLi schog Unteroffiz.ier Wiegand von der 8./26 .us Rottenflieger bei Oberfeld­webel Heitmann urn 8.20 Uhr im Raume westlich Eupen eine Boeing B 17-F ab, die zurn Schlug zerplatzte. Von Interesse ist, dag es sich urn einen PuLk von etwa 120 Bom­bern handelte. Wiegand mugte wegen Zerschug der Querrudersteuerung aus seiner

FW 190 A-S abspringen. Es war flir ihn nicht das letzte Mal. - Inzwischen hatte in Nordholz Hauptmann Staiger die 12./26 iibernommen und im Bereich der Deutschen

Bucht vom 17. bis 29. Juli 5 Boeings abgeschossen.

Heifte Augusttage

Im August steigerten sich die Kampfe zu augerster Heftigkeit. Bomberpulks von 60, 100, 120 und mehr waren die Regel. Die Spitfire, Thunderbolts, Typhoons wn­

schwirrten sie dicht wie Mlic:kenschwarme. Sicher hat in den Kriegstageblichern fiir jeden Tag Kampftatigkeit gestanden. Aus unseren Unterlagen gehen schwerste Luft­karnpfe an mindestens 11 Tagen, namentlich am 12. und 17. August, hervor. Sie zogen sich liber Hunderte von Kilometern bis ins Reich hinein. Mit unbeschreiblichem Mut

gr.iffen die Schlageterjager an. Allein in diesem Monat fielen 15 FLugzeugflihrer vom

Gefreiten bis zum Major. Am 12. August schossen die I. und H. ·elf Bomber, am 17. August weitere neun Bomber ab. Kommodore Priller vernichtete am 18,/19. August

zwei Boeings. Im Ganzen fielen, ein Abschug von Sta.iger eingeschlossen, aber ohne die sonst im einzelnen unbekannten Abschlisse der HI.I26, 25 Viermotorige und 12 Ji­ger breIUlend vom Himmel. Jetzt la.g das Geschwader in Schiphol- Stab und Ill. - die H. in Volkel und ab 15. August in Beauvais-Tille und die I. in Grimberghen.

5thr bewegter Herbst 221

dungen der daneben, darunter oder daraber fliegenden Bomber gewesen sein. Waren es aber wirklich immer "brennende" Abschiisse? Der deutsche Jiger hatte sein Haupt­interesse am Abschu6 eines Bombers. Er entzog sich deshalb, nachdem er seinen Angriff gefIogen hatte, jedem Kampf mit den Begleitjagern nach Moglichkeit. Wenn er nun mit

Notleistung nach unten wegstiirzte, hinterlie6 er eine dicke schwarze Rauchfahne. Fiir Unerfahrene sah es also so aus, als sei der Jager abgeschossen.

Sehr bewegter Herbst

Wahrend in den vergangenen Jahren, bedingt durch Wind und Wetter, die LuA:­kampfe im Herbst etwas abflauten, nahmen sie jetzt durch die Vervollkommnung der technischen Mittel zu . "General Wetter" kampfte auf seiten der Alliierten, weil diese im Westen die Wetterlagen iiber ihrem Ziel genau berechnen konnten. Der September

brachte fiir uns keine Erleichterung. Zum Beispiel waren die "dicken Ottos" am 3. September iiber Paris, nicht weniger als etwa 250 Viermotorige unter dem Schutz von 100 britischen und amerikanischen Jagern. Am 4. September fiel Oberfeldwebel Walter Griinlinger, bis vor kurzem Rottenflieger von Oberstleutnant Priller, iiber

St. Omer im LuA:kampf mit Spitfires. Er war von gr06em Ehrgeiz beseelt und der LuA:­kampf war sein Lebenselement. Bald folgte ihm ein anderer ausgezeichneter Kampfer, Feldwebel Dorre von der 9./26, ein kleiner blonder Sudetendeutscher aus Tetschen. Nl ch dem Abrmstart am 8. September wurde die Staffel noch im Ansteigen von Thunderbolts aus Dberhohung angegriffen und Dorre, auf de ss en Abschu61iste mehrere

Viermotorige standen, fiel. Derartige Verluste, wie sie laut unserer Verlustliste im steten Kampf mit Bombern, Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Typhoons und Marauders den ganzen Herbst und Winter hindurch eintraten, bedeuteten nichts weniger als die stete Verringerung der bewahrten und erfahrenen Jagerelite. Das war auf die Dauer nicht tragbar. Wahrend sich iI\ der hochsten Fiihrung der Konflikt zwischen Goring und Gal­land immer mehr zuspitzte, machte der JagdfIiegerfiihrer 2, Generalleutnant Oster­kamp, seinem alten Jagerhcrzen in einer DenkschriA: Luft und sandte diese im Oktober 1943 aus Balagny durch Kurier an Feldmarschall Milch. Die Folge war seine Ablosung. 1)

ObeTstleutnant SeifeTt gefalien

Fiinf Kommandeure der n. Gruppe, die Hauptleute Kniippel, Noac:k, Ebbighausen , Adolph und Major W . F. Galland, waren im Luftkampf gefallen. Der sechste, den dieses Los an der Spitze seiner Manner traf, war unser dienstaltester Gruppenkommandeur Oberstleutnant Jo­hannes Seifert .

• Hannes" Seifert, wie er von alien genannt wurde, gehorte bereits in Friedenszeiten dem Geschwader an. Bis zum 10. Juli 1941 fiihrteer als Kapitan die 3. Staffel und bis zum 31. Mai 1943 als Kommandeur die I. Gruppe. Als er aus der Front zuriickgezogen und zur Fiihrer-

' ) Vgl. Thee O"erk.mp .Durch Hohen und Tiefen f1ie,t ein Herz", Kurt Vewindtel Verl.g , Heidelb,rg

308

Nr.

250 251

252 253 254 255 256

257 258

259 260 261 262 263

264

265 266

267 268

269 270 271

272

273 274 275

276 277

278

279

280

281 282

283 284

285 286

287 288 289

290 291 292

293 294

295 296 297 298 299 300

301 302 303 304

305 306

307

Name

Heim:mc:yer Bock

Vohwinkel Westhauscr

Knobloch

Fritsch

Friedrich Schwarz Schrickel

Crome!

Leitz

Muller Chri~tof

Sprinz

Kelch

Mackenstedt

StoUer

Wermbtcr

Gaull

Hadraba

Galland

Hoffmann Fritzlehner Schmidtke

Meyer

UlImann

Borowllck

Kat! Krieg

Heck Schmidt

Janda Scholz

Grtinlinger Heinemann Jorg Berger

Kipping D6rre

Bannischka

Gasser Todt Kretichmer

Drahdm Dirkscn Bidet

Locrzer

Steinberg

Matthiesen

Richter

Eckhardt

Rosner

Kratzel

Meye!

WOlfert

Burger

Pittmann

Ebenberger

Unsere Gefallenen: Flugzeugfuhrer

Vomame

Hans-Joachim

Amulf Paul Albert

Brooo

Paul Kurt

Paul

Alfred

Kurt

Emil

WaIter

Erost

Heinrich

Giinther

Wilhelm

Hans-J oachim

Hans-J oachim

Horst

Karl

Wilhelm-Fetdinand

Hennann

Fritz

Glinter

Johannes

Helmuth

Eeich

Gerhard

Heinrich Gert

Karl-Heinz

Erost

Erwin WaIter

Emst

Adolf

Waiter

Peter

Edgar

Hdmut Franz

Em" Horst Manfred

Ham

Alfred

Hans-G.

Gtinter

Johannes Horst

Konrad

Raimund Anton

AIel.

Hans

WaIter Helmut

Kurt

Dienstgrad

Lt.

Fw.

Uffz. Uffz. Uffz.

Lt. Uffz.

Uffz.

Uffz. Uffz. Uffz. Uffz.

Fw.

Lt. Hptm.

Obfw. Uffz.

Lt. Obgefr.

Ulfz. Major

Obfw. Uffz. Ulfz.

Obit. Gcfr.

Obfw. Lt. Uffz.

Lt.

Lt.

Obit. Uffz. Obfw. Lt. Fw.

Ulfz. Lt.

Fw.

Uffz. Uffz. Lt. Uffz.

Lt. Fw.

Uffz. Lt. Uffz.

Lt. Ulfz.

Fw.

Uffz. Uffz. Uffz. Lt. Ulfz.

Ulfz. Hptm.

Einheit

11./26 6./26

6./26 11./26

11./26 5./26 5./26 6./26

12./26

2./26

7./26 11./26 1./26 2./26 7./26

6./26 8./26 8./26

1./26 10./26 11./26

11./26 12./26

1./26 10./26 10./26 10./26

9./26 5./26

10./26

4./26

8./26 6./26

J . G.26

4./26 6./26 6./26 5./26

9./26 7./26 4./26

III./26 1./26

1./26 8./26

9./26 7./26

10./26

1./26 3./26 9./26 4./26 2./26

12./26

7./26 5./26 1./26

4./26

Geboren am Gefallen am

26. 4. 22 21. 5.20

23. 6.22 1. 11. 18 2. 9.20 2. 9. 20

26. 10.19

11. 3.23 14. 1. 21 26.11. 21

19. 7.19 4. 8. 21

11.11. 17 13. 4.22

4. 4.17 25. 1. 17 14. 2.21

31. 5.24 17.10.22

7.12.19 23.10.14

20. 3.15

19. 8.22 21. 2.21

8. 3. 18 10.10.21 16. 5.16

29. 1. 22

15. 6.20 15. 5.21

29. 7. 21

16. 7.21 15. 7.23 7.11.17

22. 6.21

19. 2.20 28.11.20 23. 3.24 24.11.19

9. 6. 21 31. 3.18

5. 4.22 11. 6.21

7. 7. 21 24. 8. 19 21. 6.21

3. 3.22 9. 3.20

4. 7.21 5. 6.21 4. 3.23

23. 7.19 21. 6.20 18. 4.21 26. 1.21

19.11.21 30. 7.23 11. 2.14

1. 7. 43 1. 7.43

1. 7.43 2. 7.43 3. 7.43 6. 7.43 7. 7.43

15. 7.43 17. 7.43 24. 7.43

28. 7. 43 29. 7.43 30. 7.43

30. 7.43 31. 7.43

1. 8.43 9. 8.43

12. 8.43

15. 8.43 16. 8.43 17. 8.43

17. 8.43

17. 8.43 17. 8.43 19. 8.43 23. 8.43 23. 8.43

23. 8. 43

27. 8. 43 31. 8.43

3. 9.43 3. 9.43 3. 9. 43

4. 9.43 4. 9. 43 6. 9. 43

6. 9.43 7. 9.43 8. 9.43

14. 9.43 16. 9.43 19. 9.43 20. 9.43 21. 9.43

21. 9.43 27. 9.43 3.10.43 4.10.43 7.10.43

14.10.43 20.10.43 20.10.43 20.10.43

20. 10.43 20.10.43 20.10.43

22.10.43 24.10.43

g g

g g v

g

v

v

g

v

g

g

g v

g g

g g g g

g g g

g

g g g

g g

g g g

g

g

g g

v

g

g g g v

g g g

g

g g

g

g

g g

g

g

g

g

G

G

G G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G G

G

G

G

G G

G

G G G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G G

G

G G

G G G

G G G G

G

G G

G G

G

G G

334 Die Abschuftliste

Nr. Name Vomamc Lctzter Dicnstgrad Einheit Abschus", QuellefJkmcrkungen

92 Sclunidt Johanncs Obcrlcutnant 11./26 12 U

gef. 19. 8.42

93 Abrens Peter Leutnant 3./26 11 U

verunglilckt 4. 3. 45

94 GUnthcr Joachim Lcutnant 3./26 11 U

gef. 24. 2. 4S

9S Kicfncr Georg Obcrleutnant 1./26 11 U

96 KOS5C Wolfgang Obcrleutnant 5./26 11 U

97 Lcibold Erwin Oberf<ldwebel 1./26 11 U

gef. 26. 7. 42

98 Schwatt Erich Oberf<ldwebel 1./26 11 U

99 BUrschgens Jo"'ph Hauptmann 7./26 10 U

1. 9. 40 Gefangenschaft 1.00 Guttmann Gerhard Feldwebel 5./26 10 U

gef. 27. 3. 44 101 Muller Wilhelm Oberf<ldwebel 3./26 10 U

gef. 7. 11 . 40 102 Strasen Gerd Hauptmann 11./26 10 E 8 We.t. 2 Ost

davon 1 4-mot.

103 Unzeitig Robert Lcutnant llI./26 10 U

gef. 12. 4. 42 104 OuUtof Emst Feldwebel 1./26 9 U

gef. 30. 7. 43 105 DOrte Edgsr Feldwebel 9./26 9 U

gef. 8. 9. 43 106 Koch Obcrlcutnant 5./26 9 U

107 Krug Hans Oberlcutnant 4./26 9 U

7. 9. 40 Gefsngenschaft 108 Lcusch<l Rudolf Hauptmonn 8./26 9 U

gef. 25. 2. 44 109 Schulwitz Gcm.rd Leutnant 8./26 U

gef. 25. 3. 45

110 Szuggsr Willy Oberfeldwebel 5./26 9 E davon 4 5panien

1 Naehtjagd 4 Osten

111 Zimgibl Joseph Obcrfeldwebel 8./26 9 U

gcf. 21 . 6. 44

112 Beyer Gcorg Hauptmonn 7./26 U E 28. 8. 40 Gefsngcnachaft

113 Bierwirth Heinrich Oberfeidwebel 5./26 U gcf. 27. 11.42

114 Busch Erwin OberleubWlt 10./26 U E 115 Hem Kurt Feldwebel 3./26 8 U

116 HoI£mann Hcrmann Obcrfeldwebel 11./26 8 U gcf. 17. 8. 43

117 JAckei Emst Feldwebel 2./26 8 U

1t8 Johannacn Han, LcubWlt 7./26 8 U

gcf. 28. 3. 42 119 Longc Friedrlch LcUbWlt 6./26 8 U

gcf. 2. 3. 44 120 Ryuvy Martin OberleubWlt 2./26 8 U

gef. 2. 7. 41 121 Schmidt Gottfried OberleubWlt 9./26 8 E 122 Adam Hcinz-Gllnther Leutnant 1./26 7 U

gcf. 20. 12. 42