Unteroffizier Gerhard Proske from Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54)

Image size: 1305 x 1600 pixel. 497 KB

Date: Thursday, 1 October 1942

Place: Krasnowardeisk airfield, Kharkov, Ukraine (Soviet Union)

Photographer: Unknown

This picture show one of the pilots who flew in the shadows of the aces. He is Unteroffizier Gerhard Proske of 1.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) near the tail of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 “Weiße 7”, Werknummer 10411. Note Gruppe and Geschwader emblem under the cockpit. Picture taken on 1 October 1942 on Krasnowardeisk airfield. Until this day Unteroffizier Proske, who had joined I.Gruppe/JG 54 during spring of 1941, accumulated 20 claims. Some of them while flying as Katschmarek (wingman) of Gruppenkommandeur Hauptmann Erich von Selle (2 July 1941 – 14 December 1941) and Hauptmann Franz Eckerle (14 December 1941 – 14 February 1942. KIA). Gerhard Proske was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse and Frontflugspange in Bronze. Also note the fur lined trousers. On 30 January 1944 Feldwebel Gerhard Proske (take-off 08:30 hours with Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 “Gelbe 1”, Werknummer 550899) was shot down by Russian fighters together with newcomer Obergefreiter Helmut Wilhelm (Fw 190 A-5 “Gelbe 2”, Werknummer 304719) during a familiarisation flight over the front area of Vitebsk-Boburisk. He was taken prisoner and return to Germany after the war. He accumulated a total 29 victory claims.

Source :
Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

Studio Portrait of Luftwaffe Ace Wilhelm Batz

Image size: 1113 x 1600 pixel. 384 KB
Date: Tuesday, 25 July 1944
Place: Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze, Rastenburg, East Prussia, Germany
Photographer: Walter Frentz

Sun-tanned Hauptmann Wilhelm "Willi" Batz (21 May 1916 - 11 September 1988) smile for a formal portrait by Walter Frentz after the award ceremony with Adolf Hitler and two other Luftwaffe officers (Major Herbert Lamprecht and Hauptmann der Reserve Heinz Strüning) at Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze (Rastenburg) in 25 July 1944. Only five days before (20 July 1944) Batz received the telegram from Oberkommando der Luftwaffe which informed him of the bestowal of Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (vorschlagnummer 526) for his remarkable achievement as a fighter pilot with 188 confirmed victories. At that time he was a Gruppenkommandeur of III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) / VIII.Fliegerkorps / Luftflotte 4. He was operating with such luminaries as Hauptmann Erich “Bubi” Hartmann (352 victories, RK-Br), Oberleutnant Friedrich “Fritz” Obleser (120 victories, RK) and Oberleutnant Walter Wolfrum (137 victories, RK) among the high-scoring pilots of III./JG 52 at that time. In the end of the war, Batz flew 445 combat missions and claimed 237 enemy aircraft shot down. 234 of these victories were achieved over the Eastern Front, including at least 46 Il-2 Sturmoviks, but he did claim three victories, including one four-engine bomber against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) over the Ploieşti oil fields. He was wounded three times and was shot down four times.  At war’s end he was able to extricate his unit and men from Hungary and Austria back to Germany to surrender to American forces. He was thus able to avoid the prolonged Soviet captivity that befell the personnel of other two JG 52 Gruppen.

Source:

http://ww2colorfarbe.blogspot.com/2015/01/wilhelm-batz-in-studio-portrait-after.html

Messerschmitt Bf 109 of JG 5 at Norway

Image size: 1600 x 960 pixel. 443 KB
Date: May 1945
Place: Lister/Lista Airfield, Farsund, Norway
Photographer: Unknown

Pictures of aircraft of IV.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) are rare. This one shows Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 “gelb 4” of 15.Staffel / JG 5 on Lister airfield (Norway) shortly before the capitulation early May 1945. Note the unusual shape of the tactical number and the black/yellow fuselage band of JG 5. The aircraft was marked with a wavy line behind the Balkenkreuz, but this is not the normal gentle wavy line for IV. Gruppen, but the more curved wavy line used by III. Gruppen until the end of 1943. This also can be seen within IV./JG 26, where the same strong wavy line was used. This aircraft has an Erla-hood and a Flettner-rudder. Note the red/white ribbons attached to the clamps between the elevators and rudder. The ribbons were used to make sure that removal of the clamps was not forgotten.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

PK Cameraman Made a Footage of Fw 190

Image size: 1600 x 1050 pixel. 534 KB
Date: September 1944
Place: Krefeld-Linn airfield, Rheinland, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

In spite of the critical situation on all fronts in September 1944, the cameramen of the Propagandakompanien continued to shoot their “shoulder to the wheel” footage for the Die Deutsche Wochenschau. Oberfähnrich Erich Schneider of 3.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 26 prepares his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 “gelb 12” for a fast roll out from his camouflaged revetment at Krefeld-Linn airfield. The aircraft is very filthy and Balkenkreuz and tactical number can hardly be seen. Notice the battery of the cameraman, which was carried over the shoulder and provided power for the camera.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

Messerschmitt Bf 109 of Feldwebel Hans Döbrich

Image size: 1600 x 1090 pixel. 505 KB
Date: January 1943
Place: Alakurtti, Kandalakshsky District, Murmansk Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

One of the specialists of 6.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) at the Eismeer Front during the winter of 1942/1943 was, beside the more well known Oberleutnant Horst Carganico, Oberfeldwebel Rudolf Müller and Leutnant Heinrich Ehrler: Feldwebel Hans Döbrich. This picture shows his brand-new in winter camouflage Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 “gelb 10” with 2cm gondola mounted cannon (Rüstsatz R6 = Gondel MG 151/20) in the spring of 1943. Because the “Eismeerjäger” encountered mostly slower Russian Hurricanes, the reduction of top speed caused by the gondola mounted cannon was of no negative influence. The aircraft has the four leaf clover as emblem for II.Gruppe / JG 5 as well as a personal emblem of Feldwebel Döbrich. Notice also the oil leakage of the oil cooler and that the markings of Stammkennzeichen under the wing are not painted over. Picture was probably taken at Alakurtti.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 of Feldwebel Fritz Dinger

Image size: 1600 x 958 pixel. 389 KB
Date: October 1941
Place: Sologubowka, Leningrad, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

Both photos on this page show the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 “Weiss 4” Werknummer 7187 of Feldwebel Fritz Dinger of 4.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 53 (Ritterkreuz 23 December 1942, KIA 27 July 1943 by shrapnel). On October 5th 1941, after sustaining damage in aerial combat, Feldwebel Dinger belly landed his aircraft near Sologubowka, 40 kilometres south-east of Leningrad, not far from Mga. This happened before the first snow had fallen. Because the aircraft was not recovered fast enough, it was covered with snow when the winter set in mid October. This was of course a welcome sight for troops passing by and therefore several pictures exist of Feldwebel Dinger’s belly landed aircraft. Interesting is that, due to lack of direct sunlight, the picture above doesn’t clearly show the yellow engine cowling and fuselage band. The picture below, taken with sunlight, clearly shows these details. Notice also the unusual shape of the aircraft’s tactical number. On the rudder the 10 victory bars (fliegerabschüsse) can be seen which Feldwebel Dinger had accumulated since the beginning of the Russian campaign.

Source:
Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

Damaged Aircraft of Feldwebel Heinrich Klöpper

Image size: 1600 x 1153 pixel. 639 KB
Date: Saturday, 26 July 1941
Place: Smolensk, Smolensk Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

On July 26th 1941, at the beginning of the Russian campaign (Unternehmen Barbarossa), Feldwebel Heinrich Klöpper of 11.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 51 belly landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 “rote” in the Smolensk area. Note the cross as IV. Gruppe symbol, only used by IV./JG 51. At this time only eight victory bars could be seen on the vertical stabilizer. This number would rise soon. Heinrich Klöpper achieved 94 victories until his death on November 29th 1943, at that time Staffelkapitän of 7.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 1. 82 of his victories were achieved by JG 51 (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September 1942). It is not clear if the report of a belly landing of Bf 109 F-2, Werknummer 8945 of 11./JG 51 with 80% damage on 27 July 1941 is identical with the belly landing of Feldwebel Klöpper on 26 July 1941. The picture does not show an 80% damage.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

New Focke-Wulf Fw 190 For JG 51

Image size: 1577 x 1600 pixel. 728 KB
Date: September 1942
Place: Jesau, Ostpreußen, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

Picture taken at Jesau/East Prussia in September 1942 where the I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) switched from Messerschmitt Bf 109 to Focke-Wulf 190 A-3 within a couple of days. The Gruppe was pulled back from the Eastern Front early September for retraining on the Fw 190. After a few days they returned to the front with their new aircraft and were operational again on September 6th. Note the yellow under cowling and the emblems of JG 51 and I./JG 51, which have already been applied. The Fw 190 A-3 has no ETC yet. The Fw 190 A-3/U3 was the first of the Jabo (Jagdbomber), using an ETC-501 centre-line bomb rack able to carry up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs or, with horizontal stabilising bars, one 300 L (80 US gal) drop tank. The U3 retained the fuselage-mounted 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17s and the wing-mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannon, with the outer MG FF being removed.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_190