Page 52
WNr. 332529, Stab JG 52, Deutsch Brod, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, May 1945
WNr. 330204, Hptm. Franz Mentzel, 9./JG 77, Neuruppin, Germany,
November 1944
At the end of the war, at least three Bf 109s
with a tulip pattern on the nose were found at
the Deutsch Brod base (Havlíčkův Brod today).
The surviving engine cowling bears a grey paint
and red tulip marking. These were apparently
the machines of the Stab JG 52, commanded by
Kommodore Hermann Graf, who had the same
markings in 1943 with JG 50. When Oberst Graf
became CO of JG 52 in October 1944, he introduced
the same markings to his Stab planes, including
the green fuselage numbers. Graf brought two
wingmen to his Stab, Lt. Anton Resch and Oblt.
Heinrich Füllgrabe (67 victories; KC holder),
who was killed in January 1945 on the “green 2”.
By the end of the war, Resch had scored most of
the victories of Stab JG 52, so it is possible that
he also flew 332529. He was awarded the Knight’s
Cross in early April 1945 and achieved a total of 91
victories during 210 combat sorties. The fuselage
number was probably green, but the decal also
offers a black variant. Fuselage was painted in
RLM 74 and RLM 75 with yellow-grey version
of RLM 76. Vertical tail was painted in darker
version of RLM 74 and 75, the RLM 74 had a tinge
of green. Wing was painted with lighter shade of
colors RLM 74, 75 and 76.
In October 1944, III./JG 77 became the first
Luftwaffe fighter unit to be completely re-
equipped with the Bf 109K-4. They received
68 of these aircraft. Its commander was the
experienced JG 77 veteran Major Armin Köhler
(40 victories, KC). Its 9. Staffel was newly
established in November 1944 and the commander
was appointed Hptm. Franz Mentzel (also referred
to as Menzel). At the beginning of the war, he flew
the Bf 110 in I./ZG 2 and was captured during the
French campaign. Later he served also in JG 5
and in several flight schools. His last (eighth?)
aerial victory was an Il-2 shot down in combat
over Silesia on February 3, 1945. During Operation
Bodenplatte, III./JG 77 lost 11 aircraft and pilots.
One of the lost Bf 109s was Mentzel’s 330204,
its pilot Lt. Herbert Abendroth was captured.
At the end of the war this unit fought in Upper
Silesia, based at Beneschau in the Hlučín
region (today Dolní Benešov, Czech Republic).
Fuselage was painted in RLM 74 and RLM 75
with yellow-grey version of RLM 76. Vertical tail
was painted in darker version of RLM 74 and 75,
the RLM 74 had a tinge of green. Wing was painted
with lighter shade of colors RLM 74, 75 and 76.
INFO Eduard52
January 2024