KITS 02/2023
6./ZG 1, Russia, Summer 1942
The wasp emblem (Wespe in German) was designed in the
autumn of 1939 by Lt. Richard Malchfelder, a technical
officer of one of the Zerstörergruppe (II./ZG 1). It was originally composed of three small wasps and was utilized by
the same Gruppe of heavy fighters that went through several designation changes (including II./SKG 210). Finally,
in early 1942, it ended up as II./ZG 1. Soon, other Gruppe of
Zerstörergeschwader 1 came to use the wasp emblem and
their Geschwader carried the operational name of “Wespen”. This aircraft sported the RLM 74/75/76 camouflage
pattern.
4./NJG 1, Sint-Truiden, Belgium, February 1942
NJG 1 was the oldest night fighter Luftwaffe unit and was
founded by the legendary Oberst Wolfgang Falck. At the beginning of 1942, the unit’s II. Gruppe was led by Major Walter
Ehle, who kept the commanding position for over next three
years. In 1942, the well-known night fighter Wilhelm Herget,
for example, also served within the ranks of 4. Staffel II./NJG
1. This “G9+JM” is interesting not only for the shark mouth
marking, but also for the temporary application of a “naval”
RLM 72 green on the upper surfaces, as this plane took part in
patrol flights for Operation Donnerkeil. A quick identification
mark came in the form of a yellow fuselage band. During the
operation, the Germans managed to navigate the battleships
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau as well as the heavy cruiser Prinz
Eugen through the English Channel from Brest (Bretagne,
France) to northern Germany. The Luftwaffe ensured uninterrupted patrols over the formation between February 11 and 13,
1942, with II./NJG 1 and II./NJG 3 tasked with cover duty during
twilight and overnight hours. On the second day of operations,
elements of both night fighter units relocated to Lister airbase in Norway, from which the last segment of the fleet’s cruise
was covered. The unit’s detachment stayed in Norway through
to the end of February. All air to air victories during Operation
Donnerkeil were achieved by day fighters of the Luftwaffe.
Lt. Felix-Maria Brandis, 1.(Z)/JG 77, Malmi, Finland, 1942
One of the aircraft of 1.(Z)/JG 77 commander Leutnant
Felix-Maria Brandis while stationed on the Eastern
Front. His credit count tallied 14 victories of which
five victims were British aircraft (including a pair of
Fairey Albacores) and nine Soviet ones. Lt. Brandis
died on February 2, 1942, when flying Bf 110E-2 (WNr.
2546) LN+AR at Olang. He crashed on the return leg
of a combat sortie in bad weather conditions. By that
February 2023
time, his unit had been redesignated as 6.(Z)/JG 5
(January 25, 1942). The designation of the unit progressively changed from 1.(Z)/JG 77 to 6.(Z)/JG 5,
10.(Z)/JG 5 and 13.(Z)/JG 5. On the nose of the aircraft,
there was the emblem of a dachshund with a Rata
(Polikarpov I-16) in its mouth. It was a typical marking of this unit, as a number of these dogs were
mascots of the “Dackelstaffel” through its existence,
irrespective of the unit designation carried at any
particular time. Some sources even say each crew
had their own dog. The wiener dogs even occasionally flew on combat missions with the crews. The
unit opposed British aircraft as well as Soviet ones
in northern Europe. This aircraft, flown by Lt. Harry
Kripphal, fell a victim of anti-aircraft fire 30 km west
of Murmansk on June 18, 1942.
INFO Eduard
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