Strana 53
W.Nr. 12914, Oblt. Wolfgang Späte, 5./JG 54, Staraya Russa, the Soviet Union, September 1941
W.Nr. 8239, Lt. Hans Strelow, 5./JG 51, Bryansk, the Soviet Union, March 1942
The aircraft was built in summer 1941 by AGO
and assigned to 5./JG 54 on the Leningrad
front. Initially attributed to Austrian pilot Josef
Pöhs (43 v., KC), later analysis identifies Oblt.
Wolfgang Späte as its pilot. Späte (1911–1997)
was a pre-war competitive glider pilot who
flew as reconnaissance pilot in the Polish and
French campaigns. After converting to fighters,
he joined JG 54 in January 1941, serving
with breaks until September 1944. He later
commanded Erprobungskommando 16, testing
the Me 163, and led a JG 400 unit with Me 163s
until its disbandment, then flew Me 262s with
III./JG 7. He scored 99 victories, including 5 on
the Me 262, and received the Knight’s Cross
with Oak Leaves. Aircraft W.Nr. 12914 was
later transferred to II./JG 51 and destroyed on
September 3, 1942 during a Soviet air raid on
Dugino airfield, where Lt. Herbert Puschmann
(54 v., KC) of 4./JG 51 was seriously wounded at
its controls.
Hans Strelow was born on March 26, 1922,
in Berlin. In 1939, he voluntarily joined the
Luftwaffe. After completing training in February
1941, he was assigned to 5./JG 51. From the
start of Operation Barbarossa, he flew on
the Eastern Front. He achieved his first aerial
victory on June 25, 1941. In January 1942, he was
appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51. On March
24, 1942, he became the youngest recipient of
the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves. His Black
10 was painted white on the upper surfaces
during the winter period. The JG 51 insignia was
displayed on both sides of the nose. The yellow
band behind the cross and the yellow wingtips
were identification markings used on the
Eastern Front. The victories he achieved were
marked on the left side of the rudder. On May
22, 1942, Hans Strelow was shot down by a Pe-2
crew and forced to make an emergency landing
behind Soviet lines. Fearing capture by the Red
Army, he conducted suicide by shooting himself
in his head.
KITS 05/2026
INFO Eduard
53
May 2026