KITS 06/2021

WNr. 490617, Uffz. Gerhard Reiher, 8./JG 3, Alperstedt, Germany, November 1944

On November 2nd, 1944 the whole JG 3 suffered heavy losses during its IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 Sturmjägers’ attack on the 91st BG B-17s’ formation

North-West from Halle. II. Gruppe suffered the heaviest casualties when in a very short period of time it lost fifteen 109s and another eleven

were battle-damaged! During the American fighters’ attack 12 German pilots were killed. One of the airframes intended to compensate for

these losses was this Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 manufactured by Erla factory in Leipzig marked as blue 2 and assigned to Uffz. Reiher. Additional marking consisted of the unit insignia painted on both sides of the nose and a white band on the rear fuselage

indicating JG 3 aircraft’s Reich Defense mission.

KG(J) 27, Kaufbeuren, Germany, May 1945

In June 1944 Luftwaffe Headquarters made a decision to have all the aviation industry focus on the fighter aircraft production. Consequently,

all bomber units’ personnel needed new assignment and the Command decided to retrain them as fighters. One of Geschwaders affected

by this decision was KG 27. It was renamed KG(J) 27 and re-equipped from Heinkel 111s to Bf 109G and K and Fw 190A. The training was

conducted at Wels am Wagram, Raffelding and Horsching airports in the Southern Germany and Austria. After the training was completed,

the unit took part in the defense of Germany against the Allied bombing raids originating in Italy. The green-white checkerboard on the rear

fuselage indicated KG(J) 27’s aircraft tasked with the Reich Defense mission. The aircraft still carried the number 52 on the rudder painted by

brush. This was the marking of the unit tasked with fighters delivery to the combat units.

INFO Eduard - June 2021

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