KITS 09/2022

WNr. 3866, Oblt. Hans-Joachim Jabs/Oblt. Erich Weissflog, CO of 6./JG 76, Argos, Greece, April-June 1941

In the end of 1941, the II. Gruppe ZG 76 including Oblt.

Hans-Joachim Jabs, commander of 6./ZG 76, transferred from Germany to Balkans in order to support the

invasion of Crete. The Battle of Crete started on May 20,

1941 and lasted until June 1, 1941. During this period the

crew of Oblt. Hans-Joachim Jabs and Oblt. Erich Weissflog flew Bf 110E WNr. 3866 coded M8+IP. The lower part

of the aircraft nose sported the shark mouth while the

weapons upper cover was painted white. The propeller

spinner tips and letter “I” were painted yellow, which

was the color of 6. Staffel. Yellow paint on the front

of the engine nacelles, rudders and the fuselage tail

were the Balkans campaign markings. Jabs‘ 6. Staffel

was typically tasked with ground targets and Allied

shipping attacks on Crete. The dogfights were rare.

WNr. 4114, Lt. Felix-Maria Brandis/Fw. Albert Harnack, 1.(Z)/JG 77, Rovaniemi, Finland, September 1941

In the beginning of 1941, Felix-Marian Brandis served

with JG 77 and was assigned to Bf 110 Zerstörerkette

which flew the coastal reconnaissance missions out

of the Kirkenes base in Norway. After the invasion

of the Soviet Union the unit was enforced and redesigned to 1.(Z)/JG 77. It was deployed in the northern

sector of the front based on Rovaniemi in Finland and

Leutnant Felix-Maria Brandis assumed its command.

The target of the crews was the port of Murmansk. On

September 1, 1941, returning from the combat mission over the Soviet Union, two Bf 110E got lost in bad

weather and landed in Tärendö, Sweden. These crews

were Lt. Felix-Maria Brandis and radio operator Fw.

Albert Harnack with Bf 110E WNr. 4114, LN+FR and Uffz.

Rudolf Reitz and radio operator Gefr. Guntram Weigl

in the Bf 110E WNr. 4113, LN+KR. On September 7, 1941,

all airmen were returned from Sweden and could

continue their service in Luftwaffe. In the end of September both aircraft were returned to Germans as

well. Lt. Brandis was killed on February 2, 1942, after

an emergency landing in Bf 110E, WNr. 2546, LN+AR on

the frozen lake Pjaosero. His radio operator Fw. Herbert Baus was thrown out of the cockpit and suffered

the head wounds to which he later succumbed.

WNr. 4397, Oblt. Eduard Tratt/Uffz. Friedrich Gillert, CO of 4./ZG 26, Dugino, Soviet Union, February 1942

After the attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, Oblt.

Tratt flew with SKG 210 on the central sector of the

front. His unit focused on attacking the ground targets

while the dogfights took place quite often. Until the

end of 1941, Oblt. Eduard Tratt scored in total nine kills

of the Soviet aircraft and in January 1942 assumed

48

INFO Eduard

command of the 4./JG 26. On February 18, 1942, the

crew of Oblt. Eduard Tratt and radio operator Uffz.

Friedrich Gillert flying Bf 110E WNr. 4397, 3U+EM over

Rzhev was hit by the AA fire and wounded. The aircraft

carried ZG 26 insignia on the both sides of the nose and

the II./ZG 26 insignia, the yellow clog on the outer sides

of the engine nacelles. It also sports the Eastern Front

markings, the yellow band on the fuselage and yellow

wingtips on the lower surfaces. There are 18 kill marks

(Abschussmarken) painted on the vertical stabilizer

with white number 4397 above them. Oblt. Eduard Tratt

was killed on February 22, 1944, on the Western Front.

September 2022