KITS 09/2023

5./JG 11, Strausberg Airfield, Germany, early 1945

By the end of 1944, II./JG 11 was equipped mainly

with Messerschmitts Bf 109G-14/AS. During

December this unit lost 42 machines in combat

and due to accidents. In the same month first

delivery of K-4 version arrived. During Operation

Bodenplatte the II./JG 11 lost nine more planes,

including the first two K-4s lost in combat. This

unit was deployed from late January 1945 to

Strausberg air base east of Berlin against the

Soviet Air Force. The machine probably carried

a yellow band as a quick identification feature

of JG 11 among Luftwaffe fighter units. The

commander of II./JG 11 from August 1944 until its

disbandment in early April 1945 was Hptm. Karl

Leonhard. Born in 1913, he served with I./JG 53 at

the start of the war and achieved his first victory,

Potez 63, on May 26, 1940. His last victories

(21st-23rd) were achieved on April 16, 1945, in

an Fw 190A against Soviet bombers, as the last

commander of I./JG 11. After the war he moved to

the USA and died in San Diego in 1995. Fuselage

was probably 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.

12./JG 27, Prague-Kbely airfield, Protectorate of Bohemia

and Moravia, May 1945

The commander of III./JG 27 from October 1944

until the end of the war was Austrian Hptm. Dr.

Peter Werfft (26 victories). During the same month

his unit received Bf 109K-4s. From February

1945 his deputy was CO of 12./JG 27, Oblt. Emil

Clade (27 victories). While serving in Africa with

II./JG 27, Clade and his Schwarm attacked a lone

low-flying Bristol Bombay transport from No.

216 Sqn RAF on August 7, 1942 in the Allied rear.

He managed to shoot it down and on the ground

the machine was destroyed by Uffz. Schneider,

who was awarded the victory. The commander

of the British Eighth Army, Lt. Gen. W. H. E. Gott

was killed on board. In his place was appointed

Lt. Gen. Montgomery, for whom Gott’s death

became a major milestone in his career. Clade led

12./JG 27 from November 1944 during the fighting

in western Germany until its disbandment in

early April 1945. In the last month of the war, he

commanded I./JG 27. After the war, he worked as

an airline pilot, took up sport flying, and published

a memoir in 1996. Fuselage was probably 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.

Maj. Wilhelm Batz, CO of II./JG 52, Zeltweg,

Austria, May 1945

This aircraft (probably 334xxx series) was

the personal mount of the CO of II./JG 52, Maj.

Wilhelm Batz. In February 1943 he was assigned

to the Stab II./JG 52 on the Eastern Front and

achieved his first victory on March 11. In May he

was appointed CO of 5./JG 52. By March 1944 he

had already achieved his 100th victory and in

April he was appointed CO of III./JG 52. In early

February 1945 he became commander of II./JG 52

40

INFO Eduard

in Hungary. He scored his last victory (237th)

on April 16, 1945. Five days later he received the

Swords to the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves.

Batz and his unit flew from Zeltweg, Austria, to

Bad Aibling, Bavaria, on May 8, 1945, to surrender,

escorted by a formation of Thunderbolts in

the final part of the route. After the war he

joined the Bundesluftwaffe and successively

commanded Flugzeugführerschule S and

Lufttransportgeschwader 63. Yellow markings

were introduced by Luftflotte 4 in March 1945.

The fuselage and vertical tail were painted with

RLM 81 (dark brown variant) and RLM 82. The

lower part of the fuselage was left unpainted, the

joints were filled. Fuselage sides were sprayed

with RLM 76, which is also used on the oil cooler

cowling. The wing was camouflaged with RLM 74,

75 and 76.

September 2023