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BOXART STORY
At the end of October 1942, I. and III./JG 77
"Herz As," equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109
G-2s, relocated from Sicily to the North African
battlefield. The I. Gruppe was commanded by
the well-known Maj. Heinz Bär, while Maj. Kurt
Ubben led the III. Gruppe. Their mission was to
engage in the ongoing battles at El Alamein as
soon as possible. Bär's unit commenced combat
flights on October 28 from the Bir-el-Abd base.
Aircraft maintenance for I./JG 77 was initially
managed by personnel from the legendary
I./JG 27, the unit where the renowned Hans-
Joachim Marseille had tragically died two
months earlier. Meanwhile, I./JG 77’s own ground
crew was still en route from Sicily. However, the
first I./JG 77 planes to be damaged or destroyed
were not due to enemy action but rather the
treacherous desert surface of the airfield.
The two Jagdgruppen initially operated together,
and in the following days, engagements with
enemy fighter groups, often consisting of several
dozen aircraft, became common.
One of I./JG 77's first victories in Africa was
achieved on November 1, 1942, by Uffz. Horst
Schlick, who had seven kills at the time. That
morning, thirty Stuka dive-bombers from StG
3 were heading toward the front, escorted by
ten MC.202s from 23° Gruppo Caccia, nineteen
Bf 109s from I./JG 27 and II./JG 27, and seven Bf
109s from I./JG 77. Among the latter group were
Horst Schlick and Maj. Bär's adjutant, Lt. "Mac"
Berres.
Over the front, at 8:15 German time and at an
altitude of 3,500 meters, a dogfight ensued with
twenty Curtiss P-40s from No. 112 Sq RAF and
the 66th FS, 57th FG. The Allied pilots reported
successfully forcing the Stukas to drop their
bombs prematurely, claiming 7-6-2 bomber
victories. The Germans lost five Stukas, and the
bombs appear to have landed in the Axis troop
area.
The Italian pilots did not claim any victories,
but their German colleagues reported shooting
down one Spitfire and three P-40s. Berres
claimed one Curtiss, marking his 19th victory,
while Schlick scored his eighth kill. According
to Schlick, both P-40s force-landed in Axis-held
territory, trailing thick smoke for quite some
time.
It was likely two aircraft from No. 112 Sq
RAF that did not return from combat. Sgt. R.
De Bourke, injured during the battle, made
an emergency landing with a Kittyhawk III
(FR 264), designated "W." He had managed to
shoot down two Stukas during the engagement.
His plane was later salvaged and repaired.
The other aircraft lost was a Kittyhawk III
(FR 289), designated "Z." Its pilot, WO J. B. Agnew,
landed on the battlefield but successfully made
his way back to Allied lines. Before being shot
down, Agnew had confirmed one Stuka kill,
claimed another as probable, and damaged
two others. The conclusion of these battles is
depicted in Adam Tooby's box art, which features
De Bourke's aircraft alongside Schlick's, though
Agnew also could have been his victim.
For Schlick, however, the following days took
an unexpected turn. On November 2, near his
own base, he collided with an enemy aircraft
during a dogfight. Although he managed to bail
out, upon his return to the unit the next day,
he was severely reprimanded by Heinz Bär.
Schlick's Gruppenkommandeur had observed
the aerial encounter through binoculars and was
displeased with the twenty-one-year-old NCO's
reckless attack maneuver. Since the enemy
aircraft crashed over German territory, this P-40
was confirmed as Schlick's ninth victory.
Schlick's plane, "White 3," which he used on
November 1 to achieve his first aerial victory
in Africa, remained at the Bir-el-Abd base
until it was captured by the Allies three days
later. Allied airmen took souvenir photographs
with the brightly colored Messerschmitt, which
displayed eight victory markings on its rudder.
Gruppenkommandeur Heinz Bär was among
the last members of I./JG 77 to leave African
soil, evacuating with his unit to Sicily on May
8, 1943. Between October 25, 1942, and May
13, 1943, JG 77 suffered significant losses, with
55% of its flying personnel lost. III. Gruppe was
hit hardest, losing 30 pilots. During the same
period, 218 JG 77 aircraft were either completely
destroyed or sustained over 60% damage.
Despite these losses, the Geschwader shot down
497 enemy aircraft, achieving a kill ratio better
than 2:1. Bär's I. Gruppe led in kills, scoring 192
victories under extremely challenging battlefield
conditions, a testament not only to Bär's personal
skill but also to his charismatic leadership and
the experienced airmen he had assembled and
trained in his Gruppe.
Illustration: Adam Tooby
Beginning in Africa
Text: Jan Bobek
INFO Eduard
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September 2024