Strana 51
W.Nr. 335xxx, Lt. Willy van de Kamp, Stab II./JG 52, Neubiberg, Germany, May 1945
W.Nr. 332884, 9./JG 3, Leck, Germany, May 1945
The markings on this aircraft identify it as the
wingman of the commander of II./JG 52, Maj.
Wilhelm Batz. In February 1943, Batz was assig-
ned to the staff of II./JG 52 on the Eastern Front.
He achieved his first victory on March 11 and
was appointed commander of 5./JG 52 in May.
By March 1944, he had achieved his 100th victory
and was made commander of III./JG 52 in April.
In early February 1945, he assumed command
of II./JG 52, which at the time was fighting in
Hungary. His final 237th victory was recorded
on April 16, 1945. Five days later, he was awar-
ded the Swords to the Knight’s Cross with Oak
Leaves. On May 8, 1945, Batz and his unit flew
into captivity, transferring from Zeltweg in Aus-
tria to Bad Aibling in Bavaria, accompanied by a
formation of Thunderbolts during the final leg of
the journey. The aircraft „Black 1“ was painted
in RLM 74/75/76 camouflage, consistent with
production series 335xxx. The yellow band on
the nose and yellow rudder were identification
features of German aircraft within Luftflotte 4.
This particular aircraft was photographed at Ne-
ubiberg airfield near Munich. Its pilot was Batz’s
Adjutant, Lt. Willy van de Kamp, who had served
with II./JG 52 since May 1943 and was credited
with one victory.
Since the Allied landings in Normandy in
June 1944, 9./JG 3, like other units on the
Western Front, was under constant pressure
from Allied fighters and bombers. During
Operation Bodenplatte, JG 3 was one of the
few successful units, yet the loss of sixteen
pilots was significant. From January 1945,
9./JG 3 frequently relocated to various German
airfields, and at the end of the war, „White 8“ was
stationed at the Leck airbase. From mid-1944,
9./JG 3 was led by Lt. Oskar Zimmermann, who
was awarded the Knight’s Cross and credited
with 34 victories, including 14 four-engine
bombers. In mid-March, he fell ill and, at the end
of the war, fell into Czech captivity, from which
he was released after one year. By the end of the
war, the commander of the unit was Hptm. Willy
Althof. The camouflage on the fuselage of this
aircraft consisted of RLM 81/82 with camouflage
patterns typical of production series 332xxx.
Many areas are repaired with RLM 82 and
RLM 02 paints. The engine covers are painted
in lighter shades of RLM 74/75/76. On the left
side of the fuselage under the cockpit, the white
name Gabi was painted. Beneath „White 8“, the
previous marking had been painted over in RLM
75. In front of the tail surfaces, the black number
884 was hand-painted.
KITS 09/2026
INFO Eduard
51
September 2026