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Bf 109G-4, WNr. 19527, Fw. Viktor Petermann, 5./JG 52,
Anapa, the Soviet Union, June 1943
Bf 109G-4/R6, Obfw. Rainer Pöttgen, 3./JG 27, Fels am Wagram,
Austria, February 1944
Viktor Petermann was shot down with this aircraft
by a Soviet fighter on June 6, 1943. The combat
took place over the village of Petrowskaya in the
Kuban region of the Soviet Union. The JG 52 badge
was painted below the canopy, with a small devil
symbolizing the 5. Staffel. Previously, the serial
number 19257 was mistakenly attributed to this
aircraft. Petermann, a native of Weipert (Vejprty),
Czechoslovakia, began his combat career in
1942 as a wingman to JG 52 Kommodore Gordon
Gollob. He achieved 64 aerial victories and was
awarded the Knight’s Cross on February 29, 1944.
On October 1, 1943, his Bf 109G was hit by friendly
anti-aircraft fire. Petermann was wounded
and had to belly land. The incident resulted in
the amputation of his left forearm. Despite this
handicap, he continued flying combat missions,
shooting down four more enemy aircraft. He also
undergo conversion training on the Me 262.
Rainer Pöttgen was the most famous wingman
of the legendary fighter pilot Hans-Joachim
Marseille. He served in Africa with I./JG 27 from
December 1941 and fulfilled the role of a reliable
wingman who covered his leader’s back, allowing
him to concentrate on the target. Pöttgen gained
his first victory on June 1, 1942, after 100 combat
missions flown with Marseille. Because of
his leader’s high number of victories, Pöttgen
was nicknamed the Flying Counter (fliegendes
Zählwerk). He also flew with Marseille during the
fateful day in which the famous pilot died. Pöttgen
served with I./JG 27 in 1943, first in France, where
he achieved four victories during the spring and
summer. At the end of July 1943, his unit moved
to Austria and was integrated into the Defence
of strengthen the Reich. The armament of the
unit’s aircraft was complemented by MG 151/20
underwing cannons for heavier bursts in the
combats with Allied four-engine bombers. Pöttgen
survived the war during which he achieved seven
victories. He was a valued member of the JG 27
veterans organization.
KITS 11/2024
INFO Eduard
57
November 2024