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Return through the Kuban Bridgehead


Text: Jan Bobek

 

Fighter pilot Viktor Petermann stands out as a fascinating figure in the history of the Luftwaffe. During his service on the Eastern Front in 1942, he served as a Kaczmarek (wingman) to several JG 52 Kommodores. He displayed his flying and combat skills on numerous occasions, and, despite losing his left arm toward the war's end, he returned to combat, even briefly piloting Me 262 jets with JG 7 before ending the war on the Eastern Front with JG 52. His name appeared frequently in the German press during the war, several times even in detailed articles, one of which recounted his remarkable return across the front lines from enemy territory at the Kuban in June 1943.

 

The Fighting at Kuban

The Kuban bridgehead, also known as Gotenkopf, was a German defensive position on the Taman Peninsula in southern Russia, held from January to October 1943. After German troops retreated from the Caucasus, this line was established along the lower Kuban River to enable another push toward the Caucasus oil fields.

A significant operation in the area was the Soviet landing at “Malaya Zemlya” (literally “Small Land”, a Soviet uphill outpost on Cape Myskhako ) near Novorossiysk in February 1943, which the Soviets successfully held until September. Another key event was the battle around Krymskaya station, liberated in early May.

The ground operations at Kuban were accompanied by the most extensive air battles on the Eastern Front up to that point. In April 1943, the Luftwaffe concentrated a quarter of its forces on this part of the eastern front, operating under Fliegerkorps I. On the Soviet side, the main air units consisted of the 4th and 5th Air Armies. The Germans aimed to destroy the Soviet bridgehead at Malaya Zemlya as part of Operation Neptun in April 1943. Luftwaffe fighter units concentrated in this area included Stab, II., and III./JG 3, along with Stab, I., II., and III./JG 52, supported by Slovak 13./JG 52 and Croatian 15./JG 52. All these units were equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 and G-4 aircraft.

Although the Germans initially held numerical, technical, and tactical advantages in Operation Neptun, the Soviets quickly reinforced their air forces in the region and defended the bridgehead at Malaya Zemlya by mid-April. This created considerable tension within the German command, and with Operation Zitadelle approaching, III./JG 3 and I./JG 52 were withdrawn from the area at the end of April.

The deployment of Soviet airmen to Kuban in April 1943 led to higher losses on the Soviet side than for the Luftwaffe. At the same time, Soviet air units were working to quickly adapt to enemy tactics. Additional reinforcements and new types of aircraft, including Spitfires, were also arriving at the Kuban front.

During the Soviet offensive in May in the Krymskaya area, although the Soviets had achieved numerical air superiority, the weakened German fighter units managed to defend their ground forces in grueling battles. The Soviets ultimately failed to break through the German defensive line at Kuban, the offensive was halted in early June, and the Luftwaffe relocated most of its units from Kuban to the Kursk area.

 

Viktor Petermann

One of the German pilots who fought in this region was Viktor Petermann, born during the Great War on May 26, 1916, in the town of Weipert (Czech: Vejprty) in the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge, Czech: Krušné hory). At that time, the town was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Most of the town’s residents were German-speaking, and by the war’s end, over 400 men were missing from their families, either fallen, fatally wounded, or missing. Many had served in the k.u.k. Infanterieregiment "Edler von Hortstein" Nr. 92, based in Komotau (Chomutov).

Petermann completed his primary and secondary education in Vejprty after the founding of Czechoslovakia. In his youth, he became an active member of various technical and sports clubs, focusing especially on skiing, glider flying, and rowing. He joined the Sudeten German rowing association Carolus in Děčín (German: Tetschen) and, as part of a coxed four team, successfully competed in several races in both Czechoslovakia and Germany. His physical fitness would later save his life on multiple occasions.

Viktor Petermann in a photo from 1944 after receiving the Knight's Cross. He now has a prosthetic arm in place of his left hand. Photo: Viktor Petermann


Following the cession of the Czech and Moravian borderlands (Sudetenland) to Germany in autumn 1938 and the subsequent occupation of the rest of Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939, Petermann joined the German armed forces. From July 1939 to April 1942, he trained with Flg. Ausb. Regt. 53 and 52, Jagdfliegerschule 3, Jagdgruppe Drontheim, and 2./Erg. Jagdgruppe Ost. In early May 1942, he was assigned as an Unteroffizier to the Stab of JG 52 on the Eastern Front, where he served until early 1943. For most of this time, the unit Kommodores were Maj. Gordon Gollob and Obstlt. Dieter Hrabak. Petermann achieved nine aerial victories during this period and became known for flying about 100 km with a severely damaged wing after a collision with an I-153. He continued correspondence with Gollob later in the war.

After being promoted to Feldwebel, Petermann fought in February 1943 with 4./JG 52 in the Kuban area and was reassigned to 5./JG 52 in mid-April. By June 4, he had recorded 38 victories on this battlefield. His fellow pilots in the 5th Staffel included future Luftwaffe aces such as Fw. Otto Fönnekold, Uffz. Peter Düttmann, and Lt. Walter Wolfrum.

Anapa airfield in spring 1943 during the battles in Kuban. The photo captures members of the Slovak 13./JG 52, which operated under the command of II./JG 52, as did 5./JG 52, where Viktor Petermann served.  Photo: Bundesarchiv via Wikimedia Commons


Fateful Sunday in June

Near the end of the Soviet offensive, on Sunday, June 6, 1943, Viktor Petermann took off from Anapa airfield early in the morning to engage Soviet gunboats. He successfully sank one and damaged another so severely that its crew was forced to run it aground.

Later, at 17:40, he took off again, paired with Uffz. Peter Düttmann. Their mission was a free hunt along the Varenikovskaya-Krymskaya-Slavyanskaya route. Shortly after takeoff, they received a report of an enemy formation near Varenikovskaya and pursued it to Slavyanskaya. There, Petermann observed thirteen Il-2s, escorted by ten Yak-1s and LaGG-3s, attacking German positions. He radioed the situation and engaged the fighter escorts. During the ensuing aerial combat near Petrovska, Petermann’s aircraft was hit in the oil tank by a Yak-1 pilot.

The wreck of Petermann's Bf 109 G-4 WNr 19527 on Soviet territory on June 6, 1943. About an hour after the emergency landing, Petermann's colleague Fw. Otto Fönnekold from 5./JG 52 attempted to destroy the aircraft. The emblem of JG 52 is painted on the front under the cockpit, and the 5./JG 52 insignia, featuring the devilish figure Rabbatz with a bow and arrow, is visible on the side of the fuselage. Jochen Prien and co-authors express doubt in the publication JFV 12/II regarding this photo was taken on Soviet territory. They believe this is a different aircraft photographed by German personnel during the spring of 1943. However, according to Viktor Petermann, he received this photograph in the Soviet Union during one of his foreign work trips while living in East Germany. Photo: Archive of the Museum of the Air Battle over the Ore Mountains


Oil immediately began leaking and clogging the front of Petermann’s cockpit canopy, leaving him with visibility only through the side windows. He attempted to climb, then reduced engine power, switching the ignition on and off, but within two to three minutes, the engine failed entirely. At 18:00, he executed a belly landing west of the village of Anastasievskaya, about 10 to 15 km northeast of Krasny Oktyabr. Before landing, he fired his cannons and machine guns at the Soviet infantry positions he was flying over. Once he touched down smoothly, he abandoned the plane and sprinted through a reedy area, zigzagging to avoid machine gun and carbine fire.

After about eighty meters, Petermann went to ground. Familiar with the area from previous months, he knew approximately the direction of the German lines and the location of Temryuk. Uffz. Peter Düttmann covered him from above, shielding him from Soviet infantry while also avoiding any ambush by enemy fighters. However, with only about 40 combat sorties to his credit, Düttmann couldn’t precisely pinpoint Petermann’s location upon his return to base at 18:10. Surprisingly, about an hour later, another German pilot, Otto Fönnekold, spotted the downed aircraft and fired upon it to prevent it from falling into enemy hands undamaged.

An excerpt from a page of the Luftwaffe equipment loss overview, located in the Bundesarchiv under designation RL 2 III/1190. The document provides details about the loss of Petermann's aircraft, including its production number. Photo: Bundesarchiv


Petermann and Düttmann were over the battlefield at a time when Soviet forces were conducting air raids on Kurchanskaya between 18:32 and 19:15 (Moscow time, one hour ahead of German time). These raids involved a total of eleven groups of Il-2s with fighter escorts. According to researcher Andrey Kuznetsov, during this period, Soviet airmen reported eight aerial victories, all claimed to be Bf 109s.

The Il-2 gunner, Ml. Lt. S. F. Samarskiy of the 130th ShAP, claimed a Bf 109 that reportedly crashed into a garden 2 km west of Kurchanskaya. Another crew from the 805th ShAP, comprising pilot Ml. Lt. V. S. Rybchenko and gunner St. V. I. Kosuchin, was credited with downing a Bf 109, which crashed at 18:33 on a high point of 115.9.

Meanwhile, the fighters of the 236th IAP, flying Yak-1s, scored two kills. Ml. Lt. V. A. Rogozhin claimed a Bf 109 that fell into a swamp 7 km northeast of Kurchanskaya, and his colleague Ml. Lt. N. P. Morozov forced a Bf 109 into an emergency landing on the German side of the front, approximately 3-4 km southwest of Kurchanskaya. This opponent may have been Fw. Klaus Dadd of 7./JG 52, who crash-landed his Bf 109 G-4 (WNr. 19451) "White 9" around 10 km northwest of Varenikovskaya following an air battle. He succumbed to his injuries on June 19, 1943, in a field infirmary.

Petermann’s opponents were likely airmen from the 267th IAP, flying LaGG-3 aircraft. One Bf 109 was credited to Ml. Lt. S. F. Frolov, who reportedly shot down an opponent over Kurchansky Liman around 19:00 (some sources list 19:05-19:15). Between 19:05 and 19:15, Lt. N. P. Petrov and Lt. A. P. Popov also claimed one Bf 109 each.

In the Eduard kit, cat. no. 84203, Petermann's aircraft is depicted with several changes compared to previous kits that featured the same aircraft. The reconstruction now includes cannons in gondolas under the wings. The new reconstruction discards the yellow band on the fuselage and  the factory letters on the underside of the wing. These were derived from earlier information regarding this aircraft's serial number.


Interesting details emerge regarding the victory awarded to St. Lt. Yu. T. Antipov. At approximately 19:05 (some records indicate 19:05-19:15), he shot down a Bf 109 northeast of Kurchansky Liman, which landed near a pig farm (about 1 km south of village “otrub” No. 7).. The pilot reportedly hid in the reeds, and a guard was posted at the aircraft—circumstances that closely resemble Viktor Petermann’s emergency landing.

The Soviet claims during this hour suggest intense and chaotic fighting within a limited area. Although this article cannot cover all air operations in Kuban on June 6, records indicate that Luftwaffe fighter units documented only four Bf 109s destroyed throughout the day.

Around the time of Petermann’s combat and emergency landing, the Luftwaffe had claimed just one victory: Fw. Alfred Lehmann of 6./JG 52 scored his 19th victory at 18:05 (19:05 Moscow time), downing a LaGG-3 in map square 34 Ost/76644, near Kurchansky Liman.

Bombing of Soviet positions in residential areas of Kuban in spring 1943.  Photo: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe


The Way to the Front Line

After stopping a short distance from his plane, Petermann dug a shallow ditch with his hands and hid in it. Enemy soldiers searched the reed field twice, firing blindly, but failed to locate the German airman. Petermann understood that he could move toward his own lines only under the cover of night. As evening approached, he removed all light-colored elements from his overalls and tied a dirty handkerchief around his head. At nearly thirty years old, he was almost hairless and wanted to avoid drawing attention if any light source was directed at him. He buried all his excess belongings in the ground and set off on his journey, equipped with a compass, watch, and pistol. He constantly berated himself for losing his aircraft, and despite having over 300 combat sorties to his credit, he retrospectively considered his actions during the fight to be reckless.

During the first night, he encountered a main road along which Soviet troops were heading west. After observing the traffic for a moment, he positioned himself in the gap between two groups of marching soldiers in the dark. Later, he also managed to hitch a ride on a horse-drawn cart. Upon reaching a village, he separated from the stream of soldiers and continued on through meadows and fields.

A photo from spring 1943 at a German position in Kuban. In addition to the 88 mm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun, a covered field kitchen is also visible. Photo: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe


He spent the second day hidden beneath a layer of cut grass and set out again at half past eight in the evening. However, he soon encountered a large network of trenches, forcing him to spend the next day observing the situation. German fire directed at Soviet positions helped him determine the correct direction but also complicated matters, as he found himself under fire from his own comrades!

During the following night, he barely managed to cover one kilometer due to the numerous flares and the dense network of Soviet positions. Growing increasingly hungry, he resorted to chewing on herbs to stave off hunger. At six in the morning, an enemy patrol spotted him, and he came under mortar fire. Fortunately, he was able to hide in a crater created by an artillery shell. Throughout the day, he observed dogfights between fighters overhead and later regarded the experience as valuable instruction.

In the early evening, around six o’clock, he cautiously emerged from the bushes to make his way toward the front line, which was about a kilometer ahead. He successfully avoided three Soviet machine-gun positions and found a new direction of advance thanks to a German loudspeaker urging enemy soldiers to desert. He had to move very carefully, as this area was not a uniform front line, and it was also riddled with wetlands and river arms.

He successively crossed three lines of barbed wire and a former German minefield, then navigated a road that was under German machine-gun fire. When he attempted to cross one of the arms of the Kuban River, he came under direct fire for the first time and was forced to move further east. After a detour through more barbed wire, mud, and reeds, he successfully crossed the river on his second attempt.

Next, he encountered a large Soviet position with several bunkers. He observed it for some time and noted that the guns were manned by only one soldier, who walked between the posts, firing them briefly. Eventually, Petermann crossed the trenches and descended the slope back into the river, where the last of the Soviet barbed wire awaited him.

German officers at a forward observation post by the Kurchansky Liman in Kuban in spring 1943. It was in this area that Viktor Petermann was shot down on June 6, 1943. The officer in the center of the photo is Major der Reserve Willy Marienfeld, commander of Grenadier-Regiment 123.  Photo: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe


Rescued!

Petermann crossed the final river obstacle at 2:30 in the morning on June 10, the fifth day of his journey. Suddenly, a hand grenade exploded about eight meters in front of him, followed by two bursts of machine-gun fire aimed in his direction, fortunately tearing up the ground before him. He realized that the fire was coming from the direction of the Germans, so he shouted, "Comrades, don’t shoot—I’m one of your own!"

"What's going on? Where are you stuck?" came the response from the darkness.

The general of the mountain troops to whom Petermann reported after his rescue was likely Rudolf Konrad, under whose command the XXXXIXth Gebirgskorps defended the western part of the Kuban salient.


Summoning the last of his strength, he maneuvered through the new barbed wire, and the hands of the infantrymen pulled him into the trench. The soldier who had attempted to hit him with a grenade and machine gun was very apologetic, and everyone showered Petermann with food and drink. Only then did he realize he had sustained several wounds, the worst of which was in his thigh from an enemy grenade. After the war, Petermann recalled being rescued by soldiers from an outpost under the command of Fw. Lehmann near Krasny Oktyabr. According to the field post number provided by Petermann in Klinnert's book, this unit was Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 666.

When JG 52 headquarters received a report that Petermann was alive, this information was relayed to the airmen who were currently in action. Although Petermann's and Düttmann's memoirs differ slightly in the wording of the message, the result was the same: a joyful roar erupted from the pilots in their Bf 109s.

The soldiers then led the rescued airman through the trench system to the ambulance station. One of them took him to the main dressing station, where he received a tetanus shot. He was subsequently taken to Temryuk, where he was paraded in his dirty and tattered overalls before a general of mountain troops. Since Petermann had traversed about 15 kilometers through enemy territory, the general was interested in many details. This general was likely Rudolf Konrad, under whose command the XXXXIXth Gebirgskorps defended the western part of the Kuban salient. In this section of the front, the 370th Infanterie-Division, of which the aforementioned Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 666 was a part, also fell under his command.

Kommodore of JG 52 accompanied by his Adjutant arrived in a Storch to pick up Petermann. Upon returning to the unit, he was welcomed at the officers' mess,  by a music platoon, then returned to his quarters with his comrades from the 5th Staffel and received a hot meal—the first he had enjoyed in four days.

 

WNr 19257 or 19527?

In connection with Petermann's downing on June 6, 1943, I would like to address a mistake that has long been associated with his aircraft. It was a Bf 109 G-4, designated "Black 8," with WNr. 19527. I am attaching the original loss report, which lists the area east of Kalabatka as the location of the emergency landing (Düttmann must have really lost track of where he was during the fight). This production number has been cited in more recent publications by Bernd Barbas or Jochen Prien and his co-authors.

However, the very first overview of JG 52's losses was published more than thirty years ago by a former intelligence officer of the unit, Mr. Niko Fast. In that report, he provided the WNr. 19257 for this loss. I mistakenly used this information in my 1996 article, and other authors have done the same.

Interestingly, a group of researchers in Russia discovered the wreckage of an aircraft that they believe belonged to Petermann and bore the WNr. 19257. This aircraft was restored by the German firm Meier Motors GmbH and is now flying in the USA at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia. On its website, the museum incorrectly states that Petermann made an emergency landing after combat on May 5, 1943, instead of June 6. Mistakes happen. Perhaps the Russian researchers and the museum are correct, and Petermann's "Black 8" was indeed 19257, with a Luftwaffe official simply making a typo.

I don’t think so. The actual aircraft with the WNr. 19257, also marked "Black 8," was indeed in service with 2. Staffel in I./JG 52. It was only a quarter of a year after Petermann’s shoot-down, on October 4, 1943, that it sustained 20% damage due to a tire puncture at the Nikolaev base. Moreover, it was a G-6 version aircraft (likely converted from a G-4 version). So, I've no idea where the team who sold the recovered wreckage to the US did get the WNr. 19257.

The Soviet pilot believed to have shot down Petermann was Captain Yuri Tikhonovich Antipov of the 267th IAP. This was the second of his eight solo victories. In the photo, he is awarding Ml. lt. Maria Ivanovna Kulkina, a female fighter pilot who served in his regiment and later became his wife. Kulkina joined the VVS following the death of her first husband, who had also been a pilot. Initially serving as a liaison pilot in the 267th IAP, she later retrained to fly fighter aircraft. Kulkina occasionally flew combat missions with her husband, but tragically, on May 20, 1944, she was killed in a dogfight.  Photo: sovietmedals.ucoz.com



Further Aviation Career

Viktor Petermann was treated for four weeks in a field hospital starting in mid-June 1943 and then returned to 5./JG 52, which was then engaged in combat in Ukraine. In July, he was promoted to the rank of Leutnant, and in August, he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. By mid-September, he had been transferred to 6./JG 52, and by the end of the month, his victory tally had reached 60.

However, a sudden change in his career occurred on October 1, 1943, during a routine escort mission for Heinkel He 111 bombers. On his return, his aircraft was hit by German flak at 5,500 meters, resulting in a severe injury to Petermann. He managed to execute a smooth emergency landing, but subsequently, he had to have his left arm amputated above the elbow, along with one toe on his left foot. In February 1944, he was awarded the Knight's Cross for his service to date. The proposal for this award was made by the commander of II./JG 52, Oblt. Wilhelm Batz, and seconded by Kommodore Dieter Hrabak due to his personal experience with Petermann.

For Viktor Petermann, this serious injury should have meant the end of his fighting career. From May 1944, Viktor Petermann worked in the Luftwaffe's historical research department. According to his own account, however, "desk work" was not for him. He therefore made use of his former contacts with fellow airmen from JG 52, who were now in high positions in the Luftwaffe's fighter command, and asked to return to the combat unit. In July 1944, he achieved a transfer to JG 52 headquarters, which at that time was still headed by Kommodore Hrabak. In November 1944, Petermann was assigned to the Stab of III./JG 52, and in January 1945, with a prosthetic left arm, he returned to combat flying on the Bf 109. His new duty station became 10. Staffel within III./JG 52. During January-March 1945, Petermann, despite the prosthesis, managed to achieve four more victories over Soviet fighters, then was retrained to the Me 262 in JG 7 in late March and early April 1945. He again took part in some combat flights, and on 30 March scored a probable kill of a B-17, although he himself disputed this achievement. However, flying the Me 262 did not suit him. The aircraft required careful handling of the throttles of both jet engines, which was very difficult when the throttles were coupled and controlled by the prosthesis. At the same time, Pettermann did not like what he called the "cocky atmosphere" of the experts from JG 7. In mid-April, he returned to III./JG 52, which was then fighting in Silesia, and became commander of 10. Staffel. On May 1, he was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant and completed his last combat flight four days later. He was taken captive by the Soviets and was repatriated due to his injuries in July 1945. In addition to his 64 confirmed aerial victories, he claimed at least seven other victories that were not confirmed. Before he was wounded, he also severely damaged 56 other aircraft in aerial combat, although he did not report any kills in these instances.

After the war, like most Sudeten Germans, he was expelled from Czechoslovakia and managed to settle in Saxony, where he worked in the manufacture of agricultural equipment and in agricultural trade. In 1995, he came into contact with Czech researchers living in his former homeland. He subsequently visited his native town of Vejprty and the nearby Kovářská several times, especially the local air battle museum, which commemorates him in its exhibition. Viktor Petermann died in 2001 in Freiberg.

 A portion of a Luftwaffe map from 1940 showing most of the locations mentioned in the article.


In the preparation of this article, I received assistance from Mr. Ota Jírovec, Andrey Kuznetsov, Ivan Lavrinenko, Mansur Mustafin, and Jan Zdiarský. After I published an article about "Black 8" and Viktor Petermann in the magazine REVI in 1996, I connected with the now-deceased Mr. Petermann through my friend Jaroslav Hradec.

I would like to express my gratitude to all of them.

 

Sources:

BARBAS, Bernd: Die Geschichte der II. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52

BERGSTRÖM, Christer: Black Cross Red Star, Volume 5 The Great Air Battles, Kuban and Kursk April – July 1943

BOBEK, Jan: Lt. Viktor Petermann, REVI 12/1996 

DÜTTMANN, Peter: Wir kämpften in einsamen Höhen

FAST, Niko: Das Jagdgeschwader 52; Band IV

KLINNERT, Falk: Der Jagdflieger Viktor Petermann, Luftkrieg 1939 – 1945

OBERMAIER, Ernst: Die Ritterkrzeuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939 – 1945; Band I Jagdgflieger

PETERMANN, Viktor: letter to author dated 29. 8. 2000

PRIEN, Jochen, STEMMER, Gerhard, RODEIKE, Peter, BOCK, Winfried: Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945; Teil 12/I, 12/II and 12/III; Einsatz im Osten 4.2 bis 31. 12. 1943

www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/aircraft/messerschmitt-bf-109-g-4/

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