KITS 12/2022

13./JG 27, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, May 1945

After the Allied landings in Normandy in early June

1944, IV. Gruppe JG 27 moved from Hungary to the

French airfield of Champfleury-la-Perthe and began

their participation in combat on the Western Front.

After suffering heavy losses, the unit went to Lower

Saxony for rest and replenishment. The unit was assigned to the Defense of the Reich structure. The unit

was disbanded on March 31, 1945, and its pilots were

distributed among the other units of JG 27. The white wave marking on the rear fuselage identified this

aircraft as being assigned to the IV. Gruppe, and the

green band to the Defense of the Reich unit JG 27. The

nose carried the unit emblem.

WNr. 130282, Hptm. Franz Wienhusen, CO of IV./JG 4,

Frankfurt/Rhein-Main, Germany, November 1944

Franz Wienhusen joined the Kriegsmarine in 1934, but

just a year later began service with the Luftwaffe.

After training, he was assigned to occupied Norway.

There, he would serve with JG 77 and JG 5. up to October 1944, when he was given command of IV./JG 4.

56

INFO Eduard

He died on December 3, 1944 near Aachen, when,

during an attack on an American convoy, he was hit

from the ground. He claimed twelve kills over the

course of WWII. The reconstruction of this aircraft is

based on a listing of losses from December 3, 1944,

where the serial number and fuselage code of Wienhusen's aircraft are recorded. It is very likely that the

aircraft was camouflaged the same way as others

manufactured within an almost 130-aircraft production run at the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg.

December 2022