Request for Images of Me 109 K of JG 26

[A4K]

G’day Thomas!

According to Donald Caldwell’s The war diary of JG 26 part two: 1943-45 (my version the Hungarian edition ’A JG26 hadmüveleti naplója II. Kötet: 1943-45’ (p.488 ):

27 November (1944)

The (US) 8th AAF still tried to push home attacks towards North-Western Germany, before the weather changed for the worst. 580 B-17 and B-24 bombers bombed 3 railway junctions before an Eastward moving weather front covered Germany in cloud. The pilots of the Geschwader could see the huge cloud mass approaching, and were very surprised when they received orders to take-off and rendezvous with Bf 109s of JG 3 and JG 27 and support them in the interception of the heavy bombers. At 11.05 Oblt. Gottfried Schmidt took off with 15 Bf 109s from Plantlünne, and met up with the Fw 190s of I.Gruppe over Furstenau. These consisted of some four aircraft, two other aircraft being unable to take-off. The III. Gruppe were authorised to go to high altitude, so started climbing to 10,000 m, a height that probably none of the pilots had ever flown at. The I. Gruppe Schwarm tried to keep up with the Messerschmitts, although the Focke-Wulf was very hard to control at heights above 9000 m.

According to Uffz. Georg Genth, the Messerschmitts were unable to keep to tight formation, rather staggering like drunks in the rough weather conditions. The cockpit of his Bf 109K-4 iced over, and he was only able to see straight ahead through the armoured windscreen. Genth was able to scrape away the ice in a small area on the port side canopy, which enabled him to see rearwards a little. He flew on, and when he noticed two P-47s turning towards them, gave the warning signal. He then dived (...) to escape the dense middle of the cloud mass. The cloud layer proved to be hundreds of meters thick, and Genth pushed his aircraft to it’s extreme, which in the meantime had reached the maximim speed of 750 km/h, and even so was barely able to clear the cloud after an approximately 500 m dive. His engine cowling then suddenly flew off, and oil erupted from the overstressed motor. Despite that, he was able to land at Rheine, and later went back to Plantlünne. After he landed at Rheine, however, he heard the sound of three motors scream in the cloud above and saw the aircraft fall from the sky. One of them was piloted by Fhj- Uffz Robert Röhrig, and another by Genth’s good friend, Ofhr. Helmut Lorberg. The two aircraft ploughed so deep into the earth, that the remains weren’t excavated and positively identified until 1992. Georg Genth said he would never forget the horrible sounds he heard that day for as long as he lived.

It is not known if Lorberg and Röhring were shot down, or possibly just lost control of their aircraft in the cloud mass and were unable to keep their aircraft flying straight. (although the reason is recorded as ’P-51’ in the unit’s loss register: )

Date / Name / Rank / Status / Unit / Aircraft type / W.Nr / Call sign / Place / Time / Reason
44.11.27 Röhrig, Robert Fhj-Uffz. KIA 10. Bf 109G-14 460514 Black 16 Wettringen, Rheine area 12.30 P-51
44.11.27 Lorberg, Helmut Ofhr. KIA 12. Bf 109K-4 330152 Blue 26 Wettringen, Rheine area 12.30 P-51

(Four other pilots of the Geschwader were shot down by P-51s during this encounter, all surviving, one without injury, 3 with light injuries.)

[Wayne Little]

good stuff Evan....

[Wurger]

I agree with Wayne.Nice stuff Evan.

[Njaco]

Evan, I have the english version;

pg 293

"I cleaned a small aperture in my left canopy pane, a few centimeters in diameter, by exhaling on it. I could then see behind me to my left. the canopy was otherwise covered in a thick layer of ice. As usual, my tactical position was at the rear of the formation, in the place of honor! I observed two Thunderbolts breaking toward our formation. In my condition I could not fight them. Being totally unable to defrost my canopy with my heater, I reported my condition over the radio and dove in a slpit-S into the cloud layer only a few hundred meters below. I remembered just in time that I had not switched on the arificial horizon. I did it while diving, since it was clear to me that I would have no chance to align the gyro properly in the clouds.

What should I do? I had escaped immediate danger of being shot down But I would have no chance to regain control of my aircraft in a cloud thousands of feet thick. I attempted to reduce my speed - about 600 km/h indicated - by pulling on the stick. To my discomfort, however, my speed kept increasing - the indicator now hit 750 km/h! I realized that I was in an inverted bank and now pushed the stick forward. My speed dropped immediately. I attempted to slow down to about 500 km/h so that I could make visual contact with the ground. However this was very difficult. Just as the indicator hit the desired mark, I left the cloud in a 60 degree inverted bank, about 500 meters above the ground. The canopy had now warmed up and defrosted and I could see again in all directions. Control forces were so great that I could not center the stick, so I clenched both hands together and struck the side of the stick as hard as I could. The unbelievable happened - the brave old 109 flipped over into a normal steep descent altitude, from which I could then pull out with the help of the trim wheel! At my terminal speed, the engine cowling panels had torn off and oil lines had split open from overpressure, but I could see again, and had my bird under control. I flew to Rheine, about three or four minutes away, without touching the throttle, my speed decreasing slowly.

I landed my oil-smeared bird smoothly and returned to Plantluenne by kubelwagon, a kind of jeep. Probably my good friend Helmut Lohrberg had had similar problems with icing and had not been as lucky as I. He has been missing since this flight. As I stood on the landing ground at Rheine after landing, I heard 3 aircraft crash with overstraining engines, all right around Rheine! To this day, I have not been able to strike these ghastly noises from my memory."

[A4K]

Thanks Chris!! I was hoping someone would have the English version!

I was unsure what the story was with the artificial horizon, hence the (...) !

The English (original) version obviously has alot more detail than the Hungarian version, as I translated it pretty much word for word (to the best of my ability, atleast, and with help from my girl where I was unsure) and you can see the difference! The Hungarian version was written in third person too.

Thanks again mate!

[Njaco]

No worries. Its one ofthe few books I have! I have noticed that there is a difference between books. Apparently Caldwell first published as a two book set and more like a timeline with dates, etc. This book which has the whole time period doesn't write like that but more as a story. I have both but I'm missing what happens after 1942 - except in the other book. Its confusing.

[A4K]

I just have the second book (1943-45), and it's pretty much written as a diary, minus alot of the embellishment of the English version, with loss/kill tables inserted at the relevant day.
I have to admit I bought it mostly for the photographs of the Fw 190s...!

[A4K]

Sorry it's a bit late, Thomas, but here you go!

JG 26 Losses (pertaining to Bf109K-4 aircraft) :

-From ’A JG 26 hadmüveleti naplója II.kötet: 1943-45’ ( the war diary of JG 26, part two: 1943-45), by Donald Caldwell

Legend:
KIA – Killed in action; KAA – Killed in aircraft related accident; WIA – Wounded in action; IAA – Injured in aircraft related accident; POW –Captured, taken prisoner of war

Date/ name/ rank/ status/ unit/ W.nr/ code number/ location/ time/ reason

44.11.13. Landsberg, Wilhelm Lt. KAA 12. 330368 Blue 20 Plantlünne airbase 16.03 Collision
44.11.25. Ritter, Georg Uffz. IAA 9. 330419 White 20 Moers 15.15 Motor
44.11.27. Schmidt, Gottfried Oblt. WIA 9.pk 330372 White 21 Bad Iburg 12.15 P-51
44.11.27. Lorberg, Helmut Ofhr. KIA 12. 330152 Blue 26 Wettringen, Rheine area 12.30 P-51
44.12.04. Völmle, Dieter Lt. WIA 10. 330413 Black 8 N-W of Münster, Burgsteinfurt 14.45 Tempest
44.12.14. Wiesel, Friedrich Uffz. WIA 12. 331323 Blue 22 South of Dorsten 14.35 Spitfire
44.12.18. Reischer, Peter Oblt. KIA 11.pk 330386 Yellow 20 Almelo 12.50 Dogfight
44.12.25. Sigmund, Rupert Uffz. KIA 10. 330418 Black 8 Fürstenau area 12.55 P-51
44.12.26. Kühne, Wolfgang Lt. KIA 12. 331331 Blue 20 Aachen-Liége 14.10 P-51
45.01.01. Meyer, Gottfried Lt. KIA 9. 330404 White 15 Vrasene area 09.45 Collision
45.01.01. Leinberger, Rudolf WIA 11. 330354 Black 18 Kirchhelleni airbase 09.55 German Flak
45.01.01. Lenz, Harald Oblt. KIA 11. 330385 Yellow 18 Harderwijk (Zuider Zee) 08.50 German Flak
45.01.01. Berndt, Karl-Heinz Uffz. POW 12. 330426 Blue 30 St. Martensdijk 09.15 A.A
45.01.01. Sengpiel, Horst Gefr. KIA 12, 330404 White 15 East-Scheidt 10.04 A.A
45.04.13. Kerner, Friedrich Uffz. KAA 10. 330365 Black 17 East of Coesfeld 16.00 Motor
45.01.14 Pape, Dietwin Lt. None 9. 330390 White 21 South of Köln 12.01 P-51
45.01.14 Kopp, Walter Lt. KIA 10. 330380 Black 28 West of Koblenz (PO-PP) 12.00 Tempest
45.01.14 Salewsky, Erich Uffz. KIA 12. 330439 Blue 29 Uckerath – Bonn 11.30 P-51

Chris, if you have time, could you check the two 'enroute' entries for me? that was the closest I could translate it from the Hungarian 'ütközött', but want to be sure. Thanks mate!

Evan

[Njaco]

Sure, I will do what I can. I don't have the second book like you do - just the first part. But then I have a paperback that covers the whole time period but not as concise as the two books. Will check though.

[A4K]

Thanks, mate, but no need now - my fiancée translated it. I mixed up my words, the correct translation being 'collision' (makes much more sense now! Post edited accordingly)


Thanks anyway, Chris!