Bf 109 F/G/K Aces of the Western Front

Author:John Weal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bf 109F/G/K Aces of the Western Front
ISBN: 9781780963518
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: 2011-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

How many mechanics does it take to push a Gustav? Eight, if this well-known photograph is anything to go by. 5./JG 2’s ‘Black 12’ (‘Kanonenboot’ Wk-Nr 27803) would be lost in action on 20 October 1943

To provide a two-seat trainer version of the Bf 109, the early months of 1944 saw the introduction of the G-12. These aircraft were simply conversions from other (non-pressurised) Gustav variants, and a requirement for some 500 G-12s was envisaged, but nothing like that number was delivered. Because the addition of the second seat behind the standard cockpit almost halved the internal fuel capacity (giving the G-12 an endurance of only 35 minutes!), 300-litre (660-gal) drop tanks were usually carried

But all was yet far from lost, for new units were still being added to the Homeland’s defensive order of battle. In the final months of 1943 two more Bf 109 Gruppen were transferred in from Italy. Major Franz Beyer’s IV./JG 3 had only recently been activated, and early in 1944 it would commence re-equip

ment with heavily armed and armoured Fw 190s to become the Luftwaffe’s first dedicated Sturmgruppe. In the interim, however, it had lost its Kommandeur. Knight’s Cross holder Franz Beyer (already an 82-victory Experte) added just one more to his total during Defence of the Reich operations – a B-24 on 19 December 1943 – before being killed in action fighting Spitfires the following February.

The other Gruppe up from Italy was II./JG 53, led by Major Gerhard Michalski. The unit crossed the Alps only as far as Vienna, being initially tasked with the protection of Austria and southern Germany. They would be transferred further north to the central Rhine sector early in 1944. It was during the ensuing months up until the invasion of Normandy that 5. Staffel’s Oberfeldwebel Herbert Rollwage claimed 12 of his 14 ‘heavies’, and won the Knight’s Cross while so doing.

But it was those self-same months which were to witness a rapid rise in the rate of attrition among the Jagdwaffe’s experienced and irreplaceable unit leaders as the Eighth AF’s heavy bombers – now enjoying the protection of Mustang escorts – launched a series of strikes aimed specifically at Germany’s aircraft industry, and her fighter defences.

II./JG 3 had suffered a severe double blow even before 1943 was out, losing two Gruppenkommandeure in the space of a month. Shortly after midday on 3 November Major Kurt Brändle had claimed a pair of Thunderbolts which had formed part of the 378-strong fighter screen protecting a heavy US raid on Wilhelmshaven. Later that same afternoon the Gruppe’s Schiphol base was subjected to a surprise attack by Ninth AF Marauders.

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