Bf-109, which unit

[RAF_Loke]

Hiya all.

May 4th. 1945 a Messerschmitt Bf-109K-4 "Black 1" which escaped from the surrounded German forces on the East-front, landed safely just north of the town Rønne on the Baltic island of Bornholm.
Pilots name is unknown and the same is his fate.
One source say it belonged to III./KG51 and another to 10./JG51.
I have looked at both and from what I could find none of them used the K4 version. So I have my doubts regarding the info being correct
Sadly I can't find any Werk number on any of the pictures, so no chance of getting info that way.

Does anyone have a qualified guess of which unit it might come from?

 

[Crimea_River]

You must have meant III/JG51, not KG51, the later being a bomber unit. 10/JG51 would have been one of the squadrons or Staffeln in III/JG51. And yes, III/JG51 flew the 109K-4.

 

[RAF_Loke]

I did mean KG as that was what it said. But I'm sure that you are right and that this is the error, especially when you say they flew K4's.

Edit:
Not tbeen able to find much about III./JG 51. Only that Major Heinz Lange, was the commander from 2.4.45 to 8.5.45.
No mention which type of 109 used.

 

[alejandro_]

Very nice photo RAF_Loke, I will ask around to see if someone have more data.

And yes, III/JG51 flew the 109K-4.

They would have been delivered just before the end of the war, because on 20.3.1945 it was still using Bf 109 G-14

Kurfürst

 

[stona]

Very nice photo RAF_Loke, I will ask around to see if someone have more data.



They would have been delivered just before the end of the war, because on 20.3.1945 it was still using Bf 109 G-14

Kurfürst

III./JG 51 had one K-4 'on the books' in March and probably more in April 1945, though most of its aircraft were still G models.
Since the source for the unit is a JaPo publication, generally very reliable, this may be one of those aircraft.

Eberhardt Burath took command of 14./JG 51 on 28th April 1945.He left an account of combat in a K-4 of that unit.

"On March 22nd 1945 at 10.45 hours I took off in my Bf 109 K-4 '3' and several other machines of my Staffel from Pillau-Neutief in order to intercept a departing Pe-2 bomber formation. We caught a distant view of them south east of us. I gave my Bf 109 K-4 full throttle and swiftly left my Staffel. I opened MK 108 fire at a quite unusual distance - the Pe-2 filled only half the 'Revidurchmesser' - ..... One shell hit the starboard wing at its root and it fell apart. The Pe-2 crashed down in quadrant 95636."

Cheers

Steve

 

[alejandro_]

III./JG 51 had one K-4 'on the books' in March and probably more in April 1945, though most of its aircraft were still G models.
Since the source for the unit is a JaPo publication, generally very reliable, this may be one of those aircraft.

Thanks for the reference and extract. Do you have the full reference of the JaPo publication?

 

[stona]

The profile is from JaPo's 'Bf 109 K camouflage and marking'.

My quote is from another JaPo publication, simply titled 'Messerschmitt Bf 109 K'.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Crimea_River]

Messerschmitt Bf109 F, G, K Series An Illustrated Study by Prien and Rodeike has a picture of K-4 w/n 334175 with III/JG51 in April 1945. Page 174.

 

[RAF_Loke]

Thanks a lot chaps.

Messerschmitt Bf109 F, G, K Series An Illustrated Study by Prien and Rodeike has a picture of K-4 w/n 334175 with III/JG51 in April 1945. Page 174.

Would really love to see that one. As I understand from a Facebook topic, it is a picture of a take-off.

BTW, found out that the correct unit description is 10. Staffel / III. Gruppe / JG 51.
So it's there the "10." came from.
Falcons Messerschmitt Bf 109 Hangar - Flugzeug-ID: 539

 

[Andrew Arthy]

III./J.G. 51 was still flying operations over East Prussia in the final days of April 1945. According to Aders and Held in their book Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders, on 4 May most of the unit's Bf 109s flew out to the West. They only had enough fuel to get to Bornholm. Of the fifteen aircraft leaving East Prussia, two crashed, three returned early due to technical problems, and one went to Sweden.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

 

[RAF_Loke]

Thanks Andrew

 

[RAF_Loke]

In the book "Nödlanding Sverige" = "Forced landing Sweden" I found this story about the one which landed there.

On 4th. May 1945 at 14:50 a Messerschmitt Bf-109 G-10/R3 landed safely on Bulltofta. The plane belonged to JG 51, was flown by Fw. H.W. Petzschler.
The unit was temporarily based at the Vistula estuary and to be redeployed to Bornholm.
Soviet troops were nearby, but had trouble getting the artillery through the water-filled and flooded the area.
The start was dramatic on uneven surfaces and two aircraft crashed.
Petzschler lost his extra fuel tank that was suspended below the hull. With a flight time limited to just over an hour, he set course
for Sweden. Right near Bulltofta he ran out of fuel. The landing went well and the plane was undamaged.
The aircraft was in August flown to Bromma and handed 27th the same month over to the Soviet Union.
Petzschler who first thought he landed in Copenhagen, was detained and extradited 25th January 1946 to the Soviet Union. He sat in the Russian captivity to Septemper 1949, when he is released.
When the plane was test flown at Bromma, it crashed and was destroyed.
The wreck was sold as scrap.

 

[Milosh]

Petzschler, Horst, was born on September 1st, 1921 in Berlin, Germany and died May 16, 2011 in Wichita, Kansas. Horst had a distinguished career with the Luftwaffe during World War II. He flew with JG/3 and JG/51. During his relatively short career he'd flown 297 combat missions and had 26 confirmed victories to his credit. He was shot down on 13 occasions. One of his most memorable experiences was flying the Messerschmitt 262 twice, although never in combat. He immigrated to Canada in June of 1953. He moved to the United States in 1967 working for several different aircraft companies before finally settling in Wichita, Kansas. After his retirement, he spoke at numerous lectures and air shows held throughout the county and enjoyed sharing his experiences in the Luftwaffe. Horst is survived by his wife, Melissa, children Patrick and Nora Belle. His son Sven and wife Wanda and grandchildren Alana and Kristy Petzschler in Canada, sister Ruth Tapley, niece Patricia and nephew Jim. Horrido!

Another link to his Luftwaffe history, Horst Petzschler, Focke Wulf Fw 190A

 

[RAF_Loke]

Thanks Milosh .
What a cool life he had.

 

[RAF_Loke]

2 things about Petzschler.

1. Surprised that with such a successful career, he is a mere Feldwebel at his capture in Sweden??

2. There seems to be 2 version of his last flight. One where he is 1 of 15 aircraft's taking off, and one where he flies off by him self (the link in Milosh's reply).