Letka 13 also known as 13.(Slow)/JG 52

[imalko]

Kovárik tested this aircraft Bf 109G-6 (WkNr 161735) soon after its delivery to Letka 13. It was however, most often flown by fellow Letka 13 pilot Karol Geletko (one kill), who eventually wrote it off in a landing accident at Spišska Nova Ves airfield on 14 June 1944. The fuselage shows distinct traces of the original 'Black 8', which was later covered with yellow band. (Info from Osprey's "Slovakian and Bulgarian Aces of WW2")

Profile from HTmodel Špecial.

 

[Milos Sijacki]

Again, great post. Thanks for all of that info, always wanted to learn a bit more about the WW2 Slovak Air Force.

 

[imalko]

Another update to the history of 13.(Slow)/JG 52 with biography of Ján Gerthofer, who began his career as a bomber pilot with Slovak Air Arms only to later became the third ranking Slovak fighter ace with 26 confirmed kills.

Note: Fallowing text from Osprey's "Slovakian And Bulgarian Aces of WW2"

An experienced pre-war pilot, Ján Gerthofer was born on 27 May 1910 at Lab, near Malacky. He joined the Czechoslovak Air Force in 1927 and when independent Slovakia was proclaimed, he was serving with as a bomber pilot flying Marcel Bloch MB.200s and Fokker F IXs with Letka 83 Letecky pluk 5 (No 83 sqn Air Regiment 5) at Brno in Moravia.
Gerthofer subsequently served as a test pilot with the Technical Squadron (later Reserve Squadron) at Piešťany, before joining letka 11 (No 11 Sqn) to fly B.534s. His first tour of duty on the Eastern front came in the summer 1941 but he was flying as liaison pilot. In September 1941 he was promoted to poručnik (Leutnant).
After completing a Bf 109 course in Dennmark, Gerthofer became deputy Commanding officer of Letka 13 first front team and fought over the Caucasus, Kuban, Black Sea and Sea of Azov from October 1942 to July 1943. During this time he flew 175 combat sorties, engaged in 36 aerial combats and achieved 26 confirmed kills – 8 LaGG-3s, 5 Il-2s, four I-16, Four Yak-1s, two Airacobras and one Boston, Pe-2 and La-5. Five other claims remained unconfirmed. He was the first Slovak pilot to shoot down an Airacobra, which was regarded as a dangerous opponent.
Gerthofer received many Slovakian, German, Croatian and Romanian medals and decorations, including Iron Cross I and II Class and Ehrenpokal. Prior to returning to Slovakia he was promoted to nadporučnik (Oberleutnant).
On 31 August 1944 Gerthofer flew general Augustin Malar in a Junkers W 34 transport from Vajnory to Išla, where both men were taken prisoner by German troops who were disarming Malar's units (Note: Slovak National Uprising was already underway at that time for it was launched on 29 August). Gerthofer was sent to Stalag XVIIA PoW camp in Kaisersteinbruch, Austria, and was not released until February 1945.
After the war, Gerthofer joined new Czechoslovak Air Force, serving as CO of Cvična letka (Training Squadron) at Spišska Nova Ves and later as station adjutant at Piešťany. In July 1947 he became civil transport pilot flying Douglas C-47 Skytrains. But in June 1951 he was discharged for political reasons, finding employment as manual worker, technical controller and planner. He died on 9 August 1991 at Podbrezova.

 

[imalko]

Pictures from book "Slovenske letectvo 1939-1944" Volume 2 published by Magnet Press Slovakia

Picture 1
The official leave-taking ceremony for the flying element of the first front team of Letka 13 took place in the presence of the SVZ Chief of Staff, Lt.Col Alojz Ballay at Piešťany in October 1942. The five pilots visible in this line up are, from left to right, stotnik Ondrej Ďumbala (13th Sqn CO), poručnik Ján Gerthofer, rotniks František Cyprich and Jozef Drlička and čatnik Jozef Švejdik. The latter two pilots were sunsequently killed in combat over Caucasus.

Picture 2
Poručnik Ján Gerthofer (middle) after return from another successful combat sortie in conversation with other pilots of Letka 13.

 

[imalko]

Pictures from Osprey "Slovakian and Bulgarian Aces of WW2"

 

[Lucky13]

Great stuff mate!

 

[imalko]

Displaying standard Luftwaffe camouflage, this aircraft also bears traces of the original over painted German radio codes (R?+??). With Letka 13 having more pilots than aircraft, this machine was flown by several different pilots including Gerthofer. Note that engine cowling is thickly spayed with light blotches and that there are no black fuselage crosses only white outlines. (Info from Osprey's "Slovakian and Bulgarian Aces of WW2")

Picture and both profiles from HTmodel Špecial.

Note: In several earlier books (including Osprey and HTmodel) in which profiles of Gerthofer's Bf 109 "Yellow 11" were published, this plane was always shown with grey spots on engine cowling (assumed they were in RLM 02 or some other light gray color). However, in most recent HTmodel Špecial publication this same machine is shown with yellow spots instead of gray which created some confusion regarding this aircraft since no explanation was provided for this newest assumption.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I have to admit it's a pretty interesting camouflage pattern.

 

[imalko]

26th June... Today is the 65th anniversary of the destruction of Letka 13.

On this day eight Slovak Bf 109Gs attacked the large formation of US bombers with fighter escort. They managed to shoot down one B-24 Liberator and to damage three more bombers but were themselves attacked by escorting fighters. Result was virtual destruction of Letka 13 at the hand of numerically superior American fighter escort. Three Slovak pilots were killed and one was severelly wounded. Letka 13 lost seven fighters Bf 109G-6 and only one Slovak Messerschmitt returned to its base undamaged.

This air battle is described in detail in book "Slovenske letectvo 1944-45" Volume 3. Although this event was already mentioned in several earlier posts, as a conclusion of this thread I intend eventually to post this description, but as the text is rather extensive much editing is needed along with the translation. This is quite time consuming work so don't know when will be finished. However, before that there is still a lot of materials to be posted covering activity of 13.(Slow)/JG 52 on the Eastern front and home defense as well as biographies of leading pilots of this unit. So, if you are interested in history of Letka 13 you should know there is still much to fallow.

In this post I only wish to pay tribute to all those, Slovak and American, who fought and died doing their duty on this day 65 years ago.

 

[imalko]

Born on 16 March 1920 at Hlohovci, Jozef Jančovič achieved total number of 9 comfirmed air victories in air combat on Eastern front. He started his military career in 1938 in pre war Czechoslovak Air Force, only to finish pilot training as a member of new Slovak Air Arms in November 1939. As a member of Letka 11 (11th fighter squadron) he saw action flying Avia B.534 byplanes in his first tour of duty in Russia from 22 June to 1 August 1941. Selected to the first group of Slovak pilots for advanced fighter training on Messerschmitt Bf 109s, he spent three months (25 April- 6 July 1942) in Luftwaffe training center in Dennmark. Upon completion of training course he was assigned as fighter pilot to Letka 13 and on 27 October 1942 departured once again to the Eastern front for his second tour of duty.
Čatnik Jančovič proved himself as an aggressive fighter pilot, never avoiding hardest combat sorties no matter the odds. After scoring 9 confirmed kills, he was mortally wounded during an engagement with LaGG-3s over the Sea of Azov on 29 march 1943. He crash-landed his aircraft, Bf 109G-2 (W.Nr. 14380), and died the next day in German field hospital in Zaporoshskaya. Jančovič was the last of four pilots of 13.(Slow)/JG 52 who were killed in combat over Caucasus and Kuban.

 

[imalko]

Such important event as was departure of the 1st Front Team of Letka 13 to the USSR was well documented by photographs. On this picture is shown official farewell with pilots at Piešťany airfield. Some time later, in December 1942, a reportage on this event was published in magazine "Slovenské Krídla" No.4 (Slovak Wings). On the picture: Chieff of Staff of Air Arms Command (VVZ - Veliteľstvo Vzdušních Zbraní) A. Ballay is adressing the pilots. Those visible on picture are from left hand - O.Ďumbala, J.Gerthofer, F.Cyprich, J.Drlička, J.Švedík, J.Setvák, Š.Martiš, F.Brezina, Jozef Jančovič, I.Kovárik and squadron's chieff machanic R.Nerad. In the background stand two of seven Messerschmitt Bf 109Es originally on strength with Letka 13.

Source: HTmodel Special No. 912 "Letka 13 v obrazoch 1940-1944", Photo from Ján Stanislav Collection

 

[imalko]

Already battle-veary by their previous Luftwaffe service, Bf 109Es with which Slovak pilots flew to the Eastern front in 1942 were objectively obsolete at that time and quickly loosing their combat effectivnes. Situation was solved with Germans loaning Bf 109F-4s and later Bf 109Gs to Slovak squadron. While there is many photos of Slovak Gustavs, this is not the case with Bf 109Fs in service with Letka 13, although this unit operated no less then 16 planes of this type which W.Nr. are known.
This rare photo (indeed only known existing photo of Slovak Friedrich), taken at Krasnodar on 28 January 1943, shows čatnik Jozef Jančovič pointing out the severe combat damage inflicted on his Bf 109F. He had just returned from mission with a piece of I-16 wing embeded in his aircraft as a result of a head-on encounter which ended with the Soviet pilot trying to ram Slovak fighter. Tactic of raming enemy planes, sometimes used by Soviet pilots, was called "Taran". Judging by the amblem beneath the cockpit this Messerschmitt Bf 109F was once on stregth of 8./JG 3.

Source: HTmodel Special No.912 "Letka 13 v obrazoch 1940-1944", Photo Stanislav Bursa Collection

 

[Njaco]

Great posts, imalko!

to all those flying the skies of WWII for their country.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Excellent posts imalko, great information!

 

[imalko]

When one goes through the books covering history of Letka 13 and its deployment on Eastern front, one finds that there are many pictures of Bf 109Gs flown by Slovak pilots, but pictures of Slovak Bf 109Fs are rare to none existent. Even when Slovak Bf 109Es are concerned there are many pictures covering departure of Slovak Emils to the East and their use in home defense after return to Slovakia, but none (or maybe very few) while serving in Russia. This can be explained by simple look at the list of bases of Slovak squadron (and times spend there) while stationed on the Eastern front (map with four main bases of 13.(Slow)/JG 52 in southern USSR can be seen in attachment):

Maykop (4 November - 31 December 1942)
Krasnodar (January 1943)
Slavyanskaya (31 January - 17 February 1943)
Kerch (17 February - 19 March)
Taman (19 March - 1 April)
Anapa (1 April - 18 September)
Taman ( 18 September - 12 October)
Bagerovo (12-28 October 1943)

The use of Bf 109Es by Slovak pilots on Eastern front was quite short (effectively only one and a half month - November/December 1942). First Bf 109Fs were loaned to Letka 13 in December 1942 and the last examples were handed back to the Luftwaffe on 5 March 1943. The use of Bf 109Fs with Letka 13 coincided with negative developments (for the Axis) on Eastern front. In conditions of chaotic retreat, frequently changing the base of operations due to the Red Army advance and facing growing Soviet air superiority, there simply wasn't opportunity, time or will to take photograps of aircraft. On the other hand, through entire spring and summer of 1943 (April-September 1943) Letka 13 operated from Anapa air base and majority of pictures which can now be seen in books are from this period. However, this doesn't mean that Slovak pilots weren't engaged in heavy aerial fighting while operating from Anapa. They have participated in massive aerial battle over Kuban, achieving great success and for a while, in late summer 1943, Letka 13 was, in fact, the only Jagdstaffel still operating from Kuban bridgehead in time when all other German fighter units were already transffered to the Crimea.

 

[vikingBerserker]

This is an area where I am weak at when it comes to WW2, this is some really great stuff!

 

[imalko]

Thanks VB! Glad you find this thread interesting. That was my intention in the first place - to share this very interesting, but not widely known subject (which also fascinates me very much) with everyone who would like to know more about it. I can recommend few books on history of Letka 13, but I'm afraid that most of these are available only in Slovak language, which unfortunately makes them unreadable for English speaking people.
Here are some books which covers this topic:

- Slovenske letectvo 1941-1945 Volumes 1-3 (in Slovak language only)
- Letka 13 v dokumentoch a obrazoch (in Slovak language only)
- HTmodel special No. 912: Letka 13 - 13(Slow)/JG 52 v obrazoch 1940-1944 (pictorial history of Letka 13 with great photos and aircraft profiles, written in Slovak language with summary and picture captions in English)
- Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 58 - Slovakian and Bulgarian Aces of WW2 (written in English of course)

Folowing books cover the use of Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Slovak Air Arm, with mentions of Letka 13 (all written in Slovak language but with great photos and aircraft profiles):

- HTmodel special No.902 - Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 slovenskych Vzdušnych zbrani 1944
- HTmodel special No.903 - Messerschmitt Bf 109F, G-2 a G-4 slovenskych pilotov 1942-1943
- HTmodel special No.907 - Messerschmitt Bf 109B, D a E slovenskych pilotov 1942-1944

Letka 13 was also mentioned (with very short history of the unit) in book JAGDWAFFE Vol 4 Sect 3 - War in Russia (Nov 1942 - Dec 1943).

 

[imalko]

Two top scoring Slovak fighter pilots, Ján Režňák and Izidor Kovárik, were already mentioned earlier in this thread, but here is also a video clip of this two aces receiving Deutches Kreuz in Gold, the highest German medal awarded to any Slovak servicemen in World War Two.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Great, I appreciate the book recommendations!

 

[imalko]

After a while here's an update to the thread with life story of František Brezina, another Slovak ace and member of 13(Slow.)/JG 52. With 14 aerial victories to his credit Brezina was fourth most successful Slovak fighter pilot of World War Two.

František Brezina was born at Dolne Jatovo on 28th August 1918. He started pilot training in 1937 at Prostejovo and finished training by 1939 earning his "wings". As of 1st November 1940 he served as fighter pilot with Slovak Air Arms. As a member of Letka 13 he served two tours of duty on the eastern front: in 1941 (from 3rd of July to 15th August) and in 1942/43 (27th October 1942 till 14th July 1943). He was also a member of first group of Slovak pilots that completed advanced fighter training on Bf 109s in occupied Dennmark in 1942. During his service in the East Brezina managed to shot down total number of 14 Soviet aircraft. Upon his return from the front Brezina served as a member of Readiness Flight and 13th Readiness Squadron (Pohotovostna letka 13) in home defense duties. On 15th April 1944 he was transferred to the Flight School as an instructor. Taking part in the uprising in fall of 1944, Brezina also remained active in postwar Czechoslovak Air Force eventually achieving the rank of Flight Leutenant. He was discharged from the Army to the reserve in 1952.

One truly remarkable event marked flight career of František Brezina. It ocurred on 25th July 1941 during Brezina's first tour of duty on the Eastern front, when his unit - Letka 13 - was still operating Avia B.534 biplane fighters. On the morning of that day three Slovak Avias were giving an escort to the German Hs 126 recconnaisance plane over the enemy held territory. Due to the strong Soviet antiaircraft fire from the ground Brezina's plane was damaged forcing pilot to make emergency landing 16 km behind enemy lines and in the proximity of one Soviet infantry unit. Right after the landing Slovak pilot sought cover as he came under fire of Soviet infantrymen. His wingman, čtk. Martiš, observed this and came to his rescue. After firing his machineguns on the enemy soldiers he landed near of the Brezina's damaged plane. Brezina climbed onto the wing of the biplane and they took off immediatelly still under enemy fire. During the flight Brezina was holding to the wing struts firmly with his hands, but at one moment his legs slipped from the wing leaving him hanging from the wing. Eventually he managed to climb onto the wing again, but exposed to the cold and airflow he was strugling to keep consciousness. Eventually they landed safely at Tulčin.
For this remarkable act in history of aerial warfare Štefan Martiš was decorated with Medal for Heroism 2nd Class and Brezina was decorated with Medal for Heroism 3rd Class. Both men were also decorated with German Iron Cross 2nd Class.

Pictures:

Picture 1.
Pair of Slovak Avia B.534 fighters of Letka 13 during aerial patrol in Jarmolice area in July 1941.
Pictures 2 and 3.
Reconstruction of Brezina's rescue.
Picture 4.
German instructors and Slovak pilots at Grove training center(Dennmark) in 1942. From left to the right: J.Jakab, German instructors Marxen and Federle, J.Drlička, František Brezina and F.Cyprich

Source: "Letka 13 v dokumentoch a obrazoch" and "Slovenske letectvo Vol 1" published by MagnetPress Slovakia
Pictures and profiles also from HTmodel Special No. 912 "Letka 13 v obrazoch 1940-1944"