Need help with Luftwaffe aircraft ID..

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mrf17

mrf17

Airman 1st Class
120
0
Nov 16, 2009
Maryland, USA
I normally post in the modelling section, but I need some help with an actual Luftwaffe aircraft. My buddy's Dad was an artillery Corporal in the US Army during WWII and because of his Polish heritage, helped to interrogate Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht units towards the end of war. Here's a picture of him with members of his unit with abandoned/wrecked German aircraft. I believe them to be Ju 188s. No known location of the pic, other than "Europe, 1945". Any eagle-eyes out there that can help me? Extra credit if you can id the unit from the fuselage codes!

-Mark

He177 Serchuk.jpg
 
'GT' is not the unit code. The 'T' is for a 9th staffel a/c.

The 62xxxxx WNr block was assigned to Ju88G-7 a/c.
 
Thanks, Milosh. My knowledge of German WWII markings is limited. This will be a big step in determining when and where the photo was taken. Cheers!
 
You might also try over at the "Luftwaffe Experten Message Board" forum. Plenty of Ju-88 / Werk Nummer / War Prizes / Wrecks anoraks over there.
 
Heheheheh, whoops.

Glad to know the info at least got into the right hands....

(grins, waves to Peter....)
 
PeterEvans LEMB Admin said:
Anoraks eh Mark... thanks for that my friend... ;)

For the record guys, this is a new WNr for our ongoing Ju88G-6 Database (which is kindly hosted here) and a Ju88G-6 possibly coded U5+GT of V./NJG2...

Nice shot Mark, thanks for sharing it with us... if we determine the location, I'll post it here :)

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator
Click to expand...

Peter how did you arrive at that Lw unit? My references says U5 is KG2.
 
You can see the U behind the elbow of the guy on the far right. That'll narrow down the unit number. KG 2 converted to 188's in late 43.
 
Last edited:
To all,
Many thanks to all for the help so far. The reach-back quality of this forum is mind boggling. Wish I could be more of a help to my own cause. The young man in the center of the picture with the garrison cap on, died many years ago. His son is one of my dearest friends... we flew together as Army helicopter and fixed wing pilots off and on throughout our career. We are both recently retired. I thought I would do him a favor by enlisting my friends here on the forum and try to pin-point where and when his dad was when that photo was taken. Again, thank you.
 
Milosh said:
Peter how did you arrive at that Lw unit? My references says U5 is KG2.
Click to expand...
As I understand it from the 435+ post thread on Ju88G-6's over on the LEMB, these were Ju88G-6's which originally served with KG2, but were then taken on strength of V./NJG2 without having their fuselage codes changed. This however is far from conclusive and there are some that don't agree with this suggestion.

At the end of the day, to reinforce my comment in post #6 above, the the photo it post #1 is a Ju88G-6 with either 9./KG2, or more likely V./NJG2...

Cheers
Pete
 
Pete,
I have come across some details of Ju88 being lost/shot down in the Netherlands. WNr of this aircraft is very close to the one in my posted photo. Here's the link: Meier If anything, maybe it will add to your LEMB database (that is, if you are not already aware of it). Here's the details:

Mission: Defence of the Reich
Date: 31st December 1944
Unit: 7 Staffel/Nachtjagdgeschwader 2
Type: Junkers Ju 88G-6
Werke/Nr. 620441
Code: 4R + BS
Location: Meerkerk - Lexmond near Utrecht, Holland
Base: Marx/Varel, Germany.
Pilot: Oberleutnant Hartmut Meier 8109/555 Killed (Born 26.11.1921 in St.Michaelis/Freiberg.)
Radar/Op: Feldwebel Artur Gutzeit 51616/418 Killed (Born 02.07.1919 in Skaisgirren Niederung.)
Radio/Op: Obergefreiter Thorwald Wettern Erk. Ln.Komp.396 Killed (Born 30.12.1922 in Hamburg.)
Gunner: Oberfeldwebel Walter Donath 68109/34 MISSING (Born 02.04.1916 in Rauschwalde.)

REASON FOR LOSS:
This aircraft took off on a night mission and failed to return. Believed shot down by S/L Hatton and F/Lt Rivers in a Mosquito of No. 409 R.C.A.F. Squadron W/C Richard Francis Hatton (C18638) DFC claimed one Ju 88 destroyed on the 31.12 at Schoonhoven.

-Mark
 
Thanks for the pointer Mark, and I'm pleased to confirm that this example is already on the database. As I mentioned in post #6 of this thread, the most recent update of the database can be found here, just click on the LEMB Ju88G-database link and save the excel file to your PC...

Just to add on the KG2/NJG2 debate for the Ju88G-6's seen carrying the U5+?T code, M.Meyer P.Stipdonk in their "Die Deutsche Luftwaffe, Zerstorer und Nachtjagdverbande, Teil 2" [VDM, 2007] have the following on page 122:

Stab III./KG2 became Stab V./NJG2 in December 1944
7./KG2 became 13./NJG2 in December 1944
8./KG2 became 14./NJG2 in December 1944
9./KG2 became 15./NJG2 in December 1944

Cheers
Pete
 
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