Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Hello,

Thanks to help from members of this board, we have been able to fill in a number of 1940 victory claims for ZG units, including those of of Kogler and Kaminski of I./ZG26. This has been achieved through acquisition of info from the WASt, wehrpass and RK documentation, Logbooks, etc.

Here is the list of what is still lacking documentation for some specific I./ZG 26 pilots. For some of the below pilots we have some victory information confirmed, but still have gaps in their 1940 claims lists to confirm.

Oblt. Wilhelm Spies, 1 Staffel (6), Lt. Eduard Meyer 1 Staffel (5), Lt. Karl Kennel, Staffel ? (2), Oblt. Paul Förster, Staffel (1, his 2nd); Lt. Werner Thierfelder, Stab (?), Oblt Johannes Kiel 3 Staffel (?), Obfw. Willi Stange 3 Staffel (?).

ANY help would be appreciated. I am only interested in 1940 information here, although other members of our EOE working group would probably appreciate career info on this individuals.

Regards,

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Larry:

Have a look on this photo. It may be some of use... Part of 1st character (visible in right lower corner) could be 3 (3U, 3M) or S (S9) or G (G9).

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Hi,

it`s Victor Moelder`s tally when with NJ for a short time - G9+.

Regards

Robert

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Hmmm.... THX Robert.

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Robert,

I had been under the impression that Viktor Mölders made only two Zerstörer claims of his total of 9. But I have found only 2 with JG 51, so the seven bars make sense. Do you know the details of his claims? I have a PZL on 7.09.39 and a Fokker T.V on 11.05.40. There is a third Dutch claim on the tail and the last four look like 2 French then 2 RAF, but I could be wrong there.

Thanks,
Tom

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Tom:

"Luftwaffe Zerstorer and F/B", by J.Vasco:
-p.36, lower photo: Bf110C, 2N+GH, of Oblt. Molders, with unvisible tally. But next photo of same a/c will show all of 7:
-p.75, in center: Bf110C, 2N+GH of Oblt. Molders with clearly visible 7 victory bars.

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Hi,

I identified his all but one victims. He claimed following victories:
07.09.39 - Polish
10.05.40 - Dutch
11.05.40 - Dutch
29.05.40 - British
05.06.40 - French
05.06.40 - British
12.06.40 - French


Regards

Robert

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Hi Robert,

Can you give more details on the 10.5 claim of Lt Mölders? I don't have any confirmed activity of 1./ZG1 over Holland on May 10, let alone a claim. The 11.5 claim is the Fokker T5 nr.850.

Regards, Pieter

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Robert & Yevgeny,

Many thanks for your replies.

Yevgeny, I had missed the connection in Vasco's book between the two photos, perhaps because the caption on page 75 states, incorrectly, that it is A2+GH belonging to 4./ZG 2, pilot unknown. However on closer inspection the "2" is clearly the first digit and is in fact 2N+GH of 1./ZG 1 as you pointed out.

Robert, can you tell us the source for the claim details?

Regards,
Tom

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Larry,

I have a FF. Ofw. Karl Kennel at the 1. Staffel

1./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., 11.08.40-06.08.41 FF. Hptm. Wilhelm Spies
2./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., 11.05.40-20.05.41 FF. Hptm. Herbert Kaminski
3./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., 18.08.40-00.04.42 FF. Oblt. Johannes Kiel (+) 29.01.44
4./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., .............-.............. FF. Hptm. Paul Kleiner
5./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., 04.41 FF. ?????
6./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., .............-.............. FF. Oblt. Ralph von Rettberg,
7./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., 04.41 FF. ?????
.............-.............. FF. Oblt. Schott (v.) 10.02.42,
since 11.02.42 FF. Oblt. Alfred Wehmeyer
8./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., .............-.............. FF. Oblt. Prang,
since 22.08.41 FF. Oblt. Fritz Schulze-Dickow,
9./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., .............-.............. FF. Hptm. Bohrt .............-.............. FF. Oblt. Johannes Bergfleth, (+) 27.05.42
10./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., .............-.............. FF. Oblt. Karl-Heinz Bittner, (+) 01.06.42
11./ZG. 26, St.Kpt., .............-.............. FF. Oblt. Peter Habicht

Any corrections or additional infos would be appreciated

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Evgeny & Robert,

Thanks for the V. Mölders scoreboard photo and analysis of his victory claims. Can anyone provide the dates that Victor was assigned to this NJG unit, and which one it was?. Was he a StaKap? Anybody know the plane code for this Bf110? We have photos of his a/c at the end of his service with 1./ZG1, and photos of his 109, "Black 1," down in England in October, but this one nicely fills a gap in there. Does anyone know if photos exist of his Bf109 with 2./JG51 during the Aug.-Sept., 1940 period of the BoB? The plane he went down in, IIRC, was a Jabo a/c, so probably was not the same one he went down in, unless it was field modified from his existing a/c.

Regards,

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

Re Viktor Molders.

There is a few pages on him, with a explanation of his score by him in the Kurt Braatz book on his brother Werner.

Regards

Russell

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

My apologies for responding this late. The Dutch machine claimed on may 11 May be a Fokker T.5, but it can't be the 850, for that was shot down the 12th of May.

Re: Update on efforts to verify the 1940 victory claims of I./ZG26
 

I have the following additions:
Hptm. Wilhelm Spiesz KIA 42-01-27 Kdr I/ZG 26 Suchinitschi (Russia)
Oblt. Ludwig Schott KIA 42-02-10 III/ZG 26 Bir Hacheim (Lib)
Oblt. Alfred Wehmeyer KIA 42-06-01 7./ZG 26 Tobruk (Lib)
Oblt. Johannes Bergfleth KIA 42-05-27 9./ZG 26 Tobruk (Lib)
Oblt. Karl-Heinz Bittner KIA 42-06-01 Tobruk (Lib)
Hptm. Peter Habicht KIA 44-01-?? Kdr Erg/ZGr 210
Regards
Frans.A