Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Hi,

Just bought a little photo album of Luftwaffe pilots KIA . They include:

Leutnant Manfred Stahlschmidt - killed: 15.09.1943
Otto Munch - killed: 08.08.1944
Erich Kolb - killed: 17.09.1944
Otto Will - killed: 11.09.1944
Alfred Fischer - killed: 05.12.1944

Can anyone provide details on their units and how they died?

Many thanks

Rick

http://cdn03.trixum.de/upload2/4400/...f0efbf7b1c.jpg

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Aged 19.... what a tragedy.

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

1943-09-20, Stab II/JG 5, Bf 109G-2, 13504, <I schw, 40 km nordöstlich Vardö, Bordwaffenbeschuß. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Lt Stahlschmidt, Manfred, +
1944-08-08, 11./KG 54, Ju 88A-4, 141194, B3+AY, 1 km südlich Lostau, 11 km nordöstlich Magdeburg, Unbekannt um 01.48 Uhr. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Fhr Münch, Otto, +
Flugzeugführer Ofw Engler, Edmund, +
Kampfbeobachter Uffz Baum, Hellmut, +
Bordfunker Uffz Karsunke, Oswald, +
1944-09-17, 1./NAGr. 14, Bf 109G-8, 201141, 5F+10 weiße, Südrand Dorfes Tyiszio, 25 km westlich Szaszregen, Flakbeschuß. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Fhj-Uffz Kolb, Erich, vermißt
1944-09-11, 3./JG 3, Bf 109G-14/AS, 781155, 4 gelbe, Luftkampf. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Fhj-Uffz Will, Otto, vermißt
1944-12-05, 8./JG 1, FW 190A-8, 175203, 15 blaue, Raum südöstlich Waren, Absturz nach Luftkampf mit P-51. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Uffz Fischer, Alfred, vermißt

Matti

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

There is a possibility that on that day Gotah ( Saxonia) was attacked by the 44th BG
and may have been brought down by either a Lib or its escort. I suspect the target was either Gotha or Zwickau car factory.

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Hello Rick,

Can I ask you for a scan of this pilot's photo and death card (Erich Kolb - killed: 17.09.1944)? I would like to use it in a book I am collecting material for.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.

I can give you my e-mail address off board.

Thanks,

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

I have WNr. 13501 for the Stahlschmidt loss, and the WNr. 13504 as 60% damaged on 18-Sep-42 with 8./JG 52.

Bf 109G-2, 13501, Stahlschmidt, Ltn. Manfred, , II., Stab II., JG 5, schwarzes, , BC+VX, , 20-Sep-43, KIA due to Luftkampf with Boston and enemy fighters., Coded '<- + ' per Valtonen and loss? Kongsoyfjorden, 40km nordostwärts Vardö?, Lfl.5/Eins.Westen, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #11)-Vol.21; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, XII.1, p.234; Valtonen, LW Pohjoinen Sivusta, p.389; Mombeek, Eismeerjäger, V.IV, p.237, , 40km nordnordöstlich Vardö, 100%, F, , ,

Bf 109G-2, 13504, n.n., , III., 8., JG 52, , , BJ+WA, , 18-Sep-42, Engine trouble due to Flak., , Lfl.4/Eins.Osten, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #7)-Vol.11; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, IX.2, p.570; Barbas, III./JG 52, p.306; Fast, JG 52, IV, p.76, , Fl.Pl. Gonschtakowka, 60%, F, , ,

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Jim, thanks for correction. This explains again one of the numerous duplicates I have.

Matti

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Happy to be able to help. jlp

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Hi,

Thanks for all the information - when I get the album through I will send scans to those who have asked.

Rick

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

All of these pilots were killed in late 1944. That was a period when the average survival time of new pilots was about 2 missions, according to one source, and a few weeks, according to another. There was almost no fuel for training, but there were plenty of aircraft, so the Luftwaffe kept sending pilots up to be slaughtered.

That explains the 19 years old. War = waste + tragedy.
There is some discussion of this period in my new paper, starting about page 92:
http://art2science.org/2013/07/16/no...-ww2-aviation/

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Thank you, Rick, in advance, for your kind help.

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

hi,

Album has arrived and I will scan over the weekend as, like you, I have been away with the family and need to catch up on 'home' things.

Anyhow, the album was one of a set of 4 or 5 detailing the history of a set of boys who all belonged to a Hitler Youth group - HJ Zeit Gefolgschaft F1, Bann 307 'Sepp Richter'. Earlier albums showed many of these boys gliding etc - this last album showed what happened to them in the later stages of the war. I have ten different boys who were all killed serving the SS, Army and Luftwaffe.

A very tragic cost and something that probably reflects many HJ members in the last year of the war.

Rick

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Hi,

I did not win this album posted below but does show you images of group before involved in war.

Can anyone provide information on loss of Herrmann Ritzer?

Rick
http://cdn04.trixum.de/upload2/4400/...c45e679faf.jpg

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Hi Denes,

Have scan of Uffz. Erich Kolb as requested - please send email address

Rick

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Of the accounts I have read from surviving pilots from the late-war period, they sincerely believed they were fighting for their homes, not the Fatherland per se. In fact, one Me-262 pilot who bailed out from his craft landed close enough to his house to pose with his mother in a photograph from the period.

During the fighting in Normandy, it took a while, for still unclear reasons, for German forces to send the necessary men and materiel to reinforce German forces still in place after the D-Day invasion. Misguided or not, these young men did what they believed they had to do.

You should read accounts about desertions among American, German and Russian troops. Academic research can only go so far, with all due respect.


Best,
Ed

Re: Foto Album of Luftwaffe Fliers
 

Hello Rick,

I sent my address via PM a while ago.
Did you receive it?