Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Gents,

I have three different photos of this Stuka, all the photos belonged to members of 7/Stuka 1. However I am unable to determine whose aircraft this was.
None of the photos show the aircraft Werk-Nr. or Kennzeichen....apart from J9. Also the date 1.10.1941 is the date I presume of his 300th Feindflüge and not the date of the award of his RK.

As far as I can tell there are only three possibilities:

Obstlt. Walter Hagen. III later Geschw.Kdr./St.G. 1. RK 21.7.1940. FF?
Oblt. Hartmut Schairer. 7/St.G. 1. RK 30.8.1941 over 150 FF. + 19.7.1942 562 FF.
Lt. Theo Nordman. 8/St.G. 1. RK 17.9.1941 over 190 FF. By May 1942 he had 500 FF!

Not possibilities.......

Hptm. Helmut Mahlke. III/St.G. 1. RK 16.7.1941. 159 FF.
Hptm. Peter Gaßmann. III/St.G. 1. RK 25.5.1942 after 300 FF.
Oblt. Karl-Hermann Lion. 9/St.G. 1. RK 4.6.1942 after 368 FF.

It can't be a Bordfunker as Obfw. Heinz Bevernis was the first Stukaflieger to be awarded a posthumous RK as Schairer's crewman.

Any ideas/help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks,
Ian

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Tricky I know!!! Heres one of the others.....still looking for the last one........

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

A photo from another group shows Hartmut Schairer stood in front of a Stuka.....based on the mud or sand groups on the ground I think it could well be the same Stuka at a different time of day.....of course the first is cammed up where the second looks to be refueled and ready for take off......

So....it could be Schairer's ??!

/Ian

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

No body got similar photos or info?

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

IAN,

I guess you answered yourself...I mean, the 300th maiden flight was on the 1st October 1941 (from what I understood from the painting and "rudder art"). And....from your own information Oblt. Hartmut Schairer. 7/St.G. 1. was awarded the RK on 30.8.1941 with over 150 FF. and killed on 19.7.1942 with 562 FF. Let's assume he had 200 missions when he was awarded the Knight Cross....in almost one year he flew some 362 missions, something like 30 missions a month. So, by October 1941 he would have something around 260 missions....which is reasonably close.

The other main idea is: Would you, being a RK winner like to be photographed on the tail of another RK winner, or on the tail and in front of your own aircraft? With exception those Staffeln or Geschwader grouping pictures, generally we do find the own "owner" of the aircraft in front of his machine...his regular machine....so, I would bet this is SCHAIRER's machine indeed....

Maybe someone can add the werknummer and codes of the machine he was flying in, when he was shot down and killed in action.

By the way...congratulations, a most beautiful set of pictures and very very nice "rudder art".

Most humbly yours,
Adriano S. Baumgartner

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Thank you very much Adriaono,

This is another photo from another group......this one must be "field rudder art" then!!
I know for sure this photo was taken after 25.9.1941 but before 1.11.1941.
However yet to identify those in the photo......The guy left and centre are Feldwebeln and the guy right Oberfeldwebel.

All of them show up in a photo album I have as well but none of the photos are captioned!

Heinz Bevernis was Schairer's Bordfunker but he was Oberfeldwebel at the time and thats not him on the right.

For their loss on 19.7.1942 I have: Junkers Ju 87 D-1 WNr. 2360 ?? + ??

/Ian

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Actually just checking the Ehrenpokal list, Bevernis was a Feldwebel at the time of his Ehrenpokal...

Bevernis, Heinz. Feldwebel. Bordschütze
24.11.1941 Ehrenpokal

So he could have been Feldwebel still when the photo was taken.....if so it might be him on the left.......will check other photos.

/Ian

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Isn't the guy in the middle (3rd from left - on your 3rd posting), partially concealed, Obfw August Hachtel ?
I understand he got the DKiG on the 15th October 1941...but do not know to whom he was attached as air-gunner...
The first officer (Leutnant) looks pretty much Joachim Rieger, from 4./St.G 1...however he too got the DKiG on the 15th October 1941..as an Oberleutnant...so it couldn't be him...but there are similarities with your picture and his profile...

Yours,
Adriano

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

They are all NCO's ....the left and centre are Fw...I mentioned above but unfortunately cropped the photo and his rank is obscured....their faces are all familiar but not managed to check other photos yet......

/Ian

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Here's another picture of Bevernis.....looks similar?

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Ah sorry thought you were referring to the photo of the 3 NCO's...

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Actually I think the centre Fw. and Fw. on left of the last photo is actually Heinz Bevernis. I have another photo and he is nearly bald on top as this person.......unfortunately the photos are all over the place in this album.

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

Responsible Uffz!!!

Obfwn. Willi Lämmle DKiG, Heinz Bevernis RKT and the "Staffel Spieß" try and butcher Obfw. Siegfried Plappert DKiG!!!

/Ian

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

KKKK....nice one!

I do not blame them for trying to keep the morale high....in Russia! Winter time (minus 20 or minus 30 degrees or even plus)...lot of missions, not a great perspective of finishing the war very soon...very poor living conditions and food...one had to have at least a great sense of humour and courage to keep going...day after day....very very far away from home.

By the way, maybe someone enlight us...do we have something written about St.G 1 during the war? Like a War Diary or a Squadron Diary (in English, German or other language)?

I am aware of a book of memories from a St.G 3 airman (in German), something about Rudel and the St.G 2 (with some 400 pictures, written by a former SG 4 airman), but not too much more, isn't it?

IF someone do have more information about biographies on this topic, please do inform here...so we can acquire more knowledge.

Yours
Baumgartner

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

There is this:
Memoirs of a Stuka Pilot Hardcover – by Helmut Mahlke (Author)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memoirs-Stuk.../dp/1848326645

Which is the English reprint of "Stuka: Angriff--Sturzflug".

It covers Mahlke's time with the unit until around August 1941. However it does have a loss list for I/186 and III/1 from the start until the end of the war.

I have a copy in German and also a copy of his original manuscript.

/Ian

Re: Can we identify whose Stuka this is?
 

IAN, I did not know his memories were translated to the English idiom...

So, we do have now only those memories/books specially dedicated to the Stuka units or memories from Stuka airmen (at least of my humble knowledge):
1-Weal, John. Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader 1937-1941; London: Osprey, 1997 96 p. ISBN 1-85532-636-1 Osprey Combat Aircraft 1.
2-Nauroth, Holger. Stukageschwader 2 Immelmann: eine Dokumentation über das erfolgreichste deutsche Stukageschwader; Preussich Oldendorf: K. W. Schütz, 1988 366 p. ISBN 3-87725-123-4
3-Smith, Peter C. Stuka Squadron: Stuka Gruppen 77: The Luftwaffe's Fire Brigade; Wellingtonborough, Northants: Patrick Stephens, 1990 192 p. ISBN 1-85260-286-4
4- Weal, John. Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader in the Mediterranean and North Africa; London: Osprey, 1998 96 p. ISBN 1-85532-722-8 Osprey Combat Aircraft 6.
5- Conversations With A Stuka Pilot [Illustrated Edition] by Brigadier-General Paul-Werner Hozzell (new one for me, I only discovered today!)
6- Smith, Peter C. STUKA AT WAR.

IAN, perhaps from the material you bought/gathered (gathered does not seems a correct word, I am not sure) about those St.G 1 airmen...a new book may arise. We would be delighted...believe me. Again congratulations and thank you for sharing with us...I had never seen before a Ju 87 rudder with art and RK painted...a not too common procedure amongst Stuka fliegers, it seems....

From the list above, I do have only 2 books, that one from Peter C. Smith (Stuka at War) and the magnific work of Holger Nauroth...the tribute to Rudel, which I fully recommend for those who not have them yet.

Adriano S. Baumgartner