L. Keller, I/JG3 1940/41.
 

I'm a little confused. I was searching the name L. Keller in I/JG3, and found 4 recorded events:

5th September 1940.
2/JG3.
Messerschmitt Bf109E (3882). Bomber escort sortie to London. Oil cooler damaged in RAF fighter over the Channel and force-landed at Calais, France, 4.30pm. Oberfw. L. Keller (FF) unhurt. Aircraft 50% damaged.

11thSeptember 1940.
1/JG3.
Messerschmitt Bf109E (5276). Escort sortie to England. Collided with Oberfw. Hessel and crashed in the Channel off Dover, Kent, 5.15pm. Oblt. Lothar Keller (FF, Staffelkapitän) bailed-out and rescued unhurt. Aircraft lost.

5th October 1940.
2/JG3.
Messerschmitt Bf109E (3554). Sortie to England. Damaged by RAF fighters and force-landed at St. Inglevert a/f, France, 1.00pm. Oberfw. L. Keller unhurt. Aircraft 20% damaged.

26th June 1941.
Stab II/JG3.
Messerschmitt Bf109F. Sortie on the Eastern front. Collided with enemy aircraft (or collided with a Fi156 observation aircraft?) and crashed west of Stejanow, Ukraine. Hpmt. Lothar Keller (FF, Gruppekommandeur) killed. Aircraft a write-off.

So, were there 2 Keller's in I/JG3 during 1940?
To add to the confusion, 'Luftwaffe.cz/keller.html' says the event on 5th September was Oblt. Lothar Keller.

Thank you

Re: L. Keller, I/JG3 1940/41.
 

Hello Steve,

Lothar Keller was Staffelkapitän 1./JG 3 from 1 Feb 1940 to 23 Nov 1940 and Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 3 from 24 Nov 1940 to 26 June 1941.
According to the chronicle "Stab and I./JG 3" (Prien/Stemmer 1997) and JFV 4/I on 5 Sep 1940 the rank of Lothar Keller was Oberleutnant.
The Bf 109 E-4 WNr. 3554 was an aircraft of III./JG 3 (Gen.Qu. loss return 7 Oct 1940 item 28).

Regards
Leo

Re: L. Keller, I/JG3 1940/41.
 

According to the I./JG 3 KTB, 5 Sep 40 Ofw Keller near Calais after being hit in the engine but Jochen Prien says Oblt Keller; 11 Sep 40 Oblt Lothar Keller in both sources; 5 Oct 40 KTB Ofw Keller, nothing from Jochen. On page 175 of Jochen's Volume 4/I, there is a photo of Ofw Keller of 2./JG 3 after a crash-landing on 15 Aug 40 but on page 189 it says this is Fw Hans Ehlers of 2./JG 3. No mention of an Ofw Keller anywhere else. Lothar Keller was killed as you say by which time he had the RK and was Gr Kdr

Re: L. Keller, I/JG3 1940/41.
 

Thank you very much Chris and Leo.

Re: L. Keller, I/JG3 1940/41.
 

Hi all,

more on JG 3 Kellers:
I translated the book Heinz Sannemann - Ein Jagdfliegerleben (by Breuer & Waiss) to Finnish language this year.

On page 140 it is stated Ofw Keller was the witness for Sannemann's 19. Abschuss on 19 October 1941. The witness statement says: "Since Ofw Keller was seriously wounded on his next mission on 19 Oct 1941, he could not give a statement."
Signed Dahl, Oblt and Adjutant.

In the II/JG 3 Udet in WW II by Prien & Stemmer it is said that Ofw. Helmuth Keller from 6./JG 3 was wounded in air combat near Chaplinka on 19 Oct 1941. His plane was damaged 30 % and it was Bf 109 F-4, Wnr 7157.

So apparently there were two Kellers in JG 3, Lothar and Helmuth, but not in I/JG 3.

Br Raimo

Re: L. Keller, I/JG3 1940/41.
 

With a little help from Matti, it would appear that Ofw Helmuth Keller was formerly with 3./JG 3 fro m March 1940.....