Looking for first names of KG51 pilots during 1940
 

Hello,

For the Eagles Over Europe Project, I'm looking for the first names of the following pilots and crewmen who flew with KG51 during 1940:
1) Hptm _____ Brandt, FF & StaKap 9./KG51 SD France Ok 15.5.40; (Poss Willi Brandt MIA 6./KG51 26.6.41??)
2) Obfw _____ Blmhofer, BO & Uffz ____ Pertl BS, with 2./KG51, belly landing Belgium 27.5.40.
3) Lt _____ Modrach, FF with 3./KG51, Cr Germany injured 12.6.40
4) Lt _____ Heizich, FF with Stab II./KG51 C France slight inj 9.7.40
5) Fw _____ Müller, FF with 7./KG51 belly landing france 13.7.40
6) Obfw ____ Sonntag, FF with Stab III./KG51 a/c damaged 9.8.40
7) Oblt ____ Simon, FF with 7./KG51 a/c belly landed 10.8.40
8) Fw _____ Winter, BO with I./KG51, a/c FL at Le Haavre 12.8.40
9) Fw _____ Lang, FF with 8./KG51, a/c accident France 30.8.40
10) Uffz _____ Franke, FF with 9./KG51, T.O. crash France 16.9.40; (almost certainly the Fw Gerhard Franke, FF, MIA 28.6.41 reported by G.R. Morrison in his recent board post).

Who can help?

Regards,

Re: Looking for first names of KG51 pilots during 1940
 

Some first names from my documents!

For the Eagles Over Europe Project, I'm looking for the first names of the following pilots and crewmen who flew with KG51 during 1940:
1) Hptm Willi_____ Brandt, FF & StaKap 9./KG51 SD France Ok 15.5.40; (Poss Willi Brandt MIA 6./KG51 26.6.41??)
2) Obfw _____ Blmhofer, BO & Uffz ____ Pertl BS, with 2./KG51, belly landing Belgium 27.5.40.
3) Lt Gerhard____ Modrach, FF with 3./KG51, Cr Germany injured 12.6.40
4) Lt _____ Heizich, FF with Stab II./KG51 C France slight inj 9.7.40
5) Fw Karl_____ Müller, FF with 7./KG51 belly landing france 13.7.40
6) Obfw Siegfried____ Sonntag, FF with Stab III./KG51 a/c damaged 9.8.40
7) Oblt Erich?___ Simon, FF with 7./KG51 a/c belly landed 10.8.40
8) Fw Helmut oder Peter_____ Winter, BO with I./KG51, a/c FL at Le Haavre 12.8.40
9) Fw Friedrich_____ Lang, FF with 8./KG51, a/c accident France 30.8.40
10) Uffz _____ Franke, FF with 9./KG51, T.O. crash France 16.9.40; (almost certainly the Fw Gerhard Franke, FF, MIA 28.6.41 reported by G.R. Morrison in his recent board post).


Rene

Re: Looking for first names of KG51 pilots during 1940
 

Hi Larry,
4) I think it should be Heinrich? Erich
8) He is an Ofw.
10) The entire crew of Fw. Franke Gerhard returned unhurt. (GQM correction from 25-Mar-42 Ber. x)

Regards,

Norbert

Re: Looking for first names of KG51 pilots during 1940
 

Hello,

Rene and Norbert,

Thanx for helping us with this research. It would be helpful if you could cite your sources for the first names that you have supplied. We (primarily Peter Cornwell) have added thousands of first names to crewmen in the Luft loss reports for 1939-40, and have to be very careful when confirming names that they are based upon solid evidence. Brandt is a good example to make the point, there are over a dozen officers with that name in the Luftwaffe Officers Career DB, and none of them are the right person with absolute certainty.

René, do you have some serious documentation on the activities and personnel of KG51 during the 1939-40, that might also help us with the narrative of their history during this period? I know about the German history of the unit published years ago. We have been using the Heinrich Weiss manuscript to begin to construct detailed histories of all of the various Luftwaffe units during this period. For example, our preliminary compilation for KG30, our test unit, is already well over a hundred typewritten pages long. Next we're going to try KG26. If anyone has a particular interest or expertise in a specific Luftwaffe unit, and would like to help us construct these detailed histories, please contact me. We already have a number of people helping with those. It is a monumental task.

Regards,