[Larry Hickey]

Chris/Franck,

Chris:

Since I posted this query, I've been able to consult with Kath's FB. His first flight with Stab I./JG20 was on 15.11.39 at Döberitz, in <I+. Nine days later he started flying <+, which he regularly flew thereafter. I./JG20 transferred from Brandenburg-Briest on 09.09.39, so Kath apparently joined the unit around the time of this transfer. This means that from 01.09.39 until around mid-November, someone else was Adj of I./JG20, a unit which had been formed shortly before the war. There was not yet a 3 Stafffel a/o 01.09.39.

The photo that Franck posted from the David Waiss 109 website, says that this was taken at Brandenburg-Briest and has early war top-wing crosses. This all being the case, it cannot be Kath's a/c at the time of the photo, but that of his predecessor, who I think was Hermann Reifferscheidt. I'm waiting for confirmation of that info from a source in Germany. I'm also awaiting any possible info that would confirm this was an E-3 with the W.Nr. 5205. Christian Kirsch, the source of this PK photo on the website, says that 5205 is only a possible interpretation of what is painted on the fin. This matters because it is one of our profile a/c for the EoE Project. We have other photos of this same a/c in our DB.

We are planning a color profile for Kath's a/c, but for the Phoney War period, and after the change-over to 1940 camouflage. We're going to do the one that has the 2./JG20 black cat insignia on both sides of the engine cowling, which makes no sense to me for Kath, as he couldn't have any history with 2 Staffel given his career. This may have just been a replacement cowling from a 2 Staffel a/c for one that had been damaged. This idea is possibly supported by the rudder being the old two-tone green one on a 1940-camouflaged a/c, which obviously had recently been replaced. If anyone has any other information that would shed light on this, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Also, any further confirmation that the a/c of the initial Gr Adj was W.Nr. 5205, would also be appreciated. It may well have been that Kath inherited that a/c from his predecessor, and continued flying it. His FB does not provide W.Nr. during this period, only a/c Stab symbols, so the W.Nr. can't be verified from that source.

Trying to do hundreds of photographically accurate 109 color profiles with emphasis on named pilots and known W.Nr. is one hell of a challenge.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator