[Larry Hickey]

Jim,

Re: "Bf 109E-1, 3419, Hofe, Ltn. Werner Pichon Kalau vom, , I., Stab I., JG 20, schwarzes, <| +, , , 06-May-40, Gr.T.O. Three transit flights on this date. Combat flight on 16-Jun., , Lfl.2/Sitzkrieg, FB W. vom Hofe; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, III, p.188 photo, , , -, H, , ,

From my notes and deductions, until this post, I believed that this was probably the a/c of Oblt. Christel Borries, the Chef of the Stab Co, who was shot down in the Dunkirk area and killed on 31.05.40. This a/c was replaced with a "new" <I+, which I've thought was probably Wehnelt's a/c after Borries went down. Wehnelt was the Gr N.O. (Signals Officer). It is this heavily mottled a/c which was photographed flying over the Eiffel Tower at the end of June, in a fly over by the Stab of I./JG20. This photo can be seen in Prien's JFV#3, P.190 (if I remember correctly). This will be one of our color profiles in the EoE Series. However, if vom Hofe flew this on June 16th, it can't be the a/c flown by Oblt Borries and shot down on 31.05.40.

So now, back to the drawing board, unless you're recorded the 16 June entry incorrectly. There is no question, however, that the <I+ in the photo of the Stab a/c in May (tail centered swastika) is a different a/c than the heavily mottled one that flew over the Eiffel Tower at the end of June. Obviously, something happened to the <I in the first photo and it was replaced by the end of the Western Campaign.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator