[Jochen Prien]

Gentlemen,

I feel that this thread needs some clarification. The topic is a photo of a belly landed Bf 109 F-4 trop and the question is, whether this was the a/c of Obfw. Erich Krenzke of 6./JG 27.

To begin with: The photo that we are talking about here does show the a/c Obfw. Erich Krenzke flew on May 31st, 1942, when he was forced to belly land after aerial combat in the area of Acroma / El Adem, this being Bf 109 F-4 trop, WerkNr. 8774. It is thus a very useful addition to the already existing stock of photos of II./JG 27. At the time of the loss the area around El Adem was still in British hands, so that the captioning we have seen makes sense. Remarkable however is the thick long overcoat of the soldier in front of the a/c, unusual for the time of year.

What is notable about this a/c is the white fuselage band around fuselage section 6, completely unusual for II./JG 27 at this stage of the aerial war in North Africa. The vast majority of a/c - in fact all that so far have been secured in photographical evidence - had their fuselage band around section 7.

I cannot see what relevance the photos of "black 5" of 5./JG 27 shown in both the II./JG 27 chronicle and the JFV series Vol. 8 / I should have in this context as stated by one contributor. I never stated that " black 5 " of 5./JG 27 had anything to do with Erich Krenzke. I would also object to the statement, that all three Staffeln of II./JG 27 had a red horizontal Gruppen bar; in fact, only 5./JG 27 had a red bar together with its black numerals, whereas the Gruppen bars of 4. and 6./JG 27 were in the respective Staffel-colours white or yellow. In my opinion the Gruppen bar of " yellow 9 " here in question was definitely yellow, not red.

Anyway - I think we can file the photo we're offered here as the mount of Obfw. Erich Krenzke of 6./JG 27 after it was shot down on May 31st, 1942 near El Adem.

Regards

Jochen Prien