[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Hptm Horst Gentzen, the highest LW scorer during the Polish Campaign had run up a score of 18 victories by the time he died in the crash of Bf110C 3M+BB during a scramble to intercept an incoming raid at Neufchâteau AF, France, on 26 May 1940. The plane he was aboard was that of the Gr Adjutant, Lt Hartwig-Borris Domeier, who was also killed in the crash. I have two photos of this crash confirming that a/c code. At the time, the Bf110C had been operational with I./ZG2 for only about two months. Although Domeier had at least three victories to his credit from the PC, the port-side fin and rudder of this Bf110C carried no victory tabs. Since Gentzen was not killed in his own a/c, presumably 3M+AB, this a/c would have continued to be flown by someone else in the unit, even possibly by his successor, Maj. Ernst Ott. However, to my knowledge no photos have ever surfaced showing this a/c, which should have carried 18 victory tabs, either while Gentzen was flying it or after it was passed to someone else. Ott's aircraft was fairly heavily oversprayed on the sides of the fuselage and tail surfaces, so 18 victory tabs could have been originally applied then painted over and Ott's 2 victories painted in its place.

1) Is anyone aware of photos of any I./ZG2 Bf110, or even a possible I./ZG2 Bf110C, carrying 18 victory tabs? I know of none.

2) The dates, locations and particulars of the first 10 Gentzen victories are known, all while he was flying the Bf109D. Does anyone have any information concerning the date, place and particulars of any of the other eight victories attributed to Gentzen, all while he was flying the Bf110, and presumably scored all or primarily during the first couple of weeks of the Western Campaign?

I badly need photos of Gentzen's Bf110C for a profile of it. Had he not been killed in the described accident, he very likely would have been one of the first fighter Knight's Cross winners in the LW.