Hans-Joachim Jabs Question

[Larry Hickey]

I have recently seen a photo of what is certainly the tail of the Bf110 of Hans Joachim Jabs, showing 19 victory tabs, the number with which he was credited at the time he was awarded the RK on 1.10.40. It clearly shows the aircraft codes. My question revolves around when Jabs was awarded his 20th kill, as I'm trying to date this photo fairly precisely. It carries a slightly different variation, with the roundels of his victims above the white kill tabs, from the victory tabs on his aircraft displayed on P. 132 of "Messerschmitt Bf110 Zerstörer an allen Fronten 39-45" by Nauroth/Held, or its Schiffer English Edition. I'm specifically trying to determine if this is the a/c he was flying at the time of his RK, or was actually later, maybe sometime in 1941. This a/c has a solid 1940-style camouflage and is not W.Nr. 3866, marked with 19-victories, which has the mottled camouflage and has been previously published.

Thanks,

[Tom Semenza]

Larry,

Jabs claimed his 20th on the night of 25/26 June 1942 with 9./NJG 3.
My guess is that the photo which you site from the Nauroth/Held book was probably taken around the time of claim no. 19 which was sometime in Sept. 1940 or the award of the RK which was on 1.10.40. The last claim I have found for Jabs with ZG 76 is on 11.09.40. The Bf 110 WNr. 3866 M8 + IP is probably from a later time, perhaps early 1941. It may be a different aircraft, or the same one repainted.

Tom

[Larry Hickey]

Thanks Tom,

I've determined that the photo with 19 victories and the roundels above the tabs must have been taken in Norway, probably in early 1941. The other photo appears to be the a/c in which he scored his RK victory, his 19th. Incidentally, as I remember it, only 18 of his 19 victories in 1940 can be found in the published victory claims from that period. Have you been able to date all 19 victories claimed for the RK at the end of September?

Can anyone else help with this?

Thanks,

[Tom Semenza]

Larry,

Sorry, but like you I have found only the 18 claims listed by Tony Wood.

Best Wishes,

Tom

[Evgeny Velichko]

http://zg48voss.narod.ru/zg_exp_jabs.htm

It was Stirling, shot down over Bremen with 9./NJG 3.

S!

[Larry Hickey]

Thanks for the comments from both of you. This, however, only deepens the mystery. The RKT books all say that he received the RK on 1.10.40 after being awarded recognition for 19 victories. This would seem to be confirmed by at least three different photos I've seen, or have, displaying 19 victories during the 1940-41 period. One of them is clearly a 1940 photo with his known aircraft codes visible. So where is this 19th victory? Was it an initial claim that was subsequently rejected during the confirmation process? All sources I've seen so far only show 18 by 1.10.40.

Who can clear up this mystery? Jabs, I think, is still alive and someone must have talked to him and cleared this up before now.

Obviously there is more to this story than we know now.

Regards

[Erich]

Larry

Jabs passed away October 26, 2003

E ~