Staka 9./JG77 'Unternehmen Marita'

[Richard Mills]

Can anyone provide the details of the Staka of 9./JG77 during Unternehmen Marita?

Any help whatsoever will be very much appreciated indeed.

Regards Richard.

[Chris Goss]

Oblt Armin Schmidt to 19 Apr 41 then Oblt Kurt Lasse

[Doug Stankey]

Here is what we have about these two fellows:

SCHMIDT, Arnim.
(DOB: 11.06.12).
05.07.40 Oblt. and Staka 6./Tr.Gr. 186, appt Staka 9./JG 77 (to 19.04.41).
19.04.41 KIA – shot down by a Hurrican NE of Lamia/Greece.
01.07.43 promo to Hptm.

LASSE, Kurt.
(DOB: 17.02.18 in Rawitsch/Posen).
09.39 with 6.(J)/Trägergruppe 186.
19.04.41 Oblt., appt Staka 9./JG 77 (to 08.10.41).
08.10.41 KIA – in a mid-air collision with his wingman over the Perekop Isthmus and crashed near Armyansk.
03.05.42 Oblt., posthumously awarded Ritterkreuz, Staka 9./JG 77.
Credited with over 300 combat missions and 39 air victories.

Searching the Tom Kracker Database:

Schmidt, Armin Oblt 6/11/1912 4 Stfkpt & T/O 6(J)/TrGr-186 (12/39), Stfkpt 9/JG-77 (4/41) Bf 109E-1 "Yellow 14" (dam 12/39), Bf 109E-7 Werk # 3401 (lost 4/19/41) EK 1 & 2, Fighter Operational Clasp KIA 19 April, 1941 during aerial combat with Hurricanes northeast of Lamia Greece; promoted to Hptm postumously on 1 July, 1943 (D.Stankey & L.DeZeng). Crashed his E-1 at Nordholz Germany in December, 1939; he was uninjured. This "Yellow 14" may have been the mount of Reinhold Schmetzer. One known victory, his 1st, a Blenheim into the North Sea, north of Borkum, 11 May, 1940. His 2nd, a Bf 109E (Finnish?) at Belgrad on 6 April, 1941.

Lasse, Kurt Oblt 2/17/1918 Rawitsch, Posen - 41 victories - 4./JG-2 (3/40), 9./JG-77 (4/41), Stafkpt 9./JG-77 (S.U.) Bf 109E, Bf 109F-4 Werk # 7087 (20% dam 6/26/41), Bf 109F-4 Werk # 7073 "Yellow 1" (lost 9/21/41), Bf 109F-4 Werk # 8475 "Yellow 1" (lost 10/8/41) RK(5/3/42 Post.), EK 1 & 2, Fighter Operational Clasp KIA 8 October, 1941 in "Yellow 1" over the Perekop Isthmus, Russia after colliding with his wingman while dogfighting with two MiG-3's. Uninjured in a takeoff accident at Bacau on 26 June, 1941. On 21 September, 1941 he collided with a Soviet fighter in Wk# 7073 at Platz Melitopol,; bailed safely. Little is known of this pilot. Flew over 300 missions. All of his victories seem to have been in the East. Said to have downed the reknowned Soviet Ace, Kapitan Afanasiy Karmanov, of 4 IAP, on 23 June, 1941. Karmanov was able to bail out, but his chute failed to open! Bowers/Lednicer, 39 victories. Photo

We hope that this helps.

HLdZ
DGS

[kaki3152]

The Bf-109E should probably be Yugoslav not Finnish, re Belgrade.

[Richard Mills]

Gents

Thank you very much indeed for your help with this, the info you have provided is spot on, exactly what I was looking for.

Regards Richard.