Hptm Hans Langer

[CJE]

In his book on the Schweinfurt-Regensburg raid, Martin Middlebrook talks about a Hauptmann Hans Langer, Staka 5./JG 51.
I have not found such a name in my notes.
Is there a confusion with Heinz Lange, Staka 3./JG 51? AFAIK, I./JG51 did not appear on the Western front during the summer of 1943 - though II./JG 51 did for a short time.
Thanks in advance.

Chris

[Brian]

Hi Chris

Apologies for hijacking your thread, but I have sent you a couple of e-mails requesting your address so that I can send the Combat Report you require. Please respond via PM or my e-mail.

Cheers
Brian

[CJE]

I did it as a private message yesterday.

[Jim P.]

There is Oblt. Karl-Heinz Langer (30) of 7./JG 3, Hptm. Max Langer (7+)from Kdo.Herrmann and JG 300 and Uffz. Hans Langer (10+) from 4./JG 51. I suspect your guy is the later. the 4./JG 51 is attached to his B-17 claims in late-43, versus which Sta. he may have been with in Oct.

[CJE]

Thanks Jim. I came to the same conclusion.
The problem is that Middlebrook describes the raid of August 43 and according to Tony Wood's site, he claimed no victory on 17 August, though Middlebrook credits him with one B-17.

[Jim P.]

Don't put too much reliance on Wood's stuff being totally accurate - not to downplay what Tony's done for us all, but even he would tell us his data is incomplete and a not totally accurate transcription of what I think he said were mostly handwritten documents. I've filled in a lot of 'holes' in the data using the Prien team's latest works - Western Europe 1943 is next up in the series.