Junkers Ju 86 pilot Ernst Hetzel ?

[knusel]

Good afternoon Gentlemen,

it's difficult to find a pilot who flew the Junkers Ju 86 in combat.
On possibility might be Ernst Hetzel. He was the commander of KGr.z.b.V.21 during the battle of Stalingrad. But did he fly missions in the Ju 86 ?

Cheers,

Michael

[Chris Goss]

I have Hetzel flying with KGzbV 1 in Poland, I./KG 40, KSG 3, Erprobungskdo 21 (not KGrzbV 21-he was developing Fritz X) and for a short period KG 100. No mention of Stalingrad or the missions he flew especially with the Ju 86. Maybe Ju 86-wise looked at 2./123 in the Med?

[knusel]

My idea of Hetzel being a Ju 86 pilot is from here:
https://ww2.dk/air/transport/kgrzbv21.htm

[Chris Goss]

No mention in his bio and in any case, according to ww2.dk, only small elements apparently carried out transport ops with no evidence that Hetzel was involved at all. I cannot understand why a unit testing PC1400s would then become a transport unit for a very short period of time but stand by to be corrected

[VtwinVince]

I'll check my files, one of my uncles was a JU86 crewman.

[knusel]

Hello Chris,

it was due to the desperate sitation in Stalingrad, wasn't it?

Hello Vince,

did he serve in the transport or the reconnaissance role?

[VtwinVince]

Hi Michael, I don't have much info on him, but I do have a nice photo of him in front of a JU86 with the cryptic inscription 'Spec. Teststaffel'. I do know that he later was a member of RKT Leutnant Thoss' crew on HE111's.

[knusel]

Good evening Vince,

Werner Thoß flew 423 missions, which places him among the Top 50 of the Kampfflieger. When did he fly his last mission ?

Cheers,

Michael