Gruppen Adjutant of I./JG 77 in May 1940

[Maciej Góralczyk]

Gentleman,
many publications on Bf 109 and French Campaign include photos of Bf 109 E-3 W.Nr. 5102 with a rabbit badge supplemented with 'Kieki' writing under the cockpit and Gruppen Adjutant tactical markings. However, none of them give the name of the pilot.
Who was the Adjutant of I./JG 77 during this period?

Best regards,
MG

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Maciej

The only Gruppenadjutant of I./JG 77 in 1940 that I am aware of, although I am sure there were others, is Oberleutnant Herbert Kunze. He was born on 18 April 1918 at Berlin and claimed two victories during the Battle of Britain before being killed in aerial combat in the London area on 14 September 1940 and his Bf 109 E-4 "Black <" (W.Nr. 3759) crashing near Lympne. Could he have also flown the fighter that you have seen in the photographs? However, the only photographs that I have seen of his aircraft show a "Spitzbub" emblem under the cockpit.

Horrido!

Leo

[Maciej Góralczyk]

Hello Leo,

thank you for reply.
Guess it's not the guy I'm looking for as he probably wouldn't change his personal emblem - btw, where could I find photos of W.Nr. 3759?

Regards,
MG

[Maciej Góralczyk]

Well, I have to correct my last reply - W.Nr. 5102 was Kunze's aircraft as confirmed in Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934-1945 Band 3 p.385.