Seeking info on Geschwaderstab markings and pilots of JG2 during 1939-40

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Finally gave up on trying to post four photos here, and went back to basics. We need to answer these questions to do a correct series of EoE profiles for the Geschwaderstab of JG2 during 1939-40.

This photo has recently been posted for sale on eBay:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/350941854806?...806%26_rdc%3D1

The victory tabs on the near a/c show the well known 54-victory tab rudder of Major Helmut Wick's scoreboard with Stab./JG2 as of 10.11.40. The aircraft in the background is actually more interesting. It shows -- (long bar)+-. Previously, I've always thought that this stab marking was for the Gesch Adjutant, but the victory tabs only total seven (we've scaled them out), and that would have been the scoreboard total for Oblt. Rudi Pflanz, the Gr T.O., on this date. The Gesch Adjutant's a/c, Oblt. Erich Leie, should have had 9 or 10 victory tabs painted on his rudder as of this date. So, either this a/c is that of Leie, and his scoreboard is a few days behind, or the a/c is the one flown by Pflanz.

So, who knows the correct JG2 Stab symbols for the unit flying positions during the fall of 1940? We thought that these should be <-+- Gesch Kde (Wick); --(long bar)+- Gesch Adj (Leie); and <-I-- (looks like a sword)+- for the T.O. (Pflanz), but this latest photo casts doubts upon this. Photos also exist of a '--(long bar)+- for a 4th Stab a/c, with one example of this showing Leie in the cockpit, although this doesn't make it his regular a/c. There is also some support for a <I-+-, for a 5th Stab a/c, although this isn't certain.

I tried to post photos of all of these variations but it hasn't yet worked out. If I can get this to work, I'll post these later.

I'm particularly interested in confirming whether the photo of the a/c in the background of the one on eBay shows the a/c of Erich Leie or Rudi Pflanz, and whichever it is, documenting the correct aircraft and scoreboard for the other. In addition, who would have been the 4th or even 5th flying officer on the Geschwaderstab of JG2 during the fall of 1940?

Who can help sort all this out?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator