Fw 190 D-9 21x 129

[Matolion]

Regarding Bf 109G, Black 16; He 111H-16, W.Nr.161419, Black A; Fw 190D-9, W.Nr.600646, White 12+- etc. is a lot of photos. Unfortunately, airfield identifications vary: Zellhausen, Babenhausen or Merzhausen. By comparing photos, I found out that it's probably one airfield, I just can't 100% determine which one

[ChristianK]

Right, I forgot Merzhausen - another one of the "hausens" associated with these planes. (This one is located a little bit further away from the others though)

[Matolion]

One small problem. 11. and 12./JG 54 changed to 15. and 16./JG 26 (25.2.1945). IV./JG 26 used a wavy line, which is not visible on 210128(9)

[Roger Gaemperle]

I believe it still carried the IV./JG 54 markings (blue band) and was probably damaged before or during the renaming to IV./JG 26 and then parked at the border of the airfield.

Since apparently it does not appear in the loss lists (when it was coded '9') the only chance to find out more about its history is if it appears in a JG 54 / 26 logbook. But chances are very small to find anything. One of the -hausen is probably a good hypothesis.

For the location I can only hope that sooner or later a photo with a caption appears that reveals the location.

[Maciej Góralczyk]

My take is that 210129 was repaired after the belly-landing with Köhler, and then was re-marked (note the area around the number seems to sport more fresh RLM 76 than next to it) with 'Red 9' (the number is fairly dark but not black and doesn't have an outline as a black number of 10. Staffel or a yellow number of 11. Staffel would have; besides, the yellow of the fuel triangle shows up as a very bright tone on the photo from Christer's book, whilst the number stays darker - unless some magic with colour filters - that cannot be excluded - happened here, it is simply the effect of using panchromatic film) and assigned to 12. Staffel, with which it was damaged again and left in the condition we can see in the photos, with the loss/damage record not preserved.

As for the Geschwader ID band, the prescribed colour for JG 54 was light blue. Period photos show more examples of such bright bands - see the photo of 210037 mentioned in one of previous posts, or photos of IV./JG 54s Fw 190 A-8s in JFV 13/II, pp. 311, 387, 415

[Roger Gaemperle]

Maciej, I agree with your assessment. On one of the photos a hill can be seen in the background. I used google earth and compared both Zellhausen and Babenhausen. Unfortunately, similar hills can be seen from both locations. I have a photo of this aircraft that came with a group of photos that also included a Fw 190 D-9 that was mentioned in a A.I.G. report about Babenhausen. I therefore assume it was rather found at Babenhausen than at Zellhausen, but 210129 does not appear in the A.I.G. report.

[Matolion]

Another small problem: Americans only listed Babenhausen in their lists, but Zellhausen wasn´t there

[ChristianK]

Perhaps they have it listed under another name (Seligenstadt perhaps)? The veterans did this very often, sometimes even the intelligence guys. Or they listed the Zellhausen planes together with the ones from Babenhausen. As I said, these two airfields were very close to each other, in neighboring villages even.

And what I just discovered: Two villages further to the southeast was yet a third airfield! Großostheim (or Groß-Ostheim). Some of all these photos might have been taken there too..

[Roger Gaemperle]

Something doesn't add up...

13 Feb 1945: 210129 made a belly landing at Münster Handorf on 13 Feb 1945, 20% damaged. It was with 10./JG 54 (III. Gruppe)

11 to 21 Feb 1945: a detachment of III./JG 54 was at Babenhausen. They returned north to Varrelbusch on 21 Feb 1945

Mar/Apr 1945: The aircraft was found by American troops at Babenhausen or Zellhausen. Presumably, it was part of the detachment that was sent to Babenhausen.

--> If it was indeed damaged 20% at Münster Handorf on 13 Feb 1945, I doubt that it was repaired so quickly and then flown to Babenhausen before the detachment returned on 21 Feb 1945. Also, after 13 Feb 1945 there were no missions flown from Babenhausen. It could still be that it was damaged on the ground e.g. by strafing fighters.

Could it be that the loss list recorded the W.Nr. wrongly?

[John Manrho]

You should not be amazed that the Feldwerft at Handorf managed to repair such damage within a few days.