Seeking info on when Lt Otto Kath joined Stab I./JG20 early in 1940?

[Chris Goss]

Still puzzled especially when Reifferscheidt in his autobiography made no mention on JG 20 but one of his photos taken at Sprottau said he was Gr Adj of I/JG 2. I/JG 20 was at Sprottau for a Week in Sep 39 not I/JG 2. Who he thought was von Massow in the photo must be Lehmann then.

[ouidjat]

Hi Guys, Hi Friends,

I think this is one perfect moment - regarding the difficulties Larry is facing - to say thank you to all of you.
You have been patient, I learned a lot and I still do; thanks to you all.... Including Peter Evans!

Best regards, Franck.

[leonventer]

Hi Chris,

Very interesting to hear that Reifferscheidt published an autobiography. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could provide some more details about it.

Thanks and best regards,
Leon Venter

[Chris Goss]

Leon

It was about 20 pages as opposed to a book and his combat experience was very limited (thanks to Pyker Offenburg!)

Regards

Chris

[bn785371]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

Leon

It was about 20 pages as opposed to a book and his combat experience was very limited (thanks to Pyker Offenburg!)

Regards

Chris

You probably mean Offenberg.

[Chris Goss]

Of course-excuse me for my simple typo (from memory, at work on a hot day)

[Larry Hickey]

Chris et. al.,

Thanx for enlightening me on what your sources are. How and where can I get a copy of the Reifferscheidt autobio? German language?

The Kath and Reifferscheidt questions show the minefields out there in trying to pin down definitive information on such subjects. The EoE Profile project is forcing me to ask a lot of questions about such subjects, and I'm finding in several cases that the previously published information is either incomplete, or just plain incorrect. Our EoE team is trying to be very, very careful that we don't just take what has previously been accepted as settled fact, without trying to trace things to their best, and hopefully original, sources. Some of our German friends have been incredibly helpful (and patient) with my incessant questions.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Jim P.]

Franck, if we're thinking of the same photo, here's what I have from vom Hofe's FB (he may have at one time or another in that May/Jun-40 period flown each of the 4 Stab machines from that photo. The first entry may somewhat be an assist to answering Larry's question).

Bf 109E-1, 3419, Hofe, Ltn. Werner Pichon Kalau vom, , I., Stab I., JG 20, schwarzes, <| +, , , 06-May-40, Gr.T.O. Three transit flights on this date. Combat flight on 16-Jun., , Lfl.2/Sitzkrieg, FB W. vom Hofe; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, III, p.188 photo, , , -, H, , ,
Bf 109E-4, 1110, Hofe, Ltn. Werner Pichon Kalau vom, , I., Stab I., JG 20, schwarzes, <▫ +, , , 10-May-40, Gr.T.O. First flew this date. 16 more flights through 27-Jun-40., Is this Herbert Wehnelt's machine?, Lfl.2/Westfeldzug, FB W. vom Hofe; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, III, p.188 photo, , , -, F, , ,
Bf 109E-4, 1490, Hofe, Ltn. Werner Pichon Kalau vom, 21, I., Stab I., JG 20, schwarzes, <o +,ER+GA, Ax of Lower Rhein beneath cockpit, 13-May-40, Gr.T.O. First flight. His 'regular' machine through 20-Aug-40., 2-Jun-40 to III./JG 51?, Westfeldzug/Kanal, FB W. vom Hofe; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, III, p.187-8 photos; Meyer & Stipdonk, Von der Fliegerschule zum Einsatzverband p.112 photo, , , -, F, , ,
Bf 109E-1, 6060, Hofe, Ltn. Werner Pichon Kalau vom, , I., Stab I., JG 20, schwarzes, << +, , , 07-Jun-40, Gr.T.O. Werkstattflug., , Westfeldzug, FB W. vom Hofe; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, III, p.188 photo, , St. Omer, -, H, , ,

[ouidjat]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for this extract. I understand why you didn't but the two "<I" in the same "basket"!

If so; is it possible to find a loss for 3419 (between May and ... July)? With which pilot?
Note this same machine was in II./JG 5 loss list, as an E-7, on 25-Apr-1942, at Fl.Pl. Kirkenes; Landing accident I think. No more details - it was a time I didn't note more ... (Cf SIG and/or Andreas)

And I notice with pleasure you wrote <II for 1110; it wasn't just a speck on the photo.

Best regards, Franck.

PS: Well, again good stuffs through this thread; as wrote Larry " ... we don't just take what has previously been accepted as settled fact ..."

[Larry Hickey]

Jim,

Re: "Bf 109E-1, 3419, Hofe, Ltn. Werner Pichon Kalau vom, , I., Stab I., JG 20, schwarzes, <| +, , , 06-May-40, Gr.T.O. Three transit flights on this date. Combat flight on 16-Jun., , Lfl.2/Sitzkrieg, FB W. vom Hofe; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, III, p.188 photo, , , -, H, , ,

From my notes and deductions, until this post, I believed that this was probably the a/c of Oblt. Christel Borries, the Chef of the Stab Co, who was shot down in the Dunkirk area and killed on 31.05.40. This a/c was replaced with a "new" <I+, which I've thought was probably Wehnelt's a/c after Borries went down. Wehnelt was the Gr N.O. (Signals Officer). It is this heavily mottled a/c which was photographed flying over the Eiffel Tower at the end of June, in a fly over by the Stab of I./JG20. This photo can be seen in Prien's JFV#3, P.190 (if I remember correctly). This will be one of our color profiles in the EoE Series. However, if vom Hofe flew this on June 16th, it can't be the a/c flown by Oblt Borries and shot down on 31.05.40.

So now, back to the drawing board, unless you're recorded the 16 June entry incorrectly. There is no question, however, that the <I+ in the photo of the Stab a/c in May (tail centered swastika) is a different a/c than the heavily mottled one that flew over the Eiffel Tower at the end of June. Obviously, something happened to the <I in the first photo and it was replaced by the end of the Western Campaign.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator