Ju-52 Unit Identity

[Doug Stankey]

Referring to the Karl Ries book:
Ries, Karl. Photo-Collection of Luftwaffe Emblemes (Mainz:Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, 1976).

This claims that this is a Geschwader emblem. This seems to me to be a weak guess. It is unknown if this insignia had originated with KGr.z.b.V. 172 and carried it on when it was re-designated as I./KG.z.b.V 172 on 26 August 1939 or perhaps this insignia was created later on.

From your photo, I would estimate that the motor cowl is yellow and the stripe (which some Ju 52s had) is in fact just a shadow of the prop blade.

I conclude therefore: that this is a Ju 52 of I./KGz.b.V. 172 (under Stab/KG.z.b.V. 2) in either the Balkans campaign of April/May 1941 or based near Athens in May 1941(subordinated to Stab/K.G.z.b.V. 1 in turn under XI. Fliegerkorps) for airborne ops against the Allied positions on Crete, starting 20 May 1941.


I hope that this clarifies things somewhat.

DGS