Ju 87 badge ID needed

[Larry Hickey]

Chris,

I've recently made a study of I./StG76, trying to pull all the photos and info together for 1939-40. I can say with certainty that this is the insignia carried by the Ju87Bs of I./StG76 until July, 1940, when it became I./StG3. The insignia at that time appears to have continued being carried, but incorporated into a large yellow disc, which was certainly present when the unit moved to the Balkans after the Battle of Britain.

Chris, I will contact you off-board about this photo.

Regards,

[steve sheridan]

Larry could i contact you regarding a previous post?

Rgs,
Steve.

[Larry Hickey]

Steve,

Sure. Will help in any way I can. I believe that you have my email address, but if not contact me on the private message board, and I'll send you my email address.

Regards,

[ChrisS]

Hello again

Upon reflection and after studying the photo I reckon I was wrong and Larry, Christian and Robert are correct. If you blow up the image even further you can see that the animals tongue is a different colour and this matches with the image in Ketley & Rolfe of I./StG76.

Cheers

Chris

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Further to this discussion, I've sent to CJE my info by email. This particular insignia is on S1+BK of 2./StG76, which probably made a forced landing in France at one of two locations on May 14, 1940. Several views of this aircraft have shown up in eBay auctions over the past few years, and the photo from which CJE enlarged the insignia was published in Martin's book (P 332) on French losses, “Ils étaient lá...” If anyone can provide any further photos or pinpoint the location of this loss or further identify this incident, I would appreciate hearing from you.

On another subject, there was some discussion on P. 1 of this posting about the origins of the I./StG.76 insignia. Ketley & Rolfe, in their insignia book, say that this is the Coat of Arms of Graz, Austria, where the predecessor unit, I./StG168 was formed. I have one disagreement with what they've portrayed. They show the green shield inside a large white disc. In the several examples of this that I've located, I do not find any evidence of this circular background until sometime after the unit became I./StG3 during July, 1940. The examples that I've obtained from the Balkans in 1941, show this circular background, possibly in the Staffel color, but no photo that I've been able to find from the 1939-40 period shows this background disc over which the green shield, inside which is the rampant white griffon, is superimposed.

One other oddity about the markings of this unit, I have a strong suspicion that the Staffel Kapitän's of this unit put a horizontal chevron, similar to that used by the Gr. Adjutant of day fighter and some Zerstörer units in front of the unit codes. Moreover, the chevron may be in the Staffel color. This is certain for <S1+AH (white chevron with black outline), and probable for <S1+AK (black or red chevron with white outline?). I do not have a photo example for the 3rd Staffel Kapitän, which would likely confirm this suspicion. Does anyone else have anything to support or refute this?

I would greatly appreciate sharing information and or photos of this unit with anyone else who may have something to contribute. My thanks to Chris Goss for his help with photos on this unit.

Regards,