Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces

Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 26th July 2013, 00:49
Larry Hickey Larry Hickey is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 2,982
Larry Hickey
Seeking information or photos of two a/c flown by Oblt. Hans-Ekkhard Bob of 9./JG54 during the early Battle of Britain period.

Hello,

Through numerous photos, the "1" flown by Oblt Hans-Ekkhard Bob of III./JG54 during the Battle of Britian and early Blitz period is well known, during which he served variously as the acting Gr Kdr, and Sta Kap of all three subordinate Staffeln at various times.

However, there are two earlier photos, both from 9./JG54, that could also have been flown by him during the July-August period of 1940.

1) One shows a "Yellow 9," with Battle of Britain mottling, circa July or early August, 1940, possibly with a yellow rudder tip, displaying five victory tabs on the rudder. However, it does not carry yellow wing or tail tips, or a yellow cowling, clearly placing this in the July, early-August time period. The only 9 Staffel pilot with 5 victories during this time was Bob, whose scoreboard would place this between 27.06.40 (his 5th victory) and 12.08.40 (his 6th victory), which would be entirely consistent with the markings on this a/c. So, did Bob fly "Yellow 9" during this period? The only other 3./JG21 pilot that had accumulated 5 or more victories by this time was the Sta Kap, Oblt. Georg Schneider, and he was SD on 26.05.40, with his a/c being written off. Usually he was known to have flown "Yellow 1," but if this a/c was written off during late May, he could have switched to "Yellow 9." The problem is, however, that his a/c should have been carrying at least 6 victory tabs by the approximate time of this photo.

2) Another series of photos shows "Yellow 6," WNr.5288, belly landed on a French Beach with 9 victory tabs on the fin, and still not yet carrying a yellow cowling, although the rudder appears to be yellow. The only person in 9./JG54 that this could be would again be Oblt Bob, this time from 18.08.40 to 31.08.40 (his 9th to 10th victories). Again, this is entirely consistent with the markings visible on this a/c.

Unfortunately, there is no known reason why Bob would have switched from "Yellow 9" to "Yellow 6" between these two times, and there is no Luftwaffe loss report that would account for the FL on the French beach during the available time period.

I have a copy of Bob's "reconstructed" (by Bob) FB, which is of questionable reliability in some details. For example, it shows him flying "Yellow 6" only once during this period, on 27.06.40, with his regular a/c during this period being "Yellow 4."

There is a note that could explain the forced landing on the French beach, but the page for this in my copy of the FB has a photo pasted in place over the period, and an arrow by the entry for 16.8.40 (possibly a photo of the FL, but it reproduces as black in my FB copy), and a typed note below the photo that says:

"Diese Spitfire" ...habeiach (Sp) am 16.08.40 abegessossen Sei hat (?) bei Calais eine "Bauch" landung gemacht und wurde dort gebeorgen und zum feindflugplatz Guines gebracht." Parts of this are very hard to read. According to Google Translations, this comes out as "The Spitfire" ... habeiach (Sp) shot down on 16:08:40 Sei (?), made a "belly" landing ​​at Calais and was salvaged there and taken to the enemy airfield at Guines (Bob's home base)." I suspect that this means that Bob made a belly landing at Calais after shooting down a Spifire, and his a/c was salvaged and taken to Guines. Except by being off a couple of days, this fits the photos that I have of "Yellow 6," W.Nr.5288 in #1 above.

In the handwritten entry by 16 August it says. ?? (German word for escorted?) Do17 ...?... 8 ..?.. (Spitfire)." I note in JFV 4/II that Oblt Bob did claim a Spitfire, his 8th victory, near Calais on that day.

If anyone has a clear copy of this page of the FB, or a reproducible copy of the pasted in photo that might be this FL a/c, I would very much appreciate a copy and a fully translation of the above German text, including the text that is not complete. I note that the photo of "Yellow 6" (my Item #1 above) displays nine victory tabs on the fin, but this is close enough provided that the note means that Bob FL on that day near Calais. If this referred to Bob's a/c and not the Spitfire, this does not match up with any Luftwaffe QM loss report, which means that the FL Bf109 was very lightly damaged during the beach landing and thus no loss report was submitted. The actual plane he was reported flying up through 15.08.40 is "Yellow 9," but you cant see the actual a/c that he was reportedly flying on 16.08.40. We would have expected that to be "Yellow 6," and not "Yellow 9."

Does anyone have any information that would:

a) confirm that these are BoB's a/c.
b) explain why Bob might have changed from Y9 to Y6 during this period.
c) confirm the date for the FL of "Yellow 6," on the French beach as 16.08.40?
d) fill in the missing info in the FB and perhaps provide a copy of the photo pasted in place there.
e) any more detailed account of the 16.08.40 mission that Bob might have provided during his long life.

Once again, thanx for your assistance.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator
__________________
Larry Hickey
Eagles Over Europe Project Coordinator
http://airwar-worldwar2.com
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 26th July 2013, 18:11
RolandF RolandF is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 935
RolandF is on a distinguished road
Re: Seeking information or photos of two a/c flown by Oblt. Hans-Ekkhard Bob of 9./JG54 during the early Battle of Britain period.

"Diese Spitfire...habe ich am 16.08.40 abgeschossen. Sie hat bei Calais eine "Bauch" landung gemacht und wurde dort geborgen und zum Feindflugplatz Guines gebracht."
"I´ve shot down this Spitfire on 16, August 1940. She performed a bellylanding close to Calais, was salvaged and brought to the (former) enemy airfield Guines."
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 26th July 2013, 23:02
christian christian is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 144
christian is an unknown quantity at this point
Re: Seeking information or photos of two a/c flown by Oblt. Hans-Ekkhard Bob of 9./JG54 during the early Battle of Britain period.

Hi

Bob fly for a long time the yellow 6+, his forceland on the coast was under 10%, his old plane crashed (Niedermayer or Eberle?). The Spitfire is a claim from the I./JG 54 (?) at the 06. September 1940 (P.O. Caister 603 Sqn), Bobs Spitfire on the 16.August 1940 crashed. The III./JG 54 fly in the morning of the 16. August 1940 escort for some Do 17 to Eastchurch, the Bombers broke up the mission and fly return. The FB from Bob is the changed FB from Schilling.

Greeting Christian
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 26th July 2013, 23:28
Larry Hickey Larry Hickey is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 2,982
Larry Hickey
Re: Seeking information or photos of two a/c flown by Oblt. Hans-Ekkhard Bob of 9./JG54 during the early Battle of Britain period.

Roland,

Thanx for clarifying the translation. So the crash refers to the Spitfire and not to Bob's "Yellow 6." That means that was not the date for the FL of "Yellow 6" on the French beach.

Christian,

Once again, thanx for your comments. Do you know what date "Yellow 6" was belly landed on the beach, and was this done by Oblt Bob, or by someone else.

Do you know anything about whether Bob was also the pilot of "Yellow 9" with the five victory tabs, or was that Schneider, the StaKap?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator
__________________
Larry Hickey
Eagles Over Europe Project Coordinator
http://airwar-worldwar2.com
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 27th July 2013, 01:30
Larry Hickey Larry Hickey is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 2,982
Larry Hickey
Re: Seeking information or photos of two a/c flown by Oblt. Hans-Ekkhard Bob of 9./JG54 during the early Battle of Britain period.

Christian,

Just went back to have a look at my copy of the Bob FB. It indicates that he flew Yellow 4 most of the time during the spring of 1940. Was this his aircraft or perhaps the aircraft of "Schilling." The FB hardly mentions "Yellow 6" What can you tell me about Bob's "Yellow 4." Do photos exist of it during the spring of 1940?

Thanx for your continuing help.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator
__________________
Larry Hickey
Eagles Over Europe Project Coordinator
http://airwar-worldwar2.com
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Seeking photos of Black 13 of 2./JG3, the a/c of Oblt. Horst Tiedmann that FL intact near Maidstone, Kent, 18.8.40 Larry Hickey Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 4 24th August 2013 20:26
Profile info For Maj. Grabmann's Bf110 while Gesch Kde of ZG76 early BoB Larry Hickey Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 0 23rd January 2012 00:23
Ot kolhoznika Koneva Pilot Allied and Soviet Air Forces 11 31st May 2011 16:25
Seeking photos of a/c flown by Hptm Wilhelm Makrocki Kdr I./ZG26 at time of RK Award 6.10.40 Larry Hickey Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 2 27th September 2009 07:29
The correct codes for the a/c flown by Oblt. Hans-Joachim Jabs during 1940 Larry Hickey Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 0 17th January 2006 06:53


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 18:11.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net