JG51 Bf 109E in USSR?

[Rob Romero]

I understand that 30% of the JG units flew the Bf 109E at the start of the Russian Campaign in 1941 -did any JG51 Staffels still fly the Emil? I am very well aware that Kdr. JG51 Moelders (115) introduced the Bf 109F in the fall of 1940 against the British.

Thanks,

Rob Romero

[Leo Etgen]

Hi Rob

A quick glance through JG 51's losses does not show any Emils, only Friedrichs, (predominately F-2) during Operation Barbarossa. However, at around February/March 1942 there do appear a couple of Bf 109 E-7 losses, including two flown by future RK holders Leutnant Joachim Brendel on 6 February 1942 and Leutnant Ernst Weismann on 20 March 1942. At www.ww2.dk/air/jagd/jg51.htm you can see that there are a number of E-7 fighters listed on the Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen of I., II. and IV./JG 51 as of March 1942. I hope that this helps you out somewhat.

Horrido!

Leo

[F19Gladiator]

According to the source “Jagdgeschwader 51 “Mölders” By Aders and Held, Motorbuch Verlag, 1985, P.84-85:

JG 51 had received the new Bf 109F-2 before the invasion of Russia, except for 2(Jabo)./JG 51 who retained their E-4/N and E-7 for their ground attack role.

In the beginning of the year first the Stab, then I /JG 51 followed by IV/JG 51 got the F-2.
In May 1941 the remaining Staffeln got the new F-2, while the units were based in Krefeld, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, after being pulled out from France. The emptied airfields were left with aircraft decoys to disguise the withdrawal of the units in preparation of operation “Barbarossa”.

On p. 89 it is said that despite the effectiveness of the Bf 109 E in the ground attack role when compared with the F version, 2.(Jabo)/JG 51 had to turn in their Emils for the new F-2 after a few weeks!

I have not yet found info confirming the data compiled by Michael Holm on the site which Leo posted, that the Bf 109 E was used operationally by front line JG 51 units until early 1942..
The upper listing, Gruppe by Gruppe, does not include the "Emil" listed among the operational units. Perhaps the older aircraft were retained by the training units of JG 51. The release of the last Bf 109 Es listed under IV/JG 51 in May 1942 seems to coincide with the fact described as:


Disbanded 2.42:

Stab of Ergänzungsgruppe/JG51 became Stab/EJGr.Ost

1. Einsatzstaffel/JG51 became 12./JG1

2. Ausbildungsstaffel/JG51 became 1./EJGr.Ost

The Bf 109 E seems to be leaving JG 51 as per:
March and April 1942 for IV/JG 51
March for II/JG 51, except for a few E-7s received and but also left the unit during May and June 1942.
I/JG 51, which ought to have been the main user of the Bf 109 E , released the bulk of the remaining Bf 109 Es in April 1942.

I believe the timing can be seen in the light of the reorganization of the training units in February 1942.

The very last few "Emils" listed can of course have been kept as unit "hacks" in the late spring of 1942.

Pictures of 2./ErgGr JG 51 in Düsseldorf in early 1942 show the use of JG 51 marked Bf 109 Es, which can support that these older aircraft were actually used by the training units of JG 51 and not the front line units.

I believe someone else can add more on this subject.

[robert]

Hi,

they were also used by the II/JG51 (7 Bf109E-7 in March 1942, one damaged during emergency-landing on the 06.03.42 in Krasisilina), by the III/JG51 (one at the end of March), IV/JG51 (seven in March 1942, two appeared in loss list).
Source: J.Prien "JFV 9/I"

Regards

Robert

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Indeed, according to the JG 51 loss list, only the Bf 109 E-7 fighters of I./JG 51 appear to have been lost or damaged due to enemy action or in combat operations. Those of II. Gruppe (2 E-7 fighters listed on 27 February and 6 March 1942), III. Gruppe (1 E-7/Z fighter listed on 28 March 1942) and IV./JG 51 (2 E-7 fighters listed on 19 and 20 March 1942) suffered engine trouble or were involved in take-off or landing accidents. The four listings for E-7 fighters of I./JG 51 are:

6 February 1942: Lt. Joachim Brendel of 2./JG 51 in Bf 109 E-7 (W.Nr. 5079) due to unfreiwillige Bodenberührung, Bruchlandung, Staraja Russa, 100%
7 February 1942: NN of Stab I./JG 51 in Bf 109 E-7 (W.Nr. 5103) due to Flak, Bruchlandung, Staraja Russa, 100%
15 February 1942: NN of 2./JG 51 in Bf 109 E-7 (W.Nr. 6130) due to Erdbeschuss, Notlandung, Staraja Russa, 10%
20 March 1942: NN of 2./JG 51 in Bf 109 E-7 (W.Nr. 1257) due to Flak, Bauchlandung, Staraja Russa, 20%

These are the only instances where Bf 109 E-7 fighters are listed for 1942. As mentioned before there are no losses listed of Emils during Operation Barbarossa in 1941. Ergänzungsgruppe/JG51's losses are all of Emils but these were non-combat. I hope that this information helps out.

Horrido!

Leo

[Rob Romero]

Thanks all for your thorough and in depth answers!

Wow Bf 109Es in combat as late as 42 -didn't know that.

Rob Romero