Loss of Ju-52 "NK+MB" 27.01.1942

[jmark]

Hi all,

Does anybody have information about the loss of Ju-52 "NK+MB" on 27.01.1942? The plane was taking off from Pleskau. It is listed as "100% Bruch".

I am seeking info about the crew, unit and cause of its crash.

Many thanks
Jason

[RT]

Your bird is 7316, but no Ju52 wearing that number was lost on 27 Jan. 42 or around , where hv you found the data ?? Picture ??

Rémi

[jmark]

Hi Rémi,

Thanks for the quick reply. The data comes from the Flugbuch of an Uffz. Langer. Here it is:
Führer: Rzepka (I think that's what it says)
Begleiter: Langer
Muster: Ju 52
Zulassungs-Nr.: NK+MB
Zweck des Fluges: Transportflug
Abflug Ort: Pleskau
Abflug Tag: 27.1.42
Abflug Tageszeit: 1230
Landung Ort: Absturz
Landung tag: 27.1.42
Landung Tageszeit: 1232
Flugdauer: 2
Bemerkungen: 100% Bruch

Langer appears to be out of action form a few days because his next flight is on 1.2.42 in a different plane with a different pilot (although Rzepka - pilot of the crashed plane - re-appears in the Flugbuch on 14.2.42).

Jason

[Khorat]

hm also can´t find anything about the january 42 crash, Fw. Erich Rzepka killed in october 1943 in another crash in russia.

khorat

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi All,
if the damage was less than 10% it was not reported in the loss reports.

Regards,

Norbert

[Khorat]

thats right, but the remarks say - 100% Bruch..

khorat

[RT]

10 /100 % ???

Further no flights from 27.Jan. to 4.Febr. not a big gap

Rémi

[jmark]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

It definitely says "100% Bruch".

I'd really like to know to which unit Uffz. Langer belonged. The aircraft codes do not help (NK+MB, NJ+NC, NJ+KP, PF+PW, KC+RV, NI+NK [flew in this particular plane from 21.03.1942 until 16.08.1942), SE+XM, CR+NI, VA+NV, 7V+CF), all of which were Ju-52s.

Langer flew into the Cholm pocket 3 times (2.2.42, twice on 3.2.42) and 144 times into the Demyansk pocket. In late November 1942 he was sent down to Stalingrad but unfortunately this Flugbuch ends on 30.11.1942, just prior to supply flights into the pocket.

I thought his pilot's unusual surname – Rzepka – would help but it's not as uncommon as I hoped. Two DKiG winners, including Fw. Fritz Rzepka from 3./KGr.zbV 9, and three Ehrenpokal holders, two of whom were pilots, including Erich Rzepka, as mentioned by Khorat.

I'm actually wondering whether "my" Uffz. Langer is the one listed in the Ehrenpokal book: Uffz. Karl-Heinz Langer, Bordfunker, Ehrenpokal 26.10.1942. By this date, he had completed 2190 flights, including 182 combat sorties. Was that enough to warrant the Ehrenpokal?

Khorat, do you know any more about the incident in which Fw. Rzepka was killed?

Thanks again for the help
Jason

[jmark]

Here's something else that might help. During a flight out of the Demyansk pocket on 19.02.1942 while in plane PF+PW, Langer has written the following in the comments column: "Bodenbeschuß. CO+TJ abgeschossen". Obviously another plane from his unit. Are there any details about this plane?

Jason

[Charles Bavarois]

Hello Jason,

"CO+TJ" is a Ju 52 with Werknummer 5006 shot down at Jalutschd on
19. Feb. 1942. It served with KGr. z.b.V. 700.
Source: GQM losses RL 2 III/ 1180 Freiburg MA

HTH

Carl