Josef Kunz 8/JG5

[focusfocus]

Hi Johannes
Thank's

Its 3rd (Lagg3),it's not rather the 05/11/42,the 241st of 8/Staffel?
According to the extract of its flugbuch provided by Russ,that of 14/01/45 would be his 18th?

michel

[Russ Fahey]

Hello Michel & Johannes,
Kunz's available flugbüch starts on May 21, 1943, at which time he was an instructor with 4./E.J.G West at Cazaux. He remained with that unit until Oct. 30, 1943, when he returned to 8./JG 5, resuming flights from Petsamo on December 1, 1943.
The first victory documented in the logbook is notated as #8,
a "Jak-7" on March 13, 1944. Johannes lists this claim as Kunz's 7th. The difference is probably due to the fact that his first victory, a Mig-3 on May 17,1942, which Johannes lists as non-confirmed, was probably counted in Kunz's running total. In this case, victory #7 would be marked, as it shows in the logbook, as #8.
Therefore, with this logical discrepency in Kunz's victory total being only one between that of Johannes (17) and Kuhn's FB (18), the numbers seem to add up.
Indeed, the victory lists (Kunz FB, Johannes) are almost identical. The exception, however, applies to 2 victory claims, one which is in Kunz's FB but not in Johannes list, and another which is on Johannes list but not in the FB.

Here's the breakdown of the victories shown in the logbook and Johannes list:

March 13, 44 "Jak-7" FB:#8 Johannes:#7
April 23, 44- 3 "Kittyhawk" & 2 "Aircobra FB:#9-#13 Johannes #8-12
May 10, 44 "Il-2" FB:#14 Johannes:#13
May 11, 44 "Kittyhawk" FB:#15 Johannes #14
August 4,44 (4./JG 5) "Thunderbolt" FB: #16 (parachuted out of Me 109, probably a G6, "white 9") Johannes: #15

August 21,44 (4./JG 5) "Boeing" FB:#17 (between 9:54 & 11:36)
Johannes: not listed
December 12,44 (13./JG 4) P-47 FB: not listed ( but did fly "Jabo- Jagd" at appropriate time between 14:57 & 15:56) Johannes: #16 (@1548)

January 14, 45 (13./JG 4) "Thunderbolt" FB:#18 Johannes: #17
__________________________________________________ ______
Anyway, I can send a scan of the flugbüch to you off-line if you're interested.

Russ

[focusfocus]

Hi Russ

Very interesting!! I also discovered his presence with E.J.G./West in 1943
I sent you my email address in private message.

Best Regards

michel

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Kunz born 25.05.1919 died 02.04.2020.

Regards

Johannes

[Edward L. Hsiao]

What did Josef Kunz did after World War II? A long and healthy life for him. He passed away when he was 100 years young!

Edward L. Hsiao

[RT]

Was it the last expert alive ?? Like Ernst Junger, the last alive 'wearer' of the 'Pour le Mérite' he achieved 100.
Rémi

[Johannes]

Hi Remi

Don't exactly understand your question. But there are a few Luftwaffe aces still alive, Hugo Broch springs to mind, and Günther Scholz lived to be 103, but I don't have the dates of death for many aces, sadly most have actually died, but I suspect there are a few in their late nineties/early hundreds still around. There was a Luftwaffe non-aces test pilot who died aged 107 a few years ago.

The oldest member of the "100" club was Adolf Dickfeld who was ninety-nine when he died.

Keep well

Johannes

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Was Josef Kunz was in the Bundeswehr (Luftwaffe) after World War II?

Edward L. Hsiao