The Ju88C-equipped Zerstörerstaffel of KG 30 during 1940

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I'm trying to do the overall layout for Ju88 profiles for the EOE Project. According to P. 125 of the de Zeng and Stankey book, "Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 19339-1945," Vol I, the Zerstörerstaffel/KG30 was equipped with Ju88C-2 and existed from Feb to mid-July, 1940, whereupon it became 4./NJG1.

They have listed a plane loss to this unit at Björnfjell, Norway, on June 7, 1940. There are 3 views of this crash in the EOE photo DB, one of which appears to show the code of the crashed plane as: 4D+MH. Our EOE Luft DB entry so records it:

June, 7, 1940: 1.(Z)/KG30 Junkers Ju88C-1 (0142). One engine damaged by Swedish AA fire during low-level attack on ore railway and belly-landed near Björnfjell. Crew believed unhurt. Aircraft 4D+MH 100% write-off.

Reinforcing the correctness of this code, there was a recent Ju88 photo auctioned on eBay that showed a Ju88, probably the same a/c, clearly carrying the code 4D+MH. It was noted as being probably photographed at Stavanger AF, Norway.

This identity is also reported at Kjell Sorensen's excellent website, which shows a number of views of this a/c:

http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/bjornefjell.html

However, the dZ & S book reports that the plane codes for a/c of that unit were 4D+_U, which doesn't match either the crash photo, Kjell's website or our loss list.

My questions:

1) Can anyone resolve the anomaly about the a/c codes:4D+MH, vice 4D+_U? Were these aircraft all coded as 1 Staffel a/c, ie 4D+_H? If 4D+_H turns out to be right, does this mean that the ZStaffel a/c served under 1./KG30, rather than a separate Zerstörerstaffel?

2) Does anyone know who the crew was for the crashed a/c? Kjell's website states that one crewman from this a/c was injured, so, if this is accurate, there should be an NVM on this crash. Does anyone have this info? Matti?

3) If this is a C-2, this should have the extended wingtips of the A-5 version. Does anyone have a photo that confirms the extended A-5 type wingtips on the crashed a/c, confirming it as a C-2 rather than a C-1?

4) The photos of the crashed 4D+MH clearly show that KG30 diving eagle insignia was NOT painted on the nose of this a/c. Are there any other Ju88C photos from this Zest unit that do indicate that others carried a KG30 unit insignia?

5) I'm also looking for photos showing an a/c of this unit during the May, 1940 period. Can anyone direct me to a source for same?

Want to get this right.

Thanx,

[Doug Stankey]

Well, this thread threw me into a flurry of activity. Where I got the idea that the unit code was (4D+ _U) is lost in the 11 years since I wrote that part of our book. I can find no evidence for a specific code for ZSt./KG 30. However, it is clear that the aircraft in question was definitely coded (4D+FH). How do I know? The book "Aero Detail 20 - Junkers Ju 88" has beautiful clear colour photos of the salvaged wreck clearly showing this code. No doubt about it. Also semi-visible are limited details of the "splinter" camouflage pattern which may aid in making your profile. Contemporary photos of the wreck from various angles show no insignia at all.

I suggest that you obtain a copy of the Aero Detail 20 book (it is one of those Japanese/English productions) as it has scads of detail views of Ju 88s, showing the differences in the types.

There are some nice shots of the undersides of the wings showing the coding and the wingtips are of the A-5 type. The canopy is A-5 like also.



Hoping this helps....


DGS

[Larry Hickey]

Doug,

Great help. Thanks! I'll see where I can find a copy of that "Aero Detail 20 Junkers Ju88" publication. If anyone knows where a copy of this can be ordered, please let me know.

Warm regards and thanks for all the help you've given me this past year!

[Chris Goss]

According to what I have, they used the code 4D+*H. Jeschke & Semrau flew BH, Lauffs LH, Pack flew SH & PH, Kretschmer flew FH, Wiesmann possibly flew GH and Boensch NH. Although I cannot confirm it for sure, I have the Bjorfjell crash as being a C-1, Wk Nr 0142 and the pilot Uffz Heinz Strüning

[edNorth]

humm.. Doug. Sorry to rattle you on this. Not A-5 (long wings).

Aero detail No 20. clearly show A-1 (short) wings for 4D+FH (that was 0133), BTW, C-2 had long wings (according Luftwaffe sources). Larry was asking of 0142 4D+MH, that was another wreck, not salvaged.

[Peter]

Larry,

Your PM area is full.

Peter

[Larry Hickey]

Chris,

You and Doug have gone a long way towards answering most of my questions. A terrific response! Thanks for this detail.

Are the pilot/plane identifications based upon FB entries or is there a surviving KTB for this unit during the spring, 1940 period? Do photos exist of any of these other aircraft during this period?

Can anyone else confirm that Uffz Heinz Strüning was the pilot of the crashed 4D+MH, as Chris proposes? The salvaged a/c is 4D+FH, and, as Ed North has just posted, my original question is about 4D+MH. Is this a C-1 (short wings like the A-1) or a C-2 (extended wings like the A-5)?

Since the Ju88Cs of this unit all apparently carried 1 Staffel coding, does this mean that they flew as part of 1./KG30, or did they operate as a separate unit? How did this work?

Regards,

[Chris Goss]

Larry

I am afraid the answers to your questions are not as far as I am aware. I was in touch with the Grandson of Weimann and of course Riegel but they had nothing. According to Riegel they were called Zerst. Staffel/KG 30. From what I have found out they were initally subordinate to I/KG 30 but then I/ZG 76 (at least the NVMs were signed off by Restemeyer) and then Stab/KG 30

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Thanks to Peter Landh, I was able to find a website where I could download a PDF copy of Aero Detail #20; Ju88. This and Kjell's Noway wrecks website have allowed me to conclude that 4D+FH is a suitable candidate for the May, 1940 Ju88C profile. So, between 4D+FH (May 10th) and 4D+MH (June 7th), I think that I've got what I need. Neither of these a/c carried the KG30 "Diving Eagle" unit insignia, which makes me think that this probably did not appear on the (Z)./KG30 Ju88s, during their fairly limited period of service with KG30. When this unit became 4./NJG 1 on or about 20.7.40, did that unit continue to fly the Ju88C, at least through the end of the year?

The only thing that I'm still confused about is the difference between a C-1 and a C-2, and which version these two a/c represent. The way I understand the wingtip differences, which are clearly shown in the Aero Detail publication, 4D+FH should be a C-1. I'm still not clear which version 4D+MH was, as I have no photo that clearly shows the wingtips and outer wing flaps.

Thanks for the excellent help so far.

Regards,

[Jim P.]

Larry, there is a list entitled '5_NJG2 machine.doc' as one of the documents I sent you some time ago. This list includes many of the early losses from the Z. Gruppe KG 30 prior to the unit being re-assigned to NJG 2. I think the originator of this list is Bernd Barbas.