Me 109 K-4 Unit? Schwerin Jüterbog Damm --> Ofw Heinz Rühlmann

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello,

I am trying to identify a Me 109 K-4 unit. I have got a flight log of a pilot (Heinz Rühlmann) who first flew in Russia for a reconaissance unit with Hs123 and Fw189 and then started conversion training to fighters in 1944. In March 1945 he had his first combat mission with a Me 109 K-4. From 7 March to 14 March he was stationed in Jüterbog Damm and from 15 March to 4 April (his last flight in the war) he was in Schwerin.

He also flew with a Fieseler Storch transporting a Hauptmann Kunz or Kurz during this time.

Could the unit be JG4? He first flew a Me 109 K-4 with the code „12“ and then „1“. There are short notes about combats with Russian fighters and above Berlin.

I would be glad if anybody could help to identify the unit and perhaps even find out more about Rühlmann.

Kind regards,
Roger Gaemperle

[Roger Gaemperle]

After having done some more research / requests it seems that Heinz Ruehlmann had been a member of III./JG4, flying Me 109 K-4 over Berlin at the end of the war.

I attached some of his flight log pages that show Me 109 K-4 flights. I would appreciate any help / information about this pilot or any mission he flew that is documented in his flight log.

Thanks!
Roger Gaemperle

[Roger Gaemperle]

Attached are pages 2 to 6 of Heinz Ruehlmann's Me 109 K-4 flights.

[Pawel Burchard]

Hello Roger, as you said 'your' recon-pilot did fly in Russia before 1944 - are there entries in his logbook for summer 1943? If so, any chances to exchange/buy copies of the Flugbuch pages for July and August 1943?

Kind regards,
Pawel

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello Pawel,

I think that there are also entries from summer 1943 as the book covers 1939 - 1945. I need to check. It will just take some time for me to scan the pages as I am quite busy this week. But you don't have to pay or give anything in exchange (if you have anything Me 262 related, I would be interested, but it is not a prerequisite). I'll send some scans as soon as I have them.

Regards,
Roger

[Pawel Burchard]

Thank you Roger this would be of great help, unfortunately nothing 'primary' on Me 262 on my side.

Kind regards,
Pawel

[Andy Fletcher]

Originally Posted by Roger Gaemperle

I think that there are also entries from summer 1943 as the book covers 1939 - 1945. I need to check.

Hi Roger,

I would be interested to know which Aufklärungs unit(s) he flew with (if you can identify them) and between what dates.

Regards

Andy Fletcher

[John Manrho]

Hello Roger,

I think you are on the wrong track here. After studying the logbook I believe Ofw. Rühlmann was retrained as a Nah-Aufklärer in a Bf 109 and not as a fighter. Jüterbog-Damm was the base for NAG 102 and later II.(Nah)/AG 103, both equipped with 109's. Look also at flight 1267 and 1270, which clearly indicate recce training. I would assume that until 12.3.45 Ofw. Rühlmann trained with II./AG 103 at Jüterbog-Damm, occasionally flying missions (rather common at training units at that stage in the war). After ~10.3.45 (II./NAG 103 was disbanded at that date) he must have flown with a recce-unit at Schwerin. Michael Holm's site says that 2./NAG 2 flew from Schwerin from 3.45-4.45 but I have also records that say differently. I would assume the answer lies also in the recce-units he previously belonged too. Do you have info on these units? Perhaps this will give the answer to what unit he belonged to in March, April 1945. The details in the logbok concerning his missions indicate what he encountered during his recce-flights.

regards,

John.

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello John,

I think you are right. I checked again: He flew with 5.(H)/12. (according to the Feldpostnummer in his Flugbuch) and from Feb. 43 with 2./NAGr. 2. The places from where he started/landed correspond partially to Michael Holm's info for 5.(H)/12. So, it seems that he indeed flew with 2./NAGr. 2 at the end of the war and might have been in a training unit before to convert to single engined fighters.

What I don't understand is that a recce unit had the Bf 109 K-4. As far as I know there was no product 109 K with cameras? So, how did he take photos?

Also, the comments in his logbook are not only what he encountered. He could not know for example, that a fighter got 4 hits during a combat if it was not his own fighter. So, I don't know if he engaged any fighters but apparently he was hit by some.

Could it be that Aufklärung was not that important anymore at the end of the war and that they used the pilots as fighter pilots?

Does anybody know if there exists photos of 2./NAGr2 Me 109 K?

Regards,
Roger

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Roger,

If as John says Rühlmann was flying with II/AG103 in 1945 is it possible that he was an instructor as 2/NAGr.2 operated the Bf109 on it's formation from 5(H)/12 early in 1943 so you would think that he was already a proficient Bf109 pilot by 1945.

What is the earliest entry in the flugbuch for him flying with 5(H)/12

Thanks for sharing the great info.

Andy Fletcher