Greatest Jagdgeschwader 6 ace

[knusel]

Good evening,

who has scored the most kills within Jagdgeschwader 6 ?
Was it Gerhard Lange (5) ?
Alternatives might have been Naumann, Dassow or Jenne...

Michael

[John Manrho]

Your question is not clear....do you want to know who scored most victories WHILE serving with JG 6 or who was the highest scoring pilot who ever served with JG 6....the last one is easy...:-)))

Regards,

John

[knusel]

Yes, I know, Barkhorn.

No, I would like to know who contributed the most kills to the JG6 tally.

Michael

[Johannes]

Hi Michael

As john states it's almost impossible to determine as JG 6 was most successful in the East druing April 1945. The highest I can definitely say is Fritz Stehle, but this is when JG 6 was jet unit(or so says the micro films). Others absolutely known are three for Johannes Naumann, Viktor Bahrdt, Kurt-Heinz Friedemann and Schneider(unknown forname). But these are only those recorded on the micro films prior to 1945, and in the West. KBT documents list dozens of Russian aircraft in April 1945, but just dates/types nothing else.......which would suggest lesser pilots were the claimants.

Couldn't find a single claim associated with Gerhard Langer, perhaps he was one of those successful in 1945?

Kind Regards

Johannes

[John Manrho]

To assess the number of JG 6 victories is not easy....luckily we have for a certain period the films and also for the II./6 a victory list that covers more or less the same period. I have been working on this for years and it is extremely difficult filling in bits and pieces using Flugbuchs, war diaries, letters etc and still many questions remain....

To the initial question....Jenne never belonged to JG 6, Dassow did not score with JG 6 as he was shot down on 25.8.44. Naumann had 4 with JG 6, his 29. - 32.....I have been unable to confirm his 33-34. Stehle scored 5 vic with JG 6 (not jet related)....imho these where his 11.-15. victories...

If you go by Gruppe I have found until now;

I./JG 6:

Nothing in the flms. For period 24.12.44-1.1.45 I have 7 vic's from all kind of primary sources. No idea if they were ever confirmed. In the east this was the most succesful JG 6 Gruppe with ~80 victories during 20.1.45-23.4.45. Of these I found approx. 50 with names but not always linked with a specific KTB Lfl.6 claim, only by date.

II./JG 6:

Luckily we have the films. Basically from 25.8.44-7.10.44 ~54 claims known, all known by name of pilot. From 17.12.44-1.1.45 I have another ~5 from primary sources, no idea if confirmed. From 18.02.45-23.04.45 the unit scored ~20 acc KTB Lfl. 6.....I could only name ~8.

III./JG 6:

Again we have the films for periode 26.11.44-24.12.44 with only 6 claims. I found another 2 for that period. Period 25.12.44-1.1.45 I found ~13 claims, only 4 known by name. In the east the Gruppe added for period 19.2.45-23.3.45 acc to KTB Lfl. 6 ~14 victories....I could only name 5....

This gives you an idea how difficult it is and no I will not go into more details...:-))))

Regards,

John

Ps Johannes, the first name is Heinz....Ofw. Heinz Schneider.

[Johannes]

HI John

Thanks for the Heinz. Actually I did have this for the former ZG 26 pilot, but hadn't updated my JG 6 file.
By memory I have a single page stating JG 6 had over 1000 claims, but I think this must be including ZG 26's?!!!!!
I did manage to identify all but three of JG 6's claims by pilot. Could you possibly tell me please who are the following:-

8./JG 6 4th October 1944 P-38 1016 hrs East of Cologne ("Labalski")
II./JG 6 22nd September 1944 P-38 1800 hrs West of Hasselt("Werner Liebert")
II./JG 6 4th October 1944 P-38 1015 hrs East of Cologne(Maumann/Waumann)

Also I couldn't establish the forename of Uffz Funken of 10./JG 6 claim 24th December 1944.

I found a total of 50 JG 6 claims on the micro films between 25th August 1944 and 24th December 1944.

JG 6's claims in the east were impressive considering the lack of top ranking aces, out performing most well established units.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[John Manrho]

Johannes,

Indeed there are 50 victories of JG 6 in the film. However, 4 belong to the jet unit which existed briefly as III./JG 6 between Oct 3rd and ??th october which became Kdo. Nowotny. I./JG 5 became III./JG 6 on Oct. 14th.

Names;

Fw. Hanns Kobalsky
Uffz. Herbert Kleinert (actually 21.9.44)
Hptm. Johannes Naumann
Uffz. Herbert Funken

Cheers,

John

[Johannes]

Hi John

Many thanks for that. Funny enough as I typed out Maumann/Waumann I did think Naumann, but the rank was wrong......I'll have another look.

Regarding the 1000 claims for JG 6. This is on a page regarding this units claims from 19th February 1945 until 18th March 1945. At the bottom of the page numbered 2398(don't know whether you have this) It states:-

Stab 11
I./6 306
II./6 469
III./6 238

Total= 1024

Paper is from VIII Fliegerkorps dated 26th March 1945.

I'm 95% sure JG 6 could not have had over thousand claims at this point, or any point in time! I by memory thought that the pilots for JG 6 where generally from ZG 26, and therefore could this be ZG 26's claims?

My friend Bernd Barbas knew Gerhard Barkhorn very well. Barkhorn stated that apart from flying just a couple of sorties with JG 6 that he needed more time to families himself with the Fw190. Also that he was completely burn't-out. I believe he was wounded on 31st May 1944 in at least three of his limbs.

Thanks again

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Johannes]

Hi John

Found again that I had sorted the Naumann identification out, and Funken's forname earlier, but not updated my JG 6 file. Kleinert was previously with JG 5, and Kobalski with ZG 26 where he had previously claims one "viermot".

Thanks again

Johannes

[John Manrho]

Funken was I./JG 5 and Kleinert was previously II./ZG 26, just like Kobalsky.

John