Information on KG 77 crew in photo

[rickback4444]

Hi,

Bought this crew photo on Ebay.
I thought there would be some clues as to who these guys were.
Aircraft from KG77 and clear aircraft code on Ju 88 of 3Z+GM.
One aircraft with this code was lost n Russia on 27th June 1941 with Obltn. Kurt Engel and crew lost. Can anyone confirm that this is the crew mentioned?
The photo on Ebay was captioned as KG 77 crew in Italy?

Any ideas?

Rick

[Chris Goss]

Looking at the uniforms & markings I would say this is later than Jun 41 so all that can be said us it is a 4./KG 77 aircraft & crew

[Gianandrea Bussi]

Almost all the pictures in that batch sold on Ebay were taken in the MTO area (white fuselage band) and some of them in Piacenza airport or in Piacenza surroundings: Gruppen of KG 77 were base there for rest and refitting in 1942-43.

One picture shows the castle of Erice, near Trapani.

Because one of the crewmembers in your picture held flowers I think they were greeted after a mission in Sicily.

Gianandrea

[Matti Salonen]

At least the following were lost at Italy:
1942-08-27, 4./KG 77, Ju 88 A-4, 0883633, 3Z+GM, Sizilien
Unbekannt. Bruch 100 %.
1943-08-16, 4./KG 77, Ju 88 A-4, 550035, 3Z+GM, 10-15 km von Südküste Sardinien
Notlandung auf See. Bruch 100 %.

Matti

[rickback4444]

Do we know the crews for these two aircraft?

[Matti Salonen]

Yes, some.
0883633:
Flugzeugführer Fw Mayr, Georg
Beobachter Uffz Fuhrmann, Franz
Bordfunker Uffz Schnitzler, Oskar
Bordschütze Gefr Übelhör, Willi
550035:
Bordschütze Ogfr Schwarzwald, Franz, vermißt

Matti

[edNorth]

Caution. No info ties this particular crew to 3Z+GM (maybe just their mount that day), and planes and crews rotated - also mere speculation as to location (flowers grow also elsewhere in summer) and Italy 1943 is circumstanial evidence entierly!
- ed

[Gianandrea Bussi]

In the same group of pictures sold by the same seller there was also another Ju.88, coded "GM" (3Z+GM?) with a big 20 on tail and a white Mediterranean theater band of different shape compared with that one of 3Z+GM shown in the picture bought by rickback4444.

The last four digit of this "GM" wr. nr. seem to be 1027 (I've succeeded in buying the picture).

Can anyone give me details about the whole wr. nr. and eventual fate of the aircraft?

Thank you

Gianandrea

[Chris Goss]

Those aircraft sporting such numerals were usually from training units so possibly not KG 77

[RudiS]

Could be an a/c of IV./KG77. I know that for instance IV./KG54 used to carry these large white numbers on the tail.

Regards,
Rudi.