Arrival in Benghazi

[chuckschmitz]

Can anyone provide any information on the crew names provided with this Ju 88C photo? In German it says Arrival in Benghazi, names are listed as

Zencker, Bickler, ?, ?, Dempewolf or perhaps Dempwolf, ?.

I believe this is an NJG 2 aircraft. No date was provided. Thanks for any help.

Chuck

[ArtieBob]

Dear Chuck,

Looked in my Ju 88 spreadsheet, none of the names matched up with either Ju 88 Cs or NJG 2- I agree that is the correct unit.

Best Regards,

ArtieBob

[chuckschmitz]

Thanks for checking.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

The same photograph (cropped), appears in the following publication:

Ferne Nachtjagd:Aufzeichen aus den Jahren 1940-1945
Moehlenbeck,Otto & Manfred Leihse.
Stuttgart:Motorbuch Verlag,1976.

The photograph is between pages 196 and 201 (actually p.198), and has the following caption:

Zencker, Bichler, Fischer, Sievert, Dempewolf, unbekannt (v. l. n. r. ) nach der Landung in Berka vor einer Ju 88 C-2

Another photo appears on p.197, with the following caption:

Bichler, Basner und Zencker vor der R4+FL nach der Landung in Berka, 1942.

In the Abschusseliste at the rear of the book (unpaginated), claim No.182, is as follows:

182. Fw Siewert 30.7.42 Boston?, Afrika.

There is a corresponding claim in the O.K.L. Fighter Claims - Mediterranean & Southern Front 1941-45 - Campaign in North Africa:

27.07.42 - Fw. Alfred Siewert - 2./NJG 2 - Wellington - 00.47 - Film C. 2031/I - Nr.104516/43.

I believe the Sievert/Siewert referred to, could be; Ofw Alfred SIEWERT (note spelling), who served with 2./NJG2, 11./NJG6 and 4./NJG6. Siewert was wounded on 2/3 February, 1945 at Duren, near Waibstadt in a Mosquito attack. He is noted as claiming four (4) night victories.

See: Dr Theo Boiten's, Nachtjagd War Diaries. Vol.2. p.404.

Col.

[Matti Salonen]

Obviously those men without lifevest did not belong the crew but ground personnel:
1943-04-13, 2./NJG 2, Boden, Fl.Pl. Castelvetrano, Bombenwurf.
Waffenwart Uffz Bichler, Siegfried, verletzt
1944-04-08, 6./NJG 2, Boden, Fl.Pl. Quakenbrück, Bombenwurf um 13.00 Uhr.
Flzg.-Mech. Uffz Dempewolf, Fritz, +

Matti

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

Re: Bichler:-

13 April, 1943 - Castelvetrano.

Ploetzlich ein Knall - alles duckt sich oder liegt flach. Eine Pressluftflache ist explodiert, Uffz. Bichler und der Flieger Nickol werden schwer verletzt. es sind nicht die einzigen Personalverluste der Gruppe.

Ferne Nachtjagd/p.206.

The Kracker List mentions the following for Alfred Siewert:

SIEWERT, Alfred Ofw.
2 Claims.
2./NJG2 (7/42), 11./NJG6, 4./NJG6.
Bf110, Ju88G-6 Werk.#621422 (lost 2/45).
EK1 & Wound Badge, Night Fighter Operational Clasp.
Wounded in Action, 1945 in Werk.# 621422 at Duren, by Eschelbroon, near Sinsheim, in a Mosquito attack (Boiten).
Remaining crew:
Ofw Heinz FISCHER* - Wounded in Action
Ofw D BURKHARD - Killed in Action
Fw Bernhard MLOTEK - Killed in Action
Flg Albert SCHACH - Wounded in Action.

One known Desert victory, a Wellington on 27 July, 1942. A 2nd, a P-61 Night Fighter over Luxembourg on 25 December, 1944.

* Could this be the same Fischer in the photo posted earlier?

Col.

[Matti Salonen]

In 13 April 43 I/NJG 2 reported the following losses due to bombing:
3 killed
9 wounded,
including Bichler and Nickol.

In 2/1945:
This aircraft was 2Z+DM and date of the loss was Feb 2.
Ofw Burkhard is not mentioned in NVM of this loss. Has anyone other info on him? How often there was a crew of 5 men in Ju 88G-6 in Feindflug?
Flg Schach is Schacht in the NVM.

Matti

[Col Bruggy]

Hello Matti,

Thanks for that.

There are actually four I./NJG2 fatalities mentioned in the Verlusteliste for 13 April, 1943:

Nr.169 - Major Jakob GRENZEBACH - I
Nr.170 - Lt Toni SCHRISTER - I
Nr.171 - Ogefr Dietrich KAMPICHLER - 3 Staffel
Nr.172 - Ogefr Josef MAIER - I

Ferne Nachtjagd/Anhang.

There is no indication whether they were victims of the bombing, or otherwise.

Col.

[chuckschmitz]

Thank you all for the info. Certainly much more than I could have hoped for. If anyone needs a higher res scan of the original photo let me know.

chuck

[Matti Salonen]

NVM states that Lt Toni Schwister (not Schrister) was wounded and died later, but no date is given. So obviously he died the same day in hospital.

Matti