Need help identifying pilot of 1940 Bf110 from 8./ZG76 with 7 victories

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Recently on eBay, a photo of Bf110C-2 W.Nr. 2083 2N+AN, sold to one of our EOE members. This a/c was probably not the a/c of the St.Kap., neither of whom from this period (circa 9.40), was known to have had a victory scoreboard totaling the seven tabs shown on the photo. This a/c his been published before, including with the pilot, on P. 40 of the Vasco/Cornwell book on the Bf110 during 1940. This plane code, 2N+AN, was reported lost on 25.08.40, with Ofw Manfred Dähne, but with a different W.Nr., 3532. This is almost certainly the replacement a/c for this one, and since Dähne was MIA, this couldn't have been him. One of our EOE members thinks that this was most likely the a/c of Herbert Kutscha. From the photo of this plane with the pilot, can anyone confirm the ID as Kutscha, who was a Knight's Cross winner, whose photo appears on P. 152 of Obermaier's RKT book (1966 edition). Because of the differences in the clothing, flight helmut, etc., I can't decide if they are the same person or not. Here is where some facial recognition software could really help the case. Perhaps some of you have other info/photos of this pilot or a/c that would help us nail this one. Who can help?

Regards,

[Evgeny Velichko]

Larry:

Bf110C-2, 3532, 2N+AN, was used by Fw Manfred Dähne, and lost 25.08.1940 (as Yopu wrote before)

Bf110C-2, 2083, 2N+AN, was used (I beleive) by Fw, Kutscha, and damaged (and written out of unit) in Accident during landing, Sola airfield on 10.01.1941. 7 victory bars on fin.

Bf110D-3, ????, 2N+AN (later 2N+AS, and more later S9+AN), pilot unknown (pictured in J.Vasco's book Zerstorer Vol.II p.103), was lost around summer 1941 on Eastern Front.

Bf110E-2, 4105, S9+AN, was lost on 27.07.1941 with Uffz. Georg Hemmetter as a pilot.

Bf110E-2, 4499, S9+AN, was lost on 14.09.1941 with Uffz. Gerhard Schilcher as a pilot.

Bf110E-1, ????, was used by Fw. Kutscha, and leaved on Orel a/f in winter 1941-42 (17 victory marks on fin).

Next a/c of Fw, Kutscha was Bf110E, S9+NN, with at least 22 victory bars. He used it during whole 1942.

[Larry Hickey]

Evgeny,

Is there a photo of W.Nr. 2083 showing 7 victory tabs on the tail from the accident at Sola on 10.01.41? Can you cite a source for this?

Regards,

[Evgeny Velichko]

Larry:

No, I have only loss record with this W.Nr. III./ZG76 lost this a/c on that date. No crew info, no code info Just:

Bauchlandung infolge Reifenschaden. Bruch 30 %.

[Johannes]

Hi

Simple answer is nobody. The Micro Films for 8./ZG76 are neatly typed out, and very legible, yet nobody with this staffel had achieved seven kills by September 1940!

Regards

Johannes

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by Evgeny Velichko

Larry:

Bf110D-3, ????, 2N+AN (later 2N+AS, and more later S9+AN), pilot unknown (pictured in J.Vasco's book Zerstorer Vol.II p.103), was lost around summer 1941 on Eastern Front.

Evgeny,
When II./ZG 1 became III./ZG 76 they did not change the Staffel letter on the fuselage of their aircraft.
Do you have definite proof of the direct link between an aircraft coded 2N+AN later being coded S9+AN?

[Jim P.]

The only thing I can add to this conversation is that WNr. 2803 had a history - I have to two loss reports for this machine:

Bf 110C-1, 2803, n.n., , , V.(Z), LG 1, , , , , 04-Sep-40, Notlandung due to Luftkampf with enemy fighters., , Kanal, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #2)-Vol.3; Taghon, LG 1, I, p.429; Mason, p.349, , bei Abbeville, 50%, F, , ,
Bf 110C-1, 2803, n.n., , , IV., NJG 6, , , , , 15-Feb-44, Damaged, cause unknown., , Nachtjagd Balkans, Roba/Craciunoiu, La Chasse de Nuit Germano-Roumaine, p.93, , Fl.Pl. Zilistea, 20%, F, , ,

[robert]

Johannes,

where did you find claim list of III./ZG76?

Regards

Robert

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by Jim P.

The only thing I can add to this conversation is that WNr. 2803 had a history - I have to two loss reports for this machine:

Bf 110C-1, 2803, n.n., , , V.(Z), LG 1, , , , , 04-Sep-40, Notlandung due to Luftkampf with enemy fighters., , Kanal, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #2)-Vol.3; Taghon, LG 1, I, p.429; Mason, p.349, , bei Abbeville, 50%, F, , ,
Bf 110C-1, 2803, n.n., , , IV., NJG 6, , , , , 15-Feb-44, Damaged, cause unknown., , Nachtjagd Balkans, Roba/Craciunoiu, La Chasse de Nuit Germano-Roumaine, p.93, , Fl.Pl. Zilistea, 20%, F, , ,

Jim,
Wrong W. Nr. ...

[Evgeny Velichko]

Originally Posted by John Vasco

Evgeny,
When II./ZG 1 became III./ZG 76 they did not change the Staffel letter on the fuselage of their aircraft.
Do you have definite proof of the direct link between an aircraft coded 2N+AN later being coded S9+AN?

John:

Looking on photos of III./ZG76 aircrafts in spring 1941 (may-april), I can say:

At least 7./ZG76 and 9./ZG76 changed their fourth character of code from M to R and from P to T.

Also, if we will look in III./ZG76 losslist, we will see:

8./ZG76 lost a/c with code 2N+GS, and 7./ZG76 lost 2N+DR and 2N+KR.

Then: ZerstorerStaffel./JG77 was formed from parts of 7./ZG76, and took some zerstorers from that Staffel. For some time, they kept its original code 2N+_R, but in early summer 1941 1st character was changed from "2" to "L", and "DaschhundStaffel" got its code LN+_R.

It seems, only Stab III./ZG76 kept its "C" charachter and didnt changed it to "D". I have two photos of same a/c - 2N+GC while with III./ZG76 in Norway and S9+GC while with II./SKG210 in USSR.

About 2N+AN - I have photo of D-3 2N+AN, and I may only suggest that it was (if not lost with code not listed) renamed in 2N+AS and later S9+AN. It was probably lost in early days of Barbarossa campaign, because next S9+AN was lost already in late july 1941.