EM Nrs. - I./ZG76

[Andre Stewart]

Hi everyone,

We know the EM Nrs. for the I./ZG76 in 1940, which in Sept that year became II./NJG1 and 3./NJG1. Can anyone tell me if these EM numbers continued to be used by the newly re-designated units?

53590 = Stab I./ZG76 ~ became Stab II./NJG1 -- EM Nr. (?)
53591 = 1./ ZG76 ~ became 3./NJG1 -- EM Nr. (?)
53592 = 2./ZG76 ~ became 5./NJG1 -- EM Nr (?)
53593 = 3./ZG76 ~ became 6./NJG1 -- EM Nr. 60932

60932 was the EM Nr. for 6./NJG1. Does this mean 53593 was no longer used?

Thanks for any help.

rgds
andre

[Chris Goss]

Brueckner (53591/16) & Petzold (53593/22) of 8/NJG 1 were using the same EKM at the time of their crash 7 Jul 41

[Peter Cornwell]

Andre,

The change was not as straightforward as your post suggests being much more complicated than a simple unit redesignation. Many aircrew of the 'parent' unit were not suitable for the new role, or voluntarily transferred to other duties, leaving a shortfall of personnel that had to be filled by those with instrument-flying skills etc. who were drawn from a variety of other units. EKM patterns are therefore difficult to establish particularly during the transitional period.

Thus the first formation of II./NJG1 on 20 July 1940 included a motley collection of crews drawn from units including (Z)/KG30, II./KG54, I./KG76, & I./ZG26. They were redesignated I./NJG2 on 2 September.

As you say, the second formation of II./NJG1 took place on 7 September 1940 with the cadre being formed from I./ZG76. 53591 was certainly carried by the 4./NJG1 crew lost two days later (is 3./NJG1 in your post a typo?). Similarly, 53590 was the EKM of LEMKE lost on 6 October 1940 though his pilot, Hptmn Heinrich Graf von STILLFRIED u. RATTONITZ still carried 60022 of his previous unit - Stabsstaffel KG54. This 'untidy' state of affairs with EKMs probably prevailed until fresh numbers were later allocated to the newly formed units.

[Andre Stewart]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the info on Brückner and Petzold.


Hi Peter,

Actually I’m trying to determine what were the ‘official’ EM nos. of the 2nd II./NJG1 that was created in Sept 1940 from I./ZG76, and whether or not the ‘5359_’ series of numbers used by I./ZG76 continued to be utilized by the newly re-designated units. I believe some members of this board have source info that can confirm this.

I’m also aware of the variations in EM numbers that existed within a Staffel, especially one that is created by combining personnel from other units. But regardless of this, there was always an ‘official’ number. Sometimes the individual serviceman was required to change his EM to the ‘official’ one, but in other cases he continued to hold his ‘old’ EM, at times through numerous transfers and over several years even! So a typical Staffel would comprise servicemen holding the ‘official’ EM, and others holding a wide variation of other numbers.

Since the number-based EM system only began in Jan-Feb 1940, the degree of variation in 1940 was not so bad, unlike in the later war years. So for example, we can be reasonably certain that all individuals that carried XXXXX/1 were the Staffelkapitane or Gruppenkommandeure as at Jan-Feb 1940. To cite another example, Lt Ludwig Becker was said to have served in I./ZG1 and V(Z)./LG1 before he moved to the nightfighters. But one Lt Becker appears in a 3./ZG26 crew list, and since he carried EM no. 60035 we can confirm that he actually served in 3./ZG26 until June 1940.

3./NJG1 is not a typo. The original 1./ZG76 was supposed to have become 4./NJG1 but did not. Instead they ‘exchanged designations’ with the existing 3./NJG1, in order to bring in more experienced crews to the ‘new’ II./NJG1. This topic has been discussed here before. But here again there were exceptions, as with the example of the 4./NJG1 crew, and we also know that both Lent and Schönherr went to 6./NJG1.

And once again I’m looking for the ‘official’ EM no. for 3./NJG1, after it had exchanged designations.

Rgds
Andre

[Peter Cornwell]

Andre,

Thanks for that. Alles jetzt klar.

Peter C

[Matti Salonen]

According to my info:
53590/1-53590/10 were given by Stab I/ZG 76 in March 1940
53591/1-53591/31 were given by I/ZG 76
53591/32-53591/43 were given by 3./NJG 1 from Feb 1942
53591/44-53591/54 were given by 5./NJG 5 from Jan 1943
53591/55-53591/64 were given by 6./NJG 5 from March 1944
53591/65-53591/94 were given by 8./NJG 6 from May 1944 till March 1945
53592/1-53592/23 were given by 2./ZG 76 from Apr 1940 till June 1940
53593/1-53593/54 were given by 3./ZG 76 from Apr 1940 till Jan 1942
60931/1-60931/54 were given by 5./NJG 1 from Apr 1941 till Nov 1943
60932/1-60932/93 were given by 6./NJG 1 from Oct 1940 till Feb 1945

Matti

[Andre Stewart]

Hi Matti,

Thank you very much for the info. This is just what I was looking for.

rgds
andre