September 2018 FLYPAST 45Bf 109
in combat
in a circle, cartwheeled over on one
wing and caught fire. The observer
(Fred Gardiner) was flung out on
his head with his clothes on fire.
The gunner was jammed inside but
the observer hauled him out and
smothered his blazing clothes with
bare hands. The squadron leader had
been flung clear and was picked up
dazed but not seriously hurt.”
Despite 150 Squadron’s optimism,
2 Staffel all returned home, the
only aircraft slightly damaged being
Pingel’s and Prestele’s.
Mixed emotions
The next combat of September
30, just before 1500hrs, involved 3
Staffel, with Oblt Lippert claiming a
Morane 406, Ofw Hein a Caudron
710 and Ofw Erich Kuhlmann
a P-36.
What they actually got are believed
to be two Morane 406s of GC III/3
flown by Adjt Michel Marias and Lt
Pierre Patrou. During the combat,
Hein was shot down by Marais and
killed at Bischmisheim.
The final encounters of the day
were around 1700hrs. Lt Heimbs,
promoted to Gruppen Adjutant of
I./JG 53, and Fw Karl Kuhl of 3./
JG 53, each downed a P-36 near
Merzig. Oblt Goy and Uffz Joachim
Hinkeldey, both of 5 Staffel,
claimed an AMF Mureaux 115 and
a Morane 406 respectively, in the
Merzig/Wissembourg area.
Although no Mureaux can be
linked to Goy, GC I/5 lost three
H-75s to German fighters that
afternoon, with two pilots killed,
and GC 4/5 another two, their
pilots also perishing.
The Germans did not get away
lightly as two of their pilots were
killed: Lt Heimbs, probably a victim
of Adjt Pierre Genty of GC I/5, and
Lt Hoffmann of 3 Staffel, possibly
downed by Sgt Francois Lachaux of
GC II/5. Uffz Fritz Kuhl of 3 Staffel
baled out uninjured, possibly a
victim of Lt Robert Huvet of
GC II/5.
Also suffering losses was II Gruppe,
with Lt Günther ‘Schubla’ Schulze-
Blanck of 4./JG 53 wounded –
probably by Capt Régis Guieu of
GC II/4 – and Uffz Rudolf Schmidt
of 5./JG 53 was killed by Adjt Pierre
Villey of GC II/4. It’s possible
another unidentified 5 Staffel pilot
was also wounded in action.
The month ended with mixed
emotions for JG 53. In the space of
three weeks, I Gruppe had claimed
to have shot down 24 aircraft and
two balloons – for four pilots killed
and two wounded, with six aircraft
lost and four damaged.
In the space of ten days, II./JG 53
had made claims of 11 aircraft and
one balloon destroyed for two pilots
killed, four wounded, three aircraft
destroyed and four damaged.Sitzkrieg
With the arrival of winter weather,
combat declined, as did the
victories. By the end of 1939,I Gruppe had increased its claims
by just four, while II Gruppe’s tally
was two and one balloon. Neither
Gruppe had lost any more aircraft or
pilots in combat: the ‘Phoney War’,
or 'Sitzkrieg', had begun.
Former Legion Condor pilots were
slowly adding to their scores from
Spain: Oblt Goy (1), Hptm Von
Janson (1), Oblt Lippert (1), Oblt
Hans-Karl ‘Mayer-Ast’ Mayer (1),
Oblt Bretnütz (2), Ofw Grimmling
(2), Oblt Pingel (2) and Stfw
Prestele (3).
Four – Bretnütz, Lippert, Mayer
and Pingel – were awarded the
Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross). Only
Goy and Pingel would survive the
war, the latter as a PoW in Canada.
After just one victory with 1 Staffel,
Hptm Werner moved to command
the newly formed III./JG 53 on
September 18, handing 1 Staffel to
his good friend Oblt Mayer.
By the start of 1940, Mölders had
shot down another two aircraft,
including III Gruppe’s first kill, a
Blenheim of 18 Squadron flown by
Fg Off Denis Elliot, which crashed
near Küsserath on October 30,
killing its crew of three.
Meanwhile III Gruppe’s score had
risen to ten. During 1940, Mölders’
star rose rapidly and he became one
of the most celebrated Luftwaffe
aces until his death on November
22, 1941 in the crash-landing of
a Heinkel He 111H-6 en route to
the funeral of another Luftwaffe
luminary, Ernst Udet.Below
Bf 109Es of JG 53 at
Wiesbaden-Erbenheim,
autumn 1939. ALL VIA
AUTHOR7373
Bf 109E-3s were operated by the Royal Yugoslav Air Force