Junkers Ju 88 C-6 flown by 13./KG40, France, Summer 1943

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Markings:

F8+BX, flown by 13./KG40, Lorient airfield, France, Summer 1943

References / profiles:

Junkers Ju 88 Vol. III
Krzysztof Janowicz, Kagero

Additional informations:

In Summer of 1942 the losses of allied Ships in the Atlantic caused by German U-Boats were tremendous. Every month more and more ships were sent to the bottom. For their raids the U-Boats had to pass the Bay of Biscay, but this area was patrolled by allied aircraft. Because of this increasing threat on July 1st the Stab V./KG 40 was formed. This Geschwader, equipped with Junkers Ju 88 C planes, should "solve" the problem.
The aircraft represented here was stationed at Lorient airfield in summer of 1943. No other details are known.
The plane was camouflaged in RLM 70/71/65 with RLM 76 mottles.

Base drawing made by Maciej Noszczak. Thank you for the kind permission to use your drawing.

Junkers Ju 87 des Schlachtgeschwaders 2

The Planes:
Junkers Ju 87 G-2 W.Nr. 494110, <-+-, Stab/SG 2
Junkers Ju 87 D-5 W.Nr. unknown, +TU, 10. (Pz)/SG 2
Junkers Ju 87 D-5 W.Nr. unknown, +VU, 10. (Pz)/SG 2


References / profiles:
Luftwaffe over Czech Territory 1945
Jiri Rajlich Stanislav Kokoska, Ales Janda, JAPO pages 121 to 127


History:

On the May 8th 1945 the remnants of the staff flight and the 2nd Gruppe of SG 2 decided to disband near Lake Kummer on Czech territory (Bohemia). In order to avoid becoming Russian prisoners of war they decided to fly as much personnel as possible to the closest airfield (Kitzingen) occupied by the Americans. Seven aircraft take off. The rest of personnel have to risk making it the hard way-walking. The convoy was almost wiped out and only a few manage to escape. The seven aircraft are also attacked by Russian fighters but were able to escape without losses. After about two hours they land in Kitzingen and six officer, six sergeants and one female civilian surrender to the Americans.


List of the aircraft and personnel that landed in Kitzingen:

Ju 87G-2 "<- + -", W.Nr. 494110, Stab/SG 2 Col. Hans-Ulrich Rudel and Capt. Ernst-August Niermann
Ju 87D-5, + TU, 10.(Pz.)/SG 2 master sergeant, sergeant, female civilian
Ju 87D-5, + VU, 10.(Pz.)/SG 2 First Lieutenant Hans Schwirblat
FW 190A-8, "<<", W.Nr. 171189, Stab II./SG 2, Major Karl Kennel
FW 190A-6, "White 2", W.Nr. 550503, 4./SG 2
FW 190F-8, "White 9", W.Nr. 585584, 4./SG 2
FW 190F-8, "White 12", W.Nr. 583234, 4./SG 2


Additional informations:

Ju 87G-2 W.Nr. 494110, Black <-+-, Stab/SG 2
The aircraft flown by Hans-Ulrich Rudel was painted RLM 70/71/65. The wing commander’s markings were painted black with a white border. The crosses and swastika were painted in the simplified fashion of the last months of the war. The six digit work number was painted black. The spinner originally painted RLM 70 was supplemented with a white spiral. The tail plane had two white diagonal lines, common on SG 2 aircraft. The left wing still had the yellow V. These served to identify Luftflotte 4 aircraft. Hans-Ulrich Rudel crash landed this aircraft in order not to hand the Americans an air worthy machine.

Ju 87D-5 W.Nr. unknown, +TU, 10. (Pz.)/SG 2
This aircraft transported amongst others a civilian female, probably a girlfriend of one of the crew members. It was probably for this reason that the aircraft was not deliberately crash landed. The aircraft was also painted RLM 70/71/65. The former call letters and yellow fuselage band were probably painted over with RLM 02. The rear main landing gear pants were also painted the same way. Crosses and swastika were the same as on Rudel’s machine. The yellow V under the left wing and the two white lines on the tail plane were also there. Further peculiarities of this aircraft were a mounted glider tow, no dive brakes. Noticeable are the missing Geschwader call letters T6.

Ju 87D-5 W.Nr.unknown, +VU, 10. (Pz)/SG 2
The machine flown by First Lieutenant Schwirblat was also crash landed and rendered unflyable. The camouflage was slightly different from the other aircraft. The fuselage band was painted over; crosses and swastika had a black border. Geschwader markings were also missing.

I want to thank Andrey Arthy who gave permission to use the information from his website http://fw190.hobbyvista.com/kitzingen.htm as a basis for my article.

These three colour profiles were published in the book:

 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
Robert Michulec / Matthew Willis
Mushroom Model Publications
ISBN 978-83-89450-49-4