|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Aircraft More Aircraft Initials E to J  Ju87 |
[UP] - Fiat CR42 - Fw200 - Gladiator - Hamilcar - Hampden - Havoc - He115 - He162 - He177 - He219 - Hellcat - Helldiver - Horsa - Hs129 - Hudson - I-153 - IAR - Invader - Ju287 - Ju52 - Ju87 - Ju88 |
| Navigation | |
| Page 1 of 2 | Page 1 .. Next |
| Ju87 Aviation Prints |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Navigation | |
| Page 1 of 2 | Page 1 .. Next |
| Text for the above items : |
Stuka by Robert Taylor. The Stuka when dressed for war was an awesome spectacle. Robert Taylors outstanding painting shows a formation of JU87s bombed up and fitted with long range tanks heading out on a shipping strike over the Mediterranean in 1941. Following its success in the Polish and French Blitzkrieg campaigns, the Stuka was seen by the German High Command as the supreme new weapon to succeed long range artillery. With its banshee-like wailing siren the Stuka pilots would deliver destruction from the skies and create a devastating psychological effect upon all those below. |
Stukas of SG2 by Jason Askew. (P) Stukas from StG 2 Immelmann, part of the mixed unit Schlachtgeschwader, attack soviet T-34 tanks in an attempt to blunt the soviet 1943 offensives. Throughout 1943-45, squadrons operating the Ju87G variants equipped with 37mm cannons became effective tank-killers, although in increasingly small numbers. Despite the success of Stuka tank killers, the losses inflicted on soviet armour were unable to prevent the soviet advance. |
Ju87 Stuka Dive-Bombing by Jason Askew. (P) A Ju87 is pictured in a bombing dive. The portrait is of Stuka legend Hans-Ulrich Rudel. |
Stukas of SG77 by Jason Askew. (P) Stukas from StG77 attack soviet T-34 tanks , supporting the German forces in their drive towards Moscow. From 13-22 December 1941, 420 vehicles and 23 tanks were destroyed by StG 77, greatly improving the morale of the German infantry, who were by now on the defensive. StG 77 finished the campaign as the most effective Sturzkampfgeschwader. It had destroyed 2,401 vehicles, 234 tanks, 92 artillery batteries and 21 trains for the loss of 25 Ju 87s to hostile action. |
Yellow 14 by Stan Stokes. Hans-Joachim Marseille - Germanys Eagle of the Desert, had a less than auspicious start as a fighter pilot. Having completed his training in the autumn of 1940 he participated in the Battle of Britain while based in western France. Although Marseille was credited with downing eight RAF aircraft, he had a reputation for losing lots of aircraft. In fact he had bailed out of six Bf-109s and during his units transfer to North Africa, the young ace lost another 109. The Bf-109 was one of the most successful fighters of WW II, and was produced in large quantities for a very long production run. Marseilles debonair manner harkened back to the earlier era of WW I when knights of the sky faced death every day on their canvas-covered wings. He was very aggressive, and very often would dive his aircraft into enemy formations without regard for the consequences. Marseilless commanding officer was Capt. Eduard Neumann, and he deserves credit for the maturation of the young pilot. He convinced Marseille that it would take more than luck to become a truly outstanding fighter pilot. Marseille took these observations to heart and began to devote much of his free time to improving his tactics. He practiced shooting from all angles and his flying and shooting skills began to improve. By the summer of 1941 the young ace had attained 18 victories, and by September he had reached 24 by bagging five on one mission. By late in 1941 his score was approaching fifty, and he was awarded the Knights Cross. With it came certain privileges, including his own personal aircraft, Yellow 14. As his victory tally rose his reputation grew on both sides. In Stan Stokes painting Marseille is depicted on a mission on June 3, 1942. Escorting Stukkas against Ben Hacheim. The force was intercepted by RAF fighters and the No. 5 Squadron of the South African Air Force, flying American-made P-40s. Marseille and his wingman, Sgt. Rainer Pöttgen swept into the melee. The South Africans formed a defensive circle, but Marseille got inside it flying incredible slowly and still managing to turn inside the South Africans. He decimated the formation - downing six of the P-40s while utilizing only a small percentage of his ammunition. Marseille was a master of low-speed combat. By June of 42 the aces total had exceeded 100. Recognizing the signs of combat fatigue, Neumann sent Marseille on leave for several months. Back in Germany the dashing and flamboyant Marseille made the party rounds, and attracted more than his share of young women. On September 1, following his return to fighting, Marseille had an unbelievable day when he downed seventeen aircraft, and two days later he was awarded the Diamonds to the Knights Cross. Marseilles victory total reached 158 before he flew his final mission in September of 1942. Bailing out of his smoking inverted 109; he appeared to strike the tail plane. No parachute opened and the Eagle of the Desert fell to his death. He was buried where he fell. |
Stuka - Tribute to Hans Rudel by Ivan Berryman. German Ju87 Stuka. |
Stuka Ace by Jason Askew. (P) A portrait of legendary Stuka Ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel, alongside a Ju87 Stuka on a dive-bombing mission. |
Fairey Battle, 218 Squadron by Ivan Berryman. A Fairey Battle of No.218 Squadron gets on the tail of a Ju-87 Stuka over France in 1940. An aircraft carrying the codes HA-J was shot down by flak on the afternoon of 12th May 1940. The three crew of aircraft K9353, J B Horner, L C Flisher and L D Davies were all lost. |
Tribute to Hans-Ulrich Rudel by Ivan Berryman. The most highly-decorated Luftwaffe pilot, Hans-Ulrich Rudel is the sole recipient of the Golden Oak Leaves supplementary award to the Knight's Cross, to add to the Swords and Diamonds. These awards reflect his quite incredible achievements with the Ju87 Stuka dive-bomber - he flew more than 2,000 missions, claiming more than 500 tanks amongst around 1,500 ground targets destroyed, plus a battleship, cruiser, destroyer and other shipping, as well as a number of trains. Additionally, he flew more than 400 missions in the Fw190 fighter, and is credited with 11 air victories. He lost a leg in combat near the end of the war and was later captured by the Allies, remaining in a POW camp until 1946. He is depicted here in his Ju87 lining up for an attack amongst the snowy landscape of the Eastern Front. Hans-Ulrich Rudel died in 1982. |
Tank-Busting Stuka by Jason Askew. (P) Portrait of Hans-Ulrich Rudel inset against a scene of a Ju87 Tankbusting Russian T-34s. |
Bombing Up - Stuka of Hans Rudel by Ivan Berryman. The Ju-87G Stuka of Hans Rudel is being quickly turned around between missions while serving in Slovakia, June 1944. |
A Day for Heroes by Ivan Berryman. The afternoon of 25th July 1940 was a desperate one for the already exhausted fighter pilots of the RAF defending the South coast of England. As convoy CW8 made its way through the English Channel, sixty JU.87 Stukas and forty JU.88 bombers launched a brutal attack on the ships below, backed up by fighter cover of over 50 Messerscmitt Bf.109s. Eight Spitfires of 64 Sqn (Kenley) were scrambled, together with twelve Spitfires of 54 Sqn (Hornchurch) and Hurricanes of 111 Sqn from Croydon. The British pilots found themselves massively outnumbered, but nevertheless put up a spirited fight against the teeming enemy. This painting shows Spitfires of 54 Sqn entering the fray, the pilots scattering as they choose their targets and go after the JU.87s. To the right of this, Bf.109Es of JG.26 are roaring in to join battle, whilst Adolf Galland's aircraft engages a Hurricane of 111 Sqn. |
Tribute to Maresciallo Ennio Tarantola by Ivan Berryman. Having already scored his first victory by shooting down an I-15 during the Spanish Civil War, Ennio Tarantola was to survive World War II with a total of eleven victories. His involvement in the Second World War began, however, as one of the elite dive bomber force, 102° Gruppo 'Bombardamento a Tuffo' which was made up of 209a and 239a Squadriglie, flying Junkers JU-87 Stukas. It was Tarantola who scored a direct hit on the destroyer HMAS Waterhen on 24th June 1941, as shown here, crippling the ship and leaving it foundering to be finished off by subsequent German air raids. |
Sirens of Death by Stan Stokes. Ernst Udet, the German WW I ace who visited America in the late twenties, was so impressed with the U.S. Navys Curtis Hawk divebombers that he ordered one for evaluation and study by German aircraft manufacturers. This led to the development of Germanys first divebomber the Henchel 123. By 1935 the German Luftwaffe was developing its first monoplane divebomber which entered production in 1936 as the Ju87 Stuka. The Stuka was to evolve into arguably the most successful single engine Axis divebomber of WW II. Utilizing a nearly vertical dive position the Stuka was stunningly accurate in the days when horizontal bombing was a relatively inaccurate science. The Ju87 was built for functionality and ruggedness. A fixed landing gear and exceptionally strong wing design were incorporated and no attempt was made to minimize protrusions. The Stuka was not designed for speed; it was an aerodynamic nightmare. The Stuka also incorporated a siren which when activated during a dive was designed to inflict psychological damage on the enemy below. The Ju87 was used with tremendous success in the Blitzkrieg attacks on Norway, Poland, Belgium, France, Holland, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Virtually unchallenged in the air during these Blitzkriegs the Stukas took a devastating toll on Allied ground and mechanized forces. Shipping was also vulnerable to the pinpoint attacks of the Stuka, and the Ju87 destroyed more Allied shipping than all other German aircraft put together during WW II. During Hitlers air attacks on Britain the Stukas reputation for invulnerability was shattered. Facing British Hurricanes and Spitfires the slower and less maneuverable Ju87s were destroyed in large numbers, eventually forcing their withdrawal from that conflict. Germanys attempt to develop an improved twin engine divebomber resulted in the introduction of the Messerschmitt 210 which was an unmitigated disaster. As a result, the Stuka remained in production longer than expected and the aircraft played a major role in Germanys surprise attack on Russia. In the first day of combat alone Stukas were credited with the destruction of over 700 Russian aircraft with minimal losses. One of Germanys top aces of WW II was Hans-Ulrich Rudel. Rudel flew over 2,500 combat missions in Ju87s, and was shot down on twelve occasions. Rudel was credited with destroying 519 tanks, 800 vehicles, 150 artillery pieces, one Russian battleship, one cruiser and one destroyer. Rudel was also credited with shooting down nine Russian aircraft in air-to-air combat. In his painting, Stan Stokes captures the German ace in action on the Russian front in 1941. |
Uneven Odds by Robert Taylor In August 1940, Frank Carey let No 43 Squadrons A Flight into Schwarms of JU87s, escorted by Me109s. Though hopelessly outnumbered, Carey accounted for 4 JU87s before running out of ammunition. |
Stuka Ju87 - Preparing for the Day by Ivan Berryman. Pilots prepare for their bombing missions in their Ju-87 Stukas. |
Ju87 Stukas by Jason Askew. (P) A formation of Stukas featured alongside a portrait of this aircraft's most prolific pilot, Hans-Ulrich Rudel. |
Target ahead, Kursk, Central Russia, July 1943 by David Pentland. Junker Ju87D-3s of 7 Staffel, Stg 77 escorted by Me109Gs of JG52, during the epic Battle of Kursk. |
Tank Hunters by David Pentland. Targul Fromos, Rumania, April 1944. 10th Staffel (Panzerjager) Schlachtgeswader 2. |
The Stukas Prey, Crete, May 1941 by David Pentland. Junker Ju87B-2 flown by Hauptmann Helmut Bruck. Stab I, Stg 77 targets a Royal navy ship during the Battle for Crete. |
Stuka Legend - Hans-Ulrich Rudel by Jason Askew. (P) A portrait of Stuka legend Hans-Ulrich Rudel - the only recipient of the Golden Oakleaves with Sword and Diamonds to the Knights Cross, such was his prowess with this aircraft - alongside a scene of a Stuka attacking Russian T-34 tanks. |
| Top Aces for : Ju87 | ||
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. | ||
| Name | Victories | Info |
| Hans-Ulrich Rudel | 11.00 | The signature of Hans-Ulrich Rudel features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Ju87 Pilot and aircrew signature details |
 Oberleutnant Helmut Fickel Our estimated value of this signature : £40 Died : 2005 | Oberleutnant Helmut Fickel One of the outstanding Stuka pilots of III./SG 2 'Immelmann', Helmut fickle joined 8./St.G. 2 on the Eastern Front in February 1943. In October he became Adjutant of III./SG 2. and flew as wingman to the great Hans-Ulrich Rudel, perhaps the most successful pilot of World War II. In November 1944 Helmut was promoted Staffelkapitian of 9./SG 2, on one occasion he and his radio operator being rescued by Rudel after crash landing behind enemy lines. He led 9./SG 2 until the end of the war, completing a total of over 800 missions. He was the Knight's Cross in June 1944. Sadly, we have learned that Helmut Fickel passed away on 6th April 2005. |
  Major Franz Kieslich Our estimated value of this signature : £60 Died : 2012 | Major Franz Kieslich Franz Kieslich born in Bochum ion 12th March 1913 and served with 7./St.G. 77 in France in 1940, and later serving in Yugoslavia. Transferring to the Russian Front he was promoted Gruppenadjutant III./St.G. 77. And in October 1942 became Staffelkapitan 7./St.G. 77. In February 1944 he was promoted Kommandeur III./SG 77. He fought at Stalingrad, Kursk, Kiev and most of the other major engagements on the Eastern Front. In February1945 he became Kommodore erganzungs-SG148. Awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, he flew over 1000 combat missions, and had been shot down twenty times. His wards were awarded Ritterkreuz on 05.01.1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän 7./StukaG 77 and ( 619 ). Eichenlaub on 10.10.1944 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur III./StukaG 77. He passed away on 31st August 2012. A Clipped Signature is Available |
  Hans Krohn Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 2012 | Hans Krohn Krohn was born in Hamburg in 1919. He served as a Stuka radio operator with Schlachtgeschwader 2 'Immelmann' throughout the war, flying 965 combat missions mostly with Heinz Jungclaussen (K.C.-winner). Krohn was awarded the Knights cross and ended the war with the rank of Oberfeldwebel. Krohn and Jungclaussen were considered to be one of the top Stuka crews of the war He died on 17th November 2012. |
 Oberst Kurt Kuhlmey Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 1993 | Oberst Kurt Kuhlmey One of the most outstanding Stuka leaders of World War II, Kurt Kuhlmey was Staffelkapitan of 1./St.G.1 at the outbreak of war, serving in the Polish, Norwegian and French campaigns, before being transferred to the attack on Malta. He took part in successful strikes against HMS Illustrious, and the Malta convoys of 1941. He fought in North Africa, becoming Kommandeur of II./St.G.3 in April 1942. A year later he was promoted Kommodore of SG3. In March 1945 he was Kommodore of SG2 'Immelmann', and in the last weeks of the war was with the staff of the General der Schalchtflieger. He flew over 500 combat missions, and was awarded the Knight's Cross. Died 30th April 1993. |
 Oberfahnrich Heinz Meyer Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 1987 | Oberfahnrich Heinz Meyer One of the most successful of the younger Stuka pilots, Heinz Meyer joined the Luftwaffe in January 1940, and completed his Stuka pilot training in 1942. In July of that year he first saw action 3./St.G. 102 in Foggia, Italy, whilst flying on an armed reconnaissance mission. In February 1943 he joined 8./SG2 Immelmann on the Eastern Front. With his Staffel he was one of the most highly regarded pilots on the entire Eastern front and took part in the Battle of Kursk with Rudel. Heinz flew his 500th combat mission on 31st May 1944, and received the German Cross in August 1944. By the end of the war he had completed 618 combat missions, including 30 in the Fw190, and destroyed 40 tanks, 40 gun positions, 100 vehicles, 3 bridges, 2 ammunition dumps and 2 supply trains. He was awarded the Knights Cross on 17th April 1945. He died on 22nd September 1987. |
  Leutnant Wilhelm Noller Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2011 | Leutnant Wilhelm Noller Wilhelm Noller joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and trained as a bomber pilot. In May 1942 he was posted to join 2./StG 2 fighting on the Eastern Front. He took part in the battles of Kursk and Stalingrad, and became one of the most successful pilots of StG 2. By early 1943 his combat mission total passed the 500 mark, rising to over 800 by the end of the year. He was awarded the Knights Cross in April 1944, a few weeks after passing the 1000 mission mark. After a period instructing, he returned to combat in February 1945, flying the Fw190 with 7./SG 10 in Czechoslovakia. Wounded in April 1945, and hospitalised in Prague, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets when they took over the city in May. Transported east by rail towards Russia, he jumped from the moving train and escaped back to Germany. During the war he had flown 1058 missions, destroyed 86 tanks, 2 armoured trains, plus many vehicles, boats and bridges. He also gained 2 victories in aerial combat. Wilhelm Noller passed away on 26th December 2011. |
 Dietrich Peltz Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 2001 | Dietrich Peltz Dietrich Peltz, born June 1914, joined the army in 1934, attending pilot training from late 1935. After training, he flew 320 missions on the Ju-87 Stuka before converting to Ju-88s in the summer of 1940. Awarded the Knights Cross in Octobr 1940, he attained the rank of Generalmajor, being awarded the Oak Leaves and Swords to his Knights Cross in December 1941 and July 1943 respectively. In January 1944, Dietrich Peltz took part in Operation Steinbock, the retaliatory bombing of England, referred to as the Baby Blitz, which ended in heavy losses for German bombers. Dietrich Peltz died 20th August 2001. |
  Major Werner Roell Our estimated value of this signature : £75 Died : 2008 | Major Werner Roell Werner Roell flew initially in Norway, and was one of the first pilots to land in Norway during that campaign. He later flew operations in Yugoslavia and Crete as Staffelkapitan of 4./St77, subsequently flying in Russia. Transferring to the Ju87, he flew over 400 combat missions in the Stuka, destroying a Soviet cruiser near the Crimea. In early 1945 he was summoned by Adolf Galland to join his famous Me262 Squadron of Experts in JV44, where he served until the end of the war. Werner Roell flew a total of 477 combat missions, and was awarded the Knights Cross. Passed away 10th May 2008. A Clipped Signature is Available |
 Hans Rudel Our estimated value of this signature : £160 Died : 1982 | Hans Rudel Hans Rudel, born in July 1916, was the most decorated Nazi pilot. In 2,530 combat missions flying dive-bombers, mainly on the Russian front, Rudel was credited with destroying 519 tanks, 150 gun emplacements and 800 combat vehicles of various types. According to Luftwaffe records, he also sunk a Russian battleship, a cruiser, a destroyer, 70 smaller craft and numerous trains. For this he was awarded the Golden Oakleaves with Sword and Diamonds to the Knights Cross. He was the only recipient of this award. He was also the first German pilot to reach 1,000 sorties. Of his over 2530 sorties, some 400 were in the Focke-Wulf 190 fighter, in which he was credited with 11 air victories. He was so effective that Joseph Stalin himself put a price of 100,00 rubles on his head. He flew more than 600,000 km; fired over 1,000,000 machine gun rounds; dropped over 1,000,000kg of bombs; fired over 150,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition and over 5,000 rounds of 37mm ammunition. He hated to take home leave or sick leave and even after he had his leg amputated, he was back in the air within weeks. He did not limit his attacks to Russian tanks, trains, ships or aircraft. On more than one occasion when food was in short supply, he would bomb rivers and both the German airmen and Russian civilians would feast on the stunned fish that floated to the surface. Rudel was shot down several times, but escaped serious injury until April 1945, when he lost a leg in combat. Rudel flew the Ju87 B-2 Stuka dive bomber and, in all of its ugliness, the bomber was made famous by him. His accomplishments with an aircraft that was outdated and vulnerable were incredible. He was captured by Allied forces at the end of the war, and released from a POW camp in April 1946. He died 18th December 1982. The signatures : Hans Rudel had arranged to be interviewed by a professor of military history, who was also an author, in 1982. Many similar interviews had been conducted with other military heroes, during which the interviewee had signed various photographs, blank sheets and bookplates for use in the author's publications, although many were never published as intended. Rudel was also due to sign such items. However, the interview had been arranged to be conducted at a Luftwaffe reunion, which Rudel could not attend due to ill health. However, a friend of Rudel's, a RCAF mechanic, took the items to him to be signed, which they duly were, although Rudel died before any interview could take place. Cranston Fine Arts purchased the signatures from the original collection. All signatures on prints are therefore 'mounted' signatures, placed in a mount with the print, rather than the print itself being signed. A Clipped Signature is Available |
  Karl Spreitzer Our estimated value of this signature : £80 Died : 2009 | Karl Spreitzer Karl Spreitzer, Stuka pilot, awarded the Knights Cross as Leutnant 10(Pz) in April 1945. Karl Spreitzer as a Stuka pilot with St.G.2 building over 600 flying combat hours in Stukas. his first actions were in Norway, and the Battle of Britain, and later in the Mediterranean theatre in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Malta. and finally Russia. Sadly, Karl Spreitzer died 2nd February 2009. |
 Oberstleutnant Hans-Karl Stepp Our estimated value of this signature : £30 Died : 2006 | Oberstleutnant Hans-Karl Stepp Lieutenant Colonel Hans-Karl Stepp was born on 2nd September 1914 in Gießen as son to a University professor. Stepp studied eight semesters of law in Tubingen, Breslau and Munich before joining the Luftwaffe as Fahnenjunker in 1936. He first flew the Ju87 Stuka in 1938 and was one of the few who survived the Neuhammer disaster when 13 Stuka crews died in a crash on 15th August 1939, due to ground fog, in a demonstration training attack. He took part in the Polish and Western Campaigns, and also the Balkan and Crete campaigns. Karl Stepp was awarded the Iron Cross in 1939 ans the Iron Cross 1st class on the 15th June 1940. In 1941 he joined SG.2 Immelmann in Russia, leading a squadron by the end of the year by which time he had flown over 300 missions. He was awarded German Cross in Gold on the 15th of October 1941 as Gruppen and Geschwaderadjutant of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2. Hans Karl Stepp was also awarded the Knights Cross on 4 February 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitan of the 7./StG 2 Immelmann after 418 combat missions and 462nd Oak Leaves on 27th April 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of SG 2 Immelmann after over 800 combat missions. He was Group Commander of I/SG.5 from June 1942 to June 1943 during its successful campaign in the extreme North and Eastern Fronts, in hard conditions. In June 1943 he became First Commander and Air Commodore of II/SG.2. This SG.2 'Immelmann' was led by him with great success on the Eastern Front until September 1944, after which he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and joined the staff of the Luftwaffe where he served until the end of the war. He also served in the Reichsluftwaffenministerium in Berlin. Hans-Karl Stepp flew over 900 missions. After the war he became a lawyer and sadly died in Leipzig on the 12th December 2006. |
Hauptmann Gerhard Studemann Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Hauptmann Gerhard Studemann 'Stultz' Studemann joined Erganzungs-Stukastaffel. VIII Fliegercorps in October 1940. In February 1941 he was posted to 2./St.G.77 on the Channel Front, before taking part in the Balkan Campaign. Transferring to the Russian Front he took part in most of the major operations in that theatre, including the Battle of Kursk, the Battle of Sevastopol, and the Crimea. He served as Grupprnadjutant I./St.G.77 until April 1943. Staffelkapitian 7/St.G.151 until July 1943, Staffelkapitan 9/SG 77 until the end of 1944, and finally Gruppenkommandeur III./SG 77. 'Stutz' flew 996 combat missions, and was awarded the Knight's Cross-with Oak Leaves. |
 Unteroffizier Josef Werth Our estimated value of this signature : £55 | Unteroffizier Josef Werth Josef Werth joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 and after the outbreak of war was posted to train as a Stuka radio operator in Nordhausen. Joining SG2 Immelmann on the Eastern Front, under the command of Hans-Ulrich Rudel, he flw his first combat mission in March 1943. He flew as radio operator / gunner continuously with SG2 in the east and completed a total of 300 combat missions. On 8th May 1945 he was taken prisoner of was by the Americans outside Prague in Czechoslovakia. Josef Werth was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, and the German Cross of Gold. |
| Ju87 Squadron details |
KG77 Country : Germany | KG77 Kampfgeschwader 77 was formed on 1 May 1939 at Praha-Kbely, Kampfgeschwader 77 in Czechoslovakia with Stab./KG 77 and I Gruppe. II Gruppe at Praha-Kbely on the same date. The unit was allocated to Luftflotte 4, and equipped with the Do 17Z, while III./KG 77 was not made operational until 26 August 1939, again in Königgrätz, now Hradec Králové. While training in the summer of 1939 the Geschwader "worked up" on the Dornier Do 17Z and He 111. During the Polish campaign I. and III. Gruppes of KG 77 took part in combat operations. Operating from Breslau-Schöngarten (today Copernicus Airport Wrocław), I./KG 77 committed 108 bombers to the campaign. Operating from Breslau under Luftflotte 4. The unit participated in the Battle of Bzura, and carried out raids in the areas of Galicia, Radom, Kielce and Warsaw against rail, airfield and troop targets During the advance through Belgiuma nd France The Unit committed 111 bombers to the campaign. From its base at Werl it operated over Belgium and northern France, attacking French armour targets in the Reims and Amiens area. KG 77 supported the German Army during the Battle of Dunkirk, and it supported the southern offensive, Fall Rot until the French surrender. Its most notable action during the campaign was its part in Operation Paula, an all-out attack on Paris airfields, 3 June 1940. During the battle of Britain In mid-July 1940 all three gruppen returned to Germany to convert to the Junkers Ju 88. When III./KG 77 returned to France in late August (it was still based at Regensburg on 26 August) it had 35 Ju 88s operational. This gruppe suffered losses of 9 Ju 88s on a single mission against Gravesend on 18 September, one of the highest losses of any gruppe in a single mission.I./KG 77 in conjunction with II. and III. gruppe supported operations during the Blitz. On 27 September I./KG 77 lost six J 88s when raiding London, while II./KG 77 lost another six on the same night. During 1941 the Geschwader also took part in the Battle of the Atlantic. It attempted to support the German battleship Bismarck during her Atlantic operation during 26–28 May 1941. However, the unit was unable to intervene before she sank. The Geschwader did manage to sink the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Mashona on 28 May 1941, as the British forces withdrew to port. Daylight and night attacks were undertaken over the British Isles again from 27 July - 13 August 1942. I and III./KG 77 were the only units committed to Operation Barbarossa, with a total of 59 Ju 88s.[4] The Geschwader supported Army Group North's drive into the Baltic states and took part in the Siege of Leningrad. During this period I./KG 77 helped defeat a strong Soviet counter-attack by the 11th Army and 34th Army. KG 77 also supported Operation Beowulf, the invasion of the Baltic islands of Osel, Moon and Dago. During the battle for Estonia it inflicted severe losses on Soviet shipping, with the same dive-bombing tactics used over Norway, France and Britain. KGr 806 sank the Soviet destroyer Karl Marx on 8 August 1941 in Loksa Bay, Tallinn. On 28 August the Ju 88s had more success when KG 77 and KGr 806 sank the 2,026 grt steamer Vironia, the 2,317 grt Lucerne, the 1,423 Atis Kronvalds and the ice breaker Krisjanis Valdemars (2,250 grt). The rest of the Soviet "fleet", were forced to change course. This took them through a heavily mined area. As a result, 21 Soviet warships, including five destroyers, struck mines and sank. On 29 August, the Ju 88s accounted for the transport ships Vtoraya Pyatiletka (3,974 grt), Kalpaks (2,190 grt) and Leningradsovet (1,270 grt) sunk. Furthermore, the ships Ivan Papanin, Saule, Kazakhstan and the Serp i Molot were damaged. Some 5,000 Soviet soldiers were lost. KG 77 was largely withdrawn from Russia, although I./KG 77 continued to operate on the Eastern Front until July 1942, supporting German forces during Operation Seydlitz and the Second Battle of Kharkov. I./KG 77 was reformed as I./KG 6 on 31 August 1942, after the unit ceased operations over Great Britain. However I./KG 77 was reformed again on 10 September 1942. The Kampfgeschwader carried out operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa until June 1943, taking part in the Siege of Malta and the Second Battle of El Alamein. The unit also resisted the Allied invasion of Sicily, probably destroying the U.S. Liberty ship SS Robert Rowan on 11 July. KG 77 made constant night attacks against Allied Naval forces from 10 July - 25 August 1943. After retraining naval attack methods, the unit could now operate with effective torpedo methods. I./KG 77 operated from Salon in southern France from March - July 1944, attacking American convoys of the coast of Algeria. KG 77's primary responsibility was anti-shipping in the English Channel. Committed under the command of Luftflotte 3, KG 77 supported the German Army, although at night to avoid overwhelming Allied air superiority forces, until 1 September 1944 (Wikipedia) |
LG2 Country : Germany | LG2 |
SG1 Country : Germany | SG1 |
SG102 Country : Germany | SG102 |
SG148 Country : Germany | SG148 |
SG151 Country : Germany | SG151 |
SG2 Country : Germany | SG2 |
SG3 Country : Germany | SG3 |
SG77 Country : Germany | SG77 On the Eatsern Front StG 77 finished the campaign as the most effective Sturzkampfgeschwader. It had destroyed 2,401 vehicles, 234 tanks, 92 artillery batteries and 21 trains for the loss of 25 Ju 87s to hostile action |
|
Contact Details |
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
|
