 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG2 (-+- $Walter Oesau France Aug 1940 01 Pilots JG51.3 $Walter Oesau France Aug 1940 01 Pilots JG51.3 $Robert Ritter von Greim and $Walter Oesau France Aug 1940 01 Skins Compatibility:IL2 Sturmovik Forgotten Battles (FB), Ace Expansion Pack (AEP), Pacific Fighters (PF), 1946, Storm of War (SW). Asisbiz Free Virtual High Resolution Images for Screensavers and Wallpaper: Walter Oesau was born on 28 June 1913 at Farnewinkel in the Dithmarschen region of Schleswig-Hostein. He went into the Reichsarbeitsdienst, or RAD1 in 1933 and then joined the Army, serving as a private in an artillery regiment. By 1934 he had become a Fahnenjunker 2 and began flying training with the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule. He entered the Luftwaffe at about the time it was founded and, with his flying training completed, in 1937 he was posted to jagdgeschwader 132 'Richthofen' as a Leutnant. 1. Reichs Labour Service 2. Officer Cadet In April 1938, Lt. Oesau volunteered for service in the Spanish Civil War and was sent to join J/88 where he flew the He 51 biplane with 3.Staffel.He claimed his first victory on 15 July, his second on the 17th and his third victory a day later. By the end of July, Oesau had five victories and by the end of his service in Spain had a total of nine, his last being a Rata shot down on 3 November. He returned to Germany promoted to Oberleutnant and with the Spanish Wound Badge, but was later awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds, a decoration awarded to only 27 combatants who, in the opinion of the Fuhrer, were especially deserving of it. As from 1 March 1939, Walter Oesau served for a short time with the Stabsschwarm of I./JG2, but on 15 July was appointed Staffelkapitan of I./JG20, later to become 7./JG51. It is customary when referring to pilots' victory claims to discount any achieved in Spain, so Oesau's first victories must be considered to have occurred after the start of the Second World War when he shot down a Curtiss on 13 May, followed by two Spitfires on the 31st. By the end of the French campaign, Oesau had added two bombers to his score, bringing his total to five victories. With the start of the Battle of Britain, 7./JG51 took part in operations over the Channel and Southern England, and between 7 July and 18 August, Oesau had added a Defiant, ten Spitfires and four Hurricanes to his score, becoming the fifth Luftwaffe pilot to reach 20 victories. For this achievement he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on the 20 August. On 25 August, Hauptmann Oesau was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG51 and on 11 November, by which time he had 39 victories, he became Kommandeur of III./JG3. Oesau's 40th victory occurred on 5 February 1941when he shot down a Spitfire flown by a sergeant pilot of 610Sqn. who became a prisoner of war, and although he identified the aircraft destroyed as a Hurricane, it was another milestone in his career; he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross and the German press began referring to him as "German Air Ace No.3". Hptm. Oesau claimed another Spitfire and another Hurricane in the West before his Gruppe was transferred eastwards for the launching of Operation 'Barbarossa', the attack on Russia, in June 1941.Almost immediately, Oesau began to make multiple claims, shooting down two aircraft in separate engagements on the 24th and three in two combats on the 26th. By the end of June, his score had increased to 51 and on 10 July he claimed five Soviet aircraft destroyed for his 64th to 68th victories. He recorded his 70th victory on 11 July and on the 15th his tally had increased to 80, for which he became only the third recipient of the Swords. With a total of 86 claims, Oesau was recalled to the Western Front and on 29 July he took command of JG2, the 'Richthofen' Geschwader, following the death in action of the Kommodore, 23 victory ace and Eichenlaubtrager Major Wilhelm Balthasar on the 7th. Major Oesau scored his first victory with JG2 on 10 August, when he shot down a Spitfire, and followed up with a further five Spitfires on the 12th. By 26 October, Oesau had recorded his 100th victory, a Spitfire shot down that day, and thus became only the third Luftwaffe pilot to reach this landmark. In accordance with prevailing custom, he was then forbidden to fly further combat sorties in order that his valuable combat experience and qualities of leadership should be preserved. Oesau remained as Kommodore of JG2, however, and on 17 April 1942, despite the official ban on his operational flying, shot down one of four Lancasters claimed by JG2 as the bombers flew over the airfield at Beaumont-Ie-Roger while on their way to bomb the MAl'J diesel-engine works at Augsburg. At this time,JG2 was equipped with the Bf-109F, but commencing in mid-March, the Gescbwader began converting to the Fw-190, a process which should have been virtually completed by the end of May 1942. Although the Fw-190 possessed some outstanding qualities, its peRGormance deteriorated above 20,000 feet and in mid-May, parts of 1./JG2 gave up their Fw-190s and began converting to the Bf-109G which had a superior peRGormance at that altitude. Parts of II.Gruppe followed suit, so that throughout the early Spring and Summer, the two Gruppen operated a mixture of Fw-190 As and Bf-109G-6s. Later, this arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory and II. Gruppe re-equipped entirely with Bf-109Gs while 1. and II1./JG2 were equipped with the Fw-190. Meanwhile, on 28 June 1943, Oberstleutnant Walter Oesau was celebrating his 30th birthday at Beaumont-le-Roger when 43 B-17s bombed the airfield. Twenty members of the Geschwader were killed while others were injured and buildings damaged. Oesau had already been notified that he was due to take up a staff position and, three days later, he handed over command of JG2 to Eichenlaubträger Egon Mayer. For Oesau, a series of staff positions followed, including his appointment as Jafü 4 in Brittany, and he was holding this position when he was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 17 October. By late 1943, the situation for Germany had dictated that the earlier order banning highly-decorated and experienced pilots from combat flying should be relaxed, and on 12 November 1943, Oberst Oesau was appointed Kommodore of JG1, taking over from Oberst Hans Philipp, who had been killed. Oesau soon added at least 14 four-engined US Liberator and Flying Fortress bombers and two P-47 Thunderbolts to his list of victories, his last, a P-47, being his 127th, shot down south-west of Verden on 8 May 1944. Three days later, US bombers raided north-eastern Belgium and Luxemburg. Nearly 900 bombers took part and the fighter escort flew over 1,000 sorties. At Paderborn, 30 Bf-109Gs of Stab and III./JG1 took off with Oesau leading the three aircraft of JG1's Stabsschwarm. While still attempting to attack the bombers, Oesau was bounced by escorting P-38s and separated from his comrades. According to some sources, a ten-minute fight ensued in which Oesau battled alone against five P-38s which apparently damaged Oesau's aircraft, but thereafter accounts vary. One source maintains that the P-38 pilots made no claim as they had seen no strikes on Oesau's Bf-109, but after examination of their gun-camera film, they were credited with a probable. Another account states that Oesau was chased down to ground level where he was finally shot down. Whatever the truth, the P-38's gun-camera film apparently showed a Bf-109G¬6/AS coded 'Green 13' and with a red Reich Defence band around the rear fuselage, exactly in accordance with the markings carried by Oesau's machine. Oesau was found near the remains of his wrecked aircraft. His body had several bullet wounds, suggesting that he was probably unconscious or already dead before his aircraft hit the ground. He was buried at MeldoRG in Schleswig-Holstein. Unfortunately, we know little of Oesau's character as a man, most historians preferring to judge him only by his victory score. However, a few clues exist. In a secret recording, a German Po\V in RAF hands who had visited JG2 was heard explaining to a fellow prisoner that, while Oesau might have been strict on matters of efficiency and etiquette and had perhaps taken full advantage of his luxurious HQ at Beamont-le-Roger, he ensured also that his men enjoyed the same facilities without any distinctions between even senior officers and NCOs. Adolf Galland characterised Oesau by describing him as"one of the greatest fighter pilots produced by Germany during the Second World War. He was tough-minded as well as a brilliant aerial fighter." It seems, however, that Oesau's experiences had taken their toll, though few seemed to realise that by 1944 he was at the end of his tether. One who did was Hartmann Grasser, who served under him as a Major and Kommandeur of III./JG1. Commenting on the loss of Oesau, he said: "At that time, Oesau was at the end of his physical and mental powers [yet] the German fighter pilots, like their officers, had to fight right through the war without rest. I consider that a grave error on the part of our High Command. I personally took part in the combat when Oesau was lost. Alone, chased by Lightnings and Mustangs, he had no chance of escaping." Ironically, several hours after Oesau had been shot down, StablJG1 received an order immediately transferring Oesau away from the battle-front to Galland's Headquarters Staff. Henceforth, as a tribute to its late Kommodore's achievements and leadership, JGI received the honour-title ]agdgescbwader 1 Oesau'. Walter ‘Gulle’ Oesau was born on 28 June 1913 at Farnewinkel in the Dithmarschen region of Holst. He enlisted in the army in 1933 and served in an artillery regiment. By 1934 he had become a Fahnenjunker and was undertaking flying training with the Deutschen Verkehrsfliegerschule. On completing his flying training he was posted to Jagdgeschwader “Richtofen”. Leutnant Oesau was one of the first fighter pilots to join J/88 in Spain in April 1938. Here he served with 3. J/88 and gained nine victories. He became one of only 27 recipients of the Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Brillanten . He was also wounded in this campaign and was awarded the Spanish Wound Badge. On 1 March 1939, Oesau joined the Stabsschwarm of I./JG2. On 15 July, Oberleutnant Oesau was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG20 which was later redesignated 7./JG51. Oesau gained his first victory of World War 2 on 13 May 1940. He ended the French campaign with five victories to his credit. On 18 August 1940 he became the fifth Luftwaffe pilot to reach 20 World War 2 victories, bringing him the award of the Ritterkreuz. On 25 August 1940, Hauptmann Oesau was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG51. On 11 November 1940, Oesau was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG3. He led the Gruppe to the Eastern front where the invasion of Russia was launched. He recorded his 40th victory on 5 February 1941. On 6 February, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 9). He recorded his 50th victory on 30 June. He claimed five enemy aircraft shot down on 10 July 1941 for his 64th to 68th victories. He recorded his 70th victory on 11 July and his 80th on 17 July. On 15 July his victory tally had reached 80 and he became only the third man to be awarded the Schwertern. At the end of July 1941 he was recalled to the Western Front to take command of JG2. He recorded his 100th victory on 26 October, only the third Luftwaffe pilot to reach this landmark. He was forbidden to fly further combat missions, his combat experience and leadership qualities being considered too valuable to risk. A series of staff appointments followed, including being appointed JagdfliegeRGührer 4 Brittany. On 12 November 1943, Oberst Oesau returned to combat when he was appointed Kommodore of JG1 following the death of Oberst Hans Philipp (206 victories, RK-S). He soon added at least 14 victories against the USAAF formations of B-17 and B-24 four-engined bombers. On 11 May 1944, Oesau, leading three aircraft of the Stabsschwarm, took off from Paderborn to intercept Allied bombers raiding north-eastern Belgium and Luxembourg. During his attack on the bombers he was bounced by escorting P-38s. In the ensuing combat he was shot down and killed in his Bf-109G-6/AS (W.Nr. 20601) ‘Green 13’ near St Vith. ‘Gulle’ Oesau scored 127 victories in over 300 combat missions. 9 victories were scored during the Spanish Civil War, 74 were scored on the Western front including 14 four-engined bombers (one B-17 as engültige Vernichtung) and 44 over the Eastern front.
Victories : 127
The Messerschmitt Bf-109EThe lessons of the Spanish Civil War led, as we have seen, to the development of more powerful and better armed versions of which the Bf-109E-1 "Emil" was but the first. The E-1 model which came out of the Augsburg factory at the beginning of February was in fact the mass production of the E-O type. During 1939, more than 1500 Bf-109Es were produced and at the time of the invasion of Poland, no less than 1056 Bf-109s of all types, including 850 Bf-109E-1 and E-1Bs, equipped Luftwaffe units. Armament consisted of two MG-17 engine-mounted machine guns and two of the same calibre mounted in the wings. Trials were carried out on the following E-3 version with a cannon mounted to fire through the propeller hub, but were unsuccessful due to overheating and jamming; firing also produced vibrations. The engine was a Daimler-Benz DB610A producing 1175hp at take off and 1100hp at 14,500ft, driving a threeblade metal variable pitch VDM9-11081A propeller. This engine had been tested on ten pre-production Bf-109D-0 and E-0 before being accepted. The Bf-109E-1 did not have armor plating protecting the pilot and the fuel tank and the frames of the cockpit canopy were the same as the D version. The Battle of Britain showed that the cockpit needed 36 more protection, and the surviving Bf-109E-1s were brought up to E-3 standard with a more resistant canopy. Fighting revealed also that the machine could be more efficient if it was equipped with an underbelly pylon for an electrically launched bomb. This gave rise to the Bf-109E-1/B with an ETC50 pylon for SC50 bombs, tested successfully with the Bf-110Cs from the Erprobungsgruppe 210 over the Channel against English shipping. The German High Command demanded that all Bf-109 Jagdgeschwader include in their number an extra squadron of fighter-bombers, whilst the Bf-109E-4 in production where directly converted in the factory. Bf-109E-1s were also delivered to Spain and Switzerland. The E-4 version came out in May 1940. This was heavier than the E-3. Armor plating weighing about 50 kilos had been installed in the cockpit and behind the pilot whose head and shoulders, were now well-protected. These modifications had turned out to be indispensable following the first fights against the English. If some E-1 sand E-3s were thus equipped later, the armor plating was installed on the E-4s directly on the production lines. The cockpit canopy was changed also (some aircraft at the beginning of the series were still equipped with that of the E-3); an upright appeared higher up joining the side to the top frames, whereas the two little uprights on the windshield disappeared. The two wing-mounted 20 mm cannon were kept. These were MGFF "M" s capable of firing shells called Minen-Geschosspatronen; these had a better penetrating capability and their explosive charge contained within a thinner metal envelope was larger. The number of shells remained the same, 60 per cannon. The engine was also modified. Whereas the first E-4s received the DB601A, in the middle of 1940, they were equipped with the new DB601N with a 15% higher compression rate, giving 1200hp at take-off and 50hp more at altitude thanks to flattened pistons in place of the older more concave ones. From the outside there was nothing to differentiate the DB601N from the DB601A; only the higher octane number, 96 or 100 (or even C-3 petrol) instead of 88, showing on a little yellow and white triangle placed under the tank filler cap behind the cockpit differentiated them. Thus equipped, the aircraft became a Bf-109E-4/N. Following the success of the E-1 fitted with an underbelly bomb, this more powerful version was transformed for fighter-bomber missions (Bf-109E-4/B) by installing ETC 500 and ETC 50 pylons, taking either one 250 kg bomb or four smaller 50 kg ones. For this a little console was fitted at the bottom of the instrument panel controlling the bomb release. The first E-4 fighter-bombers were delivered to the Erprobungsgruppe 210 which was evaluating the Me210, and to the II(Schact)/LG2. These were used against Britain from July 1940. The intervention of the Luftwaffe in North Africa in February 1940 made the engineers adapt a tropical filter to prevent wear and tear from sand. The machines thus modified were indicated by the suffix 'Trap." and arrived with the I/JG27 at Ain el Gazala, in Libya in April 1941. The following models were the Bf-109E-5 and E-6 used for reconnaissance. The former, still with the old DB601A engine and the E-4 canopy, lost its wing-mounted cannon and carried an electrically controlled Rb21/18 camera. The latter was very similar to the E-5 except for the camera, an Rb50/30, which changed. The Messerschmitt Bf-109E-7 was a long-range fighter, carrying a 66 gallon ventral tank in place of the 550lb bomb and appeared in August 1940. It could be distinguished form the E-4, of which it kept the engine and the canopy, by the propeller boss which now had a little cone closing off the hole for the cannon. It was used for fighter-bombing (E-7/B) or tropicalised with a special filter (E-7/Trop) with the I/JG27. Experiments were carried out on the E-7/Z (Z for Zusatzgerat, or additional system); a power-boosting system, the GM1, used nitrous oxide (N20), injecting oxygen into the engine and giving extra power of around 250-280hp at 24,000ft. 80 aircraft received this system in February 1941 which was adopted by the other Luftwaffe fighters later on. The last sub-variant was the E-7/U2, fitted with 5 mm thick metal plates protecting the engine and radiator from anti aircraft shots. Finally, the Bf-109E-8 and E-9 extrapolated from the E-1 and the E-7, of which they kept the engine and the canopy, appeared in August and September 1940 and were used as long distance fighters and for armed reconnaissance. History By the time the Battle of Britain exploded onto worldwide headlines, the Bf-109 was already a highly feared opponent, matched in capability by only that of the Supermarine Spitfire. The Battle of Britain would pit the two awesome machines against one another, with the Spitfire eventually claiming the top prize. The Bf-109 continued on developing into a wide array of variants and subvariants. It is widely agreed that the "E" model was the definitive model of the series, combining lessons learned from models B, C, and D into one formidable package. Subsequently, the "G" model became the most produced and widely used of the series - to which over 36,000 were produced for the entire production line of all Bf-109s. With Germany now fighting wars on multiple fronts, the extension of the Bf-109 line increased into the Soviet Union. Overall, the Bf-109 was numerically superior to most fighters in any involvement at any one time - be it attacking incoming bomber formations or intercepting Soviet supply columns. In the end, the Bf-109 would prove quite resilient and robust, so much so in fact, that the series would continue to be produced (in Spain under license as "Buchons") a full ten years after the war in Europe had concluded. Though the Focke-Wulf Fw-190 was the best German piston-engine aircraft of the war, the Bf-109 remains the most famous, thanks in part to the sheer number of aircraft produces and the total number of engagements involving Bf-109's. The aircraft series is credited with the destruction of more enemy aircraft than any other German fighter. In post-war use, the Bf-109 would see continued use by Spain and Israel. Production would still be continued in Czechoslovakia through an intact Bf-109 plant. Spanish Bf-109's would be fitted with Merlin engines and designated as the "Buchon" (transplated "pigeon") while the new nation of Israel would field them in combat during the early years. Total production of all Bf-109 types is estimated to be at or over 35,000 examples with the last "new build" variant being flown in 1956. Training to fly the Messerschmitt Me-109E/G-2: A short inspection of the plane and soon the 1100 HP engine pulled the major into the sky. Erhnrooth was an experienced fighter pilot and he tested how the plane reacted and controlled in different speeds. Then he made some acrobatics and one touch 'n' go. After 45 minutes he landed, with fine 3-pointer. The plane was refueled and also Pive managed to fly a familiarization flight, before the weather got too poor for flying. Both thought the plane was enjoyable and easy to fly, but suggested us to land in slower speed than the Germans taught. Many Germans had ended up in the fields, after running out of runway when landing with too high speeds. Now the German leutnant was conviced of our skills and promised our four planes for the next day. I flew my familiarization flight with an Emil and found it easy and enjoyable to fly. As the day progressed all our pilots managed to fly the Emil at least once. Ehrnrooth, Ervi and Lahtela managed to fly also the Gustav. The German trainer was amazed to see how our Messerschmitt familization flights progressed without difficulty. The most amazing detail was how our pilots were immediately landing 3-pointers even with the Gustav, requiring less than half of the length of runway the Germans needed. The Germans' problem with the 1475 HP Gustav was, that they raised the tail immediately after pushing the throttle fully forward. The strong engine created a tendency to swing the tail. When landing the Germans had way too much speed, so it was hard to control to plane when the wheels touched ground and the plane bounced back into air. On 21st February (1943) I got my second flight with a Emil. I felt ready to move into the Gustav, but the weather turned bad and flights had to be suspended. Finally the fog lifted, on 27.2., I flew my first flight with Gustav and all others finished their flights with Emils. However, on next day all flights were interrupted, when the German pupils wrecked for Messerschmitts. 1 3. I finally got my second flight with Gustav and I felt ready to continue to the Messerschmitt factory, to get our own planes. (Snipped. Jumping over the visit at the factory, the parties and singing and return flight towards Finland, though Germany and Baltics.) The last phase was flown in most perfect weather. We flew a honorary sweep over Helsinki, in tight formation, kind like showing that here we are now, ready to protect you from enemy bombings. The landing to Malmi airport were faultless. The Germans thought the Malmi airfield, with its only partially coated runways, as a hard place. They had lost here many planes, that were transferring towards north (to Luftloffe 5). The local German detachment was waiting for us in the field, with their fire-brigade in readiness, expecting the worst. He had been told that we had only had a few flights in the Messerschmitts. The fire-brigade chief was clearly very relieved after all planes had landed, without mishaps. - Lauri Pekuri, Finnish Web References: Specifications: Major Variants |
This webpage was updated 25th May 2009
Please Email me if you encounter any broken links or Web page Errors:
Main SitemapAviation SitemapPhotograph SitemapDictionary Sitemaps