IL2

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 (W10+) $Gunther Steinhausen Libya Aug 1941 01

Photo 01: The Bf-109E-7Trop White 10, flown by Fw. Gunther Steinhausen of I./JG27, seen here in flight in early August 1941. Fw. Steinhausen was one of the more successful pilots flying with 1. Staffe1 and claimed his first victory, a Hurricane north ofTobruk, on 9 June 1941. He claimed his second, a Buffalo, near Buq Buq on 18 June. Curiously, although Steinhausen was then credited with two Hurricanes north-west of Mersa Matruh on 2 August, bringing his tally to four, the yellow rudder of his machine is marked only with three white victory bars. Steinhausen later increased his tally to 40 but was posted missing on 6 September 1942. By that time he had received the German Cross in Gold and the Knights Cross. He was promoted to Leutnant posthumously.

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 (W10+) $Gunther Steinhausen Libya Aug 1941 00

Messerschmitt Bf-109E.7 Trop White 10 flown by Fw. Gunther Steinhausen of 1./JG27, early August 1941 It is believed that this aircraft was finished in the new RLM colours specially developed for the North African campaign. The original Green 71 canopy was masked off when the machine was repainted, probably at a base facility in Italy or Sicily, with 78 undersurfaces and low-demarcation 79 uppersurfaces, over which Olive Green 80 mottles have been applied. Note that on this aircraft the unit badge is positioned further forward than usual and that the fuselage Balkenkreuz resembles the style normally reserved for the wing uppersurfaces.

Pilots JG27.1 $Günther Steinhausen 01

Günther Steinhausen was born on 15 September 1917 at Lobkevitz on the Island of Rügen. Steinhausen was posted to JG27 in spring 1941. Unteroffizier Steinhausen was assigned to 1./JG27. He was to be particularly successful over North Africa. He recorded his first victory on 9 June, when he shot down a RAF Hurricane fighter north of Tobruk. Steinhausen shot down a RAF Tomahawk fighter on 26 August for his fifth victory. It is thought his victim was the upcoming British ace Sergeant Maurice Hards (7 destroyed, two probable and 4 damaged victories) who force-landed, wounded in the leg on the Mersa Matruh-Sidi Barrani road. On 28 March, Steinhausen claimed his 10th victory, when he shot down a RAF Kittyhawk fighter near Tmimi. He shot down four RAF fighters in the El Adem area on 16 June (20-23) and claimed a

further four on 28 June near Sidi Haneish (27-30). Steinhausen claimed a USAAF B-24 four-engine bomber shot down for his 34th victory on 9 July 1942. On 6 September 1942, Steinhausen shot down a Hurricane southeast of El Alamein.

However, he was then shot down in Bf109F-4 (W.Nr. 13272) “White 5”. He remains missing to this day. Steinhausen was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz and promoted to the rank of Leutnant on 3 November. Günther Steinhausen was credited with 40 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Western front and included one four-engine bomber.

No Date Time A/c Type Unit Location Comments

1 9.6.1941 5:05 Hurricane 1./JG27 N Tobruk Hurricane of 73Sqn, RAF

2 18.6.1941 6:05 Buffalo 1./JG27 Buq Buq P-40 of 250Sqn, RAF

3 2.8.1941 18:50 Hurricane 1./JG27 40km NW Marsa Matruh Hurricane of 1Sqn, SAAF

4 2.8.1941 18:50 Hurricane 1./JG27 40km NW Marsa Matruh Hurricane of 1Sqn, SAAF

5 26.8.1941 - P-40 1./JG27 N Sidi Barrani Tomahawk IIb (AK374) of 250Sqn, RAF $Sgt MS Hards (7/2/4 victories), force-landed, wounded

6 14.9.1941 18:15 P-40 1./JG27 SE Gasr el Ahrid Tomahawk of 3Sqn, RAAF

7 7.1.1942 13:02 P-40 1./JG27 NE Agedabia Tomahawk of 2 or 4Sqn, SAAF

8 9.1.1942 15:05 P-40 1./JG27 E Agedabia Hurricane of 229Sqn, RAF

9 9.1.1942 15:30 P-40 1./JG27 E Agedabia Hurricane of 229Sqn, RAF

10 28.3.1942 13:40 P-40 1./JG27 S Tmimi Kittyhawk of 94Sqn, RAF flown by P/O Crosbie

11 11.4.1942 10:50 P-40 1./JG27 N Bir Habex Tomahawk of 4Sqn, SAAF

12 25.4.1942 10:10 P-40 1./JG27 ESE Ain el Gazala -

13 22.5.1942 7:50 P-40 1./JG27 20km S Martuba Kittyhawk of 112 or 250Sqn, RAF

14 28.5.1942 10:00 Hurricane 1./JG27 5km N Gasr el Ahrid Hurricane of 80Sqn, RAF $F/Sgt Wintersdorf

15 31.5.1942 7:25 P-40 1./JG27 N Bir Hacheim Tomahawk of 4Sqn, SAAF

16 31.5.1942 7:35 P-40 1./JG27 N Bir Hacheim Tomahawk of 4Sqn, SAAF

17 9.6.1942 7:53 P-40 1./JG27 S Mteifel Chebir Tomahawk of 4 or 5Sqn, SAAF

18 12.6.1942 19:03 Hurricane 1./JG27 W El Adem Hurricane of 73 or 208Sqn, RAF

19 12.6.1942 19:14 P-40 1./JG27 SSW El Adem Kittyhawk of 260Sqn, RAF

20 16.6.1942 18:00 Hurricane 1./JG27 E El Adem Hurricane of 73 or 208Sqn, RAF

21 16.6.1942 18:10 P-40 1./JG27 E El Adem Tomahawk of 2, 4 or 5Sqn, SAAF

22 16.6.1942 18:14 P-40 1./JG27 SW El Adem -

23 16.6.1942 18:20 P-40 1./JG27 E Gambut Kittyhawk of 250Sqn, RAF

24 27.6.1942 8:58 Martin 167 1./JG27 WSW El Daba Baltimore of 223Sqn, RAF

25 27.6.1942 18:27 Hurricane 1./JG27 SW Fuka -

26 27.6.1942 18:30 Hurricane 1./JG27 SW Fuka -

27 28.6.1942 11:25 Hurricane 1./JG27 SW Fuka Hurricane of 238Sqn, RAF

28 28.6.1942 11:30 Hurricane 1./JG27 S Fuka Hurricane of 238Sqn, RAF

29 28.6.1942 11:31 Hurricane 1./JG27 SW Fuka Hurricane of 238Sqn, RAF

30 28.6.1942 11:33 Hurricane 1./JG27 SW Fuka Hurricane of 238Sqn, RAF

31 3.7.1942 9:15 P-40 1./JG27 ESE El Alamein -

32 4.7.1942 17:05 Hurricane 1./JG27 20km SSE El Alamein Hurricane of 1Sqn, SAAF

33 5.7.1942 18:00 P-46 1./JG27 Burg el Arab -

34 9.7.1942 18:00 B-24 1./JG27 100km NW Bir el Astas B-24 of Halverston Detachment, USAAF

35 22.8.1942 14:07 Spitfire 1./JG27 7km S El Hammam Spitfire V of 601Sqn, RAF $F/S Schofield

36 25.8.1942 12:14 Hurricane 1./JG27 S El Alamein Hurricane of 213 or 274Sqn, RAF

37 1.9.1942 17:46 Hurricane 1./JG27 Alam el Halfa -

38 3.9.1942 15:43 Hurricane 1./JG27 N Manga el Rahla -

39 3.9.1942 15:46 Hurricane 1./JG27 N Manga el Rahla -

40 6.9.1942 7:57 P-40 1./JG27 SE El Alamein Hurricane of 7Sqn, SAAF or 274Sqn, RAF

Victories : 40

Awards : Ehrenpokal (5 August 1942)

Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (21 August 1942)

Ritterkreuz (3 November 1942)

Units : JG27

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