IL2

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.3 (Y1+) $Gerhard Homuth El Gazala, North Africa 1941 00

Messerschmitt Bf-109E.7 Trop Yellow l of 3./JG27, 1941 The Yellow l was another aircraft which flew in North Africa still camouflaged in European colours, in this instance, probably in an 02/71 splinter scheme on the fuselage top decking and wing uppersurfaces. The fuselage sides were heavily mottled in these same two colours and all undersurfaces were Blue 65.

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.3 (Y1+) $Gerhard Homuth El Gazala, North Africa 1941 01

Photo 01: The most popular kind of mission among the German fighter pilots in North Africa was the freie Jagd where the more aggressive or more skilled pilots would soon be noticed and perhaps be appointed Rotten or Schwarm leader. Once in that position and with a wingman to watch their backs, such pilots had the opportunity to build up their personal scores. This photograph shows Bf-109Es on a freie Jagd mission with Yellow 1 of 3./JG27 closest to the camera. From 1 February until 1 June 1941, and then again from August 1941 to 10 June 1942, this Staffel was led by Oblt. Gerhard Homuth and it is possible that this may have been his aircraft. After 10 June 1942, Homuth became Kommandeur of 1. Gruppe, which he then led until November 1942.

Pilots JG27.3 $Gerhard Homuth 01

Gerhard Homuth was born on 20 September 1914 at Kiel. He joined the navy but transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935. In 1937 and 1938, he was a member of the Luftwaffe aerobatic team, at that time part of 2.(J)/LG 2. On 6 October 1939, Homuth was appointed Adjutant of I./JG27. He was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG27 on 1 February 1940.

He gained his first victory on 11 May, when he shot down a RAF Blenheim twin-engine bomber over Diest-Schaffen. By the end of the French campaign, Homuth had nine victories to his credit. He was add a further six victories during the Battle of Britain. In spring 1941, I./JG27 was relocated to North Africa. Homuth was to be particularly successful in this theatre. Oberleutnant Homuth was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 14 June for 22 victories.

On 9 January 1942, Homuth shot down two RAF P-40 fighters, one near Marsa el Brega and another near Gadd el Ahmar for his 38th and 39th victories. It would appear the first of his two victories this day was the Australian ace, Sgt Ron Simes (5 destroyed, 1 probable and 1 damaged victories) of 3Sqn, RAAF, who was killed in the engagement. He recorded his 40th victory on 9 February, when he shot down a RAF Hurricane near El Adem.

Homuth was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG27 on 8 June 1942. He recorded three victories on 27 July (50-52), all RAF Hurricane fighters near El Hammam, and his 60^th on 27 October, when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter near Bir Mumim Busak. With the withdrawal of I./JG27 from North Africa, Homuth fell ill. In February 1943, he was assigned to the Luftwaffe delegation based at Sofia in Bulgaria as an instructor training Bulgarian fighter pilots. Homuth returned to front line duty on 29 July 1943 as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG54 based on the Eastern front.

On 2 August 1943, on one of his first combat missions, Homuth was engaged in a 20 minute dogfight with Russian fighters. He finally managed to shoot down an Airacobra fighter but failed to return from the mission in Fw190A-6 (W.Nr. 550 436) “<< +”. He has remained missing ever since.

Gerhard Homuth was credited with 63 victories in approximately 450 missions. He recorded two victories over the Eastern front.

No Date Time A/c Type Unit Location Comments

1 11.5.1940 17:30 Blenheim 3./JG27 Diest-Schaffen -

2 12.5.1940 6:20 Blenheim 3./JG27 Lüttich -

3 19.5.1940 16:30 Hurricane 3./JG27 N Albert Hurricane (N2598) of 145Sqn, RAF $P/O KR Lucas, killed

4 25.5.1940 12:30 Blenheim 3./JG27 W Calais -

5 2.6.1940 9:20 Spitfire 3./JG27 5km SW Dunkirk -

6 2.6.1940 9:25 Spitfire 3./JG27 SW Dunkirk -

7 5.6.1940 18:15 Morane 3./JG27 Beauvais -

8 5.6.1940 18:20 Morane 3./JG27 3km SE Froissy -

9 13.6.1940 20:15 Bloch 131 3./JG27 Lechelle -

10 20.7.1940 14:25 Spitfire 3./JG27 W Swanage -

11 20.7.1940 14:28 Spitfire 3./JG27 W Swanage -

12 12.8.1940 12:50 Spitfire 3./JG27 Bembridge -

13 3.9.1940 11:35 Hurricane 3./JG27 Burnham -

14 11.9.1940 18:10 Hurricane 3./JG27 5km SW Selsey Bill -

15 30.9.1940 18:10 Spitfire 3./JG27 S Eastbourne -

16 1.5.1941 9:15 Hurricane 3./JG27 20km S Tobruk Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

17 1.5.1941 9:20 Hurricane 3./JG27 Tobruk Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

18 5.5.1941 8:32 Martin 167 3./JG27 10km ESE Acroma Maryland of 39Sqn, RAF

19 8.5.1941 10:10 Blenheim 3./JG27 100km ENE Tobruk Maryland of 39Sqn, RAF

20 15.5.1941 12:15 Hurricane 3./JG27 Sollum Hurricane (V7829) of 274Sqn, RAF $Sgt FH Dean

21 21.5.1941 7:57 Blenheim 3./JG27 SE Capuzzo Blenheim IV of 14Sqn, RAF

22 21.5.1941 7:58 Blenheim 3./JG27 SE Capuzzo Blenheim IV of 14Sqn, RAF

23 30.8.1941 17:30 Blenheim 3./JG27 Sollum -

24 14.9.1941 17:45 Martin 167 3./JG27 S El Sofafi Maryland of 24Sqn, SAAF

25 14.9.1941 17:48 Hurricane 3./JG27 S El Sofafi Hurricane of 33Sqn, RAF

26 24.9.1941 14:40 P-40 3./JG27 Sidi Omar Tomahawk of 112Sqn, RAF

27 24.9.1941 16:47 Hurricane 3./JG27 Buq Buq Hurricane of 1Sqn, SAAF or RNFU

28 27.9.1941 10:10 Hurricane 3./JG27 5km SE Ras Azaz Tomahawk of 112Sqn, RAF

29 5.12.1941 15:35 Hurricane 3./JG27 - Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

30 9.12.1941 14:15 P-40 3./JG27 S Gambut Tomahawk IIb of 3Sqn, RAAF

31 13.12.1941 16:15 P-40 3./JG27 SW Tmimi Tomahawk of 1Sqn, SAAF

32 23.12.1941 14:00 Beaufighter 3./JG27 SE Arco Philaenorum Beaufighter of 272Sqn, RAF $F/O Baker

33 23.12.1941 14:00 Beaufighter 3./JG27 SE Arco Philaenorum Beaufighter of 272Sqn, RAF $F/O Lee

34 3.1.1942 8:20 P-40 3./JG27 NE Agedabia Hurricane of 208Sqn, RAF flown by 2/Lt JS Iddeson

35 7.1.1942 12:15 P-40 3./JG27 NE Agedabia Tomahawk of 2 or 4Sqn, SAAF

36 7.1.1942 12:20 P-40 3./JG27 30km NE Agedabia Tomahawk of 2 or 4Sqn, SAAF

37 9.1.1942 14:15 P-40 3./JG27 Marsa el Brega Kittyhawk I (AK610) of 3Sqn, RAAF $Sgt RH Simes (5/1/1 victories), killed

38 9.1.1942 14:20 P-40 3./JG27 10km N Gadd el

Ahmar Kittyhawk I (AK581) of 3Sqn, RAAF flown by G Chinchen

39 8.2.1942 14:32 P-40 3./JG27 E Bomba Bucht Kittyhawk of 112Sqn, RAF

40 9.2.1942 10:51 Hurricane 3./JG27 S El Adem Hurricane of 73Sqn, RAF

41 21.2.1942 12:11 P-40 3./JG27 20km SE Ain el Gazala Kittyhawk of 112Sqn, RAF

42 27.2.1942 12:10 P-40 3./JG27 NE Fort Acroma Kittyhawk of 450Sqn, RAF $Sgt EJ Gray, killed

43 2.3.1942 10:51 P-40 3./JG27 W Tobruk Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

44 2.3.1942 10:52 P-40 3./JG27 SE Fort Acroma Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

45 2.4.1942 18:07 P-40 3./JG27 30km N Fort Acroma Hurricane of 80Sqn, RAF

46 6.4.1942 9:10 Hurricane 3./JG27 NW Tmimi Hurricane of 40Sqn, SAAF $Lt Egner, baled out

47 7.4.1942 8:37 P-46 3./JG27 SW Ain el Gazala Tomahawk of 260Sqn, RAF $Sgt Alexander, killed

48 23.5.1942 11:18 Boston 3./JG27 N Acroma Baltimore of 223Sqn, RAF

49 25.7.1942 17:45 Hurricane Stab I./JG27 W El Daba -

50 27.7.1942 12:25 Hurricane Stab I./JG27 SE El Hammam Hurricane of 33 or 213Sqn, RAF

51 27.7.1942 12:27 Hurricane Stab I./JG27 SE El Hammam Hurricane of 33 or 213Sqn, RAF

52 27.7.1942 12:28 Hurricane Stab I./JG27 5km S El Hammam Hurricane of 33 or 213Sqn, RAF

53 7.8.1942 9:35 Hurricane Stab I./JG27 NNW El Alamein Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

54 7.8.1942 9:37 P-40 Stab I./JG27 Near Ras Gibeira Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

55 18.8.1942 9:38 P-40 Stab I./JG27 W El Alamein Kittyhawk of 260Sqn, RAF $ P/O Maclean

56 29.8.1942 8:45 P-40 Stab I./JG27 15km SE Abu Dweis Kittyhawk of 450Sqn, RAF

57 2.9.1942 16:10 P-46 Stab I./JG27 SW El Hammam Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF

58 7.9.1942 17:42 P-40 Stab I./JG27 SE El Alamein -

59 15.9.1942 16:54 P-40 Stab I./JG27 SW El Alamein -

60 27.10.1942 15:15 Spitfire Stab I./JG27 Bir Mumim Busak -

61 2.11.1942 12:06 P-46 Stab I./JG27 SE Mumin Busak Hurricane of 33 or 238Sqn, RAF

62 VIII.43 - E/a Stab I./JG54 - -

63 2.8.1943 - Airacobra Stab I./JG54 S Kromy -

Victories : 63

Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (9 April 1942)

Ritterkreuz (14 June 1941)

Units : LG 2, JG27, JG54

http://www.luftwaffe.cz/homuth.html