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Hugo Broch | Leutnant Hugo Broch Vital to all fighter units are the pilots who make such superb wingmen that their leaders are loath to part with them. Hugo Broch was one such wingman. Having joined VI./JG54 in January he flew first with Horst Adameit (166 victories), and later with Bazi Sterr (130 victories), but soon demonstrated his own skill in combat. By the end of 1944 he had lifted his personal score to 71 victories. One of JG54s great Fw190 Aces, Hugo Broch saw combat on the Eastern and Baltic Fronts, and completed the war having flown 324 combat missions, and claiming 81 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross. |
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| Text for the above items : |
First to Fall by Ivan Berryman. The first Messerschmitt Bf.109 to be brought down on English soil in WW2 was 2964, a machine from 3/LG2. Although injured, the pilot baled out successfully, landing near Sandwich in Kent, the victim of an intense combat with Spitfires of 54 Sqn. |
One to One by Ivan Berryman. A Messerschmitt BF109 E of JG27 closes on a 501 squadron Hawker Hurricane during the typical combat in the skies over southern England during the Battle of Britain, in the summer of 1940. |
A Nimble Foe by David Pentland. Krasnowardeist, Russia, 21st September 1941. Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his 36th victory over a Soviet Polikarpov I-153 as the German forces surged towards Leningrad. Although an obsolete design, the I-153 was a very manoeuvrable and potentially deadly foe. |
No Escape by David Pentland. Bf109 G2 of Major Gunther Rall pursues and downs an unidentified Soviet aircraft over the Caucasus, Russia, early Autumn 1943. Rall went on to become the third highest scoring ace of all time, with 275 victories in only 621 missions. |
Green Hearts by Ivan Berryman. Situated 40 miles south west of Leningrad, the German occupied airfield at Siverskaya is now home to the famous Grunherz or Green Hearts of Jagdgeschwader 54. The harsh Russian winter of 1941 is starting to take hold as three Messerschmitt Bf109F-4 Friedrichs from III Gruppe take off into early morning sunshine to act as fighter escort to Stuka attacks on the Soviet fleet in Kronstadt Harbour. With its wheel covers removed to prevent snow jamming the undercarriage, lead aircraft Yellow 5 already shows signs of weathering to the partial whitewash hastily applied over summer camouflage. |
Savage Skies by Robert Taylor. The weather on the morning of 31 December, 1944 was already unpleasant. In the Ardennes, hard-pressed German troops were battling Allied ground forces advancing through several inches of snow. Above, darkening skies heralded the arrival of more snow. At 10.45am, in deteriorating weather, a battle formation of 30 Fw190D fighters climbed out of Varrelbusch and headed south over the snowcovered landscape. Under the command of 12./JG54 Staffelkapitan, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, and initially tasked to provide air cover to their beleaguered comrades below, the group was re-assigned to intercept enemy aircraft in the region of Limburg almost immediately the pilots were airborne. Flying south they ran directly into the oncoming weather, and with visibility dangerously reduced, Dortenmann elected to climb through the solid cloud into clear air. As the Fw190s broke cloud above the area of Koblenz they sighted a formation of nine 2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators and formed up for an attack. Some 6000 feet above, top-cover P-51 Mustangs had watched the Fw190s climbing through the banks of clouds, and turned 180 degrees to position behind the Luftwaffe fighters. Diving in from their height advantage, the Mustang pilots entered the fray and within seconds the sky was filled with swirling dogfights. |
Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. The Green Heart Warriors carried their famous emblem throughout almost every European theatre during World War Two. Having fought with distinction in the Battle of Britain, JG54 transferred to the Eastern Front, where it was to acheive historic success. Becoming one of the most successful combat wings of the war, JG54 spawned a succession of top fighter Aces, no fewer than 20 achieving more than 100 air victories, its pilots collecting an impressive 58 Knights Cross awards. Flying both Fw190s and Me109s, JG54 took part in the heavy air fighting in the northern region of the Russian Front, where conditions were not for the faint hearted and demanded exceptional piloting skills. One young Austrian pilot, Walter Nowotny, won a reputation even among Allied pilots, and during the summer of 1943 became a virtual one-man air force in the skies above the Eastern Front. In June 1943 he shot down 41 aircraft, 10 in one day. In August he collected a further 43 air victories, and another 45 the following month. In a dgo-fight in October Nowotny shot down a P-40 fighter to record an astounding 250 air victories, becoming the first fighter pilot in history to acheive this score. It is February 1943, the countryside deep in snow, and the temperature well below freezing as Leutnant Walter Nowotny, Staffelkapitan of 1./JG54, taxis White One out from a crowded dispersal on to the snow covered runway at Krasnogvardeisk. With their temporary whitewash colour scheme glinting in the early morning sunlight, the FW190A-4s pose a menacing spectacle as they line up to follow the fighters of 2./JG54, already airborne, into the cold morning air. Published 2002 Signed by three famous Luftwaffe Aces who flew with JG54 Green Hearts. |
Ikarus Downed by David Pentland. Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 9th April 1941. An afternoon raid by III/Jg54 developed into a massive dogfight between the Greenhearts Me109Es and a squadron of Hurricanes and Ik3s. At the conclusion of the dogfight the Lufftwaffe had downed 3 aircraft, for the loss of 2 of their own. Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob, claimed one of the indigenous Ik3 Ikarus fighters as his 21st victory. |
Messerschmitt versus Messerschmitt by David Pentland. Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 6th April 1941. While escorting Stukas at the start of the German Balkan campaign, the Me109Es of JG54 were engaged by Me109Es of the Yugoslav air force. During the ensuing melee, ObLt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his 20th victory. |
Close Encounter by Ivan Berryman. Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1As of No.610 (County of Chester) Sqn RAAF, intercept incoming Heinkel 111H-16s of the 9th Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 53 Legion Condor during the big daylight raids on London of August and September 1940 - the climax of the Battle of Britain. Spitfire N3029 (DW-K) was shot down by a Bf109 on the 5th of September 1940 and crash-landed near Gravesend, Kent, thankfully without injury to Sgt Willcocks, the pilot. For the record, N3029 was rebuilt and, following some brief flying in the UK, was sent overseas by convoy to the Middle East. Ironically, the ship carrying this aircraft was torpedoed en route and both ship and all its cargo were lost. |
Bomber's Bane by David Pentland. Ostrov, Latvia, 6th July 1941. Tasked with supporting the advancing German ground forces through Latvia, the fighters of 9th Staffel JG54 were kept busy keeping the Red Airforce at bay. On this occasion Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob, downed 3 Tupolev SB-2 bombers during a single sortie. His 27th, 28th and 29th victories. |
Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) In the summer of 1940, as a 28 year old captain, Hannes Trautloft took command of JG 54. During the next three years this extraordinary fighter leader shaped the unit into one of the most successful combat fighter wings of World War II. The Green Heart emblem of his home town Thuringischen, in the heart of Germany, became the Groups symbol and the fighter pilots famous as Trautlofts Green Heart Warriors. They carried their reputation throughout almost every European theatre. After campaigning in the Balkans, the unit moved to the Russian Front, where it flew Me109s and Fw190s in the heavy fighting of the Northern Region. By the war-end no fewer than twenty Green Heart Aces had achieved more than 100 air victories, its pilots collecting 58 Knights Cross awards. Nicolas Trudgian portrays a typical scene on the Eastern Front in 1943: IL 2 Stormoviks have attacked a German armoured division who have called for air support. JG 54 Green Hearts have quickly scrambled to the scene and have broken up the attack, downing several Russian aircraft during the encounter. In the foreground, Hannes Trautlofts Fw190 hurtles out of the canvas towards us, as the Ace glances over his shoulder to see an unfortunate IL-2 moments before hitting the snow-covered landscape a few feet below. Behind, two more Fw190s give support while in the background the low-level aerial contest is furiously fought. The drama unfolds in an exquisitely painted landscape, the northern morning sun casting long shadows across the snow drifts. |
Cat Among the Pigeons (FW190) by Ivan Berryman. It was in 1941 that the remarkable Focke-Wulfe FW190 first appeared in the skies of Europe, quickly establishing itself as a most formidable adversary. It proved to be the supreme weapon against all allied bomber forces. Here FW190A-8 of 1 Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 1 is shown attacking a B17G of 381st Bomb Group during a critical defence of the Reich in 1944. |
Looking for Business by Ivan Berryman. A pair of Focke Wulf 190A4s of 9./JG2 Richthofen based at Vannes, France during February 1943. The nearest aircraft is that of Staffelkapitan Siegfried Schnell. The badge on the nose is the rooster emblem of III./JG2 and the decoration on Schnells rudder shows 70 of his eventual total of 93 kills. |
Adolf Galland / Messerschmitt Bf109 E-4 by Ivan Berryman Germanys primary fighter during World War II, the Daimler-Benz DB601A powered BF109E-4 was much loved by its pilots, combining good speed and manoeuverability with a powerful armament, namely two 7.9mm MG17 machine guns in the top decking, two wing mounted 20mm MGFF/M canon and a further 20mm MGFF/M canon mounted in the engine, firing centrally through the propeller spinner. Nearest aircraft is that of the 109s greatest exponent, Major Adolf Galland, Gruppenkommander III/JG26 Schlageter, Luftflotte 2, depicted during a sortie from Caffiers, France in 1942. |
Hunters at Dawn by Robert Taylor. Those Aces with over 100 victories were exceptional. To reach 200 victories was a spectacular achievement. Yet two men went even further and accomplished a feat that will never be repeated - both of them shot down more than 300 enemy aircraft which placed them in a league of their own. They were the elite of the elite, and their names are legendary - Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn. It is no surprise that these iconic Aces scored their victories whilst flying with the legendary fighter wing JG52. Active from the beginning of the war, the unit fought in the Battle of France, but suffered terrible losses during the Battle of Britain before transferring to the Eastern Front at the outset of Operation Barbarossa, and it was here that it solidified its fearsome reputation. Operating the Bf109 throughout the war, the Geschwader boasted some of the greatest Luftwaffe pilots of world war two among its ranks - including the top three Aces of all time. Such renowned pilots as Gunther Rall (275 victories), Wilhelm Batz (237 victories), Hermann Graf (212 victories) and Helmut Lipfert (203 victories) helped this formidable unit notch up more than 10,000 victories, making it the most successful fighter wing in history. Hunters at Dawn features Hptm. Gerhard Barkhorn, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG52. The great Ace, flying his Bf109 G-6, leads the Stab as they climb out from their base near the Black Sea, early November 1943. The crisp air of day break is temporarily punctuated by the roar of Daimler-Benz engines as the deadly Messerschmitt fighters set off on their daily hunt for Soviet aircraft over the front line. |
Jagers by David Pentland. Zhitomir, Russia, February 1943. On 6th January 1943, Gefreiter Hugo Broch was posted to II./JG54 on the eastern front, and assigned to 6./JG54. His first combat experiences were as Kaczmarek (wingman) to Horst Adameit (166 victories) and Heinrich Bazi Sterr (130 victories) flying cannon-armed Me109G-2s against both Soviet air and ground targets. |
Tribute to Gunther Rall by Ivan Berryman. (P) No text for this item |
Clash of Steel, Prokhorovka, Kursk, 12th July 1943 by David Pentland. The battle for Prokhorovka marked the high water mark of the German southern drive for Kursk. At the apex of the thrust were the 14 tiger tanks of the 13 Heavy Tank Company, 1st SS Panzer Division Liebstandarte, led by Michael Wittman. Their advance was eventually thwarted, however, by the epic charge of the Soviet 29th Guards Tank Corps, as part of 5th Guards Tank Armys furious counter attack against the SS Tank Corps. |
The End by David Pentland. An abandoned Me262 shown in 1945 at the end of world war two. |
Storm Chasers by Nicolas Trudgian. Even the most faithful of Messerschmitt Me 109 pilots that also flew the Focke-Wulf Fw190 grudgingly admitted the well-proportioned and aesthetically pleasing Fw190 was the finest single-seat fighter in the Luftwaffes armoury during World War II. Soon after its arrival on the Channel Front in 1941, when initial bugs were ironed out, this superb fighter came close to fighter design perfection by the standards of the day. Just as the Mk IX Spitfire held the mantle as Britains most outstanding combat fighter of the war, so was the Fw190 regarded by experienced Luftwaffe pilots. Within months of its operational debut the Fw190 was causing widespread consternation among RAF pilots, the new fighter equal to the Mk IX Spitfire in all but its ability in the tightest of turning circles. By 1944 the technically superb Fw190 came into its own in the great air battles against the USAAFs massed daylight raids. The defence of the Reichs western airspace rested on the shoulders of a few Jagdgschwarden who, against steadily increasing odds, were tasked with interception and destruction of the attacking American heavy bombers. Flying alongside the two established Channel fighter wings JG2 Richthofen and JG26 Schlageter, equipped with Fw190s and led by the great fighter ace Oberst Walter Oesau, JG1 joined the battle in defence of northern Germany. Nicolas Trudgians painting Storm Chasers depicts the Fw190As of I./JG1, distinguished by their distinctive black and white striped cowls, scrambling from the snow-covered Dortmund airfield on 10 February 1944 to intercept another inbound American daylight raid. Nicks dramatic view of this technically supreme fighter conveys its true class as it hurtles over the airfield, its undercarriage retracting as the Fw190 accelerates into the climb. Below, sharing the airfield with I./JGI, are the Fw190s of the newly formed Sturmstaffel 1, identified by their black-white-black tail bands, seen taxiing out to join in the interception. Despite bad weather conditions the Luftwaffes defending fighters scored heavily that day, inflicting severe losses on the Americans, claiming 29 bombers and 8 fighters shot down in the action. |
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