A representation of Hans Iffland's Bf 109 G-6, schwarzer Winkel Strich,
as it may well have appeared in April 1944 ...( see photo on P106 of
Prien's Chronik ). The G-6 being produced in early 1944 incorporated a range
of improved features such as the clear view 'Erla Haube' or canopy
and a redesigned tall tail. Note also underwing cannon, 300L Zusatzbehälter
fuel tank and FuG 16ZY antenna . Iffland flew with 10./JG 3 and achieved
18 victories before being shot down and severely wounded on the Oschersleben
raid of 7 July 1944. Awarded the Deutsche Kreuz in Gold.
Karl Bleckmann's is a name familiar to readers of Prien's Chronik des Einsatzes einer Jagdgruppe. Historian and archivist and former member of the IV Gruppe of JG3, the material he had collected formed the basis of Jochen Prien's volume. Joining IV./JG 3 at the Gruppe's Aufstellung or formation in Neubiberg in June 1943 he remained with the Gruppe until the end ( Prenzlau , April 1945 ). I called him recently at his home to discuss amongst other subjects this site and the related article that appears in the March 2001 issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling. My thanks to Werner Farwick for facilitating my contact with Karl.
We discussed the history of the IV Gruppe. JG 3 had been one of the first Luftwaffe fighter units to be expanded to four Gruppen, the IV Gruppe being largely composed of experienced pilots from the other three Gruppen of JG 3. The new Kommandeur of the unit was Hptm Franz Beyer an 80 victory Eastern Front Ritterkreuzträger previously Staffelkapitän 8./JG 3. Initially sent to Italy to fight against overwhelming forces during the summer of 1943 IV./JG3 was one of the first Bf 109 units equipped with the Br 21 under-wing rocket launchers.
One point that I wanted an opinion on were the reasons IV./JG 3 was chosen to become the first Sturmgruppe. IV./JG 3 was brought back to the Reich at the end of 1943 as the bombing campaign intensified and Göring continued to reproach a lack of fighting spirit in the Jagdwaffe . During the early months of 1944, against a background of concerted 8th AF attacks on German fighter plants and associated industries culminating in 'Big Week', IV./JG 3 had been one of the most prominent and successful Jagdgruppen defending the Reich. According to Karl this was almost entirely due to the success rates of eager young Jagdflieger such as Hans Weik, Willi Unger and Hans Iffland. Between Feb 1944 and April ,Weik flying his usual 'weisse 7' had shot down some 23 Viermots. Willi Unger did not make his first combat flight until late March 1944 but during April shot down eight heavy bombers. Hans Iffland had some sixteen heavy bomber 'kills' during this period. Pilots of the Gruppe had shot down some 13 heavy bombers on the 6th March Berlin raid, the costliest ever mounted by the 8th AF. Based at Salzwedel alongside the Sturmstaffel, IV./JG 3 still carried out frontal attacks in line abreast, Staffeln turning into attack from three to five miles ahead of the bombers, although it was increasingly the case that tactics were standardised around Gefechtsverbände or battle formations comprising 'leichte' Gruppen to deal with the American fighter escorts and 'schwere' or heavy Gruppen to bring to bear the necessary weight of firepower unmolested. Karl took the photos reproduced on P101 of Prien's Chronik recording General der Jagdflieger Galland's visit to the unit on April 15 1944 during which he announced that IV./JG 3 should adopt the Sturmgruppe role along the lines of the Sturmstaffel alongside which they were based. IV Gruppe pilots were given the option of transferring out of the unit. None did so although not all would sign the Sturmgruppe affidavit.
I was interested in Karl Bleckmann's 'job title' with the Sturmgruppe, his 'amtliche Stellung'. I was under the impression that he had been the ground controller directing the Sturmgruppe in the air. This was incorrect.
" There is no exact title for my role with the IV Gruppe . I did anything and more. I was a kind of right-hand man of the Kommandeur ..... I was the man who wrote the reports of fights, air victories and much more ". In other words, Gefechtsstand personel responsible for processing Abschussmeldungen, Klarmeldungen, ( daily status report of aircraft availabilty ) Gefechtsberichte and so on. We went on to discuss how a Sturm Gefechtsverband was directed from the ground…".not very well.." was really Karl's only comment. This was apparently due to the very short range of their transmitting equipment.
Karl is just one of the former Sturmgruppe personnel still receiving mail from all over the world , mostly in English, sometimes in Russian, rarely in decent German . As with Hans Weik this sort of mail tends to go straight in the bin if only because little of it is understandable.
Interestingly he said that much of Prien's book was put together by himself and Norbert Bonk , who has since passed away. I think Prien's foreword largely makes this clear.
We also spoke about his contacts. Obviously he knew all the pilots that came through the Gruppe and is in regular contact with Hagenah, Weik, Iffland , Müller... Müller he referred to as Kommandeur ( I pointed out this was Moritz ....'In Prenzlau this was Müller', he said ! Wilhelm Moritz left the Sturmgruppe in November 1944 after a series of bitter arguments with Göring over the inability of the Gruppe to take off and combat the bombers in the poor autumn weather of that month. He was in fact one of the last Kommandeure of II./JG 4. Bleckmann recalls little of Erwin Bacsila previously with the Sturmstaffel and JG 301 who became IV Gruppe's last Kommandeur of the war. Bleckmann said that one former pilot he has had no contact with is Kurt Bolz who is apparently not interested in their IV Gruppe reunions, the last one of which took place in November 2000 in Rheine ( he remembers an American being present, no name ). Karl Bleckmann also mentioned that Klaus Neumann and Dieter Zink have both died recently ( see current issue of Jägerblatt )... and both Moritz who lives in Canada and Weik are ill, Wilhelm Moritz in particular is quite poorly as I write this.... ( March 2001 )
Read my 15 page article on the Sturmgruppen in the March 2001 issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling
Details from http://samnet.co.uk