JV 44 Research Project

[Redwulf__1]

Since 5 years my friends and I are researching Gallands JV 44, Squadron of Experts. In our case we are concentrating at the part of the Platzschutzstaffeln ( airfield protection Squadron ) of JV 44, the Doras of Gallands Circus. We knew several books, like JV 44 the Galland Circus and Doras of Galland Circus, we are also in contact with former Members of JV 44 and other german Luftwaffe Pilots. We also knew the biografies in detail of 2 of the 4 known Dora Pilots, in this case Heinz Sachsenberg and Waldemar Wübke. But Informations are rarte and some research details opening new questions.

What we know at this point is very interessting and in some details, we will write the History of the Platzschutzstaffel new. We found new assigned planes and have a link to several different Squadrons that were assigned to JV 44 in the last days of the war.

We still need informations and maybe some of you can help us in our efforts.

1. Who can us informations about Oblt. Klaus Faber, Pilot of Red 13 FW 190 D-9. What happened to him after the war and is he maybe alive? If so, how can we contact him. There is a rumor that he lives near Cologne, but thats not proofen.....

2. Who can give us informations about Oblt. Karl- Heinz Hoffmann. What happened to him and is he still alive ? We do not have any Information
about a possible flown plane.

3. We know that the plane Fw 190 D-11 "Red 4", W.Nr.170933
Slogan reads:
Der nächste Herr dieselbe Dame! (The next Man the same Woman!)
at left side of fuselage was assigned from a different unit
to JV 44. We do not have any Information about the pilot. In some messages you can read that possible Karl- Heinz Hoffmann has flown the plane, but we cant proof that. Any information available ?

4. Who is in contact with former JV 44 and can help us to contact them for questions?


Please feel free to contact me via email.

Thank you all for your help

[Erich]

Faber is deceased as all of the Würger staffel vets. There is basically no new info right now except possibly another a/c that was marked red 2 and in fact may be an Fw 190A-8 instead of a proposed D-9.
Crandalls work is probably the best on the market although OOP.
one probelm and this is typical of the Luftwaffe late war is that although these guys were given a scheduled D- to fly they also flew each other's a/c. Not all of them were on duty at the same time. One story and it is not know if it is true or not is that Faber was the only pilot to score a victory and that being a P-47.
also the JV 44 jet pilots know next to nothing about their air protection as they were not on the same airfield and so did not work with one another except to get a call when the jets were to be airborne
as to additional squadrons helping cover the Galland Circus whom may have that been ? ............. have heare only the 5-6 Doras, and why try to rewrite history of an almost bogus unit ? intersted in falshy colours maybe ?

v/r

Erich

[Redwulf__1]

Thanks for your reply Eric.

To give you an short overview. I also heard about different Squadrons that have flown Protection for the JV 44. JG 54 and JG 7 were near and have flown probably these duties. We also have found 4 new Doras ( all D- 11 like the Red 4 ) that were assigned to JV 44. Stationed at Bad Wörrishofen at the Verbandsführerschule ( School for Squad Leaders ). I also have heard about a Red 2, but we cant proof that. Vets like Rall and Bob cant remember anymore. The last days of war were very hectic and a lot of papers are lost. But I can tell you that some things we have had found out will be surprising, i.e. that the Doras were assigned to III. / JV 44 official. Well we will see if I might get some answers here...
Thanks a lot anyway

Klaus Bohnen

PS: Dont believe all you have read from Crandall

[Erich]

first no I have followd the JV 44 unit closely for over 15 years, JV 44 was supposed to have been the new IV./JG 7 under the command of Erich Rudorffer and his text on this will be in our forth-coming book as there are some interesting ties with Kommando Welter.

III./JG 54 covered Kommando Nowonty but no other unit and of course you know it formulated into JG 26. Me 262 JG 7 never had any air cover protection and this is from the living vets from the JG 7 jet unit.

Yes I know about the schule Doras as this is where Rote 1 came from and they of course were repaitned but you can see through the thin layers easy enough. there may have been a Röte 2 but ? It would be understandable of course if this was an active staffel to have at least 8-9 Doras and numbered the same 1 through 9, so possibly some textural evidence may show up and then again may not.

Much success Klaus !

Erich ~

[Redwulf__1]

Erich, thanks a lot for the quick message and the swapping of Informations. But I have some different research datas that might be interessting for you. The Red 1 plane was a D-9, assigned to Heinz Sachsenberg a former JG 7 Pilot. I know that he got some hours on a ME 262, but somehow he ended flying in the Dora. The plane you might know was the RED 4, a D-11 with an unknown Pilot. I have a picture of the Red4 which shows this plane disambled at Munich Riem. Under the RED 4 number you can see at this picture a white Chevorn and the Number 58. You know about the planes of the Verbandsführerschule and here comes the Interessting link. Only 10 D- 11 were built ( reference Focke-Wulf190.de ) and all were stationed there in Bad Wörrishofen. All of them had a white chevron followed by a number, exept one plane with Commodore markings, know also as the Black Stab 11. This might be a Günther Rall plane, because he was the last commander of this School. We still in Contact with Günther Rall and Hans- Ekkehard Bob ( former JG 54 ) and we try to find out if he has flown this plane. From Bob we know that he surrendered in Innsbruck, but that he never has flown a plane as JV 44 Member. But the interessting thing is that at least 1 JV 44 Dora came from this School. All we need is the Pilot plane. What we do not find out is the background about Karl- Heinz Hoffmann, 1 of the 4 known Dora Pilots. If we can research that he was also a Member under Rall, we might have identified the Red 4 Pilot. And-annother interessting point is that we found out is the fact that the white chevrons at the Bad Wörrishofen planes were not a tactical marking. It was a sign V for Versuch ( Try ) Plane, switched to 45 degrees to the right. The chevron was a "cheat" for allied Pilots, because it had to be unknown for them that these planes were "Try- out planes". Interessting stuff, huh?

As Hans Ekkehard Bob said, the last days in JV 44 were very hectic and a lot of things are lost, but we all should try to find out, we must share informations. Otherwise Informations of one of the best Squadron will be lost forever

Klaus

[VIETCONG]

Dear friends,

I am an admirer of german fighter pilots,the best in the world, and particularly or Adolf Galland, a very brave and fine man..
I would like to use JG44 emblem as avatar, could anyone tell me which is?
I have the modern one downloaded from the Luftwaffe website, it is very nice, but would love to use the former if it exists.Thanks a lot