Wednesday 2 September 2015

Bf 110 ZG 26 Lippspringe October 1943






Seen in Lippspringe this 2./ZG 1 Me 110 G-2 was flown by pilot (Flugzeugführer) Uffz. Josef ( Bert) Holzmann seen here on his return from a combat sortie on 10 October 1943 during which he claimed 2 Viermot bombers shot down on the 8th USAF raid on Münster. Three days later 2./ZG 1 became 2./ZG 26. On 30 May 1944 the 8th USAF was sent to aviation factories and airfields in the western occupied zone. That morning from 10:00 I./ZG 26 in Königsberg-Neumark committed 13 of its new Me 410s. Ten made contact and seven were shot down including Holzmann who was KIA during combat (Reichsverteidigung). He may have made as many as thirteen claims in as many sorties.

Below middle; Holzmann on the wing of his Bf 110.

Images currently on offer here via Michael Meyer's Ebay sales