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During the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, Uffz. Johann Halfmann flew as wingman to 7./JG 54's Oberfeldwebel Karl Kempf. On 13 September 1941, Halfmann achieved his first victory against a MiG-3, probably from 7 IAK-PVO. His second confirmed victory, a Yak-1, was downed on 11 October. On 2 January 1942, Obfw. Kempf and Uffz. Halfmann carried out a most successful combat mission resulting in six victories, five for Kempf, and one, an I-16, claimed by Halfmann. On 16 February, Halfmann downed an I-15bis, and on 15 March shot down another MiG-3. Halfmann's sixth victory was achieved against a Yak-1. On 25 May Oberfeldwebel Kempf brought home his 42nd to 44th victories and on 10 June, Kempf shot down two MiG-3s and Halfmann one. On 23 June, Halfmann was awarded with the Iron Cross of the First Class. And little more than a month later on 27 August he shot down his first heavily-armoured Il-2, with this Abschuss being his last in the Eastern Front. On 1 September 1942, Johann "Hans" Halfmann was promoted to Feldwebel with a total of 11 confirmed victories. In late March 1943 III./JG 54 left the Eastern Front and was transferred to Germany and Bad Zwischenlahn for Reichsverteidigung duties. Based at Oldenburg, Fw. Halfmann would start his scoring on 19 May by downing a B-17 over northern Germany. Then on 23 June 1943, III./JG 54 was transferred to Holland in an effort to attack the incoming four-engine bombers before they reached the Reich. Flying from Amsterdam-Schiphol on 27 July Halfmann shot down a Typhoon west of Haarlem. However, later this day when engaging RAF Spitfires he was wounded and his Bf 109 G-6 was damaged, forcing him to belly-land his crate on a beach close to Katwijk. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to Oberfeldwebel. Obfw. Halfmann was killed during a training flight while converting to the Fw 190 at Ludwigslust in Germany on 23 January 1944. By that time, Halfmann had served longer than anyone else in 7./JG 54 and was credited with a total of 13 confirmed victories. As is well known, photographic evidence reveals that JG 54's aircraft on the Ostfront wore a number of camouflage patterns incorporating various shades of green, gray, tan and brown. Some colors are known and others speculative, but all were used in various combinations as they provided better air and ground concealment reflecting the operational conditions on the northern part of the front. This profile is based on a series of stills from a well-known color film taken at Siverskaya by Oblt. Werner Pichon-Kalau von Hofe. Nevertheless, interpretation of its camouflage colors is not definitive. While the forward fuselage color is no doubt RLM 70 black-green, the rear fuselage color offers several interpretive possibilities. This medium gray-green shade could be the old pre-war color RLM 63 green-gray (a shade similar to RLM 02 gray-green) or related color RLM 62 green. Note that the panel surrounding the tail wheel is painted black. Of special note is the presence of the Geschwader, Gruppe and Staffel insignias displayed on this machine. Eighteen victory bars are painted on the rudder but without any information such as dates and aircraft type written within each white marking. Please note that
during the last week I have been occupied with printing the book
and new book-orders. |
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