Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4

Black 9, W.Nr. 332402, flown by an unknown pilot in, 11./JG 53, Prien/Germany, May 1945

The III./JG 53 was during the last months of the war commanded bu Hauptmann Siegfried Luckanbach.

The JG 53 flew the last mission of the war on 2 May 1945. When III Gruppen took off from Otterfing during the early morning hours to participate in low-level attacks on tank and transport columns around Ammersee. After landing at Prien air base heavy rain and snowfall during the day the airfield became waterlogged and kept them on the ground.

After midday Oblt. Martin von Vacano ordered that all aircraft at Prien should be blown up, not to be falling in enemy hands. An Waffen-SS unit based near to the airfield, eager to continue the fight, demobilizing the machines by bowing them up. However later that day an order came that the III Gruppe should be flown out and to be subordinate to the II./JG 300. However with all their machines now wrecks and litterd the airfield, some still burning. This definitely put an end to any more action for the III./JG 53, thereby effectively ending the Geschwader operations career.

During April and May 1945 JG 53 lost a total of 40 Bf 109s, 37 of them was K-4s subtype (not including blown up machines), 14 of the losses was due to FLAK and another 12 was lost in air-combat, with five pilot KIA, another five WIA and one pilot taken POW. During this period the pilots of the Geschwader filed claims for a total of 56 Allied Aircraft.

Note that this "Black 9" was found on an airfield in a "demobilizing" state by Alled soldiers, perhaps one of the machines left at Prien to rot. Note also the number 2 behind the fuselage cross, probably the last of the four digits of the aircrafts Werknummer, something often seen on K-4s.

This profie would be included in the upcoming Book No 14

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© Claes Sundin 2021