Red S of 8.(Pz)/Schl.G. 1, Orel-West/USSR, July 1943

On the first day of July, before being committed to the Battle of Kursk, 8.(Pz)/Schl.G. 1 reported 16 Hs 129 B-2s on strength. Trying to halt the following Soviet counter-offensive resulted in heavy losses. This machine was shot down on the 16th of July due to flak. It was one of six Hs 129s the unit lost during the two weeks of intense fighting over the latter half of the month. Note the two tank kill markings on the rudder.