Herbert Kutscha began his career as an Unteroffizer within 5./JG 77. He claimed his first victory during the "phoney war" by shooting down a Wellington over the German bay on 14 December 1939, followed by a Hudson on February 24, 1940. During March 1940, he was transferred to 5./ZG 1 and participated in the Western Campaign, claiming two victories against a Dutch aircraft and a Swiss Bf 109 piloted by Lt. Homberger.

On 26 June 26, 1940, 5./ZG 1 was redesignated 8./ZG 76. When this elité Bf 110 Gruppe dubbed "Haifisch Gruppe" Kutscha took part in the Battle of Britain. He claimed four victories, however a fourth was not confirmed. On 24 April 1941, the designation of 8./ZG 76 was changed again and became 5./SKG 210.

With this Gruppe Kutscha participated in Operation Barbarossa and the offensive in the East in the summer of 1941. On 4 January his Staffel was once more redisignate to 5./ZG 1. Six weeks later on 14 February ObFw. Herbert Kutscha received the Deutchen Kreuzes in Gold. And on 24 September he received the covered Ritterkreuz and was promoted to Leutnant. By this time he had amassed a total of 22 abschusse, including 14 in the East. He also had destroyed 44 aircraft on the ground, 41 tanks, 15 locomotives, 11 artillery positions and 157 other vehicles.

In June 1943 was appointed Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 3 "Udet" by then posted to the in the Mediterranean theatre. Here he participated in the development of BR 21 cm "Ofenrohr" rocket-tupes mounted on Me 109s wings. With those experiment vepons Lt. Kutscha participated in interceptions of 4-engine bombers but also flying ground attack mission when the Allie´s landed in the Salerno bay.

Flying in the Mediterranean he would claim his first on 12 July, a Spitfire shot down 20 km south of Licata. He would add another seven confirmed victories in this theatre including his first 4-engi

ne bomber shot down on this day, on 16 August, a B-24 Liberatior that fell before his guns 5 km south of San Matteo. When IV./JG 3 left for Reichfertidigung duties the pilots in the Gruppe had been accredited 63 downing or out-shootings, for 13 pilots killed in action, with another 14 wounded or injured pilots. The aircraft losses during this period was a staggering 115 Messerschmitts, 18 of them in air-combat as most of the losses was result of Allied bomb attacks.

In February 1944, he was wounded in combat and had to remain hospitalized for 4 months. When returned to combat, he had been promoted to Hauptmann and appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 3. On 16 July 1944 while fighting in the Normandy, Hptm. Kutscha downed a Spitfire in the St Martin des Besaces area. And from 21 July he held a number of commands in JG 3, JG 27 and finally on 23 February 1945 as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 11.

Herbert Kutscha accomplished more than 900 combat missions and amassed a total of 47 confirmed victories. Note the 21 cm launcher tubes called by the Germans "stove pipes" and on the engine cowling the JG 3 "Udet" badge.

This caption is one of the thirtytwo written by me during the week, by others all of the Messerschmitt BF 109 captions for are now written. I will start writing the first Fw 190 captions during next week. Please note this text is provisional and should be tweeked during the process of finishing this the newly renamed Profile Book No 14.

Regarding Profile Book No 14. A book I will writing the profile captions for during the following five weeks. Unfortunatly I have to pospone the Profile Book about the JG 52, and instead published book No 15 as Book No 14 as my next profile book in June this year.

Includes in the Profile Book No 14, the reader would find, Four Bf 109 A and B:s, 17 Bf 109 Emils, 27 Bf 109 Fs, 23 Bf 109 Gs, and another 13 late war Bf 109 Gs including K-4s. When it comes to the Focke Wulfs: 30 Fw 190 A-1 to A-8 would be included and seven Fw 190 Doras, another late war Fw 190 prototyp, one He 162, and another Me 163, This together with a Macchi 202 flown by Marseille. Finally, four Me 262 and a captured P-51B Mustang is included.