Do you recognise this Luftaffe Pilot?

[torstenbel]

This is a German newspaper from 1942. I think the man looks like the twin brother of Reinhard Heydrich ... does anyone recognise him?? Cheers, Torsten.

[jambobbyb]

Hi Reinhard Heydrich was a qualified pilot are you sure its not him? he does look similar

[torstenbel]

Hi Reinhard Heydrich was a qualified pilot are you sure its not him? he does look similar

Hi, I know Heydrich was a Pilot and I am not sure that it is not him ... but the man on the newspaper cover wears a Luftwaffe Oberleutnant uniform and the caption describes him as a Staffelkapitaen ... not sure Heydrich would be pictured like that on the front of a national newspaper without people being told that it is him...there would be too many people that recognise him and would know that the caption is a lie in that case ... ??...Cheers, Torsten.

[Simon O.]

It's the staffel abzeichen of 4./StG 77

[torstenbel]

It's the staffel abzeichen of 4./StG 77

thank you Simon....is there any way of finding out who the Staffelkapitaen was in 1942?

[Larry deZeng]

Here are 5 possibilities, all Oberleutnante and with 4./St.G. 77 at one point or another during 1942:

GLÄSER, Alexander. (DOB: 04.01.14 in Büdingen/Hessen). (RE, DKG). 1935 trf from the Heer to the Luftwaffe. 1936 Aufklärungsflieger. c.07.36 trf to I./St.G. 165 at Kitzingen. 09.39 in 1./St.G. 77. 28.05.40 promo to Lt. 01.10.41 promo to Oblt. 18.05.42 Oblt., awarded DKG, 3./St.G. 77. c.10.42 Oblt., Staka 4./St.G. 77. 19.02.43 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz after 500 missions, Staka 4./St.G. 77. 01.04.43 promo to Hptm.(Kr.O./Fl.). 04.43 appt Kdr. IV./St.G. 77 (to 16.05.43). 17.05.43 appt Kdr. IV./St.G. 151 (to 15.11.43). c. 01.02.44 Hptm., appt Kdr. II./SG 77 (to 08.05.45). 28.03.45 or 06.04.45 Hptm., awarded Eichenlaub, Kdr. II./SG 77. Credited with over 800 combat missions. Served in the Bundeswehr after the war and retired as an Obstlt. in 1971. †13.09.03.
LENZ, Günther. (DOB: 11.06.14). (DKG). 21.08.42 Oblt., awarded DKG, 4./St.G. 77. 01.01.43 promo to Hptm. 1945 Hptm.(Tr.O.), Qu. z.b.V./Komm.Gen.d.Dt.Lw. in Dänemark (to 08.05.45).
OELLRICH, Rudo. (DKG). 19.02.43 Oblt., awarded DKG, 4./St.G. 77. 01.01.44 promo to Hptm. 11.01.45 Hptm., appt Staka 16./Erg.KG 1 (to 02.02.45).
ROELL, Werner. (DOB: 08.02.14 in Ailly-sur-Noye/France). (R, DKG). 1935 trf from the Marine to the Luftwaffe. 1937 Lt., assigned to KGr. 165 and then to St.G. 77 following training. 04.41 Staka 4./St.G. 77. 24.11.41 or 10.12.41 Oblt., awarded DKG, II./St.G. 77. 00.42 Hptm., Staka, Stabstaffel St.G. 77. 20.02.43 Hptm., appt Kdr. I./St.G. 77 (to 18.10.43). 25.05.43 Hptm.,awarded Ritterkreuz on completion of 440 combat missions, Staka Stabsst./St.G. 77. 01.09.43 promo to Maj. 18.10.43 appt Kdr. I./SG 77 (to 01.12.43). 1944-45 instructor at the Luftkriegsakademie.
SCHNUCHEL, Horst. (DKG). 24.11.41 Oblt., awarded DKG, 4./St.G. 77. 18.02.43 Oblt., appt Staka 5./St.G. 101 (to 27.10.43). 01.07.43 promo to Hptm. 28.10.43 Hptm., appt Staka 5./SG 103 (to 15.03.44). 16.03.44 Hptm., appt Kdr. II./SG 103 (to 14.06.44). 15.02.45 Hptm., appt Kdr. III./SG 3 (to 06.03.45 †).

--Larry

[Larry deZeng]

Heydrich was a fighter pilot. He always flew with JG 77, first in Norway in 1940 and then in Ukraine in 1941. He never flew with any Stuka/Schlacht units. Do a SEARCH on Axis History Forum and on Feldgrau and you will find a lot of info on his brief stints with the Luftwaffe.

--Larry

[John Toner]

This photo was identified on another forum as Otto Domeratzky.

John

[torstenbel]

This photo was identified on another forum as Otto Domeratzky.

John

John, thank you very much for that info ... was there any more info on the man given? Cheers, Torsten.

[Larry deZeng]

Otto Dommeratzky was still an Oberfeldwebel in late 1942 so it's rather difficult to see how he could be masquerading as an Oblt. and Staka of a Stuka Staffel at the same time.

--Larry

[torstenbel]

Otto Dommeratzky was still an Oberfeldwebel in late 1942 so it's rather difficult to see how he could be masquerading as an Oblt. and Staka of a Stuka Staffel at the same time.

--Larry

Hi Larry, all I can find on him is that he was a fighter ace with 38 confirmed kills ... could you point at some more info on him? Cheers, Torsten.

[Larry deZeng]

Torsten -

He's not your man. He was not a Stuka pilot. He was in:
II.(S)/LG 2, Schl.G.1, SG 2. He became a Leutant in 1943. On 21.09.42 he was awarded the Ehrenpokal as an Ofw. and pilot. On 19.10.42 he was awarded the DKiG as an Ofw. in a Schlachtgeschwader. On 05.01.43 he received the Ritterkreuz as an Ofw. in 8./Schl.G. 1 for completing 420 combat sorties. He was KIA on 13.10.44, still as a Leutnant, and posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub on 25.11.44.

But why bother? This is not the guy on your magazine cover. I just looked at a photo of him and he did not have a narrow, sharp-featured face. The photo is on p.148 in:

Brütting, Georg. Das Waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939-1945 (Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag, 1984).

--Larry

[torstenbel]

Larry, thank you very much for the additional info ... so, we still do not know who the man in the photo is??? Cheers, Torsten.

[torstenbel]

Heydrich was a fighter pilot. He always flew with JG 77, first in Norway in 1940 and then in Ukraine in 1941. He never flew with any Stuka/Schlacht units. Do a SEARCH on Axis History Forum and on Feldgrau and you will find a lot of info on his brief stints with the Luftwaffe.

--Larry

coming at it from another way@ Does anyone know what uniform Heydrich wore when going out as a fighter pilot? I assume that it may not have been his SS uniform? Cheers, Torsten.