01.07.44
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Kommodore and Adjutant fly to BOLOGNA in the morning for the funerals of Ltn. Heller and Fw. Wolters.
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03.07.44
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10.15–11.50
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4 Bf 109s (Stab) freelance patrol in area south of BOLOGNA. Ofw. Klein returns prematurely due to engine trouble.
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11.25–11.35
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Contact in SC. 20 medium bombers at 6000 m. with 20 Spitfires as escort at 6–9000 m. Combat with escort. Within two minutes the Spitfires had made a full turn from 6000-9000 m. behind our own planes. Provision[?] of AS engines is becoming ever more urgent.
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05.07.44
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12.02–12.40
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4 Bf 109s (Stab) freelance patrol south of BOLOGNA to the Adriatic. Contact and combat with 8 Thunderbolts in the vicinity of Forli, UE5, 4–5000 m. At the same time sighted about ten Spitfires, 7-8000 m. No success. Bombs seen being dropped at Sassana and Forli.
The operational order is now given via the Jafü to the Geschwader Command Post. [Jochen Prien interprets this as “will now be given” rather than a present tense passive]. This one arranges an operation with the Gruppen. I/ and II./JG 77 in GHEDI and II./Ital. Jagdgruppe in VILLAFRANCA (with Bf 109s). In general the southern promontory of LAKE GARDA (SIRMIONE) is used as an assembly point. The Italians are good airmen, also they keep formation [a guess: «mitfliegen» = literally "fly with". It's not in either of my dictionaries] and they attack. Reassembly is not possible however, because radio communication is lacking.
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06.07.44
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09.27
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4 Bf 109s (Stab) scramble against four-engined bombers.
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10.10
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Kommodore lands (problems with droptank).
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10.55
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Fw. Fährmann lands.
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10.50
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Enemy sighted, combat with 60 BF [Boeing Fortress?] II in PC at 7000 m. During the attack, two Bf 109s of II./JG 77 collided and crashed. As a result of that our formation got the impression that it was being attacked by pursuing fighters. Therefore we went into a hard dive with the result that the formation broke up, the Geschwader Kette likewise. The enemy had Mustangs flying beneath the bombers.
Ofw. Klein and Uffz. Hansch [?] were attacked by 5 Mustangs SW of VERONA at 3000 m. Combat down to very low level. In the course of this Uffz. Hansch was able to shoot down one of their adversaries. Both were hit and had to bail out. Hansch was unhurt but Klein did not open his parachute. After bailing out he stayed caught up on the tail and the pilot was undoubtedly dead.
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07.07.44
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09.06–10.45
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3 Bf 109 (Stab) freelance patrol south of BOLOGNA as far as the Adriatic.
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10.10
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Sighted a Lightning 25 km. north west of RIMINI at 8500 m. When attacked he climbed and could not be reached on account of his superior speed.
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08.07.44
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08.05
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3 Bf 109 (Stab) deploy to TULLN.
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10.20
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Scrambled from there, landed in ERDING.
In TULLN the Stab and both Gruppen flew as a formation. In rapidly fuelling a big formation and in the whole organisation, practice was lacking. Everything took a very long time in consequence. When the head of the 4-engined formation was 30 km. from the airfield perimeter the […?] alarm was sounded and the first Lightnings overflew the field, and 8 Bf 109s were still not fuelled. To avoid getting bombed on the ground the Kommodore gave the order to scramble, which took place in the midst of training planes from the War School that were still taking off. Shortly after take off, contact with Lightnings necessitating the jettisoning of droptanks. Contact not made with bombers. No successes or losses.
Burial of Ofw. Klein in GARDONE cemetery.
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