Bf109 E-7 Oblt. Ludwig Francisket Stab I./ JG27 El Gazala, 1941.

[SR603-Flowbee]

Spoiler

Ludwig Franzisket (born 26 June 1917 in Düsseldorf – died 23 November 1988 in Münster) was a German World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace. He scored all of his 43 victories against the Western Allies in over 500 combat missions whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. After the war, he became a professor and director of the Westfälisches Museum für Naturkunde.

 

On 1 October 1940 Franzisket was appointed Adjutant of I./Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing). Franzisket had achieved 14 victories at the time of the units relocation to North Africa. A notable success in this period occurred on 14 June 1941 when Franzisket intercepted and shot down South African ace Captain Kenneth Driver. The air battle was fought singularly, in a one-versus-one situation. Both men fired at each other, but only the German scored hits. Franzisket got too close and struck Driver's tail with a wing tip ,damaging it. Franzisket remained ignorant of the collision, as did Driver, who was preparing to bail out, until after they met. Franzisket showed Driver around the damaged Bf 109. Driver showed Franzisket a picture and lock of hair belonging to his girlfriend who had come to visit him in Cairo. The German promised to have a message dropped via container over his airfield informing her that Driver lived. Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) Franzisket was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 20 July for 22 victories in 204 missions.

 

Franzisket was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 1. Staffel JG 27 on 5 December 1941. With his score at 39, Frankisket was shot down on 29 October 1942 by Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires. As he bailed out of Messerschmitt Bf 109 (Werknummer 10616—factory number) he struck the vertical stabilizer, a fate suffered by his close friend and fellow ace Hans-Joachim Marseille just four weeks before, breaking his leg. Marseille had not been as fortunate to survive the accident and was killed. Franzisket was tasked with recovery of Marseille's body from the desert.

 

Franzisket summed up his view of the air war over North Africa after the war:

In the air we were superior to the British fighter aircraft [Hurricanes] particularly in 1941. The Curtiss Tomahawks and Kittyhawks were much better aircraft, but the Bf 109F had the better performance at high altitude. Over and above, our tactics seemed to be better than the British, but on the other hand, the ever-growing superiority in numbers of the RAF was the reason why JG 27 was from the summer, 1942 onwards, more and more decimated and weakened. Negative points were the enormous technical difficulties and the lack of supply. An important but not decisive psychological factor was the news of the immense super-victories of the German pilots in Russia. But we all had the feeling that these victories were gained much more easily than ours. I never envied the German Jagdgeschwadern on the Channel front; I have a very unpleasant memory of my own tour of several months over England, and therefore had the highest respect for the results of the pilots on the Western front.

 

There are a many and varied profiles for this aircraft based on very few original b/w photos. (I think I found more than a dozen). Although Claes Sundins is as usual the best, I chose to incorporate some other impressions including my own in depicting this aircraft. How subjective this makes the whole thing is probably little different from any other profile. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://mega.nz/file/9p8GBJwK#y0VHhF1KzwKuGxzOKRuCRE9F4gMVcIMjw2tpQavOJp4

 

 

I figured trying something a bit different for those who think the nose should have had yellow.

 

 

 

Driver made a frontal attack on Franzisket as he was climbing out of Gazala South, both pilots firing together. Driver missed, but Franzisket's burst hit the Hurricane's fuel tank which exploded, the flames burning the back of Driver's neck. Franzisket was by now too close and his left mainplane hit the tail of the Hurricane and cut it off. Driver then baled out, none too soon, but Franzisket carried on and shot down the Maryland, the pilot of which also baled out and was captured with Driver, and together they were entertained by I Gruppe of the Luftwaffe. Shores and Ring relate how Franzisket showed Driver his damaged Bf 109 and how Hauptman Springorum, who had lived for many years in the U.S.A. and spoke fluent English, was annoyed at being disturbed so early in the morning, and angrily asked the Maryland pilot, J.C. Newborn 'By the hell, what do you English want here in Africa?'. Smiling, Newborn, who was South African not English, replied 'The same as you Germans want here, sir!' and both of them then burst out laughing.

 

https://mega.nz/file/VxVETDwT#Y6H2qqsjV_ugR67qUAUXS4sU3sO-yWsQJGBxLa4jKWU

Edited August 28, 2021 by SR603-Flowbee

[CUJO_1970]

I always look forward to the latest Flowbee masterpiece - thank you sir!

[-=[]=-little-Guardian]

The yellow nose looks terrific !

 

Great work (as always)

[Vig]

Story, skins, screens - all superb.

[E69_julian57]

 very good

Edited August 31, 2021 by E69_julian57

[BMA_FlyingShark]

Yeah, I like the worn weathered look.

Great work.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Edited August 31, 2021 by FlyingShark

[Hanu]

Beautiful... Just beautiful especially that worn weathered version. Makes me want to fly Emil after a long time.

[Reggie_Mental]

On 8/31/2021 at 1:21 PM, Hanu said:

Beautiful... Just beautiful especially that worn weathered version. Makes me want to fly Emil after a long time.

The Emil is one of the best aircraft in the game. The right combination of speed, agility and armament. Much like the Yak1s69 and I-16. All of the 109s are good, even the heavy G14, which struggles against some opponents.

[Reggie_Mental]

A 1946 proposal.

 

The Me109M (Martha)

[Luger1969]

Superb.