Luftwaffe Ace Hans Galubinski

Feldwebel Hans Galubinski of 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) was credited with eight aircraft destroyed (and a ninth unconfirmed) between 12 May and 6 June 1940, although he was himself shot down on the latter date by Adj Jean Crocq of GC II/1. Assigned to 7./JG 53, Galubinski and his Staffel had taken on 12 MB.152s near Soissons. Three Bloch fighters were destroyed, although Galubinski was in turn shot down after claiming two of his French opponents. The ace was fired on by furious civilians as he descended beneath his parachute, being seriously wounded by shotgun pellets prior to his capture! Galubinski would received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 2 July 1942.

Source :
"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik'As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss & Chris Davey
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/23112/Galubinski-Hans.htm

Gruppenkommandeur Mölders Describes Dogfight

Hauptmann Werner Mölders (foreground right, facing camera), Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53), regales air- and groundcrew of his Gruppenstab with details of his latest encounter with the enemy – possibly that which resulted in his third victory, a No 73 Sqn Hurricane claimed over French territory on 22 December 1939.

Source :
John Weal photo collection
"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik'As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss & Chris Davey

JG 53 Aircrafts in September 1939

Although still based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim when German troops invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, elements of I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) dispersed to a meadow away from the airfield as a precautionary measure against possible enemy air attacks.

 

Source :
"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik'As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss & Chris Davey

Luftwaffe Ace Kurt Sauer and His Aircraft

 

 

Unteroffizier Kurt Sauer of 9.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) is sat on the wing leading edge of a Bf 109E from his Staffel that has just been adorned with the ‘Pik-As’ badge. Sauer shot down three aircraft in 1940, and his tally stood at nine by the time he was made a PoW on 16 July 1941. The ‘Pik-As’ emblem was applied to all of JG 53’s aircraft following its adoption by the unit’s new Kommodore, Generalmajor Hans Klein (himself a 22-victory Word War 1 ace), upon him taking over from Oberstleutnant Werner Junck in late October 1939.

Source :
"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik'As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss & Chris Davey

Bf 109s of JG 53 vs RAF Hurricanes

On 12 August 1940, Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) was tasked with carrying out a ‘Freie Jagd’ off Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in support of Ju 88s of KG 51 that were attacking Portsmouth harbour and Ventnor radar station on the Isle of Wight. Leading 1./JG 53 was Hauptmann Hans-Karl Mayer, who was flying a Bf 109E-4 coded ‘White 8’. His Rottenflieger was Unteroffizier Heinrich Rühl in a Bf 109E-1 coded ‘White 10’. Flying at 8500 m, Mayer spotted three Hurricanes below attacking a lone Bf 110 at 1220 hrs, and although he quickly engaged the enemy fighters the Bf 110 pilot bailed out. Mayer selected the right Hurricane and Rühl the left, the former firing a total of 20 20 mm shells and 80 7.92 mm machine gun rounds into the RAF fighter, which immediately burst into flames and dived into the sea for what would be Mayer’s tenth victory of the war. Having already exhausted his supply of cannon shells, Rühl fired 200 machine gun rounds at his Hurricane, which then hit the sea in a gentle curve. Mayer now turned his attention to the remaining Hurricane, which had been engaged by the rest of his Staffel. This combat was not as one-sided, however, for his Bf 109E was hit six times. Mayer’s combat report noted; ‘After my first kill I flew back to the dogfight with the last remaining Hurricane against several aircraft of my Staffel. I immediately attacked and was able to open fire twice, and also received some hits myself. The damaged aircraft tried to escape in the direction of the coast but I stayed close to it, while my Staffel lost me in the haze. At first it made only slight evasive actions, and so I was able to get in several well-aimed bursts. The aircraft started emitting black smoke, went down in a shallow dive and disintegrated on impact.’ Mayer had achieved his second victory of the mission, firing ten cannon and 250 machine gun rounds at the Hurricane, which, after hitting the sea, sank immediately. Although it cannot be said for certain, it is believed that Mayer and Rühl accounted for Plt Off John Harrison, Acting Flt Lt Wilhelm Pankratz and Sgt Josef Kwiecinski of No 145 Sqn, all of whom were reported missing in action off the Isle of Wight at times that matched the three German claims.

Source :
Artwork by Mark Postlethwaite

"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik-As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss