Ju-87 G panzerbuster

Combat Debut of the 37mm-armed Stukas

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Stuka Pilot: Robert-Georg Freiherr von Malapert-Neufville

Robert-Georg Freiherr von Malapert-Neufville was born on 7 August 1912 in Darmstadt (Assia), the second of six siblings. The young aristocratic German gained his Abitur (Diploma), and later studied mechanical engineering at the Damrstadt University from 1932 to 1934. He then joined the military serving as infantryman in Augsburg. 

During his career in the infantry, von Malapert-Neufville attended the Kriegschule (War School) in Potsdam being taught by a young Erwin Rommel. In 1936, he transferred to the Luftwaffe, graduating as a pilot and being posted to I./165 in Schweinfut, flying Henschel Hs-123s and Ju-87s.

Following the prewar reorganisation of Luftwaffe combat wings, Freiherr von Malapert was posted to II./StG 1, and promoted to Staffelkapitan shortly afterwards. The outbreak of war saw the aristocratic Assian in action during the  invasion of Poland and the Battle of France, claiming 20,000 GRT of enemy shipping and being awarded the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class.

During the Battle of Britain, Malapert's unit suffered apalling losses, and together with all the other Stuka Gruppen was withdrawn from the battlefront. After a period of ret and refit, StG 1 was sent to the Mediterranen, where the pilot, now an Oberleutnant, took part in attacks against Malta and,

Creta.

The Geschwader was then transferred to the east for Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941. Stuka pilots were in action every day against the fierce Soviet resistance, flying often three or four mission per day. Claims were huge, but at the same time losses started to rise both to enemy's fighters or the omni-present AA fire.

On 15 October, Malapert-Neufville received the newly-created German Cross in Gold and on 6 January 1942, when offensive operations were then stopped due to the winter, he received the Ritterkreutz, after 315 combat missions. The following March saw his promotion to Hauptmann and to Gruppenkommandeur of II./St.G. 1.

On 21 May 1942, Malapert led his unit to attack an important bridge used by the Soviet Army as a supply route west of Moscow. The Kommandeur destroyed the bridge scoring a direct hit in a low-level attack. His Stuka was, however, hit by anti-aircraft fire: with his radiator holed and oil temperature alarmingly high, Malapert had to make an emergency landing in no man's land. Both he and his gunner, Oberfeldwebel Otto Mees, survived the landing and tried to reach German lines. They crawled towards German position, but when Malapert raised himsfels from the ground to reach  friendly positions, he was shot dead by a Soviet sniper. 

Oberfeldwebel Otto Mees managed to reach salvation,  and an infantry squad later recovered the pilot's body, and laid him in Sezhinskaya.

Robert-Georg von Malapert Neufville was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves on 8 June 1942.

Image taken from: www.wermacht-awards.com

Sources:

Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945

Weal, John (2008). Ju 87 Stukageschwader of the Russian Front.

Stukas attacking bridges in the Murmansk area - September 1941

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STUKAS ATTACKING BRITISH TANKS IN NORTH AFRICA

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Stukas attacking British tanks in North Africa

THE STORY OF STUKA PILOT HEINZ JUNGCLAUSSEN

CLICK HERE http://ww2eagles.blogspot.com/2011/03/heinz-junclaussen-knights-cross-holder.html

KANONENVOGEL'S DEBUT

 In late 1942, a new experimental unit was activated at Rechin test center. Named Versuchskommando fur Panzerbekampfung, the unit’s task was to evaluate the best aircraft/heavy weapons combinations to find a viable solutions for the Germans’ major threat on the Eastern Front: Soviet tanks and armours.

When Operation Barbarossa was launched, in June 1941, OKW planners were confident to subjugate the Red Army within the following winter; little priority was placed on development of anti-tank weapons. Ground troops soon find out for themselves that their anti-tank guns were almost ineffective against the sloped armour mounted on the T-34s and KV-1s. Their rounds simply couldn’t penetrate the tanks' protection. This problem became even more evident during the Soviet winter counteroffensive of 1942, when Soviet tank brigades smashed through German lines and penetrated deep inside their territory.

Versuchskommando fur Panzerbekampfung started its activity in Rechlin and then moved to the Bryansk troop training ground in Russia in the spring of 1943 for field trials. Months of trials had showed that the best way of knocking out tanks and armoured vehicles were heavy guns. MK 101 and MK 103 30mm guns were chosen as the main weapon for the Henschel Hs-129. The BordKanone BK 3.7 cm was chosen for the Ju-87. The weapon was a short barreled version of the obsolete 37mm Flak 18 anti-aircraft gun, with a twelve round magazine. Combat-proven Ju-87D were modified to  carry a gun under each wing. The version was given the reference letter G, and soon was nicknamed Kanonenvogel (cannon bird).

The first taste of Ju-87G future capabilities was showed not against tanks, but over water: in the early months of 1943, Army Group A was disengaging from the Caucasus attempting to reach the bulk of Wermacht’s forces in Ukraine. The only viable route was the Kuban peninsula. Trying to take advantage of the enemy’s precarious situation, the Soviets made all efforts to prevent the German from establishing a bridgehead and escape to Crimea. Army Group A’s divisions fought back and kept the route open, so the Red Army tried to infiltrate two divisions behind German lines by amphibious landings. The chosen area was the Gulf of Temryuk; soldiers were carried aboard small crafts and boats, each carrying 5-20 men.

These unusual targets proved to be the final test for the Kanonevogel’s potentialities, as the experimental anti-tank Kommando  - now with the great Hans-Ulrich Rudel within its ranks - prevented the Soviet divisions from landing and threatening Army Group A’s evacuation.

In John Weal’s book, Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader of the Russian Front, Rudel’s description of the event is reported:

“We are in the air every day from dawn until dusk, skimming above the water and the reeds in search of boats. In tackling them we do not need our special tungsten-cored anti-tank ammunition – any high-explosive rounds will suffice to smash the flimsy craft. Normal contact-fused Flak ammunition proves to be the most suitable. Anything we catch trying to cross the open stretches of water is as good as lost. I alone destroy 70 of these vessels in the space of a few days.”

References

John Weal, Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader of the Russian Front. Osprey publishing, 2008.
                                    

HEINZ JUNCLAUSSEN: KNIGHT'S CROSS HOLDER

Heinz Junclaussen was born in Klein-Eschenbruch, East Prussia, on 7 March 1919. In July 1940 he completed his flight training and was posted to III./ StG 2 "Immelman",  equipped with Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers, spending the following months training with the unit's Erganzungstaffel.

Jungclaussen flew his first combat missions on the eastern front in late 1941/early 1942 as a Leutnant. In the following summer he was promoted Staffelkapitan of 6./StG 2, participating in Fall Blau, the great summer offensive in the southern sector aimed at conquering Stalingrad and the Caucasus' oilfields. Soon involved in the Stalingrad Battle, Junclaussen led a special units operating inside the beleaguered city. For his efforts, in early February 1943 he was promoted Oberleutnant and awarded the German Cross in Gold. Wounded in action in 14 February; Jungclaussen was hospitalized, returning to active duty in mid-1943. After completing 700 combat missions, he was awareded the Ritterkreutz on 9 October, 1943.

Beetween the end of 1943 and the early months on 1944 Heinz Jungclaussen topped the height of 1000 combat mission serving as Staffelkapitan of 1./StG 2. He was then pulled out from frontline duties to act as an instructor in Stuka and Schlacht flying schools, converting onto the Fw 190. He returned to combat as Staffelkapitan of 3./SG 4 on the Western Front, fighting against British and American armies. On 26 December 1944 he was shot down and killed by RAF fighters over Salzig, in the Rhine region.

During his career, Hauptmann Heinz Jungclaussen flew more than 1000 combat missions with the Ju-87  dive bomber and the Fw-190 Schlacht versions. Of this thousand missions, 800 were flown with his rear gunner Hans Krohn, a Knight's Cross holder too.

STUKAS ATTACKING BRITISH TANKS IN NORTH AFRICA - CLICK HERE http://ww2eagles.blogspot.com/2011/04/stukas-attacking-british-tanks-in-north.html