Hauptmann Adler & Leutnant Hardy

JZG 23 Geschwader Stahlflügel

Hauptmann E. Adler

Schwarmführer III

Gruppe II Greif

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Southhampton 11th June 1940

Flying combat Patrol over the British Coast Stfw. Straker and I encountered two Spitfire Mk1a, piloted by HeinzBaby and Healed of the 457th Squadron RAAF. We immediately climbed to gain angles advantage and turning 090 right, positioned the Pair off our 2 o'clock.

The two Spitfires were still climbing and were at low airspeed when we flew over them, passing at 800metres, and I immedialely swung my 109E around with full right rudder while using a low spiral, dropping down onto the tail of Healed.

Healed must have had the surprise of his life, and went into a hard climbing right turn. My Bf109 was still in the right-turn spiral, arching and cutting-off the distance to the Spitfire. I lined him up in my reflector gunsight and fired, hitting the right wing five or six times with my Mauser/MG combination. At this point I sighted Straker 1500m behind and high left of me, as Healed performed a 1/2 roll and commited to a fast Split-S, diving 2000m to safety, while I climbed.

Straker was High-cover as I continued to climb, and I glanced over my shoulder, spotting Heinz with Straker hot behind him. I quickly pitched the Bf109 into a negative-G dive, nose-down, causing Red-out but evading Heinz's onslaught. A 1/2 roll later, and I was in a positive low-G accelerated dive, With Heinz rolling with me and jamming down on my Six. I gained 460km/h airspeed and climbed again, rolling frantically using rudder and aileron to evade his useless gunfire, the Spitfire now 400m on my tail.

We looped high and low, continuing pursuit and giving each other no Quarter. My Bf109 climbed vertically and the Spitfire followed. At the top of the loop, I'd drop flaps at 220km/h and quickly fall over-the-top using rudder to counter the stall. At 190km/h pulling plane of motion nose-down, again gaining speed for another swooping climb.

The Spitfire followed down accelerating, and the pilot blacked-out attempting to follow my high- G pullout. If the Spitfire would overshoot and blow through my swoop, I could 1/2 roll and come down on top of him.

We loop in pursuit two or three times and at the top of one loop I missed a flap-change. Heinz flew up under my Bf109 and fired. First my engine caught fire, two seconds later it detonated.

With the Bf109 now nose-down, I realised I was at an advantage with speed on hand, but Heinz was fleeing. He sensed I could be a threat, and made distance between us. There was an airfield below, so I steered my craft in its direction, and set up for a steady glidescope to the runway. To my left, Straker was heavily engaged with Heinz. I radioed out that I was done for and that he must do his best alone. My glidepath was about 1000metres out. Suddenly Healed appeared on my four o'clock from 800metres coming in fast. Healed's defensive Split-S had positioned him at lower altitude, and my glidepath had flown me into his arena.

At 500metres, I noticed Healed sitting off my six o'clock, not firing. I realised he must be trying for a Coup-de-Grace,but I also know his plane was damaged from the previous shots. The Structural-strength of his craft could be put to the test.

Immediately I engaged in a tight Sissors move. Weaving left then right gradually bled off most of the Bf109's airspeed, and at 110metres altitude and 40metres from the runway I dropped the landing gear and pulled hard on the stick and rudder, finetuning the final approach.

There was a huge explosion behind me. The right wing of the Spitfire instantly disintergrated under stress and I watched in horror as Healed plummeted into the ground, with no chance of escape.

As my Bf109 touched down, the landing gear collapsed, badly damaged from Heinz's gunfire. I slid across the grass using full rudder, skidding the airplane around 360 degrees to sight Heinz at 700meters. He flew across my gunsight as i fired a futile volley. Heinz climbed out and behind him Sraker's badly burning Bf109 was going in...

Hauptmann E. Adler

Gruppe II Grief

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Cherbourg Coast June 25 1940

The cool morning woke Hauptmann Adler and Hauptmann Nomade, and the aircraft technicians had worked through the night to fine-tune their combat radios. Radar Führung detected a small flight approaching Cherbourg, and the order to scramble went out.

Nomade radioed to Adler "Follow me" and they climbed steadily to 3100m. They made visual Kontakt as 609th Scarlet and Bilko crossed the French coast. Low at 11 o'clock Adler watched as the two dots flew unknowingly through his quarter-glass. The pair of RAF Hurricanes flew at 1100m altitude in Echelon formation.

"There, Down there, I see them" Adler radioed, and closed up on Nomade's Bf109. The two fast fighters flew over the allied bogeys. In Adler's ears the radio crackled "HORRIDO!"

Nomade yawed left, and rolled down as Adler winged his 109 over and dived behind. The Lead Messerschmitt hooked onto the tail of the left-side Hurricane, and those guns rattled, spitting hot lead into the hollow fuselage. Adler chased, rolling fast, firing a short MG burst into the Hurricane's left-breaking path.

Adler fought hard with the stick, pulling the Bf109 into a high-G left bank. "I'm Blacking Out!" he shouted, as the G-induced black unconscious swallowed him. Over the speaker "Clear my Six. Clear my Six!" anxiously called from Nomade, and Adler's vision blurred further. "Clear Six …Clear Six!" Nomade's voice echoed in the desperate battle with loss of consciousness. Adler continued turning to lead the bogey, gaining the angle as the Hurricane climbed after the lead Bf109 blasting the eight .303 machine guns into the wing spars and engine manifold. Nomade unfastened his harness and grabbed the release lever. The canopy threw open, kicking him into the air. The Messerschmitt motored to earth as the parachute puffed open.

 

Adler swiveled his eyes around, spotting the second Hurricane accelerating from 8 o'clock. The 109 yo-yoed to the left, but the Hurricane kept coming. Adler climbed fast and the Hurricane nosed up…bleeding speed and departing at 350m altitude. Quickly Adler swung right, yawed and dived down. He opened fire with MGs pock-marking the allied canvas covered tail-section. The pilot lost control and slammed into the ground.

Adler smiled.

From 9 o'clock the RAF pilot closed within 500m range. Adler climbing the Bf109 into pure vertical, looping over the top at 220km/h with full flaps. He wrestled the pedals, swinging the aircraft right returning to lateral flight. The allied Hurricane went defensive, and Adler reversed above it vying for an attack angle. The bogey zoomed out of the Split-S 1200m below Adler's Emil, which now rotated face down. The Hurricane pitched its nose upwards, climbing at 350km/h … the Bf109 diving like a predator. At 1000m range Adler opened fire with Cannons. The rate-of-closure increased and both aircraft sprayed white tracer. With teeth clenched, Adler held the plane steady, guns thumping, sparks of hits flashing as the bogey grew larger through the armourglass. At 400m the Hurricane exploded. Adler's Messerschmitt plowed into the fiery ball, wing and windscreen impacted by burning wood and debris.

Hauptmann Nomade's parachute plumed nearby, and Adler rolled his aircraft to 035 passing him slowly. Adler saluted as Nomade floated gently down. The convoy of Mercedes trucks carrying ammunition and supplies were unharmed, but for Nomade it would be a long walk…

Hauptmann E. Adler

Gruppe II Greif

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Rotterdam Sept 09 1945

The Interceptor Messerschmitt 262a1 pair approached the flight of Mosquito MkIV bombers on heading 010 degrees off the nose. Two Hawker Tempest MkVs pioted by the 457 Squadron Leader Warrior and wingman Red_ace were engaged fending off the schwarm of Fw190s from JG88 Geschwader.

One Focke Wulf rolled left across the JZG23 Schwalbes of Major aDLer and Major Kluge. aDLer radioed Kluge, "Visual, 11 Uhr unterhardt. Those 190s are punishing that Bomber group..." Kluge replyed "Attacking Now!",                                    pushed his Me-262 over and accelerated past the fleeing FockeWulf.

"Arming rokettes, Horrido!", he yelled and screamed towards the Mosquitos. Following Kluge, closely passing the flight, aDLer climbed behind him turning left. He hooked onto the tail, and continued 3 km behind, lining up and flying fast.

Kluge's rockets fired and just missed the group, and he climbed out beyond 5000m, banking steadily for another pass. aDler armed rockets. Fine-tuning the attack run, carefully aiming at the bomber's tail he let the rockets fly. The rockets missed, and his 262 blasted under the left wing of the bomber, clipping the Propeller, and cracking the upper canopy. Darkness engulfed, and his Me-262 spiralled steadily, uncontrollably to earth.