Stuka identification

[jerijerod]

Hi guys and girls,

I was wondering if anyone could help me identify a stuka for me please. I work at the IWM in the post room and any unassigned mail has to be opened and the department verified from the contents, the other day a lady was clearing out her loft and found some photographs she no longer wanted and was donating them to the museum, most were of soldiers in the dessert, Baltimores on a runway and a Spitfire landing (although i thought it looked more like a hurricane,) but the one that peaked my interest was that of a crashed Stuka with a group of soldiers posing with it. The aircraft number (although partially obscured by a Soldier) was (unknown) 8 +KN. the red was possibly in Red. Just out of personal interest really I was wondering which unit she had served with and who and what happened to the crew? I know it was in the dessert so its dated somewhere between 1941 and 3?
Any info would be great but not to worry if there is none, I was just wondering really.
Thanks all
Chris

[hucks216]

Can you post the pic?

[hucks216]

At this link is a list of unit codes - it appears that ?8+KN belonged to a NSG (Nachtschlachtgruppe): E8+ = NSG 9 / V8+ = NSG 1
but I don't believe these two units served in Africa (maybe the picture was taken in an area of Italy which would certainly fit NSG 9)... http://www.ww2.dk (in the Miscellaneous section under Unit Identification Markings). From what I can find out StG 1 (Code A5+), StG 2 (Code T6+), StG3 (Codes 2F+, S7+ & S1+) were the only Stuka units in Africa. Maybe another member knows more details and can help out.


Sources: Luftwaffe Squadrons In North Africa (author unknown)
Hitler's Stuka Squadrons by John Ward (ISBN:1-86227-246-8)
Ghost Bombers - The Moonlight War Of NSG 9 by Nick Beale (ISBN: 1-903223-15-6)
Website: http://www.ww2.dk

[jerijerod]

Hi Hucks,

Thanks for this. Unfortunatly once the mail is identified it has to be passed on a bit of a shame as it was a nice picture, i should have photocopied it!
I was in one of our discount book shops on Saturday and was leafing through a book called "Axis aircraft of WWII when i happened on the Stuka section. There was an image of a "Dora" With the same desert pattern camoflage and a similiar number with the Red K and that had been in StG. 3.
It could have easilly been taken in Italy of a crashed NSG "Dora" it does seem that the soldier had been in the 8th army.

Any who, thanks very much for the help
Chris