I’ve been working on the identity of the II/JG2 unit for the Bag the Hun Lard Day scenario and have decided to make it 5.JG2, as this seems entirely feasible if not probable, given the time frame. A bit of digging has provided a Staffelkapitan for 5.JG2, in the form of Ltn. Horst Benno Kruger, a Junior Ace with six victories to his credit. I initially thought this would be Oblt Wolf von Bulov, who was Staffelkapitan in Tunisia later on, but a photograph of Kruger’s Fw-190A2 taken in January (or April?) 1942 clearly shows the Staffelkapitan’s Black 1 insignia.

The other schwarm leader identities have been randomly selected from some of the other experienced pilots in 5.JG2 and include Ltn. Fritz Maly and Oblt. Wolf von Bulow, who I’ve decided to hang on to as a leader. It may seem odd that as he has a senior rank to Kruger he’s not the Staffel leader, but the role of Staffelkapitan was not a rank and was often awarded on merit or experience, rather than just seniority. These pilots will all be Veterans, as will most of the pilots in the three schwarm, reflecting the overall level of combat experience and flying skill in II/JG2 at the time.

The same photo of Kruger’s Fw-190A2 also clearly shows a Bf-109F in the background, so my mixed formation idea gets another thumbs up. I will be able to have one schwarm equipped with Fw-190’s including Black 1, 2, 8 and 10 for which I have photographic evidence, with the other two equipped with Bf-109F4’s, as these were the aircraft reported by No.129 Squadron in the engagement. I could even shift the ratios around if I felt that it was not hard enough for the RAF, giving the Luftwaffe eight of the more formidable Fw-190’s instead of the initial four. 

It’s all coming along very nicely!