German Air Force

Jabo at sea

Asisbiz

South-East Sicily, 27 March 1942: returning from a mission over Malta, the Uffz. Felix Sauer of Luftwaffe’s 10.(Jabo)/JG53 experienced an engine failure of his Jabo (Jagdbomber/Fighter bomber) Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4, W. Nr. 7473, Weiß 3 (White 3) and was forced to land at the foreshore in front to Pozzallo. The photo show a moment of the airplane’s salvage on the part of German ground crewmen (the man on the left attached to radio mast seem have a good time). The pilot escaped unhurt, the aircraft was little damaged but was later declared a 90% loss, probably on account of the salt-water damage caused by the rising tide. Note the emblem of this fighter-bomber unit of the Jagdgeschwader 53 over the fuselage’s white band, this latter marking the Luftwaffe’s aircraft operating on the Mediterranean theatre. Victor Sierra