The Humor of JV44's Sachsenberg

The Humor of JV44's Sachsenberg

"JV44 needed their own Platzshutzstaffell (Airfield Protection Squadron), and formed it in mid-April. The unit has come to be known as the Papageistaffel, but this was not used at the time, although the flight call sign Papagei (Parrot), may have been. Nicknamed the Wurgerstaffel, the three Fw-190D-9s and one Fw-190D-11 (there may have been others, these are known for certain photographically) were commanded by Leutnant Heinz Sachsenberg. That Sachsenberg had a sense of humor is demonstrated in the slogans on the four airplanes: his airplane, Fw-190D-9 Rot Ein, carried the slogan "Verkaaft's mei Gwand 'I foahr in Himmel" ("Sell my clothes, I'm going to heaven!"); Fw-190D-9 Rot Drei carried "Im Auftrage der Reichsbahn,"("By Order of the State Railway," a reference to the manner by which a shot-down German pilot could return to his unit via the railroad); Fw-190D-11, Rot Vier - whose pilot is unknown - carried "Der nachste Herr, dieselbe Dame!" ("The next man, the same woman!"), while Oberlautnant Klaus Faber's Rot Dreizehn carried "Rein muss er und wenn wir beide weinen!" ("In he goes and then we both cry!") The double-entendre can still bring a smile to one - whether you understand idiomatic German or not - sixty-odd years later.
So far as is known, in the two weeks of combat left for JV44, the Papageistaffel did not score any victories over Allied aircraft. The unit has become of primary interest to modelers since the discovery of the first photographs of Rot 13 in the late 1980s showed the wild markings of the flight: the underside painted completely in Rot23 red, with white stripes, the intention being to convince the light flak gunners defending the field that these airplanes were friendly at a glance, as they flew through the flak in pursuit of any attacking Thunderbolt or Mustang."



ProModeler 1/48 Fw-190D-11

 

well more info and photos are coming to light on this played up staffel. Most of the 262 pilots of JV 44 never knew this little Fw 190 Dora unit even existed.

search for volume 2 of the Doras by Eagle Editions soon as it will cover the unit like nobody else has, even Jerry's first book on the unit has more info than anything in print.

Papageistaffel is not the correct name of the unit anyway it should be termed Wurger staffel and for good reason, Sach never called it that

it may have scored one kill over a P-47 under K. Fabers guns and it is an interesting story that will be told

 

Whats funny is that I have a model of Fw-190D-9 Rot Drei from 21st Century Toys and never knew the translation of the slogan on the side LOL.

 

also remember though there were few pilots nearly all of them flew one anothers a/c. Sach of course was to fly Röte 1 but indeed it was flown by different pilots.

 

Here is the model.