Jungmann at War

In the Spring of 1943 the FW 200 Condors assigned to protect U-boats as they entered and exited the Atlantic bases were coming up short. Their lack of maneuverability in fending off enemy fighters was a problem. Johannes Kaufmann was tasked with forming a new Luftwaffe squadron of Junkers Ju88s and to train pilots to protect the vessels as they transited the Bay of Biscay.

In his book "An Eagle's Odyssey he writes:

"For the initial part of our training programme we were also given some elderly Bücker Bü 131 ‘Jungmann’ biplanes. It was a new lease of life for these venerable primary trainers, but they were to prove remarkably useful. We could teach – at least in principle – all the individual basic manoeuvres that needed to be mastered if one was to survive, let alone be successful, in air combat. We could also put into practice all the tactical theories taught in the classroom in a much more economical and far less risky fashion than if we had let our partially trained pupils loose on the thirsty, high-powered Ju 88s. The sight of our tiny two-seat biplanes bumbling about the field may have raised more than a few smiles on the faces of the resident fourengined bomber crews, but the results we achieved very soon proved the effectiveness of our methods."

The book also makes frequent mention of Grossenhain airfield, site of the upcoming Bückertreffen.