One Junkers 88 C night fighter, two photographs, multiple interpretations - an attempt to separate what is factual from what are assumptions - and adding my own interpretation.
My hypothesis is that the two photographs of this Junkers 88 C-2 or C-4 were taken at Gilze-Rijen some time between October 25th 1942 and mid - November 1942, before 4./NJG 2 transferred to Sicily. The aircraft was regularly flown by Dr. Horst Patuschka - with 4. and 7. Staffel of NJG 2 - before he used a Junkers 88 C-6 for Himmelbett operations in the Mediterranean conflict in early 1943.
The Subject
Although the front is not visible, unit code R4 and victory bars indicate a Junkers 88 C destroyer / Zerstörer. The single rear MG housing and the flat canopy of the upper side rear portion of the cabin glassing were common with both, C-2 and C-4 variants. Since there is no protruding barrel visible, the MG either was retracted or completely removed. Image #4 of the aircraft reveals that no bottom rear MG is visible.
According to Junkers 88 experts Peter Achs and Nigel Moore, the difference between C-2 and C-4 was that the latter included a camera mounting for long range reconnaissance operations in the rear fuselage. It can be assumed that the camera hatch is practically not visible in photographs. Identification through the Werknummer appears to be the only reliable way.
At the foremost part of the visible fuselage a portion of the Nachtjagd crest is discernible. The viewing angle allows the conclusion that the aircraft was not equipped with Lichtenstein FuG 202 radar equipment. Its antennas would have protruded from the nose in a visible way.
Wings and fuselage show lighter areas of likely RLM 70 black green and RLM 71 dark green and a worn black RLM 22 paint application over the fuselage front, most of the fuselage behind the wings, the vertical stabilizer and tail, and parts of the wings near the fuselage. The under surfaces of the fuselage were also painted in black, and the same can be assumed for the wing under surfaces. Other photographs, exemplarily the in-flight shot image #2, show that this was a common camouflage for Junkers 88 C used by I./NJG 2 for intruder operations in 1940 and 1941. When that unit was deployed in Sicily and Africa from December 1941 to May 1942, national and unit markings of photographed aircraft were mostly unobscured. There is no evidence that aircraft of NJG 2 used this camouflage pattern when they were redeployed to the Mediterranean theater between December 1942 and June 1943.
Image #2: source eBay auction 2021
The unit code "R4" appears considerably toned own from a gray RLM 02 color. The fuselage Balkenkreuz / crosses, tail swastika, and aircraft and squadron / Staffel letters were completely blacked out with a new application of fresh black. A close tail photograph in Janowicz, Junkers 88 Vol. III shows that the application was rather inaccurate with paint running down the sides of the tail. In the crashed aircraft examination report for Junkers 88 C-4 R4+CH, AVIA 6/8954, a comparable treatment is described as "blacked out with lamp black". A closer look at the over-painted aircraft letter, see below image #3, reveals an over-painted shape of a "D", "O" or any other letter with a flat horizontal line on top like "B" and "P". There is too much noise in the photograph to discern any specifics about the last letter.
Image #3 enlarged fuselage section
What stands out is that the twenty victory bars were not disguised, again this can be seen with other aircraft of NJG 2 in 1940 and 1941.
The aircraft is attributed to Oberleutnant and later Hauptmann Dr. Horst Patuschka.
The aircraft is parked in front of a hangar covered with camouflage netting on what appears to be tarmac. The hangar has sideways folding doors. On the far left of the photograph, a small tree is visible.
The Interpretations
The following is a non-exhaustive list of descriptions, and interpretations in historical order of mainly the photograph below, image #4 - showing the same aircraft and location without the person.
Image #4: source eBay auction 2016
- "Hptm Patuschkas Ju 88 C-6 mit 20 Abschüssen Anfang 1943" caption for photograph in Gerhard Aders, Die Geschichte der deutschen Nachtjagd 1917 - 1945, 1978
- "Ju88C-6 'R4+AC' of Hauptmann Dr Horst Patuschka, Gruppenkommandeur II./NJG2, Comiso, early 1943" under a profile in Jerry Scutts, German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2, 1998. The profile shows a very toned down letter "A"
- "Personal mount of Hptm. Dr. Horst Patuschka, CO I./NJG2", caption for photograph in Krzysztof Janowicz, Junkers Ju 88 vol.III, 2005
- "Ju 88C-6 de l'Hauptmann Dr Horst Patuschka, Gruppenkommandeur du II./NJG2, Comiso, debut 1943" under a profile in Jose Fernandez, Ciel De Guerre No. 6 - La Chasse de Nuit Allemande, 2005. The profile shows a very toned down letter "A"
- "This Stab III./NJG2 Ju 88 C-2 or 4 was flown by 'experten' and Gruppenkommandeur Hpmt. Dr. Horst Patuschka who score his 20th Abschuss on the 30/01/1943. The photo published in Kagero vol. III Ju 88 p. 16, 17 is clearly not a C-6 but an old weather beaten C-2 or 4 based at Comiso still displaying some of its original RLM70/71 upper surfaces.", John McIllmurray, AIMS Decals 72DO21. Publication date unknown. The profile shows a light grey letter "A" and a black letter "C" after the Balkenkreuz.
- "Diese Aufnahme einer Ju 88 C "R4+.C" soll angeblich im Herbst 1942/ Frühjahr 1943 in Catania aufgenommen worden sein. Sehr wahrscheinlich handelt es sich um das Flugzeug von Hptm. Dr. Horst Patuschka dem Kommandeur der II./NJG2 ..." photograph in Meyer & Stipdonk, Die Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände, Teil 4, 2009
- "Ju88C-4 - R4+AC, Hptm. Dr. Horst Patuschka, Comiso, early 1943" header of post created 07.11.2019 by Martin Trnkus at Luftwaffe Research Group, https://www.luftwaffe-research-group.com/threads/ju88c-4-r4-ac-hptm-dr-horst-patuschka-comiso-early-1943.18369/#post-70181 (viewed on January 23rd, 2026).
A potential source of those interpretations may be that Patuschka and his crew were lost during an operation near Bizerta, Tunis, on March 7th 1943, in Junkers 88 C-6, Wk.Nr. 360226, unit code R4+AC, RL2-III/1187 page 317. Patuschka was Gruppenkommandeur of II./NJG 2 at that time, RL 10/637. The unit was based at airfields in Sicily, including Comiso.
The facts of the photograph put in doubt, and certainly do not confirm most of the above descriptions.
The Circumstances
My hypothesis is founded on the following information:
- Heinz Strüning: 20th victory on 21.-22.07.1942, see photograph of Junkers 88 tail plane with 20 kills in Boiten, Nachtjagd Combat Archive, The Early Years Part 3 page 47
- Wilhelm Beier: 20th victory on 28.-29.07.1942, see photograph of Junkers 88 C-6 WNr. 360219 R4+G? with FuG202 with 22 kills in Luftwaffe im Focus Band 26 page 13
- Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein: 20th victory on 10.-11.09.1942, see photograph of Junkers 88 C-6 R4+ET with 21 kills in Claire Rose Knott, Princes of Darkness page 80
- Dr. Horst Patuschka: 20th victory on night of 24.-25.10.1942
None of the documented aircraft of those pilots with twenty or more victory markings resemble the above photograph which would confirm the association with Dr. Horst Patuschka. Regarding the time when the photograph was taken, the mechanic's warm cloths suggest cold weather, which is in line with Patuschka's twentieth victory.
According to Boiten, Patuschka scored his twenty first victory during the night of 09.-10.11.1942 against a Stirling bombing Hamburg. His next claim was on January 29th to 30th 1943 when he was operating from Comiso in Sicily. The time of the twenty first victory in early November 1942 makes it unlikely that the photograph was taken after the transfer to Sicily, otherwise one could expect twenty one victory bars.
To determine the location of the photograph, besides the photographic evidence, consideration is given to Patuschka's unit association during the period of September to December 1942. Official records exist for his function as Staffelkapitän in the III. Gruppe of NJG 2 from August 11th to September 20th, or October 3rd, 1942 - my gratitude to Chris Goss for reviewing Patuschka's PERS6 file for this article. Subsequently, he was a member of 4./NJG 2 on 21.12.1942 when he received the Deutsche Kreuz in Gold. According to Michael Holm's website The Luftwaffe, 1933 - 1945, www.ww2.dk, on 01.10.1942 the existing II./NJG 2 became IV./NJG 1 and a new II./NJG 2 was formed at Gilze Rijen: Stab II./NJG2 from Stab III./NJG 3, 4./NJG 2 from 7./NJG 2, and 5./NJG 2 from 1./NJG 2, https://www.ww2.dk/air/njagd/njg2.htm.
Einsatzbereitschaftsmeldungen conveyed a slightly different picture; according to them 4./NJG 2 (also called Kommando 4./NJG 2) was created by 10.11.1942, under O.B.S. (Oberbefehlshaber Süd), after the previous II./NJG 2 was renamed IV./NJG 1 on 20.09.1942. The new II./NJG 2 was only established on 20.12.1942 with its 4th and 5th Staffeln and Gruppenstab, without the 6th Staffel.
Under both schedules Hptm. Dr. Patuschka very likely was with 4./NJG 2 at Gilze Rijen when he scored his twenty first victory. According to Neil Page and Jean-Louis Ropa, Hptm. Dr. Patuschka temporarily led and accompanied I./NJG 2 to South France when they transferred to Cazaux and Lezignan in response to the Allied landings in Northern Africa. Based on flight log records and recollections of I./NJG 2 unit members, some crews of that unit flew from Melsbroek to Cavaux on 08.11.1942, and the unit departed and returned back to Melsbroek around 10.-14.12.1942.
That transfer to South France might have been the occasion at which Patuschka exchanged his Junkers 88 C-2 or C-4, leaving his regular aircraft behind at Gilze Rijen without having added his latest victory to the tail fin. Thus creating the opportunity for a photographic memento / Erinnerungsfoto of the mechanic in the discussed images.
This interpretation is supported by the Einsatzbereitschaftsmeldungen. Looking at the strength report of the newly formed 4./NJG 2 on 10.11.1942, it had 3 Junkers 88 C-6, and 3 Junkers 88 C-4 and Junkers 88 C-2 combined. According to the records, one of the six aircraft transferred from E./NJG 2, and three aircraft from Stab/NJG 2 including two Junkers 88 C-6. The C-2 and C-4 variants were soon transferred to other units and were not reported any more in the strength report for 30.11.1942.
References
Abschussmeldungen, RL 5/1445 - 1462, Bundesmilitärarchiv, Freiburg
Achs Peter, www.FlugzeugForum.de, "Ju-88 C-2" post #15 of 17.05.2023, https://www.flugzeugforum.de/threads/ju-88-c-2.62611/#google_vignette, (viewed 24.01.2026)
Aders Gerhard, 1978, Die Geschichte der Deutschen Nachtjagd 1917 - 1945, Stuttgart, Motorbuch Verlag, Germany
Boiten Dr. E.W. Theo, 2018 - 2022, Nachtjagd Combat Archive, Walton-on-Thames, Red Kite, England
EA/FA Series: Junkers Ju 88 C4, AVIA 6/8952 - 8955, The National Archives, Kew, England
Einsatzbereitschaftsmeldungen, RL 2 III/700 - 735, Bundesmilitärarchiv, Freiburg
Fernandez Jose, 2005, Ciel De Guerre No. 6 - La Chasse de Nuit Allemande, Paris, TMA SARL, France
Flugzeugunfälle und Verluste bei den Verbänden, RL 2 III/1187, Bundesmilitärarchiv, Freiburg
Geschwaderbefehle NJG 2, RL 10/637, Bundesmilitärarchiv, Freiburg
Holm Michael, website The Luftwaffe, 1933 - 1945, www.ww2.dk, viewed 25.01.2026
Janowicz Krzysztof, 2005, Junkers Ju 88, Vol. III, Kagero Monographs, Lublin, Kagero Publishing s.p., Poland
Knott Claire Rose, 2008, Princes of Darkness, Hersham, Ian Allan Publishing, Great Britain
McIllmurray John, AIMS Decals 72DO21 'Ju 88 Experten', https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064510397573, post of 08.12.2023
Meyer Michael, Stipdonk Paul, 2006 - 20, Die Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände, Teil 1 bis 4, Zweibrücken, VDM Heinz Nickel, Germany
Moore Nigel, www.luftwaffe-research-group.com, "Junkers Ju88, Day and Night Fighters" post #9 of 23.10.2023, https://www.luftwaffe-research-group.com/threads/junkers-ju88-day-and-nightfighters.31198/, (viewed 24.01.2026)
Page Neil, Ropa Jean-Louis, 2025, Night Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1940-1943, Havertown, Casemate Publishers, USA
Rökker Heinz, 1997, I. Gruppe Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, Zweibrücken, VDM Heinz Nickel, Germany
Scutts Jerry, 1998, German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2, London, Osprey Publishing, Great Britain
Trnkus Martin, www.luftwaffe-research-group.com, "Ju88C-4 - R4+AC, Hptm. Dr. Horst Patuschka, Comiso, early 1943", https://www.luftwaffe-research-group.com/threads/ju88c-4-r4-ac-hptm-dr-horst-patuschka-comiso-early-1943.18369/#post-70181 (viewed on January 23rd, 2026)
Urbanke Axel, Herausgeber, 2017, Luftwaffe im Focus Edition No. 26, Bad Zwischenahn, Luftfahrtverlag Start, Germany
Wacker Kurt, flight log
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