Albert Espenlaub was determined to become a Jagdflieger and entered the Wehrmacht in 1937. With his flying-training completed at the end of 1940, with the rank of Unteroffizier, he was assigned to I./JG 27 in North Africa then under the command of Oblt. Wolfgang Redlich.

On 21 April 1941, during his second day in battle, Espenlaub claimed his first victory, a Hurricane near Tobruk. It was not until November however, that he was able to make any more claims. He shot down his fourth on 15 November, another Hurricane.

After the British launched their Crusader offensive on the 18 November, Espenlaub started to amass a string of victories. His fifth came on the first day of the offensive, a Martin 167 bomber shot down east of Bir Hacheim. One week later he added another six Abschüsse.

His most succesful day was on 23 November when he first downed two P-40 withing five minutes and during a afternoon mission he bagged his third, a Boston Bomber Southwest of El Adem. During the following two days he filed claims for first a Boston on 25 November and a P-40 on 26 November.

He would accumulate another two victories, with his 14th and last being a Blenheim on 11 December. Two days later he was forced to make a belly landing in enemy territory after being hit in the cooling system by Sqn. Ldrs. Bereford and Walker, the two commanding officers of RAF No. 94 Sqn and RAF No. 260 Sqn.

fter a smooth belly landing, he was promptly taken prisoner. In a letter to his parents from the POW camp, he wrote: "Dear Parents! By now, the reason for my long silence will be clear to you. On 13 December I had to make a belly-landing and I am now a prisoner of the English. My health is pretty good and I hope that this is also the case with you. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be home for Christmas as I had hoped and I´m sorry for this."

Later, on the night of 24-25 February 1942, while all were asleep, Espenlaub slipped out of the barracks. He succeeded in getting over the first barbed-wire fence, but as he was attempting to get over the second one, he was discovered by one of the guards who opened fire. Obfw. Albert Espenlaub was killed instantly.

The two profiles published here must of be the same aircraft, The machine he flew in on 23 November, scoring three Abschusse was damaged (45%) in a belly landing at Ain-el-Gazala after tecnical problems.

This F-4 trop was by this time a rather tired loking machine machine, was refurbished at unit level, by others reciving a new paintwork. This machine was later found in a derelic state by British troops, by then sporting 12 white Abschussbalken on its rust red rudder.

Finally it also interesting to note that the aircraft Obfw. Espenaub was shot down and taken prisoner in, was another Bf 109 F-4 trop, "White 11" with the W.Nr. 8477.

This top profile is one of the five new profiles made during the week, The second Espenlaub Bf 109 was published in Profile Book No 10 as profile no 30. The new Espenlaub profile would be included in my upcoming profie book No 17.