Hs 126 with bomb rack

[Steffen Arndt]

Hi All

this is a first picture test. I was able to win a pic auction of a strange configuration (at least for me). It is a Hs 126 with a bomb rack for 4x50 kg bombs. I never knew this was an option on this reconnaisance plane. I could not get 2 other pix which clearly show bombs attached.

Has anyone an idea about the unit? The code is ?E + GI .

...it looks that the last character is F or even P.

:shock:

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Doc-Dateien/Hs126_Bomben.jpg

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Doc-Dateien/Hs126_Bomben_Detail.jpg

any information appreciated

many thanks in advance

regards

Steffen

[Andreas Brekken]

Nachtschlacht or Störkampf unit.

I know these operated individual Hs 126 aircraft.

The code ?E+GI could be 4E+GI, which hints towards Aufkl.Gr.13, a unit which operated several aircraft of the type. Last letter I would indicate 20. Staffel... a Staffel number never used by the unit afaik.

5E+GI would indicate Aufkl.Gr.14, another unit with no 20. Staffel.

1E was used as far as is known by Erg.(S) Gr.1 and Erg.Staffel/ZG 1, noen of these are likely.

2E was Stab KG 54, used as far as is known only with Staffel letter A. (2E+?A).

3E was KG 6. Not likely.

6E, 7E, 8E and 9E are not known (at least not to Barry C. Rosch at the time he wrote his 'Codes and Markings').

If You are able to produce a better scan of the photo we could maybe rule out some of the above.

Regards,
Andreas

[Steffen Arndt]

Andreas

Thank you for your comments!

I added a larger scan of the Kennzeichen to the original post but I was not able to bring out more detail .

Steffen

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi.

I guess Christian Möller-Schulenburg would be the one to ask in regards to unit codes for the Störkampf units.

Contact me off-board for his mail address if You dot have it. If this aircraft is from one of these units he would probably be interested in seeing it.

Regards,
Andreas

[Schenck]

One Hs 126 from 2./NSGr.7 that was s/d over south Croatia in '43 had a code GE+AR. Just a hint in search of the unit.

P.S. Thanks for a beautiful photo to share with all of us.

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi.

GE+AR would usually pass as a Stammkennzeichen, thus an aircraft specific code given to the aircraft at time of production. (I am quite sure that You know what a Stammkennzeichen is, adding this for the less experienced readers).

The reason I do not believe the aircraft in question here does have a Stammkennzeichen applied is that the third letter looks Yellow, a Staffelcolor probably.

Regards,
Andreas

[Bengt Norman]

I’ve been fooling around with this pic in PhotoShop a bit and I fail to see the second figure as an ”E”, it looks more like the number ”2” to me.
And look under the wing, there is definitely a “G” there.

[Steffen Arndt]

I’ve been fooling around with this pic in PhotoShop a bit and I fail to see the second figure as an ”E”, it looks more like the number ”2” to me.
And look under the wing, there is definitely a “G” there.

Hello Bengt, I would almost bet it is an E, look at the smaller pic. I think the somewhat washed out look resulted from some unsharp masking I tried. (I could send you an unaltered scan for your tries?!)

I interpreted the G below the wing as a/c letter (first letter after the Balkenkreuz) which was often repeated below and/or above the wing.

Schenk; Andreas:

I seems to me that the first "letter" of the code is a G, but it is almost impossible to improve this area (at least for me) . I have seen a/c coded with 4 letters with the 3rd beeing coloured so there is a possibility...

Many thanks for your input

regards

Steffen

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi.

I haven't gone through all data on this, but we have some theories to work from:

1. The Kennzeichen used on this aircraft is GE+GI. This would be the Stammkennzeichen on the aircraft, retained after it entered active service. This is seen frequently on aircraft in training units especially.

In effect, we would not be able to tell from the Kennzeichen which unit this aircraft was from, we would have to use a 'workaround'. First - find the WNr connected to this given Stammkennzeichen (this is a 1 to 1 connection, the very few examples showing otherwise are anomalies). Then - hope that a unit has reported this aircraft as lost.... or reported it in a Kriegstagebuch or something similar.

2. The Kennzeichen is one of 6E+GI, 7E+GI, 8E+GI or 9E+GI, all codes of units we have yet not identified. Try to locate other Kennzeichen of this unit.


The possibility that for example NSGr 7 adopted the practice to keep the Stammkennzeichen and just use the third letter of this as a individual aircraft letter is of course possible.

The conclusion this far being that we cannot tell which unit operated this aircraft until we find more info, but it is possible it could be NSGr 7.

Regards,
Andreas

[Fernando Estanislau]

...it looks that the last character is F or even P.

:shock:

[Steffen Arndt]

...it looks that the last character is F or even P.

Hmm, you might be right. If it's a "4E + GP" it would fit in the Aufkl. Gr. (H) 13 range in B. Rosch's book. But still the bomb rack puzzles me.

Thanks for your input!!

best regards

Steffen

[Steffen Arndt]

Hello fellow Lw ethusiasts

as Andreas Brekken suggested, I contacted Christian Möller. This is his reply:

Es ist richtig, daß die Störkampfgruppen einige Hs 126 verwendeten (u.a. für Aufklärung, Bandeneinsätze, Bombardierung der HKL bei Nacht, etc.).
Die Hs 126 auf dem Foto, bzw. die Kennung sieht jedoch aus wie 4E+GP. Also wäre es eine Maschine der 6.(H)/13. Die Staffel wurde im Dezember 1940 aufgestellt, 1941 Einsatz im Osten, 1942 im Osten bei der NAG 4 eingesetzt. Im Januar 1943 in Stalingrad untergegangen.
Auf der Homepage von M. Holm, www.ww2.dk, kannst Du den Werdegang der Staffel verfolgen. Darunter auch den Flugzeugbestand: Demnach hatte die Staffel ab März 1942 vermutlich nur noch Fw 189! Heißt also, daß Dein Foto aus 1941/1942 stammt.
Das "G" dürfte in der Staffelfarbe Gelb aufgemalt worden sein (und wird unter der Tragfläche in schwarz wiederholt). Einsatz in Rußland (gelbes Rumpfband!!!).

For those of you who cannot read German I'lI try a summary: Christian interprets the code as 4E + GP and thus it would belong to 6.(H) /13 . He further explains the formation in 1940 and the deployment to the eastern front -- yellow recognition band. More details on M. Holms site http://www.ww2.dk . He then deduces the timeframe from the Flugzeugbestandslisten (1941/42) and the color of the "G" as yellow.

------

The more I look at the photo the more I tend to believe it is an a/c with a 4 letter code, maybe a Stkz.

The position of the "G" below the wing is typical for the recurrence of the Stkz. (right wing (seen from above into flying direction): 1. Letter - cross - 2. Letter leftwing: 3. Letter-Cross- 4. Letter ---> ?+E G+P). If the a/c letter is repeated below the wing it is mostly outbord of the cross on both sides. Also it seems to me that the "coloration" of the 3rd character is an optical illusion due to light and fuselage conditions (see 4th letter and the yellow color of the band as reference)

Discussion is open .....

best regards

Steffen

[lritger]

I agree with the Stkz explanation, but I'm seeing GE+GF (there's no vertical link between the two horizontal bars on the last letter, so it's not a P). The second character is an E, not a 2... the Luftwaffe almost ALWAYS used an angled center stroke to the number 2, and the character on the aircraft clearly has a horizontal central bar. The first character *seems* to be a G, based on what I can see... I'll try playing with this in Photoshop and see if anything else can be made out.

Neat pic!

Lynn

[lritger]

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/pshop/126invert.jpg

1st characer: still undetermined, maybe G or C
2nd character: E
3rd character: sure looks like a C, but the wing shows a G
4th character: F

Thoughts?

Lynn

[Steffen Arndt]

Hello Lynn

Thank you for your help!

I still think the 3rd letter is a G. (I could provide you the 600 dpi scan for your tries just write me your preferred data format)

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Doc-Dateien/Hs126_Bomben_Detail_02.jpg

You might be right with the 4th letter... the P just fit so perfectly in Barry Rosch's list for Aufkl. Gr. 13 (H)

Also I would agree on the first letter although we only have a small part of the letter "visible".

Still I have no idea of the unit and the timeframe . Christians explanation is possible (maybe the first letter is a 4) but not fully convincing

maybe someone has a Stkz list for Hs 126...

Steffen

[Stefan Vetteriek]

Hi everybody,

have a look at Ed West's last photo collection ("01/15/05 Part 1"). Last item in the first Misc. block (item # 6146845193) is a Hs 126 with the same kind of bomb rack as seen on the 126 posted by Steffen Arndt. This a/c is coded TV+OG and the markings are similar to Steffen's, i.e. third and fourth letter of the Stammkennzeichen apparently in a lighter colour then the first two. However TV+OG carries no fuselage band. Same unit? Second 126 is claimed to have been photographed at Schleißheim near München.

HTH

Stefan

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi All,
ragarding the Stammkennzeichen, the block GE+GB to GE+GO is for Bü 131 aircraft. At least in my data base. I have Hs 126 with GE+A_ and GE+X_ but non with the Stammkennzeichen in question.

Reagrds,

Norbert

[George Hopp]

appears to me to look more like an SD2 rack than a 4 x 50Kg rack.
All the best,
George

[ThomasA]

See this:

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6146845193

The Stammkennzeichen on this A/C is clearer and easier to read. It might help a bit.

/Thomas Adamsson

[Steffen Arndt]

Hello all

Thank you for pointing to that picture. Indeed it looks quite similar to "my" Hs 126. I've been in contact with Christian Möller on this pic for a while and it is a pity I cannot find the 2 other pics belonging to that series of photographs @ ebay (haven't saved them in time).

Some comments/questions:

regarding the Stammkennzeichen, the block GE+GB to GE+GO is for Bü 131 aircraft. At least in my data base. I have Hs 126 with GE+A_ and GE+X_ but non with the Stammkennzeichen in question.

Christian wrote me a friend of him who collects Stkz said the possible Stkz. GE + GF or GE + GP would belong to Fw 189 ?

appears to me to look more like an SD2 rack than a 4 x 50Kg rack.

As I wrote, I cannot find the other pics. There was one which clearly shows 4 bombs! If you look at this photo

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6146845193

You'll find 4 brackets on 2 mounts for bombs per side. The "Rost" for SD2 looks a little different ... maybe this is some kind of multipurpose rack which could be used for the SD2 too?

best regards

Steffen

[George Hopp]

on the e-Bay Hs 126, and I could easily be wrong about the racks on the scanned a/c on Page 1 of this thread. The SD2 and 4 x 50kg racks could both be attached to the same bomb release mechanism, usually an ETC 500 or ETC 501.
All the best,
George

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi, guys.

I have checked the enhanced photo posted by Steffen on December 23rd, and I do not feel we can rule out the possibility that the last letter is a P.

Look at the light upper part of the long vertical line of this letter, an see the hint of a similar shade just outside of the tailband. The curvature of the fuselage would in my opinion make an effect like this possible.

So we have:

?? + GP

or

?? + GF

Looking at these photos again and again, the eyes seems to play serious tricks with You....

If I should make a 'first' id on this kennzeichen now, I would say it was GL+GP....

Damn.... no one have a better photo of this one :wink:

Regards,
Andreas