Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

I posted this earlier today over at LEMB. Peter adviced that perhaps John Vasco over here could have an answer:

Bf 110 Skull and bones nose marking, allegedly used by III./ZG76, which I found at eBay:

http://www.resultado5.de/ebay/userdaten/a/..._14_10/1XXL.jpg


Not very common with photos of this emblem/marking, I understand. Pictures of Bf 110 aircraft with this marking seem to come mainly from 1/ErZgr based at Vaerlöse in Denmark. I found some pictures in:

"Luftwaffe im Focus Ed.4/2004", page 22-23 - here is a photo No 27 which seems to show this very same aircraft from starboard front side.

"Die Deutsche Luftwaffe. Eine Bilddokumentation der Luftwaffe von 1935-1945, Zerstörer und Nachtjagdverbände Teil 1" by Meyer and Stipdonk, page 13.

"Jet & Prop Archive No.4", photo 69 - very small part of aircraft seen in the background.

According to Luftwaffe im Focus the first picture with this marking was published in 1976 and Karl Ries’ book “Photo Collection Luftwaffe Emblem 1935-1945”.

1. Does any one know of other photos? None of the published so far seems to show unit codes or other markings.

2. What evidence confirms that this marking was initially used by III./ZG76?

Br
Goran

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

if you look close the white under nose seems to be like a ghost mask. like the film scream.
maybe a personel plane.
Gary

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

It belonged to ErgZGr. at Vaerlöse. One of the photoes shows it in the danish built hangar at Vaerlöse/DK.

Junker

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

I bought that photo, Göran. When it arrives I will check if there is anything written on its verso.

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Thanks Denés!
Any idea about the emblem's alleged relation to III./ZG76?
Br
Göran

Ps Just finished reading your book "From Barbarossa to Odessa Vol 1." today. Lots of stuff to digest! Thanks!

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Another picture:
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/attach...1&d=1193661061
http://home.earthlink.net/%7Eplanepi...noseartIIIZG76

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Thanks "Modeldad",
This is one of photos published in "Luftwaffe im Focus" No.4 as Photo 26 on page 22.
Another companion photo to the one I posted, and which is now in posession of Mr. Berna'd, is published as Photo 27, probably showing the very same aircraft I posted the picture of which is apparently undergoing an engine change in a hangar.
Cheers
Goran

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

thanks for share of photo.
Gary

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Interesting that the picture was in LiF #4, as I don't have that issue. IIRC, it was the result of one of Ed West's great finds. Now I know who won that auction.

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Not so strange Steven, as many of the photos on eBay have already been published and several also in German language publications. Some still fetch high prices, the buyers perhaps believing they have found a unique photo.

It is a very nice picture though!

Cheers/Goran

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Hi All,

I don't think that it has been pointed out - and I have been meaning to contact Luftwaffe Im Focus about this - that there are THREE aircraft illustrated in that publication, or at least three different skull/crossbones insignia. This is quite obvious and suggests that it was a unit marking, not merely a personal emblem.

Cheers

GrahamB

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Thanks Graham! Interesting observation.

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

at least 2 are certain i think.
I compared the bones art work on the 2 pics

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Hi again,

I guess I'll have to spell it out:


Foto 26 no crossover of bones, lines lateral to teeth long, but wavy, teeth with central pair and a lateral pair (I II I).

Foto 27 top bone crosses top right to bottom left, line lateral to teeth different angles to foto 26, but otherwise similar, teeth I II II I.

Foto 28 top bone (probably) crosses top left to bottom right, lines lateral to teeth relatively short and curved, teeth short, possibly I III I.

Look closely and this is unambiguous - 3 different types.

Cheers

GrahamB

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

Thank you to all of you who have reponded!


I found this profile giving both the code B9+LK and W.Nr 110307.
Captioned as a "Bf 110 G of III./ZG76"

In "Luftwaffe Codes, Markings & Units 1939-1945" by Barry C. Rosch, Schiffer, 1995, B9+LK is commented under Code / Unit as "Unknown" but with the remark "Bf 110 and W.34" under examples of aircraft operated with this code.

The same source gives M8 and 2N as codes used by ZG 76.

It might be that the profile is completely or partially spurious but does anyone know of any photo supporting this work of art?

I am cautious to trust the accuracy as it was published already in 1967 in "Messerschmitt Bf 110", Aero Series 16, Aero Publishers, Inc., California.
(Price 3 USD at the time!)

Cheers
Goran

Re: Bf 110 Skull and Bones nose marking
 

In Karl Ries´:"Markings and camouflage Systems of Luftwaffe Aircraft in WW2" Vol. 1 these markings are described and depicted as Bf 110C of III./ZG 76


Regards

Roland