Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

For a very long time i had these two photos in my collection! Maybe it is of interest to you to see them. Is it possible at all to identify this aeroplane, maybe with a pilot.
A very long shot perhaps, but You have been able to solve mysteries for me before.
best wishes and thank you!
Christian

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Hi,

could you post better scans to see more details?

Regards

Robert

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Gladly but i tried and was told that my pictures was too big. Unfortunately i am not very good at this "computerthing", sorry!!!
It is the same machine

Christian

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Hi,
Not an expert, but seems to be from 5th staffel_ZG 76.
M8+?N
But don't know which one red letter was associated to WNr 3441 :confused:

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Hi,
Not much but:
M8 unit code indicates ZG 76, which by the way the shark mouth also gives away.
A visible W.Nr. - Possibly 3441 is visible.
Letter 'N' perhaps

Seven victory bars visible.

I would be tempted to say that mountain in the backdrop could indicate Norway and Oslo-Fornebu but at least at the time of the invasion on 9 April 1940, ZG 76 did not display the shark mouth.
Goran

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Goran,

I think the II/ZG76 was not active over Norway at least in April 1940.
Here is small list of pilot, which could flown this plane:
- Olt.Wilhelm Hobein 8 victories (till 07.09.40)
- Ofw.Karl Langenberg 8 victories (till 15.09.40)
- Ofw.Max Leschnig 7 victories (till 30.07.41)
Perhaps someone could add some more.

Regards

Robert

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Bf 110 E-1 of 5./ZG 76. Carries the second style of Bordfunker's central rear canopy panel. Built between August and October 1940.

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Hello,

Excellent photos. I don't see mountains in the background, so I can't ID it as Norway, although the unit went there after the Battle of Britain. This is definitely an "ace" with 5./ZG76, probably in the late summer or fall of 1940. The white/yellow gun bay cover on the nose was first applied during the Battle of Britain in early September, 1940, and was also used later by the Gruppe as well. So this is not earlier than the first week of September, 1940. W.Nr. 3441 identifies it as a C-model, but John Vasco can probably home in on the subtype better than I can. I'm guessing that this was taken during the Battle of Britian about early to mid-Sept, 1940. The seven victory tabs narrows down the possibility of who it is by a lot: Oblt. Wilhelm Hobein and Fw Karl Langenberg would both be possibilities. Hobein reached his 7th victory on 4.9.40, then went on to claim an 8th on 7.4.40, so he had 7 victories for a very short time. Langenberg, scored his 7th on Sept. 11th and then got an 8th on 15.9.1940. Thereafter neither scored any more during the Battle of Britain. On initial look, it appears that this aircraft carries seven victory tabs, but on closer examination, it may have an 8th. If it, if fact, carried 8 tabs, then this could be anytime from early Sept., 1940, into the fall or even early winter of 1940 in Norway. The aircraft of Hobein and Langenberg are not well known, so your photos are definitely important. I would appreciate the opportunity to obtain a higher quality scans of both. Please contact me on the Personal Message board on this site.

Regards,

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Hello,

John Vasco chimed in while I was posting my message, so it is not a C, but an E-1. To me, that makes it more likely that this was taken later, rather than earlier in the range of time that I just specified, but still could be during the latter part of the Battle of Britain.

Regards,

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Very nice photos.

It could be Norway, but it is hard to say based on these low-res images.

Is it possible to see an individual letter beneath the port wing on the frontal shot?

Regards,

Kjetil Aakra

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Hi all!

I thought III Gruppe moved to Norway, not II Gruppe.

II./ZG 76 was based at Jever as a part of Luftflotte 2 from 9.40 to 5.41, and as far as I know got Bf110E-1 (on photo - W.Nr., air intake on the nose, and long fuselage indicates it as E-1).

Also, aircraft carry 2nd style of Sharkmouth, used on E-1 in 1941.

About pilots - posts above reveals it. As John said, this W.Nr. 3447 was built between aug.40 and Oct.40, at Messerschmitt factory, and I beleive it was the first batch, delivered to front units, II./ZG 76.

Best wishes!

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Thank You all for some highly interesting comments on these pictures. It seems to me, that there always is something to learn in this Forum.
Best wishes
Christian

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

3441 has been damaged as late as 15.oct.41 flying for III.NJG3/5.ZG76 wore M8+EH what is consistent with picture pilot Göbel Siegfried wounded

Rémi

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

Location ?

PQ 34.6 third figure not readable

Rémi

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

To my advise, the last letter of the code really looks more like "N" and not "H"... :confused:

Re: Me 110 expert help wanted!!!
 

It's 'N', and the dark coloured tip of the spinner confirms a 5. Staffel machine.