Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

A 460861 was never produced by Erla.
The last WNr. there was 460671.
The only possibillity I see is G-2 trop 10861, G-6 160861 and G-14 780861.
G-10/R6 490861 was produced in Jan 1945.
G-6 410861 was already lost 11.04.1944 with JG 3.

The names are Grunke and Terbeck.

Regards


Dirk

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Many thanks for your input, Dirk; it is highly appreciated.

We have now a real riddle as the camouflage pattern undoubtedly points towards either a late Erla production Bf 109 G-6 or an Erla G-14.
There is an issue here as the last three digits can't be anything else then 861, the third being possibly either a "9" - which wouldn't match any known Bf 109 G W.Nr. or a "0".

Cheers
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

It's in all probability 413861 ... 10861 doesn't fit with the style of W.Nr. (and camo), 160861 and 780861 are not Erla machines, 412861 was most probably (99%) destroyed during the raid from 29.05.1944.


Greetings
Rasmussen

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Is it possible that the photo shows a five digit W.Nr.? If the 4"1"3861 is under the red arrow, is there space enough for the first digit to be a 4?

In attached photo, there are both five and six digit W.Nr.'s with approximate same style font and size. The six digit W.Nr. goes all the way back to the rudder hinge taking up the entire space. (I understand that font/size can make a difference.)

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Rasmussen,

Thanks for your solution; if this is indeed W.Nr. 413 861, we have here the highest Erla built Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. I know of.

Revi16,

thanks for your hypothesis too. IMHO, we have a classic 6 digits W.Nr., as Erla often painted or oversprayed the first digit on the front edge of the tail, like for W.Nr. 463 156 "Schwarze 63" at Salzburg-Maxglan; in this case, the last digit being a "1", they had even room to spare...

Cheers
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

The highest number was the 413899, a G-6/U2.

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Since when 460861 wasn't produced by Erla ??? By which company then ?

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Thanks Rasmussen !

The highest W.Nr. documented photographically is W.Nr. 413 839 "Gelbe 8", 11./JG 76, at Fl.Pl. Stade, before 21 August 1944; this photo was part of Egon Albrecht's album, sold on eBay sometimes between 2000 and 2010.


Franck,

Possibly there was no W.Nr. 460 8xx batch ? The highest W.Nr. I'm aware of is W.Nr. 460 638.

Cheers
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Is W.Nr. 412861 a possibility, Jörn ? The third digit could be visually a "2" as well.

Thanks in advance
Marc

Re: Late war Bf 109 pictures source
 

Hi Marc,

It seems to me that a light colored vertical bar near the tail has been oversprayed to help blend in with the rest of the camo.