Ju 52 Crete
 

There is a number (4) on the tail of the Ju 52 wreck in Alikianou-Crete May 1941. Can any body tell what that could mean? The Staffel?

Re: Ju 52 Crete
 

At about crete the most numbers - especially when smaller sized - painted on Ju52 rudders were indicating the aircraft letter.
I. e. a number 10 meaning the 10th a/c of a staffel = aircraft letter J or K, depending
of the letter I was used or left out. This differed from unit to unit or even amongst the staffeln in one unit.
A well example for this is the famous pic of crashlanded or shelled 4V+JR, which belonged to 3./KGrzbV106 (not to KGzbV172, as oftenly mentioned). While the a/c letter J was the only visible part of the faded fuselage code the number 10 on the yellow
tail rudder is clearly visible. Additonally the number 3 for 3rd staffel was painted on the middle engine cowling.

ATB
Armin