[edNorth]

DB601E

Ok. Bulge on right side of nose - either A-4 LT or A-17 (depending on details and time frame) - just not "bulge on nose". The A-4 LT was in use from (apx) mid 1942 to early 1944, the A-17 from very late in 1943 to May 1945 (just to give approximate time frame).

Picture "taken about spring 1943" is not very exact - so much was happening in 1943 in Italy and not all "losses" for that period are known. For exmple there were many more Ju 88´s found wrecked at Foggia Airfields than are reported lost there - but then many were indentified as belonging to KG 76 but just few of them had unit code (many only had stkz. when looking at pictures taken of many of the wrecks).

And there is mis-match in info "+DP" could indicate II Gruppen but "from 8. LT BK" might it not indicate III Gruppen (?) I had the impression that Luftwaffe ground units were working on Staffeln basis.

Finding this exactly, without data on all aircraft assigned, transferred, loaned or permanenty excanged between two full Geschwders - and there were Torpedo Training Units (Schulen) in Italy too - then suggesting even one (as done by "thenelm" - with full respect) is pure guesswork.

Aircraft needed not to be "100%" lost to get new code (!) - Simple switch between Staffeln could change it and without more precise info (as suggested by Chris Goss) - impossible.

Over span of two years, "that particular plane" could have changed codes many times and same unit code was used over and over again (by several different aircraft, but usually just one at a time).

Then without definite Geschwader code, even more complicated and I will not suggest even one ... these last two might even have been ´last two´ of Stammkz.!

Quick sample search in just part of my listings last night, about 30+ possible matches were found on A-4´s only (KG 77, KG 26 and Stkz.)

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