[RolandF]

In spring 1944 Bf109G-6s without camouflage obviously reached the Italian airfields. Good examples for this "camouflage" are WNr 162656 and 162764 which share the same RLM 76 basic colour and RLM 74 cockpit frames.
162656 was photographed in destroyed condition at Regensburg-Obertraubling after the bombing of the factory on February 25th, 1944. 162764 StKz RU+OZ landed at Samedan/Switzerland March 29th, 1944 after navigational errors and should have been ferried to Osoppo/Northern Italy. Initial flight of 162764 was March 18th, 1944 at Regensburg. Because of the winter conditions - photos of the attack show snow-covered areas in Bavaria - RLM 76 as camo did not offer problems. Even not during the transfer across the Alps.
The reason for the missing camo obviously was the destruction of the painting shops as happened before in August '43, when the Mtt-Prüfening paint shops had been destroyed and painting was completed at Mtt-Obertraubling.
Because of this we have to expect field-applied camouflage for the semi-finished Bf 109G-6s of this batch. Some Bf109s using so-called Italian paints might turn out to be 109s (semi-)completed in February/March 1944

Regards

Roland