[Larry Hickey]

Chris,

You really like to throw me curve balls, right when I'm in the middle of trying to work out profile packages on these a/c. At present, I'm working on Stab I./JG21 - III./JG54 Color Profile packages (seven of them), so I've been intensely studying the photos from these units. I think what you have here is probably a photo of the a/c of Hptm. Fritz Ultsch, Gr Kdr of III./JG54, not long before he was killed in E-4 W.Nr.5291 on 05.09.40. It looks like this a/c has a unique white front to the nose that I've never seen before. This could also be the a/c of Ultsch's temporary successor, Oblt. Günther Scholz, but my money would be on Ultsch. I have a very poor quality grab off eBay from several years ago that shows possibly this same a/c from a distance with a full white nose, and yellow rudder. I'd tentatively concluded that this was Ultsch's a/c.

Right now I'm trying to find photos of Stab I./JG21 a/c from the fall of 1939, through the spring of 1940, including the Western Camaign. Not much out there that I know of. Can anyone help? As far as I know, the white Stab chevrons and bars were NOT used by I./JG21, the predecessor unit to III./JG54, but apparently came into use when the units were renamed in July, 1940, in time for the Battle of Britain. Does anyone know anything different? The first confirmed use of these white stab markings was on the a/c of Oblt Albrecht Dress, who force landed <-+ on 12.08.40, near Margate Kent. Who else has photo of a/c with these white stab markings during 1940?

Retards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator