[Larry Hickey]

Tim O.

We've sorted these codes all out in our EoE WG (Eagles over Europe Working Group) research.

Originally these were the codes for I./KG152 during the time of the Polish Campaign of 1939, but by 1940, this unit had been re-designated II./KG1. However, the coding on their a/c was not changed and their a/c retained their old markings and coding. So in 1940 V4+_U would be 4./KG1, V4+_V would be 5./KG1 and V4_W is 6./KG1. The coding goes back to an even earlier pre-war unit. The old insignias for the Staffel of I./KG152 also carried forward as the unit designations changed. This has confounded researchers for many years, and resulted in much erroneous information being published in the past, including in the books by Peter Cornwell going back to the Battle of Britain. In the EoE Project we had to sort this all out and are now satisfied that we have this correctly done. I have many photographic examples of II./KG1 aircraft carrying these codes. Before the Battle of Britain, it got further complicated as planes and crews were further exchanged within this unit, but this is essentially the information as it related to the markings you asked about.

I just ran the code for V4+DV in our EoE Photo Data Base and I do have photos of an He111H carrying this code both before and after it made a FL, apparently during late-June, 1940, or possibly later during the BoB.

Now that the holidays are over, I'm going to PM you as I'd like to work with you further on the materials that you have on the Luftwaffe during 1940, including this Müller FB.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator