[G.R.Morrison]

There are several other unpublished photos of this II/JG 27 machine, including the rudder which displays 48 black Abschußbalken, dating it as the last few days in May 1942.

If you have Roba & Pegg's Luftwaffe Colours, Vol. 4, Section 2, The Mediterranean 1942-1943, there's a photo of the abandoned fuselage on page 144, top photo. There's also a photo in the Emmert collection, taken at the same time as the photo you linked, which appears in Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Die Jagdfliegerverbände de Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945, Teil 8/I, Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum November 1941 bis Dezember 1942, p.260. In this photo, Otto has removed his sun helmet.

As to the absence of the II Gruppe Balken, the II/JG 27 had inherited some machines from the I/JG 27. Schulz's "weiße 2" with 4./JG 27 was also lacking a II Gruppe Balken.

Hope this clarifies, GRM