[Karoband]

Gentlemen,

One instance of an unusual occurrence can just be an anomaly. Two such instances can be just a coincidence. However, three or more instances of that occurrence strongly indicates a deliberate pattern.

So far I have found the occurrence of camouflaged Me 262s with white tail rudders in the following instances:

1. V9 W.Nr. 130004 VI+AD and V10 W.Nr. 130005 VI+AE both found derelict at Lechfeld,

2. A-1a W.Nr. 500443 White 5 [later 6] and A-1a "Red 1" [the original British markings on the fuselage over-painted, given serials AM 52 and VH509 and sent to Downsview, Canada] both found at Schleswig-Jager,

3. A-1a W.Nr. 500226 White 4 flown from Saaz to Dedelstorf by Oblt. Walter Bohatsch on 8 May 1945,

4. A-1a W.Nr. 111617 White 9 found derelict beside the autobahn at Hofoldinger Forest,

5. the fuselage of A-1a W.Nr. 170072 found at Oberammergau,

6. A-1a W.Nr. 11173x? White 22 found nosed over at Salzburg-Maxglan,

7. A-1a Black 11 of KG(J) 54? seen on the thread Nice Me 262 of 14 December 2014 started by unikum,

8. two unidentified A-2a's pictured on p. 218 of O'Connell, Production Log, and

9. two unidentified Me 262s seen in the panoramic picture of the aircraft dump at Munchen-Riem.


Is there any explanation, other than hurried repairs, for this deliberate pattern of white, not metal, rudders?

best regards,

Jim Geens