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Re: Book Review (with corrections and expansions) of Jan Forsgren: Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun (Mushroom Yellow Series No. 6132)
A Footnote on the Bf 108s purchased for Manchukuo.
Forsgren wrote that six were received in 1937 and thirteen in 1938 (p.89). Serials included M-58 & M-65 and W.Nr. 1662 & 1668. (No links given between the two types of data.)
The 1938 total is fully supported by the J-BIRD listing. Page 307 documents the thirteen arrivals in 1938, all registered on 01-Jul-38, with registrations M-51 to M-62 both inclusive plus M-65. If my Japanese is up to snuff, at least ten of these had seen significant prior service. Three already had between 100 and 200 hours on the airframe and a further four between 40 and 100 hours each. No Werk-Nummern are listed for any of these 1938 arrivals. Photographs of M-55 & M-58 are included in J-BIRD, each in a pale overall finish. (Each photo is approx 4 cm x 8 cm.)
There is no mention in J-BIRD of the six 1937 arrivals. However, between M-36 and M-50 there is only a gap in the M-registrations for this period. Doubtless these six earlier Bf 108s will account for part of this interval.
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