As I was a bidder for this panel in the recent auction I was of the firm belief that it was 100% legit as it clearly matched other Ju88 panels I had seen.
Stef has messaged me post-auction to convey his doubts also and I must admit I was surprised. If it is a fake, even a partial fake, then it is very well done.
I will add that the other Ju88 panel that I had seen sell in the past 2-3 years lacked the Junkers part number which this piece has affixed. Not sure if this one had it added to help convince people that it is original, who knows.
I have also been looking for period images of Ju88's and other German bombers with ship kill markings and most seem to show the kill markings do not cross from the vertical stabiliser to the rudder (i.e. not painted across the joint), even going so far as to paint across the swastika or on the rudder directly.
This is of course not categorical proof that it was not done any other way although I have so far been unable to find other examples to prove otherwise. The images are a mix of period shots (most of Werner Baumbach's Ju88) and some of model / profile drawings taken from period planes.
If anyone has other images showing ship kills I would love to see them...
