[John Beaman]

OK, let’s throw another “out of the box” thought into the mixture:

• Oesau was awarded the EL after his 40th on Feb 5, 1941.
• He does not make another claim until May 16, 1941. He was probably on leave after the award. He makes another claim on May 28th. Both these are RAF fighters.
• He then goes to the Eastern Front as Gruppen K. with III./JG 3 and makes his first claim on June 24th.
• He then goes on a tear and makes 44 claims by Jul 24th.
• His 16th Eastern Front claim is on July 6th.
• He is then sent back to JG 2 in the West where he makes his first claim on August 10th.
• WNr 8240 is listed as 40% damaged after Oesau makes a crash-landing on July 7th after a fight. (He also makes claims on July 7, 8, 10, and 11).

Now it just seems too coincidental that after being awarded the EL for his 40th,

• he adds two more RAF claims,
• then is transferred to Russia, makes 16 Russian claims by July 6th,
• and there are 18 marks on 8240’s rudder when it is crashed on July 7th by Oesau
• and this photo looks like a 40% damage.
• He was Gruppen K at the time of III./JG 3.
• There are the first two rudder marks which do look like they have roundels above them.
• This leaves the other 16 marks which happen to coincide with Oesau’s claims by July 7th.

Although absolute, definitive proof is not documented, I think all this can only lead one to conclude this is Oesau’s aircraft on July 7th, 1941 showing 18 claims since his EL award.