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Erich Hartmann
Hi Stinger
Welcome to TOCH! I have a number of profiles made by Claes Sundin of this fighter, as well as others flown by Hartmann, and all include the yellow under cowling. I should add that according to the profile caption this fighter was a Bf 109 G-14/AM of either 4. or 7./JG 52 and is dated 27 October 1944. I am not much of an expert on JG 52 markings, especially the late war ones, but Mr Sundin is a respected artist who knows far more on the subject than I. I should add his and Christer Bergstrom's remarks on the yellow under cowling from More Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile: "The painting of the underside of the engine cowling was made at depot and unit level, but there are evidence on hand that it was in fact also undertaken at the different aircraft plants. It should be noted that this regulation was followed with German perseverance; the yellow underside of the engine cowling characterized the appearance of German single-engined day-fighter aircraft on all fronts until the beginning of 1945. Following the disastrous German fighter attack on the air bases on the Western Front on New Year's Eve 1945, the yellow color of the underside gradually disappeared." I hope that this helps out a little and perhaps more knowledgeable TOCH members will wish to add to this.
Horrido!
Leo
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