[F19Gladiator]

Thank you Larry,

I am truly grateful for your input.

Looking forward to take part of the photos you refer to, if possible.

I am further interested in understanding what binds Henrici to the allegation of being “purported to be the designer of the image” as you claim.
Axel Urbanke in the article published in “Luftwaffe im Focus ed. 6/2004” refers to that Caldwell in “The JG 26 War Diary” vol. 1 claim that he took over from 8 September 1940. (page. 98, in photo caption he mentions no date but that Henrici took over 1./Staffel replacing the earlier “Grasshopper” emblem, and on p.326 Appendix II, “JG 26 Commanders 1936-1942”, he is stating 9 September 1940 as the day Henrici took over the Staffel (Pages according to my copy from Grub Street, London, 1996 issue.)
You state that photos actually show Henrici’s Bf 109 adorned with this eagle emblem between May and August 1940.
It would be nice to see these photos, if possible.

If Henrici used this emblem himself, for any good reason, before he took over the Staffel it is of course circumstantial evidence that he actually introduced it to 1./JG 26 when he took over.


Another aspect is the original or the inspiration to the emblem.

I find it rather unique that an American eagle species, or eagle emblem, would be the inspiration to a Luftwaffe emblem and I can not verify one single Third Reich era Luftwaffe emblem being inspired by an American eagle species so far. Please correct me. The eagle as a symbol in unit badges and heraldic is plethora in the Third Reich and also before in Germany, but not American eagles.

I claim there is no tradition of using American eagles in the Third Reich era Luftwaffe unit emblems.

(It would be interesting to know more about the reference you make in your reply Larry to that “I've seen another example of this in Germany that absolutely confirms for me that this is an eagle”)

I find it hard to believe that the Lafayette Escadrille emblems of WW1 would be seen as appropriate in the Third Reich. Or?
An interesting observation compromising my theory is that at least one Fw 190 A-8 of 13./JG 54 carried an “Navajo Chief” Indian head, possibly from the end of August 1944.
This information is taken from an article by Leonard Beitler and Axel Urbanke in “Luftwaffe im Focus Edition 5/2004, page 24-28”. On the other hand, Jazz music from USA was not seen as proper in Germany during the Third Reich era but was played anyway from time to time!

I observed that an image based on a pin sent by Peter Petrick to “Luftwaffe im Focus”, was published and commented on in Edition 8/2005, page 3, which I should have noticed earlier. This is the image similar to the one referring to the pin image posted also on this forum.

Larry, I am truly thankful for your reply and I understand and appreciate that you have studied the subject for 50 years – Here I appear as “the Devil’s Advocate” in testing the proof of the evidence in a way.

To me some findings are obvious after this dialogue:

• The emblem, as published in previous drawings and profiles, is not correct.
• The photos show varying images and possibly design variations of the emblem
• The “pin image” and the 1./JG 26 unit emblem in question are not identical
• The true original or master of this emblem is still hidden in the mist.
• I am probably a pain in the ### asking all these questions and posting again.

More photos and original material can possibly finally clarify this subject, if published.

I just want to ascertain the evidence behind the emblem, its design and its history.

Cheers
Goran Larsson