[stephen f. polyak]

About these Ju 88 plates . . .

Indeed, many, often several at the same time, have appeared on eBay (Germany) over the past few months; in fact, there's one on there now. Most have been marked to the G-1 variant, some to the G-6. All of the plates are the same basic form, marked (acid-etched) with: Gerät-Nr, Werk-Nr and Hersteller:. Corresponding information in the entry boxes was applied (carefully) either by impact stamping or with a rotary machine tool. The Hersteller has consistently been “j.b.q” for Junkers Flugzeug-u. Motorenwerke A.G., Zweigwerk Bernberg. The plates all evidence relatively minor forms of exposure/environmental damage consistent with ground contact and corrosion.

I suspect the plates are authentic, but am not totally 100 percent sure (reproduction plates are in circulation). Seems odd that they would have been removed from dispersed aircraft in various conditions late in the war and then gathered. And why would plates be removed from serviceable aircraft as some, based on W.Nr. records, appear to have been?

Could it be that, for whatever reason, they were never on aircraft? I say that because one other feature is consistent also. None of the plates show any damage to the corner holes where they would have been riveted to the airframe. All holes are uniform, intact; that’s odd, very odd given the number. There does not appear to be any paint overspray on the plates (edges, corners) either, again odd.

For this many equivalent plates (save for W.Nr. entries) to have survived en masse, they were likely bundled. Could these have been (extra) plates that were never used and perhaps buried later (dumped or factory demolition [postwar])? Where did the eBay seller locate them - "bodenfund"?

As an aside, does anyone know what the percentage damage numerics (e.g., 100%) equate to in terms of aircraft physical condition?