[Larry Hickey]

Evgeny,

Thanks for your comments. As I said in my previous posts I have photos of at least 2 1./ZG1 a/c with the white bands during the general period of the Polish Campaign: 2N+AH and 2N+FH. There are other photos of a/c of this unit from that period that don't appear to carry this, hence my opinion that these are command bands of some sort.

Regarding the I./ZG26 white band on the rear fuselage of their Bf110s, I have many photos showing examples of this on a/c of the Stab and all three staffels and with many codes, indicating that it was carried at least from early in the Battle of Britain until the ZG units withdrew from the Battle by 10.40, including U8+BB, U8+GH, U8+BK, U8+HK, U8+BL, U8+CL, U8+GL, U8+HL and U8+KL. These are only the ones in the EOE DB, but there are obviously others in the literature, such as your mentioned U8+DK. Numerous dated forced-landed a/c confirm that this was not carried during the Western Campaign of May-June, 1940 (U8+BH, U8+CH, U8+DH, U8+CK, U8+DL, ). Other photos indicate that this was not used after the Battle of Britain period. There are known, datable examples of Bf110s of I./ZG1 that did not carry this during the Battle of Britain, notably U8+AL down on a French beach on 30 August 1940, U8+FL which was in the background of a photo of U8+CL that does carry the band, and U8+AK that was photographed with two other a/c of 2 Staffel that carried the bands. My theory is that this was painted on ALL I./ZG1 aircraft by the beginning of the Battle of Britain, but replacement a/c did not necessarily receive this, and the marking was not carried over after the Gruppe withdrew from the Channel front in late 1940.

Comments? Does anyone know of further examples?

Regards