[Alex Smart]

Hello all,
To start with those white I'd markings.
These markings were applied in the UK as a result of the suggestion that the Tbolt would perhaps be misidentified as a FW 190.
Markus were applied from Mid 1943.
So I would now suggest that "Beetle" 42-22490 'YF-U' wore these markings when captured.
It is suggested in a post in the LEMB somewhere, that she did not have these markings then.
However if you look at the picture of the wrecked tail of Woerz's ' YF-Y' 42-75045 which crash landed on return from the operation his Tbolt does have the white markings,so it was perhaps the norm at the time in the Squadron and perhaps across the board.

If I recall there was way back an article in "Fly Past" that gave the story and had pictures of the Tbolts of the 355thlost that day(November 7th 1943).
Kossack's 'YF-X' 42-8477 and Watson's 'YF-Z' 42-8629.
"Alabama Bound" 'OS-L' which collided with "On the Ball" 'OS-Q' became Luftwaffe "8+6" iirc.

The National markings(Star& Bars) were at the time blue and white,but it is not known by me at this time if the earlier red outline was completely out of use or if some a/c still wore the red outline.

Wing Star and Bars would most likely be the of the large type as opposed to the earlier smaller kind.

The so called red and/or yellow nose marking applied by the Luftwaffe. Could this be either one or other with difference seen due to the type of film used and state of light when photo was taken ? this is well known with regard to RAF roundels iirc.

Also when the a/c was repainted for the propaganda film the colours would have been of the original unless they had acquired captured British/American supplies.

At some stage the rudder seems to have been painted in a similar colour to the colour on the engine cowling, perhaps it was at that time that the undersides of the outer wing were also painted, so I expect the colour to have been a Luftwaffe yellow. Maybe the codes 'YF-U' were also reapplied at this time in the same colour ?

Enough to mull over for now.
Sun is shinning so I'm off for a cool drink and chock ice.

Alex