He 111 S3+EM at Mönchengladbach

[ChristianK]

On 6 May 1945 a Heinkel He 111, coded "S3+EM" surrendered to American forces at the airfield of Mönchengladbach (then München-Gladbach). You can find this story and two rather blurry photos of this plane in Martin Pegg's "Transporter Vol.2 "(Classic Publications), p.184.

With this code it should have been an aircraft of 4./TGr.30. Now I have two questions:

1) Has anyone any viable evidence for the unit code "S3" on this aircraft? As it is not legible on the photos printed in the Classic book...

2) Martin Pegg wrote that the staffel color of 4./TGr.30 was blue. Is that true? Normally it should have been white, but the photos of "S3+EM" clearly show another color, so blue might be the correct assumption. Is there any written proof for the Staffel color of 4./TGr.30?

Kind regards and thanks in advance,
Christian

[obdl3945]

Hi, Christian...

In answer to your question about colours, transport units often had four Staffeln per Gruppe, a departure from the normal three. Consequently, the fourth staffel was assigned an I/D colour, and I believe this was often the same medium blue shade normally associated with Geschwaderstab machines, so 1., 2. and 3.Staffeln would have the standard white, red and yellow I/D colour, and the fourth staffel would assume the medium blue, and in a transport unit, they would all fall within I.Gruppe; 5., 6 & 7. Staffeln would again take the standard white, red and yellow colours, with 8.Staffel added into II.Gruppe and allocated medium blue as its I/D colour, and so on.

Page 103 of Barry Rosch's Luftwaffe Codes... devotes a chapter to transport units and explains that the reason for four Staffeln per Gruppe was because transport units were formed to provide an airborne infantry batallion comprising staff and four companies.

Hope this is helpful.

Regards...

Paul

[ChristianK]

Hi Paul, interesting info. It sure helps.

But would the Gruppenstab green not also be likely? Especially as the color in question on "S3+EM" looks rather bright, which, in my experience was more characteristic for RLM 25 Green than for RLM 24 Blue. Do you have any info to back up your theory on blue Staffel colors in the Transportgruppen?

Regards,
Christian

[obdl3945]

Hi, Christian...

This site www.luftarchiv.de is very good for information. Admittedly, it is in German, but if you select the following options, you'll see both a 'standard I/D colours' grid, then a photo of an He111, then a 'Transportgeschwader' grid.

Select: Luftfahrtindustrie; Motorflugzeuge - 1939-1945, then scroll down about half way. Even if you don't understand German, the grids are colour-coded and easy enough to follow.

Regards...

Paul