Bf109D-1 with shark's mouth insignia.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

In Prien et. al. JFV #1, P.383 are two photos of the front of a Bf109D-1, apparently from I./ZG144, which on 1 May 1939 became II./ZG76, which in Sept became, for a few months I./JGr176. This a/c, apparently from 3 Staffel (yellow prop spinner) was probably photographed early in 1939 with a full shark's mouth, which was the prototype for the insignia starting in the spring of 1940 of a full shark's mouth on all II./ZG76 Bf110s. Luftwaffe Colours "Jagdwaffe" Volume, P.214, Section 3, contains a color profile of this a/c and publishes one of the same photos in the EoE Collection. Unfortuntely all show the same a/c from somewhat different angles. The problem is that none show the a/c number, and there is no evidence that this a/c and its insignia survived to the beginning of the war. (01.09.39). The profile in LC shows it as "Yellow 5." Does anyone have any photos of this a/c, including any which show more than this one a/c carrying this insignia? Did II./ZG76 have more than one D-1 that carried this insignia? I need to know this for a possible EoE Color Profile project. Also, does anyone know how long this insignia persisted on the 109Ds? Was it still in use when the war started, which means it was at last initially on a II./ZG76 Bf109D-1?

Thanx for your assistance.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator