Question about camouflage on I./ZG52 Bf110s during the spring of 1940

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

When I./ZG52 was formed early in 1940, all the a/c were in the standard Bf110 camouflage scheme of the time, with green uppersurfaces, and light blue lower surfaces.

However, sometime during the spring of 1940 they began to apply a light overspray to the sides of these a/c in either 65 or 02 which created an irregular mottled effect on the sides of their a/c. Does anyone have a datable photo for the early use of this mottled sides, that will help pinpoint the time frame when this was done (started just prior to the Western Campaign?)? The earliest date I have for a WC FL is May 14th (?) for A2+IH, which still carries the solid green camouflage on the sides. However, by sometime in June, this mottled effect seems to have been instituted, and seems to have been carried throughout the rest of 1940 on unit a/c, including the renamed II./ZG2. Does anyone have any firmly dated photos which might help determine when this mottling process began?

I originally thought that a similar mottled effect on V.(Z)/LG2 Bf110s was instituted sometime during the WC, certainly by June, until I found a photo taken in late-April with this mottled effect on two different Bf110s, which probably took at least as long as a few weeks to be completed across the entire Gruppe. So it is possible that I./ZG52 started the WC with both finishes on its a/c, or did it actually start sometime after it began?

Can anyone help?

[Primoz]

This photo showing two different Bf 110s in flight (with both camo schemes) is interesting: the forest is green so I guess it was taken in early summer.
http://www.warbirdphotographs.com/LC...40-015af+s.jpg

[Larry Hickey]

Primoz,

Thanx for responding. Yes, this represents the transition time between the two camouflage schemes, but doesn't very well pinpoint when during late spring or even early summer that this camouflage change happened. Clearly it was after the spring foliage leafed out. I already have a much better copy from the wartime book, "Fliegende Front" by W.E. Frh von Medem. This shows 1./ZG52 Bf110Cs A2+BH and A2+IH in formation, probably somewhere over Germany or the western front. If the latter, it could be around mid-May, 1940, which would indicate that the camouflage transition was already underway at the beginning of the Blitzkrieg in the west.

[Dénes Bernád]

Larry, it would greatly help if photo(s) would be posted, so everyone could see what details are you actually referring to.

[Dénes Bernád]

Larry, I came across another white-nose Bf 110 in one of my photo boxes. Is this of any interest for you?

[Larry Hickey]

Dénes,

You've already sent this to me. This is 3M+AL of 3./ZG2, with a white nose, which dates it Sept., 1940, or within a few weeks later. Very interesting photo almost certainly on a French beach, but so far haven't been able to ID the specific place or incident. Will almost certainly profile this a/c, especially if we can document it more fully.

Anybody else have any other photos or info on that a/c?

Thanx for checking.