Bf 109 BD+G_

[chuckschmitz]

Can any of our 109 experts help ID this wrecked Bf 109? I believe, based on another photo from the same seller on eBay, that it maybe from Kassel in 1946.
This photo is from my collection.

Chuck

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hi there Chuck,

This is one of the first Mtt-Regensburg produced Bf 109 G-1, delivered between February and March 1942, which W.Nr. was comprised between 14 006 and 14 030 (Stkz. "BD+GA"-"BD+GZ"). No clues as to it's subsequent career. The fact that it still bears its original Stkz when captured by the US Army might point to W.Nr. 14 014 "BD+GI" which was delivered to E-Stelle Tarnewitz.

Source: LEMB database.

Cheers
Marc

[RolandF]

Many of the BD+G? batch were delivered to the Erprobungsstaffel at E-Stelle Rechlin.
BD+GI found its end on 21 June 1944 as "White 4" with 4./JGr Ost.
Other contenders might be letters A, C, F, H, L, M, N, P, Q, S, T, U, V, X.
Several Bf109s from this batch have been photographed together with their StKz. Maybe the camo mottling can be helpful

[chuckschmitz]

Thanks for the great info, much appreciated.

Chuck

[gogh]

According My information the last was BD+GY WNr.14030 and the next NI+BA WNr.14031

[ChristianK]

Hi all,

the photos sold by the guy Chuck mentioned were labeled "Berlin, May 1946" by the previous owner - This is clearly wrong, at least in cases where Ju 188 Werknr. 230424 is visible, a plane which was definitely found at Kassel. I guess that's why Chuck believes our Bf 109 could have been photographed there too.

But I assume that Berlin is correct for "BD+G?". The surrounding is clearly urban and park-like (in another photo of this collection you can even see a mother pushing her stroller) - and it's known that some derelict Bf 109s (e.g. G-2 "CE+TE") were found in the Hasenheide, a park located right next to Tempelhof airfield, south of Kreuzberg. "BD+G?" might have been there too, especially as the buildings in the background resemble very much the Lilienthalstraße/Kirche am Südstern ensemble. I might be wrong with this last speculation, but I bet it's Berlin.

Regards,
Christian

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hallo Roland and gogh,

Thanks for your precisions; as for the camo mottling, it is typical of Mtt-Regensburg from 1943 to late 1944 (with the Bf 109 K-4's in the W.Nr. 330 000 - 331 000 production batch).

Cheers
Marc

[chuckschmitz]

Christian,

The back of the Ju 188 is indeed marked Kassel 1946. Thus my assumption, at least as a starting point, about the 109. Nothing marked on the photo.

Chuck

[Harold Lake]

Just for the heck of it, I laid out a grid to see just how much of the missing letter would have been masked by the US serviceman. As it turns out only a tiny triangular area just below his left wrist would be visiable for a letter. And since there isn't anything in that area, perhaps only a letter with a rounded right hand corner; such letters "D" and "G" would work?
But another item in this photo is the unusual hatch below the "D." Since 14009 (BD+GD) and 14012 (BD+GG) were both Bf 109 G-1/R2 types (recons), could it be that this hatch might have been for camera access? I believe both of these aircraft were delivered to Rechlin early in 1942 but I have no date as to their fate.

Hal

[the_ivan]

In Bf 109G-1s, /R2 denotes a specialized high altitude interceptor, without armor and self-sealing tanks (135 kg lighter than a standard Bf 109 G-1).