Hungarian trainer in Luftwaffe markings (NSGr 5) that fled to Switzerland, April 1945

[Dénes Bernád]

A Hungarian trainer aircraft, known as 'Levente II.', fled to neutral Switzerland, with two Hungarian flight instructors aboard, on April 12, 1945.

Curiously, the high-wing airplane sported properly sized and positioned Luftwaffe markings of NSGr. 5 (F9+ZC, small 'F9' and large 'ZC'), along with regular Hungarian military symbols (white cross in a black square). However, I believe these Luftwaffe markings were spurious, painted on to mislead the authorities.

Can anyone confirm if this particular aircraft was indeed assigned to Nachtschlachtgruppe 5 late in the war, or was is only a 'regular' MKHL aircraft with false markings?

[Tom1UK]

Hi Denes

The Levente II had nothing to do with NSGr 5

The National-markings and serial numbers are all Hungarian

Nothing to do with the Lw either spurious or not

Regards

Tom Willis

[Stig Jarlevik]

Tom

I cannot agree. No way that F9+ZC could be a Hungarian serial/code.
As far as what's been published, Hungary never used anything like this.

The Levente, considered a trainer, used serials prefixed by I.(Iskola) and followed by a three digit number.

If you by any chance has other information you have to come up with some proof for your statement

Cheers
Stig

[Peter Zambori]

Dénes,

this particular Levente II was originally marked as I.5+70. The crew were Környei János and Vajda-Szabó Zoltán. According to a swiss source it still carried it's Hungarian code on April 12, 1945 during the defection from Linz.

Péter

[Dénes Bernád]

Thanks, all, for your input.

In an article on the topic, signed by Hans-Heiri Stapfer, published in the Swiss Cockpit magazine's February 1991 issue, the header photo shows what appears to be the aforementioned Luftwaffe code. Moreover, the author mentions it in the text, too.

I only have a photocopy of the article. However, the large Z and C can faintly be discerned aft the MKHL military markings applied on the mid-fuselage.
Perhaps someone has the original copy of this particular issue and can check the photo.

Finally, as far as I know, the original Hungarian serial number was I.5+75 (someone might have had confused ZC to 70, possibly that's how I.5+70 was presumed).

Anyone familiar with the late-war activity of NSGr. 5 (Nick Beale, perhaps)?

[Peter Zambori]

Szia Dénes!

Check out this:
http://www.warbird.ch/contento/default.aspx?tabid=764

As I'm not quite certain this time it was I.5+70 or I.5+75 I just want to note the only source I came across with I5+75 was a László Winkler article long time ago. (not at hand now, I will check it, but it contains some mistakes as far as I can recall)

Péter

[Nick Beale]

There's a photo of the Levente 2 in Karl Ries' "Deutsche Luftwaffe über der Schweiz 1939–45" (Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, 1978). I can't read the code but the characters after the cross look nothing like "ZS."

The book doesn't name the crew but says they carried pistols and were disarmed by the Swiss.

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Peter Zambori

Check out this:
http://www.warbird.ch/contento/default.aspx?tabid=764

That page is based on Stapfer's article I mentioned earlier. The info on the trainer's (presumed) Hungarian code comes from Hungary (P.Gy.), not from the Swiss archives.

As I'm not quite certain this time it was I.5+70 or I.5+75 I just want to note the only source I came across with I5+75 was a László Winkler article long time ago. (not at hand now, I will check it, but it contains some mistakes as far as I can recall)

The aircraft's serial number was 10325/75; therefore, the code should had been I.5+75.

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

There's a photo of the Levente 2 in Karl Ries' "Deutsche Luftwaffe über der Schweiz 1939–45" (Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, 1978). I can't read the code but the characters after the cross look nothing like "ZS."

If one could dig ou the quoted issue of Cockpit magazine, the problem would be solved. Even on the indifferent quality photocopy I have, I can faintly discern what might be the +ZC codes.

[Alex Smart]

Hi,
Saw the photo in aeroplane Monthly March 1997.Part of a three part series.
page 56. Caption says -
Crew were two Hungarian Flying Instructors.Aircraft had been applied with dark green paint over the Hungarian marking. Some instruments were missing. The a/c served on with a new engine and Swiss civil markings HB-TAC. She crashed in August 1952.
As seen in the photo, the Hungarian markings can just be seen through the freshly applied new paint.

Alex