Eberhardt Gzik´s machine

[Angantyr]

Greetings all!

I have a question about the machine flown by Eberhardt Gzik when in service with 2 Staffel of JG 300 in October 1944.

It is a fairly well-known machine “Rote 2” “Rita” being repeatedly (erroneously) identified as an Erla- built bf 109G-10 of the 491xxx series.

However, a photo of the machine in autumn 1944 shows a “clean” under-cowling.

A sister-ship of the same staffel “Rote 12” “Gisela” is shown in an illustration, and this is being a bf 109G-6/AS, according to that source (Modelling Madness)

So my question, if anyone has the knowledge, is: was Gzik´s machine in fact a G-6/AS or an early-production G-14/AS?

Grateful for answers

Yours Truly

Angantyr

[FalkeEins]

from Richard Goyat's response the last time this question was asked;

“[...] According to the Luftwaffe's monthly strength reports and the nominative loss reports, the first G-10s didn't reach I./JG 300 before November 1944. The photographs of Gzik's “Red 2” were probably taken in October 1944. So Gzik's “Red 2” couldn't have been a G-10 and couldn't have worn the serial number 490642. Incidentally, none of the three photographs of “Red 2” I know show the Werknummer. In September and October 1944, the bulk of known serial numbers worn by I./JG 300 aircraft was in the 780800-784000 range (MTT Regensburg), with a few more machines from the 413400-413900 and 460000-462000 batches (Erla). Gzik's “Red 2” was most probably an Erla produced G-14/AS.

So “Red 2” W.Nr. 490642, which was labeled as a G-10 in the document reporting its loss on 14 January 1945 with Uffz. Tautscher at the controls, was simply another aircraft, delivered to I./JG 300 at least one or two months after Gzik's “Red 2”. [...]”

[Angantyr]

Thank you very much for your info!

Sincerely.

Angantyr

[RT]

From 28.sept to 5 nov 44 he flew the Ro2 nd it was a G-14, all the Bf109 flown by Gzik during his time to 2.JG300 were G-14, LAST FLIGHT 5.NOV
then he flew for 9.EJG2

Remi

[Angantyr]

Thanks for your info!

This machine (Wnr 490642) has been illustrated both by Mr Sundin and KWW and appears on JG 300 website, but, repetition does not make anything truer.

I took the liberty of creating a "correct" profile of the aircraft in question, but i cannot publish it yeat, as it is a manipulation of Mr sundins profile(s)

Pending his approval, I will publish it later.

Thank you for taking the time,

Best wishes.

Angantyr

[FalkeEins]

..are you aware that Mr Sundin illustrated the French edition of the JG 300 history? The authors' supervised his work so that a number of the JG 300 artworks he had rendered previously - and which can be found on the net - underwent considerable improvement. In my view these are some of the best Luftwaffe fighter side views yet created ...

[Angantyr]

Greetings!

Yes, I have also heard that there was no reason for installing the "bulged" undercowling in the G-14/AS exept their availability in numbers.

Presumably, the ground crew sometimes replaced the cowling, if they had "old ones" in store.

By the way, the G-10/AS did in fact exist, if one by this means a G-10 with a DB605AS engine, these being a stop-gap pending delivery of DB605D, presumably.

They were built in small numbers, and were never known as anything but G-10s, the designation G-10/AS being a modern invention.

Talking about improvisations, the most improvised 109 I have seen yet, must be the hybrid K-4/G-14 flown by JG 53 being a K-4 re-engined with a DB605A plus propeller, and having the right-hand enginecowling of a G-14 and the left one from a K-4, you work with what you got : )

Best wishes!

Angantyr

[veltro]

Originally Posted by Angantyr

By the way, the G-10/AS did in fact exist, if one by this means a G-10 with a DB605AS engine, these being a stop-gap pending delivery of DB605D, presumably.

You'd probably be interested to have a look at this other thread in this forum... http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...t=13144&page=5

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello,

Gzik himself indicated a G-14 for his Rote 2 in his logbook. So, this appears to confirm as well that it was a G-14/AS rather than a G-10:

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...STRK:MESELX:IT

Regards,
Roger

[ouidjat]

Hi,

By the way:
1. http://cgi.ebay.de/Luftwaffe-Foto-JG...22238878490163
and
2. http://cgi.ebay.de/Luftwaffe-Foto-Pi...item1e6402a9ee



Franck.