Bf 109F (?)

[Brettas]

Hi Amigos,

Could anybody tell me who this a/c flew? Is it a Bf 109F-2 or F-4? And which JG?
http://www.foto4045.nl/vl_12.jpg
Thank you very much.
E. Brettas
www.avesdobrasil.com.br
Birds of Brazil in watercolor

[robert]

Hi,


probably 8/JG53.


Regards

Robert

[John Beaman]

Hi Robert:

What is the basis for your speculation?

John

[robert]

Hi John,


the shape of the number, style of the victory bars and pretty wide "Ostband".

Regards

Robert

[John Beaman]

Well, Robert, some of us have been speculating about this a/c ID and I was hoping you had a definitive answer!

So, it looks like the Eastern Front as confirmed by the yellow band. It looks like an F. It looks like a celebration for a 20th victory. In the West that would get you the KC, and one might have been thought that way early in the Russian campaign, hence the celebration.

So, if you sort through the claims for guys getting their 20th on the Russian front, you get 140 hits, including Baer and a lot of others. I don't know....if it were later I'd say eliminate JG 54 because of the band location, but my impression is that those bands either as shown, or 51/54 style did not start until late in the year of '41. The camouflage has been supplemented, so it could be 3, 77 or 53. 54 had all those weird ones not like this a/c. Could be 51. Could be Gosemann, from JG 3 who lost a sw 8+I a year later and had 20. But if it was 1942 when he lost the machine, 20 Absch would not get you a KC! More like 120 needed!

Pure speculation on my part.

[robert]

Hi John,

some additional remarks:
JG3 - the "Ostband" was slimer
JG51 - white and short third group bar
JG77 - no third group bar

Regards

Robert