Vertical bars of III./JG 7

[Karoband]

Gentlemen,

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=3542

O. Menu (Olivier) in the above thread was the earliest source I can find that mentions that Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 110800 "White 7" flown by Uffz. Gunther Engler of 2./JG 7 from Saaz/Zatec to Fassberg on 8 May 1945 "seems to have the vertical bar from the disbanded III./JG 7". This would make it an aircraft from 9./JG 7.

On 19 August 2005, "Erich" (Brown?) posted in the forums of WW2AIRCRAFT.NET in the thread "Gloster Meteor v Messerschmitt Me 262" a colourized photo of W.Nr. 110800 "White 7" and W.Nr. 111690 "White 5" showing both with a yellow vertical bar separating the blue and red RV bands of JG 7.

As well, black and white pictures of W.Nr 111007 "Yellow 5" taken at Fassberg seem to show a vertical black bar of III.JG 7.

Moreover, the black and white photos (as well as the colourized pictures found at Luftarchiv.de) of Mutke's Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 500071 "White 3", also of 9./JG 7, seem to show a white vertical bar.

Was it customary for a Jagdgeschwader to use different coloured bars in the same Gruppe?

Best regards,

Jim Geens

[RolandF]

You have to be careful with vertikal "Gruppe" bars on Me 262 tails. Especially with such ones of bright or white-looking colour.
The whole tail unit was a pre-fab part fabricated by unskilled workers and assembled by unskilled workers. The fit to the fuselage oftenly was rather bad. To cover the gap a tape strip was applied around the seam and overpainted with camo, identification bands and whatsoever.
During the emergency landings this tape oftenly was torn loose and weather was doing the rest. The visible colour was the RLM 76 first primer layer (tail) or aluminum (fuselage).
Those bars are rather long and start at the top of the fuselage and may go far underneath the fuselage.
"Yellow 3" of 3./JG 7, WNr 501221, shot down on April, 21, 1945 is a good example. The two sides of the "bar are looking completely different.
Btw, Mutke´s "white 3", WNr 500071, 9./JG 7 shows a genuine painted vertical bar; the jet is preserved in the Deutsches Museum, Munich.
One interesting fact is, that both digit and bar are white with a thin yellow trim. This fact was not discussed as far as I know.

Regards

Roland F

[Karoband]

Hi Roland,

Thank you for the information regarding Mutke's "white 3". The yellow trim is hardly discernible. I took a look at photos of WNr 501221 and can see what you mean about the tape. The black and white photos of WNr 110800 to my eye show a true bar with a colour other than the white of the "7".

Regards,

Jim