Ju 88 Force landed in Scotland

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by edNorth

*There is good online references on how German RLM Aircraft Designations were written.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RLM_air...gnation_system

Regards
Ed

Interesting, Ed. But with what I have been involved with for over 30 years, and what I have found, it doesn't seem to be quite so rigid as Wikipedia states.

For example, if you've got the Petrick/Mankau book, take a look at page 162. Therein is a copy of an official document with the heading 'Me 110 Modell'. Yep, that's right, notwithstanding the 'Bf' designation to the 110, the company on this document call it the Me 110.

Now we know the 210 should be the Me 210, because of the change regarding the company name, etc.. Right? All down the line (that's not a cue for a blues song - read on!) to unit level? Wrong. Karl-Fritz Schröder, at various times with Erpr. Gr. 210, SKG 210, ZG 1 & KG 40, spent time with the Erprobungsstaffel 210 with his normal pilot Wolf Meyer-Erlach between December 1941 and March 1942. Flight testing the Messerschmitt 210. But all his Flugbuch entries show the designation 'Bf 210'! (Page 155 of my 'Sting of the Luftwaffe').

70-odd years later we are wringing our hands over such things, when in reality, at the time, they didn't give a toss...

One thing I've learned over that long period of time I mentioned earlier is: expect the unexpected. And don't get too upset or excited if things pop out at you from 'left field' (as I understand the Americans say).

Hope this helps.