Data Plates Exposed #7: Bf 109 G-6

[stephen f. polyak]

I'm showing two plates in this installment of Data Plates Exposed (DPE). These plates, from Bf 109’s, were found with the He 111 plate seen in DPE #6. It’s known that all three (and three others) were “liberated” by a GI in the 1940’s; beyond that, circumstances are unknown.

The plates are each marked for the Bf 109 G-6. A full Werk Nummer is seen on only one plate: 163915. On the other, presumed to also be a 6-digit WN, only five numbers remain due to its torn removal: 16559?. (Some 109's in WN 165xxx series were also reportedly built as G-14's.)

The plates appear to be shop-made (i.e., somewhat crude), rather than manufactured by a specialist firm. Entries are all hand-stamped. A pale blue-gray color (not RLM 02; perhaps faded 76) with green over-spray covers 163915. On 16559? the color 76 is over-painted with a 70-series green. It’s not clear that these are main airframe plates, but the colors indicate that the plates were attached on the exterior (probably to the fuselage).

I assume the two aircraft were at the same site (airfield?) when the plates were taken. What else can be said about these Bf 109’s?