19/11 - Bf109s on eBay & Two awsome Fotoalbum!

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Both Jochen Prien and I think that this photo is before 4./JG26 became 8,/JG26 IIRC late-Sept., 1939. The White 4 is not unfinished, it is White 4 of 4./JG26. The two photos of Red 4 down on the French beach are 2./JG26 and have been previously published in Prien's JFV 4/I P.284. He includes two other photos of it there. The only possible match up that I can see on the loss lists is E-1 W.Nr. 3634 down in the sea on 8/29/40. It was in the process of having a mottled camouflage applied at the time of this incident, which was apparently interrupted by flying this mission. The white or very light yellow rudder and wingtips are definitely 8.40 during the BoB. Anyone else have any opinions on the ID of this one?

The II./JG26 Stab a/c in four of the photos is almost certainly Hptm. Herwig Knüppel's Gr.Kdr. a/c at Bönningardt about 9.39, around the beginning of the war. We now have good photo documentation of all three JG26 Gr Kdr's a/c during the first month or so of the war: Handrick (I Gr), Knüppel (II Gr) and von Berg (III Gr). These four photos of Knüppel's a/c at this time fill another gap in the photo record for JG26.

Regards,

[ouidjat]

Good morning Larry & Pilot,

@Pilot:
Yes the camo doesn't match with "after" since 8./JG26 are fully pictured with late period camouflage and with red code numbers.
I did insist on this aspect 'cause it's the first time I get some 4./JG26 picture with that emblem... And Larry gave us time of emblem transition from one unit to the other one.
@Larry:
Since you said it I see the "Red 4"!... Any link with Pingel and the flags painted under the canopy?
Frankly I'll appreciate to have scan of these pictures you're talking about.
And many thanks for this Knüppel 's plane identification though I was expecting to see a "Hat" emblem on his plane and though I started to think it was a Stab JG 26 plane, ie Ritter von Schleich 's plane - Because of his picture in this Album.

Last, it's a very interesting Fotoalbum, not only because of the points commented upper. We can see, too, well known pictures of the former JG234 D-1s plus a "Funny" comment caption about JG "Schlageter " 132.

An awsome album, indeed.

Regards, Franck.