Siebel 204 markings

[Merlin]

Hello,

sorry to pull water in your wine.

the Si 204D-1 TN+ST was found damaged at Wörishofen in Bavaria by Allied troops. The aircraft was last operated by FFS A 23 (Kaufbeuren), their emblem is visbile on the photos.

Your aircraft was captured intact at Bruck an der Mur in Austria. It was most probably operated before by FFS B 11 (Zeltweg). The visble fragments of the emblems do fit and their aircraft had always painted the last two letters in white.

FFS B 11 was disbanded already in December 1944 and TN+S? was most probably operated by another unit the next five month.

[NoNo01]

Hello friends,

regarding this plane.
The letter under the wing visible ( T ) is the first letter of the Stammkennzeichen not the last.
The last letter would apear under the port wing on the outside of the Balkenkreuz.

Schoene Gruesze

Norbert

[Pilot]

Thanks Merlin Correct point about letters under the wing bottom, thanks NoNo01

[edNorth]

"meaning of the vertical bands behind the wings on fuselage"
These were (two) Yellow stripes painted all around the fuselage, and painted on aircraft used for Multi Engine and Blind Flying Training (todays ME & IFR training). Possibly the stripes were to warn other pilots the plane fly straight (and maybe no one on the lookout as teacher occupied with explaining to student!)
Previously such stripes were also painted on prototype aircraft.
-ed

[RolandF]

Are you sure this is Bruck an der Mur?
And not Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße?
Especially because Zell a/f lies between Bruck and Zell am See.

Regards

Roland

[Pilot]

Thanks edNorth

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Originally Posted by NoNo01

Hello friends,

regarding this plane.
The letter under the wing visible ( T ) is the first letter of the Stammkennzeichen not the last.
The last letter would apear under the port wing on the outside of the Balkenkreuz.

Schoene Gruesze

Norbert

Thanks Norbert for the correction! Much appreciated;-))

Marc

[Jim P.]

You can see the 'T' under the wing, but wouldn't that be the beginning 'T' from TN+Sx? The full SKZ would be listed across the whole of the under wing surfaces, T N on the starboard side, S x to port?

[Merlin]

Roland,

You are fully right with the concern about the location.

Under the link below the Siebel photo there is another one with the caption:

“COL Robert F. Sink at Zell Am See, Austria, where he had set up the REGT HQ Command Post in May 1945.”

That makes it pretty clear that the location is “Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße” which is the “other side of the meadow” of Zell am See airport.

I assumed that it was “Bruck an der Mur” because that is the only location with “Bruck” where I can prove a Luftwaffe unit during the last weeks of the war.

[RolandF]

No problem, Merlin-
Bruck is a rather common location name. But the Zell am See region concerning the Siebel is interesting insofar, because several Luftwaffe units and high staff took refuge in this area during the last days of WW2 according to my memory. Saalbach and the Glemm valley come into my mind...

Regards

Roland