Derelict Aircraft at Airbase

[S Sheflin]

KMURPHY,

You asked about the color of the markings and fuselage band of your beautiful Fw 190 A “17+ ~.” I have been thinking about it for a while.

First, knowing the location of the photo would be a great help. Barring that, lets assume that it was from a IV. Gruppe fighter unit, and what we see is actually an RV band. The band would be approximately 900 mm wide, displays a low gray value, and is slightly shiny.

The only Luftwaffe fighter units assigned single 900 mm RV bands are: JG 1 (red), JG 3 (white), JG 11 (yellow), JG 27 (green), JG 53 (black), and JG 54 (blue). JG 3’s white band is difficult to reconcile and can be eliminated. JG 27 and JG 53 are eliminated because they flew only Bf 109s. JG 1 and JG 11 can be eliminated because I believe they lacked IV. Gruppen. Finally, the unique shape of its wavy IV. Gruppe bar is typical of late war JG 54 aircraft. This suggests that “17+ ~” may have been from IV./JG 54, and carried a form of their blue RV band.

Its markings are more problematic. First, note that the gray value of its markings are darker than its supposedly blue fuselage band, but lighter than its all-black Hakenkreuze. Second, my JG 54 loss lists show only white, black, yellow, or blue markings. Third, photographs show that only 14./JG 54’s (black) and possibly 16./JG 54’s (blue) markings were outlined in white, while 13./JG 54’s white and 15./JG 54’s yellow numbers were not. Therefore, “17+ ~’s” markings were probably faded black, a form of blue, or less likely, green.

Steve Sheflin

PS: Has anyone been able to read the white script above the fuselage Balkenkreuz?
PPS: Does anyone know to what “captured by G.B. men” refers?