Photos

[ouidjat]

Hi unikum,

effectively! I did post it in my chronicle: no one saw it... including me.
Thanks for the pointer!

Franck.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Ah Unikum,

Your's is a great find! Another Bf 109 K-4 with a W.Nr. in the 335 range! The third only I do know about picturewise, after 335 191 in Cham - Michelsdorf and 335 197 posted here recently!
I tried to magnify your e-bay find but still cannot make out correctly the last three digits, obscured by the hanging net.

Could this be also taken at Cham Michelsdorf? Roland, Matthias, any thoughts?

Cheers
Marc

[RolandF]

Hi Marc,

the camo net conceals any details - just as it is supposed to do...
I know a photo from Cham-Michelsdorf production site featuring similar camo nets. Photo shows a Si204D and a Bü181 without engine besides a smouldering Bf109.
According to my hypothesis the size of the W.Nr. would point to a Flossenbürg/Vilseck production?

Regards

Roland

[ouidjat]

There is something like a Dark band around rear fuselage... Normal... But it seems that band is outlined by a thin one, both sides, clear coloured. Any clue?

Franck.

[JohnnyB]

Hi to all esp. Unikum !! Many thanks for showing this great pictures !!

Regards

JohnnyB

[pauldawn]

Originally Posted by unikum

dońt mention it

http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/0659c07189da8c11_large
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/3cd57ac0d0704948_large
Me 109
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/fcdc8fe73db2a938_large
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/27939dcfa29f896a_large
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/3aa67cce4926f5f9_large
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/0e33630068759f62_large
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/dd2d683d50a8fe5b_large
Ju 388
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/58865bdbb62dd41f_large
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/82ec9a7480a0e1d4_large
Mix

i must ask a question - "is it known when these pictures were taken"? the reason i ask because the a/c wrecks appear to have spray can grafiti all over them. were they taken at the wars end or, as they spray paint may suggest, are they more recent than that?

regards

paul

[unikum]

German Plane in Prague, May 1945
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3...mentaspxyu.jpg
Ju 388
http://www.life.com/image/50648007
http://www.life.com/image/50648005

[RolandF]

Concerning the Bf109K-4 335xxx:
The dots on the tail unit are described on p.56,57 of JaPo´s "Bf109K -Camouflage and Markings" including the wing splinter camo scheme.
I don´t think it´s a dark fuselage band. There´s a K-4 W.Nr. 335800 found at München-Riem described with "yellow fuselage band and red stripes". IMHO the "stripes" are adhesive bands or putty and "yellow" are parts painted with some yellowish primer. Take an orthochromatic b/w film and you´ll get the results depicted on the photograph.
Does anybody see a hand-painted "8" directly behind the Balkenkreuz?
This would fit into my hypothesis that large 6-figure W.Nr. on the rudder are connected with huge hand-painted 3-figure W.Nr. on the aft fuselage sides.

Regards

Roland

[RolandF]

Concerning the Ju388:
The photos were taken in an abandoned hangar of the Junkers works ATG(Werk 3) at Leipzig-Mockau. The partly completed airframes were deliberately set on fire by the Junkers personnel.
Most fuselages are from the Ju388L-1 variant, W.Nr. as follows:
340 301
340 307
340 383
340 402
340 405
340 407
340 410
340 411
At least two Ju388J nightfighter fuselages were lying around (those with the bright dots on the medium dark fuselage sides)

Paul, I don´t see any grafiti - do you mean the sloppy application of the tail camo by the Junkers subcontractors?

Regards

Roland

[masmar]

Hi all,
thanks unikum, truly awesome finds!
For the K4 335XXX , the same kind of camo net can be found in Peter Schmoll's book "Die Messerschmittwerke im zweiten Weltkrieg" on page 155, 178 hiding the production halls in Gauting and Stauffen forrest factory. I think that this could be a special version ordered by MTT and used on the several late-war production sites. Although it's an exeptional design it can always be found on pictures of those plants.
If you have a look on those areal pictures of Cham-Michelsdorf you can clearly see a lot of camo-net-constructs all around the airfield. I'm sure the same was done in Amberg-Schafhof and Vilseck. If we think about Roland's Werknummer-theory, it would be more likely one of the last ones, than Cham.
Those vertical stripes visible on the fuselage are simply formed when blasting the cockpit The pressure is bursting the rivet joint and blank/primed aluminium appears. I don't think, that putty was applied after riveting the fuselage. I think the same happend on the K4 in München-Riem when the tailplane was changed.

regards
Matthias