BF 109G-10 77022. New gen

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hi there Stefaan, Nick and Franck,

According to the list of aircraft found at Campoformido compiled by Nick, Ferdinando and Gabriele Valentini, there were 11 Bf 109's, an Ar. 34, two Ju 188's and a Ju 88 found by No. 1 Forward Intelligence Unit (F.I.U.) Party B on 25 May 1945:

Of those 11 Bf 109 G's, 5 are positively identified as G-8's (W.Nr. 201129, 201134, 230132, 230144, 230292) and one more as our already noted Bf 109 G-10/R2 W.Nr. 770338. All those machines belonged to NAGr. 11.

The five remaining were found as follows:

- Bf 109 G, completely burnt out
- Bf 109 G, demolished, 1x MG 151 only
- Bf 109 G, completely burnt out
- Bf 109 G, completely burnt out, 1x MG 151 only
- Bf 109 G, completely burnt out, 1 x MG 151 only.

Except if the above mentioned planes were destroyed by Allies after the takeover of Campoformido, giving thus a chance for Goulding to take a picture of a plane gutted at a later but before 25 May 1945 date, there is no chance for W.Nr. 77022x to have been seen on Italian soil in May 1945.

As for Tissano, there are no plane reported to be found there at the end of WWII. Maybe Nick can tell us more?

Source: Beale, (N.), D'Amico, (F.) and Valentini, (G.), (1996): Air War Italy 1944-45. The Axis Air Forces from the Liberation of Rome to the Surrender, Airlife, p. 214.

Cheers
Marc