Info needed on Viterbo Airport in 1944

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by harrison987

My guess is that it may be from an abandoned Me109 (derilict)...which means it "could" have been from any JG that was stationed there, even earlier in the year, no?
Mike

It needn't have been a JG, NAG 11 flew Bf 109s too. For the record there was one Bf 109 found at "Viterbo Satellite No. 2" and eight at "Viterbo Main Airfield" (Allied names). The machine at the satellite strip was "completely burnt out and disintegrated", the others were:

1. Bf 109 G-8, W.Nr. 710062, yellow 11, scrap
2. Bf 109 G-6, W.Nr. 161744, burnt out
3. Bf 109 G-6, W.Nr. 162202, yellow 8, scrap
4. Bf 109 G-8 trop. (A/Bo/Rei), W.Nr. 710100, yellow 15, completely stripped
5. Bf 109 G-6, W.Nr. 160747, fuselage and port wing only, badly looted.
6. Bf 109 G-6, W.Nr. 162060, white 8, fuselage only, stripped.
7. Bf 109 G-6, W.Nr. 162158, "1 + 3 (yellow)", RW+DC, fuselage only.
8. Bf 109 G-6, W.Nr. 161118, ace of spades on cowling, fuselage only, badly looted.

Someone with a Bf 109 database may be able to attribute more of these to given units but 3. is definitely from 3./NAG 11 while 1. and 4. are likely from that unit.

6. could have been a fighter, 8. clearly was from JG 53 and 7. is possibly "yellow 3 + I" of III./JG 53 (the only Bf 109 III. Gruppe in Italy at the time).

[harrison987]

Thanks Nick!

The grip is near mint...so the burned out one I could probably cross off...

Of course he could have been one of the culprits of the "looting"... ha ha...

The grip is the first thing to taken by looters, so with this one still remaining when he got there on the 11th...does the date coincide before or after the report on the date?

The story passed down was that being an Artillery observer, he flew over Viterbo, saw the abandoned aircraft, landed, and took the stick grip - but who knows how much of that is accurate.

Do you know of any photos that remain of these birds?

mike

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by harrison987

Thanks Nick!

The grip is the first thing to taken by looters, so with this one still remaining when he got there on the 11th...does the date coincide before or after the report on the date?
mike

Judging by photos, swastikas were the big favourite for souvenir hunters whereas Allied investigation reports speak of the local people taking sheet metal and glazing to use in homes and outbuildings.

The report on the aircraft at Viterbo is dated 25 June.