Need Help IDing a 1:18th Model

[HermannMeier]

Hello to All! I came across this very informative Site, whilst searching in vain trying to Identify the following:

The NachtJager Messerschmitt Me109E-4(21st Century Toys)with it's All Black Paint scheme & the Designation: G9GV

I'm assuming there's an Ace attached to the Model, like others in the series, but have "come up a Cropper" as the Poms would say..
Any Assistance, Greatly appreciated!

Am I right in assuming: Squadron G/Aircraft No.9 G for "Gustav" & V being the Unit? I'd always thought that all NachtJager Aircraft were Me110s?
Regs:
Hermann Meier
('course it's not My Real name!)

[obdl3945]

Hi, Hermann...

'G9' is the identifying code of the parent Geschwader, in this case Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. 'G' is the indivifual aircraft I/D letter, and 'V' would identify the Staffel in which the aircraft was operational. 'V' would normally have indicated the 11.Staffel of IV.Gruppe.

There is a book - Luftwaffe Emblems 1939-45 by Barry Ketley & Mark Rolfe (Hikoki Publications) - which has a similarly coloured machine on the outside of the back cover, again with an overall black colour scheme, but on this occasion, coded 'G9+JN'. This would appear to state that the aircraft was from NJG1 (G9), aircraft 'J', within 4.Staffel, denoted by 'N' as the last character, therefore within II.Gruppe. The caption inside referring to this plate, however, claims it is a III.Gruppe machine, in which case, strictly speaking, the last letter should have been 'S', indicating 8.Staffel within III.Gruppe. Unfortunately, I have no information as to whether or not the kit, or specific markings, relates to an ace or not.

Great care should be exercised, however, with the codings of Luftwaffe aircraft in general, because oftentimes, machines were 'loaned out' or transferred to other sections of the same squadron, or indeed, to other squadrons altogether, as necessity dictated. Their codes were not always changed at their new unit before being deployed into action.

Lastly, many of the nightfighter units did use Bf110s and other twin-engined aircraft, but single-engined machines were not infrequent within their ranks, especially early on in the war. The Luftwaffe High Command had not really considered the threat of night bomber attacks to be something worthy of consideration in the early stages of the conflict, so when they did wake up to the reality of the situation, they tended to employ anything suitable that they had to hand. The sub-verson of the kit you mention is actually an early version, a Bf109E. Other sub-types of the Bf109, and Focke-Wulf Fw190s as well, were also used during the course of the war in the single-seat night-fighter category. Hope this is of help to you... .

Incidentally, is the kit you refer to not 1/32nd scale, as per the website of the toy company...?

Regards...

[HermannMeier]

-Many thanks for Your Info. No, it's a 1:18 Scale still in the box that I picked up at a 2nd hand Flea Markets. It's confusing because the Model, I have in that Scale, isn't indicated on the main Site? I kinda figured that there was no particular Ace to be associated with this Model, unlike others in the series that specify who flew in them on the box. I know, only too well, how the Germans like to complicate things, I once owned a G-43 Semi-Auto & made the mistake of stripping it down & got hopelessly lost, taking it back to the Gun dealer!
Oh well, I'll look up some obscure LW Ace & tell people that it's his!
A "The Night Flyer" Vampire LW Pilot! Make a great Plot!
Regs:
Hermann