Another mysterious Ju 88 A

[CJE]

Attached herewith is another photograph from ECPA depicting a Ju 88 A in what looks like a Sicilian or Italian surrounding.
Though faintly visible, the staffel letter is definitely "H".
What puzzles me is that it wears the I./KG 55 badge.
AFAIK, I./KG 55 never operated in Southern Europe around 1942 and never got any Ju 88.
Any clue?

[F19Gladiator]

Hi,
The shape of the upper part of the shield of the emblem more resembles the badge of LG 1 which had a substantial involvement in the Med..
LG 1 had a very similar badge to I./KG 55 with a red griffon on a white shield which however usually differs in shape. It was used by I./LG 1 but can also be a Geschwader badge in some cases, if I've got it right.

There is a "U" under port wing tip why the code might e L1+HU, which if correct indicates an aircraft from 10./LG 1.
Cheers
Goran

[CJE]

Thanks, Goran.
You are right!

Chris

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Chris,
Very nice picture and what a beautiful machine it was indeed. Congratulations!
( It would make a nice diorama on 1/48 scale...)
Adriano

[CJE]

Thanks but I'm not the artist! The PK guys sure knew how to shoot.
To sum up, it's a machine of 1./LG 1 (and not 11. as mentionned above) taken at Comiso (Sicily), late 1942.

[Gianandrea Bussi]

CJE,
are you sure that it had been taken at Comiso? All the pictures I've seen that had taken at that sicilian airport show a very different background.
Best regards

Gianandrea

[F19Gladiator]

Originally Posted by CJE

Thanks but I'm not the artist! The PK guys sure knew how to shoot.
To sum up, it's a machine of 1./LG 1 (and not 11. as mentionned above) taken at Comiso (Sicily), late 1942.

I suppose the code is L1+UH then, instead of L1+HU, the "U" under the wing tip denoting the a/c ID letter which was a common practise.

Regarding the location, my first reaction was that it was taken in Greece and not Comiso. Athens-Eleusis, sometimes using Rhodes-Gadurra as staging airfield, when attacking targets in North Africa. Crete-Heraklion also being visited by I./LG 1.
Cheers
Goran

[CJE]

Yes, the "H" of the Staffel can be seen on the fuselage.
Sorry, I wrote Comiso, but I think it's rather Gerbini. The features of the background fits this airfield.

[Gianandrea Bussi]

I don't think that it's Gerbini: as far as I know, excluding the Aetna, the background of this airport had only low hills, without any rocky mountain.
Perhaps in other negatives of the same series there are some pictures with other details that could allow to identify the airfield.

Best regards

Gianandrea