Hs 126 with bomb rack

[Steffen Arndt]

Originally Posted by Fernando Estanislau

...it looks that the last character is F or even P.

Hmm, you might be right. If it's a "4E + GP" it would fit in the Aufkl. Gr. (H) 13 range in B. Rosch's book. But still the bomb rack puzzles me.

Thanks for your input!!

best regards

Steffen

[Steffen Arndt]

Hello fellow Lw ethusiasts

as Andreas Brekken suggested, I contacted Christian Möller. This is his reply:

Originally Posted by Christian Möller

Es ist richtig, daß die Störkampfgruppen einige Hs 126 verwendeten (u.a. für Aufklärung, Bandeneinsätze, Bombardierung der HKL bei Nacht, etc.).
Die Hs 126 auf dem Foto, bzw. die Kennung sieht jedoch aus wie 4E+GP. Also wäre es eine Maschine der 6.(H)/13. Die Staffel wurde im Dezember 1940 aufgestellt, 1941 Einsatz im Osten, 1942 im Osten bei der NAG 4 eingesetzt. Im Januar 1943 in Stalingrad untergegangen.
Auf der Homepage von M. Holm, www.ww2.dk, kannst Du den Werdegang der Staffel verfolgen. Darunter auch den Flugzeugbestand: Demnach hatte die Staffel ab März 1942 vermutlich nur noch Fw 189! Heißt also, daß Dein Foto aus 1941/1942 stammt.
Das "G" dürfte in der Staffelfarbe Gelb aufgemalt worden sein (und wird unter der Tragfläche in schwarz wiederholt). Einsatz in Rußland (gelbes Rumpfband!!!).

For those of you who cannot read German I'lI try a summary: Christian interprets the code as 4E + GP and thus it would belong to 6.(H) /13 . He further explains the formation in 1940 and the deployment to the eastern front -- yellow recognition band. More details on M. Holms site http://www.ww2.dk . He then deduces the timeframe from the Flugzeugbestandslisten (1941/42) and the color of the "G" as yellow.

------

The more I look at the photo the more I tend to believe it is an a/c with a 4 letter code, maybe a Stkz.

The position of the "G" below the wing is typical for the recurrence of the Stkz. (right wing (seen from above into flying direction): 1. Letter - cross - 2. Letter leftwing: 3. Letter-Cross- 4. Letter ---> ?+E G+P). If the a/c letter is repeated below the wing it is mostly outbord of the cross on both sides. Also it seems to me that the "coloration" of the 3rd character is an optical illusion due to light and fuselage conditions (see 4th letter and the yellow color of the band as reference)

Discussion is open .....

best regards

Steffen

[lritger]

I agree with the Stkz explanation, but I'm seeing GE+GF (there's no vertical link between the two horizontal bars on the last letter, so it's not a P). The second character is an E, not a 2... the Luftwaffe almost ALWAYS used an angled center stroke to the number 2, and the character on the aircraft clearly has a horizontal central bar. The first character *seems* to be a G, based on what I can see... I'll try playing with this in Photoshop and see if anything else can be made out.

Neat pic!

Lynn

[lritger]

1st characer: still undetermined, maybe G or C
2nd character: E
3rd character: sure looks like a C, but the wing shows a G
4th character: F

Thoughts?

Lynn

[Steffen Arndt]

Hello Lynn

Thank you for your help!

I still think the 3rd letter is a G. (I could provide you the 600 dpi scan for your tries just write me your preferred data format)



You might be right with the 4th letter... the P just fit so perfectly in Barry Rosch's list for Aufkl. Gr. 13 (H)

Also I would agree on the first letter although we only have a small part of the letter "visible".

Still I have no idea of the unit and the timeframe . Christians explanation is possible (maybe the first letter is a 4) but not fully convincing

maybe someone has a Stkz list for Hs 126...

Steffen

[Stefan Vetteriek]

Hi everybody,

have a look at Ed West's last photo collection ("01/15/05 Part 1"). Last item in the first Misc. block (item # 6146845193) is a Hs 126 with the same kind of bomb rack as seen on the 126 posted by Steffen Arndt. This a/c is coded TV+OG and the markings are similar to Steffen's, i.e. third and fourth letter of the Stammkennzeichen apparently in a lighter colour then the first two. However TV+OG carries no fuselage band. Same unit? Second 126 is claimed to have been photographed at Schleißheim near München.

HTH

Stefan

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi All,
ragarding the Stammkennzeichen, the block GE+GB to GE+GO is for Bü 131 aircraft. At least in my data base. I have Hs 126 with GE+A_ and GE+X_ but non with the Stammkennzeichen in question.

Reagrds,

Norbert

[George Hopp]

appears to me to look more like an SD2 rack than a 4 x 50Kg rack.
All the best,
George

[ThomasA]

See this:

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=6146845193

The Stammkennzeichen on this A/C is clearer and easier to read. It might help a bit.

/Thomas Adamsson

[Steffen Arndt]

Hello all

Thank you for pointing to that picture. Indeed it looks quite similar to "my" Hs 126. I've been in contact with Christian Möller on this pic for a while and it is a pity I cannot find the 2 other pics belonging to that series of photographs @ ebay (haven't saved them in time).

Some comments/questions:

Originally Posted by Norbert Schuchbauer

regarding the Stammkennzeichen, the block GE+GB to GE+GO is for Bü 131 aircraft. At least in my data base. I have Hs 126 with GE+A_ and GE+X_ but non with the Stammkennzeichen in question.

Christian wrote me a friend of him who collects Stkz said the possible Stkz. GE + GF or GE + GP would belong to Fw 189 ?

Originally Posted by George Hopp

appears to me to look more like an SD2 rack than a 4 x 50Kg rack.

As I wrote, I cannot find the other pics. There was one which clearly shows 4 bombs! If you look at this photo

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=6146845193

You'll find 4 brackets on 2 mounts for bombs per side. The "Rost" for SD2 looks a little different ... maybe this is some kind of multipurpose rack which could be used for the SD2 too?

best regards

Steffen