New pic of a Bf 109 G-6 (in Ainring?), 1945

[George Hopp]

Interesting then; I din't know LW flew with a grenade in their pocket, did they?

No! Usually, the boys left behind to destroy the airfield facilities would blow up what they could and disable what they couldn't. While these a/c may not have actually been blown up by a grenade, they would have been most easily disabled by damaging the cockpit with a small explosive. And, in most cases, the most convenient item available was a grenade.

I mentioned the 109G-6/AS and 109G-14/AS as possibles; but saw the square fairing, which meant an Erla product. But, as has been noted, others know the late 109Gs far better than I do, and so I let them make the call, and am happy they did.

[RolandF]

Not to forget German military personnel used its grenades sometimes as so-called "geballte Ladung", i.e. the German grenades tied together at their typical wooden handles and ignited at the same time. Such a bundled charge - not possible with egg handgrenades - would blow some nice holes in any aircraft...
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Regards

Roland

[ouidjat]

Yes Roland,

I imagine the "german military personnel" running behind at each crashed plane just to blow it up!!! And that during Bodenplatte, in an area fullcrowded of "allies military personnel".
Can be true for the first one (posted by Marc - the plane's still on his legs) when retreating. For the second one, (the G-10 posted by Unikum) better to think that a GI did it...

Sometimes.... Well, forget it!
Regards,
Franck.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hello Roland, Ouidjat and George,

Talking about grenade or grenade bundle damage, the second Bf 109 G picture I've posted which right cockpit area was blown up is another graphic example. Those localized type of damage are not that common btw; either planes are left intact or they are reduced to a total wreck - maybe a more efficient bundle charge in combination with a remaining quantity of B4 or C3 fuel in the tank...

Cheers
Marc