Late war Bf 109 pictures source

[Pilot]

Is this cropped image?

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Yes Srecko; the full image does only show the sky above.... It can be seen on LEMB at this thread, post 65:
http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...opic=14798&hl=

Cheers
Marc

[Marc-André Haldimann]

As for the location, it was...on the Ebay auction itself: Zichenau - Ciechanów, Eastern Prussia, 1944:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Me-109-Jagd-F...ht_1024wt_1378

Now remains the BIG question of the unit...

Cheers
Marc

[Nick Beale]

Excuse my ignorance but how did you conclude that it's a G-8. Is there a feature I should have spotted?

[John Beaman]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Excuse my ignorance but how did you conclude that it's a G-8. Is there a feature I should have spotted?

If Marc is correct about the start of the WNr as 20xxxxx, then it is a G-8.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by John Beaman

If Marc is correct about the start of the WNr as 20xxxxx, then it is a G-8.

That much I do know (although many such were still described as G-6 in German signals) but I couldn't make out a Werk Nummer on the photo and without that or the camera windows I was stuck for clues. The MG 131s seem to be present; had they not been there, it would have been a good pointer to a G-8, many of which had their armament reduced to a single MG 151/20 (e.g. in service with 4. and 5.(F)/123).

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hello Nick,

The camouflage is my only lead; the very dense overspraying of the rear fuselage behind the Balkenkreuz is a feature always noted on all WNF produced G-8's. Now look to the Hakenkreuz: you have the usual RLM 76 only surrounding; the W.Nr. itself, painted in thin big numerals around and under the over-sprayed Hakenkreuz cannot be seen due to the tail being slightly out of focus.

Agreed, the definitive proof of this machine being a G-8 is missing; still, comparing among all the G-8's on my Flickr pages, one can see IMHO the commonness of their WNF specifically applied camouflage.

Cheers
Marc

[Marc-André Haldimann]

John,

I wish I could be correct... But Nick has it right: nothing to be seen in the slightly out of focus tailplane... So no definitive clue.

My point was really camouflage orientated as the recurring heavy blotching of the rear fuselage and the RLM 76 undersurface around the Hakenkreuz are a common feature for all W.Nr. identified Bf 109 G-8's:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422 W.Nr. 200 041
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422 W.Nr. 200 265
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422 W.Nr. 200 2xx

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422W.Nr. 201 143

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422 W.Nr. 201 765
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422 W.Nr. 202 113

This said, no way to be 100% sure... And thanks, Nick, for the lead about the absence/presence of MG 131's. I wasn't aware of that.

Cheers
Marc

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Marc-André Haldimann

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...57625536800422 W.Nr. 202 113

This said, no way to be 100% sure... And thanks, Nick, for the lead about the absence/presence of MG 131's. I wasn't aware of that.

Cheers
Marc

My feeling on 202113 is that it would probably have been "red 7", rather than green. When Tom Hitchcock first published that photo and interpreted the colour, he hadn't made the connection with the QMG loss report, so didn't have a unit for the machine. For the record: 13.02.45, 2./NAG 13, Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 202113: Bruchlandung inf. Motorstörung, 40%.

When it flew Fw 190s in the south of France (August 1944), 2./NAG 13 used black numbers with a red outline. It returned to action in early October with Bf 109s and, if they dropped the previous practice, I'd see a change to red number/white outline as more likely than green/white outline.

I picked up on the reduced armament from reports of aircraft accepted by France-based units from the Guyancourt workshops. Examples here and here. It didn't apply in every case though.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hi floks,

I just found today two pictures of a Bf 109 G-6 (?) W.Nr. unknown "Rote 21" emerging from lake Ammer (Ammersee), near the locality of Buch. The date of its ditching is unknown, as the unit which is only surmized as being an 2./EJG or a 2./JG 1xx fighter school unit.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809206...n/photostream/

Any indication about unit and date of ditching would be great; if W.Nr. available, that would be magic!

Thanks in advance
Marc