Luftwaffe im Focus 6./JG51 1940 photo

[markjsheppard]

Hi all

Was interested in a photo on Page 8 of Luftwaffe im Focus No 6 showing a Bf109E 'Yellow 5' of 6./JG51 taken in July/August 1940. It is shown buried in the sand no doubt after high tide had claimed it. At this point I would have thought it would be written off.

My interest is that Bf109 E-3 W.Nr1342 is currently undergoing taxiing trials in the UK after rebuild for Paul Allens Collection. This Bf109 was recovered from beach/sand dunes at Wissant in the 1980's and was identified as the Bf109 of Fw Eduard Hemmerling of 6./JG51 who was 'lost' 29.07.40.

Not saying that this is the aircraft but would be interesting to know how many Bf109's of 6./JG51 crash landed on French beaches in July /August 1940 (the time scale before yellow fin/wing tips were added in September).

Shame no date with the photo.

regards

MS

[Larry Hickey]

Mark,

Just a comment on your post. Yellow markings first appeared on 109s along the Channel coast by mid-August. Yellow wingtips and tail tips were in use by at least 18.8.40, and probably a few days earlier, perhaps initiated for "Eagle Day" (13.8.40). According to British reports, full yellow noses were appearing by late August. Off the top of my head I think by 28.8.40 the first reports of this began to appear. Just to let you know that these markings were on Emils before Sept., 1940.

Larry Hickey

[Franek Grabowski]

Larry
This may be further complicated - I am just looking at two photos of Wick's 109 in same markings - on both it has yellow nose but on one there are yellow wingtips while on another they are not present. I am afraid that with distemper paint such markings could have been changed pretty quickly.
PS Have you had any fun with my Skalski bit?

[Peglar]

From II./JG 51 1940

Greetings Peglar

[Don Pearson]

Just a note on the photos;

#3 looks to be a Spitfire? Roundel visible and rounded wingtip.
#4 has a 2./JG 54 badge?

Don

[Larry Hickey]

Peglar,

The first two have not been identified. The third one is definitely a Spitfire from the Dunkirk period, which I haven't yet been able to identify. The fourth is the a/c of Lt. Helmut Ruschen of 2./JG54, Red 7, W.Nr. 6137 down on the beach near Wissant, France on August 25, 1940.

The EOE Working Group is trying to ID all of the French Beach crash photos, both Allied and German. So if anyone has any more high quality images like these, I'd sure appreciate your posting copies or letting me know what you have.

Regards,