bf-109E 6°119 from 1.J/88, E-1 or E-3?

[Antoine]

Hi, everybody.

For a modelling project, I'm trying to identify the exact type of an aircraft from legion Condor 1.J/88, bf-109E coded 6°119.

I don't have much paper documentation about Spanish Civil War, but I've came upon Robert Forsyth's 'Aces of the legion Condor' (Osprey AOTH n°99).

Overall, I find this book well written, precise and very interesting, but I've also found something quite disturbing concerning the aircraft above.

The profile (N°20, page 37) shows an E-3 with MG/FF in the wings. Fine.

But there's a picture (Page 99) showing the aircraft from close-up, eleven o'clock low, where there's no trace of the MG/FF barrel, only the hole like on early E-1.
It's also impossible to see the bulges underside the gun that would identify for sure the aircraft as an E-3.
Another picture on the next page show 119 from farther away, and still without any barrel.

My opinion is that this aircraft is an E-1, not an E-3.
What is yours?

And also, any informations about the pilot?
Said to be hauptmann Siebelt Reents, staffelkapitan of 1.J/88 from september 1938 to the war's end. He seems to have gone to the nachtjagd, and then to schlacht. Completely unkown to me.

Feel free to help, many thanks.