Location and date of Oesau picture required.

[tcolvin]

Can anyone please identify where and when this picture was taken.
And is Oesau wearing a British flying jacket?

The caption is; "Major Oesau an seiner Me 109, der, wie Oberstleutnant Luetzow, mehr als 100 Luftsiege errang".
Photo: PK Melichor
Dimension of print: 11.5 x 10 inches.

This is one of a series of 28 such prints in my possession, all of Messerschmitt aircraft (Me 108, Me 109, and Me 110), taken in many locations, including over the Channel coast, Paris, North Africa and Smolensk that would appear to be Messerschmitt publicity/advertising photos that were issued, presumably, in 1941/1942.
They are war booty.

Tony

[Kutscha]

I count 39 victory marks. On Thursday, 5 February 1941 claimed his 40th victory(a Hurricane over Desvres, France). Could be a photo taken because of this victory, him being the 4th highest scoring LW ace.

III,/JG3 was based at Desvres from 8.8.40 - 16.2.41

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Oesau
http://www.ww2.dk/air/jagd/jg3.htm

[Red Baroness]

This is Balthasar's plane, so we are assuming '41 or so for the date. Oesau, as far as my research has shown, wasn't a man to have kill markings on his tail, or so the tale is told.

Re the jacket - it appears so -I have also viewed pictures of Galland wearing similar.

I have in my possession a couple more B&Ws from around the same time - must have been some sort of photo-moment-documentary going on.

[Kutscha]

Thanks for that tid-bit about Oesau RB.

If it is Balthasar's plane (I believe you) as you say then the photo had to be probaly taken in May-June 1941.

RB, can you explain the different victory markings?

[Red Baroness]

No problem, Kutscha!

The down-pointing arrows I believe were in reference to kills made on the ground, the up-pointing to kills in the air.

[Don Pearson]

I counted 27 "up" arrows. Balthasar is known to have claimed his 27th on 27.9.40. He is credited with 2 more while with III./JG 3.

Oesau took over III Gruppe 11.11.40.

m.t.c.

Don

[tcolvin]

Thank you Cori and Kutscha.

Cori, if you want a high quality scan of the picture for your book, you only have to ask.

One more question, please.
How did it work when a Gruppenkommandeur had his own aircraft, on which he painted his score, and that aircraft became unserviceable because, say, it needed an engine change or repair to battle damage?

Tony

[ouidjat]

Originally Posted by tcolvin

How did it work when a Gruppenkommandeur had his own aircraft, on which he painted his score, and that aircraft became unserviceable because, say, it needed an engine change or repair to battle damage?

Tony

Hi Tony,

I thought about this many times, and not only this plane. I reached to the only possible conclusion, they took the rudder out to put it on another plane. I even gone further: was it possible to take it out from a Bf109E to put on Bf109F??? Of course, these are only speculations: Better ideas?

other commentaries:
- The first Oesau picture put in this thread have been Highly repainted.
- Yes, Oesau did put victories on rudders see his "White 13" for instance.
- And the guy on the picture (B&W one) IS Balthasar.

Last I've read this thread many times, I still don't know when, where, this picture have been taken; lot of mixture and confusion...

Regards,
Franck.

[tcolvin]

Originally Posted by ouidjat

Hi Tony,

I thought about this many times, and not only this plane. I reached to the only possible conclusion, they took the rudder out to put it on another plane. I even gone further: was it possible to take it out from a Bf109E to put on Bf109F??? Of course, these are only speculations: Better ideas?
Franck.

But Franck, Balthasar has painted the fin/vertical stabilizer, as well as the rudder.
AFAIK there is no way the fin could be changed in the field since it is one of the most important structural items of the entire airframe, and subject to tremendous leverage forces.
It always struck me as quaint that the original Me 109 had bracing struts on the horizontal stabilizer holding the elevator, showing there had been strength problems. The struts must have cost several mph.
Changing the rudder was more likely possible in the field.
But it's all speculation.

Tony

[VtwinVince]

I believe this photo dates to the BoB, during the period when Balthasar was wounded, September 1940. My uncle took over the III. Gruppe during this period, "stellvertretend".