Bf-109G with Gruppe Kmdr insignia

[kaki3152]

Here's an interesting picture I ran across. I think its italy/Scily fromt he background

[Don Pearson]

Look closely, the badge of JG 53 is visible

Don

[ouidjat]

How can you say it's Italy/Sicily "from the background"? From the trees maybe.
Who is supposed to wear these kennung "Doppelwinkel Strich" in Stab JG 53? Von Maltzahn? I thought he got "Winkel Dreieck Strich", a G-6/trop in Vibo Valentina, July 1943.
Kaki, the picture you did put is complete?

[Don Pearson]

See JFV 8/II, page 29, same style markings...

[ouidjat]

Originally Posted by Don Pearson

See JFV 8/II, page 29, same style markings...

I don't have it Don ... Do you confirm Maltzahn plane?

Note:
1/ For what I understood until now - but it's still confuse in my little head - Doppelwinkel or Winkel Dreieck is exactly the same "kennung" and may well generaly called "Doppelwinkel" even if a "Dreieck" is painted on fuselage: Am I right?
2/ The only reference I have for this plane is a Claes Sundin profile, which can be found - for example - in Falcon's site; but access is restricted for tha particular picture if you aren't member.
David is writing - following Cales caption - Vibo Valentina, Sicilia, which is wrong since Vibo Valentina is in Calabria, continental Italia.
Next, tending in count the Vibo Valentina morphological area I wonder if there was an airfield down there; If yes, somebody's able to point it clearly? On google earth it's not obvious for that montainous place.

Last, as I wrote, "background suggesting Italia/Sicilia" may be obvious only for whose know the building depicted on Kaki picture.

Franck.

[G.R.Morrison]

Another possibility may be Helmut Bennemann, who succeeded von Maltzahn. There are several photos of him inspecting his bullet-damaged machine after a combat, and it wears the same markings. The close-up nature of the photos of bullet holes doesn't allow for an overall view -- or the background.

GRM

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by ouidjat

How can you say it's Italy/Sicily "from the background"?

From the white tail band maybe?

[kaki3152]

Thanks for all the comments, I did not see the JG-53 emblem due to all the camouflage but thatnks for spotting it.
I judged it to be Sicily or Italy due to (1) The white band as pointed out by Nick (2) the vegetation and the (3) the architecture of the building behind it.
Once again, thanks to everyone.

[veltro]

The photo (together with a second shot) has been published in Jochen Prien's excellent Jagdfliegerverbände series in the last volume 11/I on page 383...

According to the caption, it has been "perhaps" taken in the rear part of the Camaldoli (Neaples) Monastery in the late summer of 1943, but I seriously doubt it, since the Monastery is on a hill, and I have some reservations about the ability of a Bf 109 to taxi there...

So it is still open to debate the exact location, but not the source.

HTH

[kaki3152]

Ferdinando,

Is the monastery located next to an airfield? I have seen/heard of aircraft being dispersed a lonnnnggg way away from the airfield.