Me109 training unit identification

[harrison987]

Hey guys ,

I've recently acquired some images brought back by a US serviceman. They were taken in Germany in 1945.

One image features an Me109E that appears to be coded with a "White 45" on the cowling.

Another image feature is an Me109 G6 with a "White 53", I believe

Are there any records of this training unit or airfield?

There are also some images of a JU88 and a glider on the same field.

Mike

[Buckeye30]

Hi Mike. Possibly JG.104 ? (formerly JFS.4) formed at Furth in March 43 as Stab. and I.Gruppe, disbanded April 45.There is a photo of a G-12 with a white "40" on the nose and part Stkz.(SJ) visible; SJ+UG / XY and XZ were 109s. Usual style though was a 3-digit yellow number on the fuselage. They used several airfields in the 2 years, all seem to be in Bavaria.

If they were in S. Germany I thought they might be Hungarian as they were moving into Austria and Germany late-war. I've seen a white no.43 on a 109G nose, in woodland with another 109; not Hungarian though.



Regards
Nick

[harrison987]

Hey Nick!

Here are the images.

I assumed this was a training unit, due to the Me109E "White 46"

Me109 G6 is an outline (maybe blue with white) "51".

Also, some unknown Glider - cannot place it at all.

[Buckeye30]

Mike I think the "glider" is a mock-up for ground instruction. The 109G has operational markings ie. spinner spiral and Staffel colour number. There are other 109s and 190s with white 2-digit nose numbers in the 40s-50s . This is White 43 captioned as Lechfeld, also in Bavaria; a different style of "4" to the 109E though.
Lechfeld was occupied by the 4th. Division and used as Airfield R-71. Difficult to ID with no unit emblems but lots of LW aircraft were collected at Lechfeld for subsequent evaluation (not sure they'd be interested in an Me109E though).
Regards
Nick

https://www.flickr.com/photos/farini...7603801462303/

[pvanroy]

The glider is a DFS Kranich II. The Kranich II was one of the most produced and most widely used German twin-seat gliders of the era.

[Buckeye30]

Many thanks, a new one on me.

http://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/GL/GL-1/118-3.jpg

Nick

[pvanroy]

Also note the Fieseler-type intake on "46". This type of supercharger intake is found mostly (although not exclusively) on the 63 Bf 109 T built by Fieseler, so the machine in the picture *might* be a Bf 109 T instead of a regular E.

[harrison987]

Ah! very good! I guess I assumed a training unit, as I was unaware of the me109E being used in any front line capacity so late in the war

I suppose this could possibly be Lechfeld (?)

[pvanroy]

Is there any chance the photos might have been taken in Austria? Because in that case, the machines could belong to JG 108, which had somewhat of a habit of putting the numbers on the nose of their aircraft.

[Buckeye30]

II./JG108 had DFS Kranich and Grunau Baby training gliders in Austria, 5.St. at Munchendorf (to Feb.) and 6./7./8. St. at Fels-am-Wagram (to March); 2 Me109Gs with white nose numbers were 14 and 11. From Henry's "ww2.dk/Airfields" site and a Russian one I can't remember. The eastern part of Austria was unfortunately occupied by the Soviets.
I believe both gliders were standard in the NSFK.
Nick