Abandonned Bf 109 G in Southern Italy

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Good evening to all,

Here are four excellent shots - and so far I know not yet published - of abandonned Bf 109 G's in Southern Italy, taken by Henry "Hank" Ludwin, 9th Combat Camera Unit.

http://brownieb.com/9thCCU/Page0005.htm

If requested, Hi-res pics will be sent after asking to: stevenb1@cox.net

Anybody able to provide already further details?

Cheers
Marc

[veltro]

Thanks for the head-up.

The images indicated seem to have been taken in a Sicilian olive grove, maybe in Sciacca or Biscari. Until further examination of higher-resolution images, IMHO nothing more accurate can be seriously said.

[Icare9]

If you look back through the previous pages on the link, there seem to be some very important figures in some!! Looks like the Tehran conference where Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met to discuss plans to co-ordinate the War effort against the Axis Powers. There are many documents photo'd as well so it looks possible to follow the history here. Well worth looking at them all, not just the page you link to!!

[DB601E]

According to my first impression, i would also vote for sicily.
(Nature and "timeline" of other pictures)
In this case these aircraftwrecks may belong to the JG 77.
So for further checking it would be great, having the wreck pictures in
high res. But as i can see already know, the most important parts
for easy identifaction aren't visible on the pictures:
Tail and engine cover. But we'll see if there are other details.

[RolandF]

Quite interesting is the SM.79 with obscured(yellow?) fuselage band and bright stripes across the upper wing fasces. Armistice delegation or RA crews having chosen the cobelligerent side?

regards

Roland

[Gianandrea Bussi]

The S.79 belongs to one Nucleo Addestramento Siluranti (Torpedo Training Unit, code NS).
The pictures of both C.200 and S.79 in the same album may perhaps suggest that italian aircraft were photographed at Korba (Tunisia): 8° Gruppo CT with C.200 and S.79 torpedo units stayed there from 22 september till 1 october 1943.
Anyway, I think that they are "cobelligerant" aircraft.

Gianandrea Bussi

[robert]

Hi,

these Bf109s were most likely from II./JG53.

Regards

Robert

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Thanks to all for your inputs. Veltro, thanks for the location hypothesis; Robert, any clue you can find on the pics? OR are those pics part of a serie with some already published?

Cheers
Marc

[robert]

Hi,

I saw before this photo of yellow 7 from 6./JG53 - unfortunately I don`t remember where it was?

Regards

Robert

[Mark Proulx]

Hi:

I discussed these aircraft in WOTBC#5 with a couple of photos and came to the conclusion that they are in N. Africa with JG 53.

HTH

Mark Proulx