Data Plates Exposed #7: Bf 109 G-6

[stephen f. polyak]

I'm showing two plates in this installment of Data Plates Exposed (DPE). These plates, from Bf 109’s, were found with the He 111 plate seen in DPE #6. It’s known that all three (and three others) were “liberated” by a GI in the 1940’s; beyond that, circumstances are unknown.

The plates are each marked for the Bf 109 G-6. A full Werk Nummer is seen on only one plate: 163915. On the other, presumed to also be a 6-digit WN, only five numbers remain due to its torn removal: 16559?. (Some 109's in WN 165xxx series were also reportedly built as G-14's.)

The plates appear to be shop-made (i.e., somewhat crude), rather than manufactured by a specialist firm. Entries are all hand-stamped. A pale blue-gray color (not RLM 02; perhaps faded 76) with green over-spray covers 163915. On 16559? the color 76 is over-painted with a 70-series green. It’s not clear that these are main airframe plates, but the colors indicate that the plates were attached on the exterior (probably to the fuselage).

I assume the two aircraft were at the same site (airfield?) when the plates were taken. What else can be said about these Bf 109’s?

[John Beaman]

Hi Stephen:

It is possible that 16559 was the full WNr as there were G-6s in this block. I do not have data on either aircraft, but there G-6s all around them. Too bad you do not know more circumtances about their "discovery" by GIs

[stephen f. polyak]

Hi John,

I did consider the possibility that 16559 is a full WN. However, I'm assuming it's a 6-digit number based largely on wartime photo envidence showing a very different style of main data plate used on 5-digit WN G-6's. Also, since one plate is definitely a 6-digit (e.g., 163915), I'm guessing the other is also. Yes, it's all speculation.

Thank you for your reply; I hope you enjoy the plate series. Hopefully the TOCH gang will shed some further light on these two.

Steve

[stephen f. polyak]

I was recently given the following inormation about the two plates:

"These Plates should have been located in the empenage area, near the Tail Landing Gear. ("Spornfahrwerk" in german). W.Nr.163915 possibly served in Jg 3. If W.Nr.16559 is the complete 5 - digit - number, the "Stammkennzeichen" was KT+EG and possibly served in JG 53/77."