JG 54 Winter 1943 cammouflage

[Graham Boak]

Merrick identifies the colours as the prewar 61/62/63, IIRC. It was not uncommon for the Luftwaffe to experiment with different colours in a geschwader at the front-line. Bear in mind that the unit was not actually right at the cutting edge but safely back within the supplied perimeter, and a few gallons of paint would not take up that much space on a train or lorry. Such a movement may well not have been a high priority, but over the course of a winter such a movement is not that unbelieveable.

[Don Pearson]

The importance of fuel over paint reminds me of the stories during the Stalingrad airlift of crates of condoms being shipped in instead of food. Crazier things...

Somewhere I recall reading the theory (maybe from a Superscale decal sheet) that there were Fw 190s shipped during the winter with factory applied white camo. Does this theory still hold any water?

Don

[markjsheppard]

Hi

Interesting discussion.

Could be true that end 1941 JG54 had occupied 2-3 former and well equipped Soviet airfields around Leningrad. 1942 JG54 started experimenting with colours and could well have used Russian stocks. would this have run until 1943? I would guess unlikely. How much paint would that be? Could the JG54 colours be based on local colours and experience?

Why was it not undertaken with other units in other sectors and seems quite unique to JG54?

Attached are a few interesting photos. Colour photo of a Fw190 in my collection and the brownviolet and tan of Fw190 A-5 1227 White A of 4./JG54 taken in 1991. (Outside of my agreement with Vulcan).

Glaserit have scanned these and perhaps one day they could be checked against the RLM colours? These were very well protected and seem to have no weathering or UV degregation due to the protection of the tailplane.

regards

Mark

[Cpt_Farrel]

Originally Posted by Modeldad

But fuel is as essential as food. Paint is not. 60Kg can of paint or the same amount of aviation fuel in a Ju 52? Hmmmmmm.

As for the reference to use of 81/82/83, don't these colors post-date the painted aircraft in question?

Yes, the colors were the old pre-war greens and brown that was tested on JG54 aircraft and then brought back under the new names RLM 81, 82 and 83 (83 was not the old 63 though...). At least if Ken Merrick is right... If nothing else, it's an interesting theory!

Also, the repaints wouldn't have been done so close to the frontline that they would have needed to be flown in. Small repairs were done outdoors and in the field but a complete repaint required a depot. Except for wintercolors that was another matter...

[markjsheppard]

Few more bits and pieces but no video.

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=109936

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=95898

http://www.geocities.com/s822019/190/1227/190_1227.htm

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qayREUJe65w

regards

Mark

PS - To me Ken is the expert on German aircraft camouflage - 40 years of research.

[Modeldad]

Yes, Merrick's books are a bible, much has to be accepted on faith.

There is a lot of illogic and unsupported evidence that one either accepts or not. It is an arguable position at best.

As to amount of Russian paint available,probably helluva lot as there was intensive camouflaging of existing aircraft going on at the time.

[Graham Boak]

Evidence vs invention? Merrick's comments are based on a study of the actual machine. The idea that the Luftwaffe used Russian paints comes from where? Somebody's supposition, or actual evidence?

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

Soviet AMT-series was based on cellulose lacquer. Literally they are given as "nitrotselljuloznye emalevye kraski".

German RLM paints were mainly phenolic resin - "Phenolharzverkochung in aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen (see: http://www.kiroff.de/anwendungen/rlmflieg.htm , main Kiroff site: http://www.kiroff.de ).

Are these paints compatible with each other? Can AMT be painted over RLM paints without cooking them? This is particularily interesting for me for another reason, namely were (or could) Finnish nitro enamels used over German paintwork in FinnAF Bf 109 and Ju 88 etc. I think only empirical test would give us the definitive answer. Hot lacquers could in theory (and in practice) painted in so thin layers that the solvent evaporates before it destroys the paint beneath.

If they are AMT-paints on the 4./JG 54 wreck it shoud be quite easy to test? Cellulose paints would lift with cellulose solvent. Don't think the same happens with phenolic paint. People at Firm Kiroff should know.


Another thing. Are we really sure that it was JG 54 which introduced the odd three-colour camo? And in field? The couple of JG 26 Fw 190 photos on Eastern Front do show odd three-colour camouflage too. Perhaps they were painted already at Feldluftpark/Factory or whatever? Before deliver/transfer to field units. Chronologically JG 26 odd-camo came first, I think. I speculated this in an earlier thread but it did not spark real discussion then:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=8108






My two cents,
Kari

[Cpt_Farrel]

I can't speak for Merrick but as I recall, his evidence for certain aircraft wearing old RLM colors seems pretty solid. I don't consider it proof that the JG54 greens were all based on RLM colors though.

I've had discussions with Claes Sundin about this and he has compared Russian paintsamples with greens found on JG54 aircraft and found matches as well.

I don't see why so many wants to find a single explanation for the JG54 greens as I bet there are several. Early in the eastern campaign it seems JG54 used RLM70 and 71, maybe they thought they were too dark so that the mixed their own from other RLM colors OR used Russian colors. If they did and thought it worked better, I bet that a request would have gone out for German manufactured colors in similar tones and shades perhaps resulting in the re-issue of early greens and browns?

I've got no proof what so ever, so I'm not saying it happened like that, I'm just saying that all these explanations that we see are possible, and shouldn't need to rule each other out.

[Jim P.]

I have to agree with Modeldad for the most part. And I don't think JG 54 was at all unique as far as non-standard paint schemes. The best known and most outrageous perhaps, but there are some pretty funky/non-standard schemes on machines from a lot of other units as well - in that regard you need to look at the area where the unit is based. The Leningrad sector was heavily forested, so greens would be a natural. The unit's major base of operations for 2-3 years were major captured Soviet installations. Stands to reason that out of necessity they might use captured Soviet stocks at times. You're not going to stop operations waiting the next paint shipment.