Me 410 B-2/U4, +VP, 6./ZG 26

[Ferreira]

Hi,

In In Action # 147 (Squadron/Signal), p. 38, are a photo of a Me 410 B-2/U4, +VP, of 6./ZG 26.

Checking the profile of p. 26 (left side view: +VP) I found that two of the code letters (i guess are 3U) were overpainted. I'd like to know how code letters should be displayed on the right side of the aircraft: +VP or VP+?

If it was +VP, the area over the white stripe is overpainted?

Thank's a lot!

Franklin

- from Brazil

[Eduardo]

Hi,
The Geschwader code always cames first then the individual letter and the staffel letter.If the Geschwader code was overpainted in one side,it was almost certain overpainted in the other.The "V" was the individual letter and the "P" was the staffel letter.In that case the 6 staffel.

Eduardo Arana.

From Brasil.

[George Hopp]

I would not trust the colour profiles unless there were photos to support them. So, I would want to see the photo for +VP before believing that marking, since at that time in the war II/ZG 26 was still using full coding. Normally, the a/c coding is as Eduardo stated, and you will see a great deal of that in the Signals publication on the Me 410. But with Me 410s in ZGs in 1944 you got some strange location for the codes.

Regarding the coding, look at the Me 410 in the lower left corner of page 44. It appears that the unit leaders wanted to both give the crews the feeling that they were a fighter unit, while also denoting the unit they belonged to. So, you see the number "2" and a horizontal bar around the Balkan cross (the horizontal bar is from other photos of that unit) in the same manner as with fighter units; and then the unit code "M8" ahead of the number "2". On the right side of the a/c, the number and bar was again on either side of the Balkan cross, with "M8" in the same position as on the left side.

[Ferreira]

Hi, Eduardo and Hopp,

In strange form, it seems that the used code letters in Me 410 of ZG 26 ran away to the rule. Already in p. 35 has a photo of one Me 410, where the individual letter and the staffel letter comes before the code of ZG 26. In p. 42 it also has another example.

In In Action # 147 (Squadron/Signal), p. 38, ploughs photo of Me 410 B-2/U4, +VP, of 6./ZG 26.

Some suggestion?

Cheers,
Franklin

[Eduardo]

Hi,Ferreira;

There were some cases in history that this rule was change.
For example, you can note that (H) 32, ZG 26,ZG76 and some transports
units that carry the code in the rudder with diferent organization.But as a rule, the codification in one side is the same as in the other.

Eduardo.

[George Hopp]

In Action # 147 (Squadron/Signal), p. 38, are a photo of a Me 410 B-2/U4, +VP, of 6./ZG 26.

Checking the profile of p. 26 (left side view: +VP) I found that two of the code letters (i guess are 3U) were overpainted. I'd like to know how code letters should be displayed on the right side of the aircraft: +VP or VP+?

In the case you mentioned above, the 3U+VP would also be in that sequence on the right side of the a/c. See page 45 for what I mean. And, I do believe that the 3U+ was on the left side of the a/c on p. 26, you just cannot see it on this print.

I have been considering why the last 2 letters normally to the right of the Balkan cross would appear ahead of the Balkan cross on both sides of the a/c on a/c that also had the unit code in odd places. I think that these a/c got caught in the changeover back from fighter-type numbers to the normal ZG 3rd and 4th letters. But, since the unit codes were already present, and to save time, they simply substituted the 2 letters for the numbers, and so they ended up ahead of the Balkan cross on both sides of the fuselage. See the lower left photo on page 35 for an example. Also, the painting on the cover is completely inaccurate in its display of the unit markings.

Hope that helps,
George