Shmittfire!

[Oberst]

http://captured-wings.wikia.com/wiki/EN830

Has anybody determine whether this unique kite was repainted in standard Luftwaffe camouflage? Or was the standard Spitfire camo patterns copied and oversprayed Luftwaffe Grey colours? I'm fairly confident that yellow was used on the rudder, elevators, and engine cowl, along with a light blue on the underside. Thanks in advance!

[Graham Boak]

It has a single dark green on the uppersurface. This was a common treatment of captured aircraft that were not to be used for clandestine operations.

[Oberst]

Hello, thanks for your fast response. If you look at other pictures of this plane on the internet, you can clearly see camouflage pattern resembling Spitfire Vb on the upper wings, even a 2~tone on the hull. This is after the conversion of the DB605. So I do not believe it's all green.

[Andy Mitchell]

Here is a link to an article on this Spitfire from the May 1966 edition of Flying Review International.

http://www.wiki.luftwaffedata.co.uk/...ing_Review.zip

[Graham Boak]

Fine, then it retained its original colours at the time of these photos. Repainting to German colours (other than in patches to obscure the original markings) but retaining the original pattern would be unique, and require some explanation beyond "what it"?. However, I still would expect to see yellow on the underside - it would still appear as a Spitfire and thus require positive identification as a captured example.

[Oberst]

I wasn't being rude, but you can clearly see a camouflage pattern on the wings, ans remnants on the fuselage.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Well it has been a while since I looked at my copy of that issue.
The one shown above has some sort of water stain.
What I see from my copy is The nose section has been painted in a light colour (yellow ?) as has the elevators and rudder. Codes "CJ+ZY" have bee applied to sides of fuselage, upper wings "C+J" port and "Z+Y" on stbd. With "C+J" on lower stbd and "Z+Y" on lower port wing.
From what I see of RAF type camoflage it would seem that it does seem to show through the German dark green on the upper surfaces, perhaps this is just due to the exposure conditions when the photos were taken. Or maybe the hurried re paint had resulted in the German Green been thined or washed out in flight thus allowing the RAF como to show through by the time the photos were taken ?
Alex

[kaki3152]

Btw, the Spitfire that was modified with DB605 engine was originally Spitfire V EN830 OF 131 Squadron which was shot down over the isle of Guernsey in the Channel Islands on November 18,1942. The pilot was PO Bernard W. M.H. Scheidhauer who was later executed by the Gestapo in the Great Escape.

An account from the book "The German Occupation of Jersey" by L.P. Sipel

"November 18 1942...British plane (an old type Spitfire) receives damage in a flight over Guernsey and makes a forced landing here in the grounds of Dielament Manor,Trinity, The pilot, a young Frenchman, whose home is in Brest was eventually taken prisoner, but several people procured souvenirs from the plane before the Germans arrived."

[Oberst]

Excellent, thank you gentlemen for possible explanations and additional information.