Werner Mölders Bf109E-4/N W.Nr 3737

 

Depicted in this profile is Bf109E-4/N W.Nr 3737 flown by Mölders in October 1940. There's 43 victory markings on the rudder, Mölders claiming his 43rd victory on October 11 1940. As Mölders Flugbuch from 1940 doesn't show W.Nr entries it's not possible to know when he started flying this aircraft, but the lowest score photographed on this rudder is 40, the tally that Mölders achieved on September 20. 

Interestingly, in the photos showing 43 victories there's also visible damage to the tailplane and then there's photos of the tailplane disassembled. 

Further photos shows the same rudder back on a seemingly new tailplane, now with 48 victories and traces of yellow paint on the tips of the stabilizers. There's no such traces in earlier photos so the tail was possibly scavenged from another aircraft. 

On October 25 1940, this aircraft was brought down in England while flown by Hans Asmus and according to the intelligence report from the crash, the rudder now had 49 victories on it. 49 victories does not make sense though since Mölders scored victories 49 to 51 on October 22. Logic says that the rudder ought to have shown either 48 victories, the score reached on October 17, or 51 victores, the score reached on October 22.