Bf109G-14 Blaue 62

While updating the link to the larger version of the profile I finally adjusted the information that have become available since I posted the original.

 

This Mtt Regensburg built Bf109G-14 belonged to JG110 at Finow, spring 1945. The tall tailwheel were installed on all 109's serving with training units as it improved forward vision and made the aircraft easier to handle 0n the take-off run. Judging from the darker look of the color it seems likely althought not certain, that the aircraft wore a late war colorscheme. The spinner is not visible in the photo but is based on another picture from Finow showing other aircraft seemingly from the same unit. 

Franz Wienhausen White 21 part 1

Numerous publications are showing photographs of a Bf109 marked White 21 and belonging to Franz Wienhusen, the Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 4. In captions the aircraft has always been identified as being the Bf109G-10 with the W.Nr 130 282 that Wienhusen flew on the day of his death. One look at the camouflage pattern is enough to see that the aircraft pictured is an Erla built aircraft carrying the typical spotted mottle used by that factory. An additional photo in Mombeeks "Storming the bombers" shows that the White 21 seen in photos is most likely a regular Erla built Bf109G-14. As a second part of this article I'll be posting a 130 xxx range Bf109G-10 to show the differences.

Bf109G-14 of Jakob Vogel at the Battle of Britain pub, Gravesend.

Browsing through the LEMB section "Luftarchaeology & surviving parts" I discovered photos taken by member and moderator Clint Mitchell depicting a fin and rudder from a Bf109G, that is on display at the Battle of Britain pub in Gravesend outside London. The history of this relic was not completely clear as the W.Nr wasn't decipherable. Seeing that the detail in the photos proved this relic to be from a Bf109G-6 or G-14 in either the 412-413 or 460-462 range built by Erla, it was at least possible to narrow down the search somewhat. On a hunch I did some searching in Marc-André Haldimann photo archive and soon realized that there was an aircraft within that W.Nr range that had been brought to Farnborough, namely Black 7, W.Nr 413601, that Jakob Vogel of 8./JG1 bellylanded behind British lines in Normandy on July 22, 1944. 

Examining photos of this aircraft, both from the bellylanding and recovery as well as one photo taken in a hangar at Farnborugh it quickly became apparent that the mottle is identical with that on the fin and rudder displayed at the Battle of Britain pub. So, somehow, Jakob Vogels Bf109G-14 that came down in Normandy almost 70 years ago, ended up on a wall in Gravesend and is still there today. A wonderful relic.  

Picture courtesy of Clint Mitchell 

EDIT: I've changed the outline to the numeral from white to yellow as yellow outlines seems to have been standard in 8./JG1. One picture of Black 7 is overexposed, the other is slightly out of focus so it's hard to determine the actual outline color. Photos of both earlier and later 109's from the unit does clearly show a yellow outline though.

Info about the pub where the rudder is located can be found here: http://www.battle-of-britain.eu/