Bf109G-10 Red 2 of 5./JG52

While researching "Black 22" for the Barracuda decal sheets I came across a loss list entry for 5./JG52 showing a WNF built Bf109G-10 maked "Red 2" rather than the usual black. Pictures in Prien & Rodeike shows an aircraft marked "2" in a medium color that match the details quite well. 

The pictures were reportedly taken at Vezsprem in March 1945 which is also when the aircraft was lost. The pictures show a spiral spinner with a background lighter than both black and RLM 70 which is why I opted for red spinner to go along with the numeral and the fact that there seems to be eye-witness accounts of red occasionally beeing used for spinner in 5./JG52.

Barracuda Cals Sheet 1 Black or Blue 22?

On Barracuda Studios decal sheet "BC32144 Erla Bf 109G-10 - Part 1" we've included a II./JG52 aircraft marked "Black 22". There is some doubt about the color of the numerals though as they look a bit paler than one would expect from black numerals. This could be explained by a glossy black paint used for the numerals or even a glossy fuselage that combined with a low setting sun reflects the light in such a way that creates this pale effect.

Turning to documental evidence, more precisely the losslist of II./JG52, it is clear that normally II./JG52 used White, Black and Yellow numerals. There's also a single mention of red, "Red 2", a WNF built Bf109G-10 that was lost on March 15:th 1945. A photo of a WNF built Bf109G-10 marked with what is likely a red "2" exists and shows that the red was used without outline. So based only on the losslist, Black 22 would seem like the most likelt candidate for the markings.

Another possibility comes from the fact that here was an 8./JG52 formed as part of II./JG52 for at least a month in early 1945. In other words it's likely that at least for a while, a fourth staffel color was used within II./JG52. Given the relative dark tone of the numeral on "22" I believe it's safe to rule out RLM 25 but RLM 24 could be an option. The problem is that not a single loss for an 8./JG52 aircraft can be found in the losslist, but there are also several losses that are simply noted as "II./JG52" without mention of neither Staffel number nor tactical number or color. So while the losslist doesn't prove the existance of blue numerals it can't be used to rule them out either. 

If the aircraft was marked Blue 22 due to it being part of 8./JG52 it would have been flown by another staffel of II./JG52 during the spring of 1945 as by the time the yellow rudder and band around the nose were applied, 8./JG52 was already disbanded.

That's all that is know at the moment. Hopefully something will emerge in the future to shed light on this little mystery but for now, this is it. We supplied the option, above is the explanation, the decision is off course yours and yours alone. Have fun!

Erla built Bf109G-10 at Neubiberg

Finally, thanks to the work or Marc-André Haldimann, a good photo of Black 6 at Neubiberg has been found. The resemblances with Black 22 are striking in that both aircraft shows a quite heavy overspray on the fuselage. This aircraft is also from 151xxx W.Nr range judging from the large rectangular wheelbulges and the antenna wire that is attached directly to the fuselage spine rather than an antenna post.

Erich Hartmann's Bf109G-10

A month ago I would have sworn to anyone that would listen that there was no way that Erich Hartmanns last Bf109 would be wearing the black tulip on the nose as it would have been too dangerous to wear and too time-consuming to paint given the situation on the eastern front. Then a man finds a photoalbum at a market and by a stroke of luck he knows the significance of the photo he's got in front of himself and all the sudden there's proof that Hartmann's G-10 did indeed have a black tulip painted on the nose! Everything aft of the fuselage cross is still guesswork though but contemporary I./JG52 aircraft show no yellow bands or rudders. The fuselage cross is in the smaller size introduced by Erla somewhere during the production run of their G-10 series. It's not certain that the undersurfaces of the wings were natural metal though.

I first found the photos of the aicraft at Neil Page's blog here  They were originally found and posted by Flavio at the Luftwaffe Experten Messageboard

Updated 18/11 2013: Updated the profile in preparation for the release of the Revell Bf109G-10 Erla that will contain decals for this aircraft. According to the boxart Revell has likely got the tailfin camo wrong as they depict a style used by Mtt Regensburg that was rare on Erla built aircraft. I've changed the fin too as the camo I depicted earlier seems to have been a rare case and not as typical as I first thought.  

WNF Built Bf109G-10 at Neubiberg

Seeing how the Erla built G-10's has been featured so much on the blog lately it's time for a WNF built Bf109G-10. This one is one of the many that were surrendered at Neubiberg in May 1945. The Luftflotte 4 markings have been hastily applied freehand on the nose. One can always wonder whether the "smiley face" on the quarter panel behind the enginecowling was intentional! 

Bf109K-4 at Neubiberg

Black <1 + - was one of many Bf109's flown by pilots of II./JG52 to Neubiberg at the end of the war. It carries all the charachterisitc markings with the yellow nose and rudder used by Luftflotte 4 aircraft and the typical small markings of II./JG52. 

The roughly sprayed 215 on the fuselage are the last three digits of the W.Nr which when looking at the style of camouflage could be either 332215 or 334215. The fact that the cross under the wing is outlined in white points to the earlier batch, i.e. 332215. 

Bf109G-6 from 5./JG52

A very low resolution photo of this aircraft turned up on Ebay some years ago, as far as I can remember no details were known. Looking at the style of the markings with the small numerals and yellow band directly aft of the balkenkreuz it seems highly likely to be a 5./JG52 aircraft. 

In fact, the markings are almost identical to the ones on the famous Black 15 flown by Walter Wolfrum. The medium color spinner looks like it could be red, just like on Black 15. Given the high number and red spinner it may even have been Walter Wolfrums reserve aircraft but that is pure speculation.

Bf109G-10 of Heinz Ewald

This WNF-built Bf109G-10 was flown by Heinz Ewald of II./JG52 in February 1945. Pictures, decals and a profile are provided by Kagero for this aircraft and Hasegawa has boxings of this aircraft as well. Both Kagero and Hasegawa depicts this aircraft in late-war colors and a camoflage that looks close to the pattern used on late Bf109K-4's.

The internet is full of pictures of models depicting this scheme that is unfortunately incorrect. I was sceptical of that scheme from the start and when I started learning about Wrk.Nr ranges and how camoflage patterns could be used to understand from which factory a Bf109 came from I just knew something was wrong. WNF never used the kind of pattern that Kagero and Hasegawa suggests.

Finally when I found pictures of this aircraft, nothing in them contradicted a standard WNF camo as depicted in my profile. Sure, the fuselageside might have had some extra mottling but nothing like the solid, low demarcation scheme shown in the instructions from Hasegawa and Kagero.

A big shame since it's quite an attractive idea, I believe that my version is far closer to the truth - which still might be a bit off!

The numerals provided by Hasegawa and Kagero are too large, they should be in the same size as all other II./JG52 aircraft wore in the spring of 1945 and seen for example on the aircraft found at Neubiberg at the wars end.

One final thing to notice is that the landinggear doors had been removed to prevent snow and mud from getting caught up between the doors and the leg.