(30) Luftwaffe’s Baptis(m of Fire

Color profiles: Andrzej Sadło, Janusz Światłoń, Arkadiusz Wróbel , captions: Maciej Góralczyk
Free decals for all 8 painting schemes in 3 scales.

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References:

Arráez Cerda, J. Les Chasseurs de la Legion Condor, Rennes 1982.
Arráez Cerda, J. Les Messerschmitt Espagnols. Du premier 109-V aux derniers Buchon, Boulogne sur Mer 1997.
Dressel, J. Stuka!, London 1989.
Eimannsberger, L. v. Zerstörergruppe: A History of V./(Z)LG 1 – I./NJG 3 1939-1941, Atglen 1998.
Forsyth, R. Aces of the Legion Condor, Oxford 2011.
Jackson, R. Ju 87 Stuka, Ramsbury 2004.
Laureau, P. Legion Condor. The Luftwaffe in Spain 1936-1939, Ottringham 2000.
Mombeek, E., Smith, J.R. & Creek, E.J. Jagdwaffe Volume One Section 2: The Spanish Civil War, Crowborough 1999.
Prien, J., Rodeike, P., Stemmer, G. & Bock, W. Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 1, Vorkriegszeit und Einsatz über Polen – 1934 bis 1939, Eutin 2000.
Prien, J., Rodeike, P., Stemmer, G. & Bock, W. Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 2, Der „Sitzkrieg“ 1.9.1939 bis 9.5.1940, Eutin 2001.
Ries, K. & Ring, H. Legion Condor 1936-1939. Eine ilustrierte Dokumentation, Mainz 1980.
Smith, P. C. Stuka, Volume One: Luftwaffe Ju 87 Dive-Bomber Units 1939-1941, Hersham 2007.
Vasco, J. J. Zerstörer, Volume One: Luftwaffe Fighter Bombers and Destroyers 1936-1940, Hersham 2005.
Vasco, J. J. & Cornwell, P. D. Zerstörer. The Messerschmitt 110 and its Units in 1940, Norwich 1995.
Waiss, W. Aus dem Boelcke-Archiv Band II: Chronik Kampfgeschwader Nr. 27 Boelcke: Teil 1: 1934-31.12.1940, Neuss 2000.
Waiss, W. Aus dem Boelcke-Archiv Band III: Chronik Kampfgeschwader Nr. 27 Boelcke: Teil 2: 01.01.1941-31.12.1941, Neuss 2000.
Batailles Aériennes N° 57: L‘histoire de la Jagdgeschwader 53 ‚Pik As‘, Outreau 2011.
Luftwaffe im Focus Edition 7, Bad Zwischenahn 2005.
Luftwaffe im Focus Edition 14, Bad Zwischenahn 2008.
bf-109.de

 

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Junkers Ju 87 B-1; coded ‘29•8’ of 5. K/88, Sanjurjo airfield, Zaragoza, Spain, late 1938. This machine was the first Ju 87 B send to Spain in October 1938. It carried standard camouflage consisting of RLM 70 and 71 patches on the uppersurfaces with RLM 65 underside and white wingtips. A standard set of identification markings was also applied on the aircraft. It is possible that the emblem of the ‘Jolanthe Kette’ was painted only on the port side of the left main landing gear fairing. A pig named Jolanthe was a comedy character of a popular stage play ‘Krach um Jolanthe’, which was brought to the screen in 1934.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1; coded ‘6•119’, flown by Hptm. Siebelt Reents, Staffelkapitän of 1. J/88, León, Spain, spring 1939. The plane was camouflaged in a RLM 63/65 scheme, typical for Emils of the Legion Condor, and carried usual identification markings. Black areas were painted from the exhaust to behind the wing root on both sides of the aircraft. The ‘Holzauge’ (Wooden Eye) emblem of 1. J/88, introduced by Hptm. Reents, was applied under the cockpit on the port side only. Siebelt Reents took command of 1. J/88 in early September 1938 and led the unit until the end of the war in Spain. During his service in the Legion Condor Hptm. Reents achieved a single victory over a Republican Polikarpov I-15 on 6 February 1939.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1; ‘Black 14’ of 2.(J)/LG 2, Poland, mid-September 1939. This machine was finished in a RLM 70/71/65 scheme. Like many other aircraft of I./(J)/LG 2 during the Polish Campaign, ‘Black 14’ sported personal insignia on the engine cowling. The ‘Giftzwerg’ (an insidious, hateful man) emblem probably referred to the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Józef Beck, who then was often attacked by the Nazi propaganda.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1; W.Nr. 4048, ‘Yellow 7’ of 3./JGr. 101, Hoya, Germany, 18 November 1939. ‘Yellow 7’ sported standard RLM 70/71/65 camouflage and a personal inscription ‘Schlangenfuß!’ in white below the windscreen. The Staffel’s running fox emblem was applied on both sides of the engine cowling in simplified form of white outline only, the gun througs coated with light grey paint and yellow spinner’s front are also worth notice. A distinctive feature of 3./JGr 101 planes were quite uncommon aircraft numbers painted as yellow outlines with thin black borders, which were retained even after repainting the unit’s machines in RLM 71/02/65 scheme. Other Staffeln of JGr. 101 also used similar markings with interiors left in the camouflage colour. W.Nr. 4048 had an emergency landing near Hoya on 18 November 1939.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1; W.Nr. 630, ‘Black N+7’, flown by Oblt. Johannes ‘Macki’ Steinhoff, Staffelkapitän of 11.(N)/JG 2, Hage, Germany, April 1940. The mount of Oblt. Steinhoff was camouflaged in a RLM 71/02/65 scheme. When 10.(N)/JG 26 was attached to newly formed IV.(N)/JG 2 as 11.(N)/JG 2 in early February 1940, the previously white ‘N7’ markings were filled with black paint, leaving only thin white outlines. The emblems of JG 2 were soon applied under the cockpit while the Staffel’s owl badge was painted on the engine cowling. The owl badge may have appeared on the starboard side only. The spinner was white. Please also note the canopy frames painted RLM 70 or 66, and two black victory bars on both sides of the fin. Oblt. Steinhoff claimed these two victories during the famous Battle of the Heligoland Bight on 18 December 1939. These were first two of 176 claims made by him during WW2.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3; flown by Oblt. Wilfried Pufahl of Stab II./JG 53, Mannheim-Sandhofen, Germany, April 1940. The standard RLM 71/02/65 camouflage of this machine was toned down with RLM 71 and 02 mottles sprayed on the fuselage sides. Only the tail was left nearly untouched, which was quite distinctive feature of II./JG 53’s Emils during this period. The spinner was halved in RLM 70 and probably RLM 25. The plane sported a variety of emblems. The JG 53’s ‘Pik As’ badge adorned the engine cowling, small stylised airplane painted white a little further was the emblem of the Gruppenstab, while Danzig (Gdańsk) city coat of arms placed under the cockpit was a personal emblem of the pilot. Please note the slightly misaligned swastikas.

Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-2; coded ‘L1+KK’ of 14./LG 1, crew: Uffz. Hans Bechthold (pilot), Uffz. Wilhelm Harder (radio operator); Mannheim-Sandhofen, Germany, late spring 1940. This aircraft was finished in a RLM 71/70/65 scheme with interiors of the fuselage crosses probably overpainted with RLM 70. The upperwing crosses with large black areas were also non-typical, but could be noticed on other planes of V.(Z)/LG 1. The individual code letter ‘K’ was painted red with white outline and repeated on the wings’ uppersurfaces outwards the crosses. Please note that these letters were painted black on the underside. The Gruppe’s emblem of a wolf’s head was carried on both sides of the forward fuselage. The spinners had red tips. The aircraft was crashed during landing at Mannheim-Sandhofen on 13 May 1940 but the crew survived this accident.

Heinkel He 111 P-2; coded ‘1G+HL’ of 3./KG 27, crew: Uffz. Otto Keiser (pilot), Hptm. Robert Sichart von Sichartshoff (observer, CO), Uffz. Gustav Bergmann (radio operator), Uffz. Paul Kleinitzke (flight engineer); Neukuhren, East Prussia, 15 September 1939. ‘1G+HL’ carried a RLM 70/71/65 scheme in slightly modified A-pattern. The plane sported individual name ‘Luftikus’ and a figure of walker whose hat is thrown by wind on the port side of the fuselage. The figure was supplemented with legend ‘tera vento’ and referred to the long distance flights to Italy performed by the crew. The individual code letter ‘H’ in the 3. Staffel’s colour of yellow was repeated in the same colour on the uppersurfaces of the wings and in black on the underside. The spinners were yellow. The aircraft was hit by flak during a mission over Poland on 15 September 1939. The damage of the left engine forced the pilot to turn it off. Due to the large distance to the frontline he decided to try to fly behind the Soviet border and managed to land in Olevsk. The Soviets helped repair and test-fly the plane, and finally the crew had flown to Hannover-Langenhagen on 29 September, escorted by two Soviet fighters to the German border.

 

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