Chris, thanks. The alleged 3U+AA pics are the same I have claiming to be Wenko's rig but the same photo appears in another book that I trust more that calls it out to be a different plane.
Vic, there's no more dilemma having now picked the scheme, just lots of help!
It took me awhile to post those as you had mentioned Wenko. If you have the Squadron/signal paperback, his crate is depicted in the artwork on the cover. Plus those other pics looked interesting - did you see the camo on pic #2?
Yes I did Chris, and Petrick and Stocker have another pic of this crash and ID this plane as 3U+NK unknown W.Nr. Can't tell if the squiggles extned to the upper surfaces though. Besides, I've had enough of squiggles for the time being!
I do have the Squadron Signal book. See discussion in post 61 about the inconsistencies with 3U+AA.
1-2 pics of 3U+AA are not that crate. if indeed the picture of the chaps in the foreground and Wenko's mount in the background which is showing a rather dark blotched camo job, the Stab was all mixed up like the other staffeln of I and II. gruppe and to be truthful I would not admit to any standard camo paint job in ZG 26.
Due to serviceability it would be interesting if Wenko's Flugbuch was available so we could see that he most likely flew on ops in several different Stab and I gruppe machines and not necessarily 3U + AA all the time
the profile is all wrong. it would of been a white band and most likely this late in the summer of 44 not even a band at all nor yellow spinner covers either. there were no A variants in the summer of 44 anymore they were all B's plus the 5cm was no longer used on anti bomber missions with the base so far to the east so they were used minimally and not very effective as tank busters against Soviet armor.
You might be right. But looking at the picture below I would say it was yellow paint. Also the undersides of the port wing tip seems to be painted with this.
The image source... Kagero book 'Me410 in action'.
exactly ! post war camo and paint job plus look at the 2cm long rods poking through the nose, ah no that was not used in that fashion during the war. Plus the number not a Capital letter of the individual A/C was never painted over the Reich defense band, it was forward of the Balkenkreuz for both sides. This is confirmed in ZG 26's losses records.