Bf 109E-4, Black <+-, II/JG3, Hptm Franz von Werra, September 1940 BoB GB (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

One little detail to note on the paint scheme. The photos above show the RLM 65 to wrap up around the wing leading edge a bit. Not unusual but easily missed in profiles.
 
Good point Andy, and something I'll check out and include in the 'BoB Bits' section on Luftwaffe colours and markings. There was often a light grey tone seen on Bf109 wing leading edges, the pupose of which has not been discovered, but it might have been either a de-icing paste, or even just a way of blending, and therefore disrupting, the upper and undersurface colours.
Cory, the pics already posted are the ones I was going to post, and appear in just about every book on the Bob for the past 50 years. I have some more, from the Jagdwaffe books, which I'll send in PDF form, via e-mail, along with the account from the 'Fly Past, Battle of Britain Special' from 1990. The Jagdwaffe stuff also includes an account of von Werra's carreer. I'll post the 3-view colour profile later.
 
That wrap-around of the RLM 65 might be the light grey leading edges I mentioned Cory. I'll see if I can find more details, as I don't know of examples of the blue extending above the centre line of the wing leading edge.
 
Ah, I've seen what appears to be the 65 on Bf110s, but not on the '109. I've seen '109s (a few) from the Bob period with the upper colours extending below the leading edge though. I'm not saying it isn't so, but I have a feeling it might be the grey wash I mentioned - I'll be checking it out though !
 
Here are 2 shots not in the Jagdwaffe volume...

1. Aces of Luftwaffe in WW II by Model Art Japan
2. JG 3 in WW II II/JG 3 in Action with the Me109 Prien Stemmer


And in the second image, when you compare the Red border and Black in the JG 3 shield colours to the spinner it looks more likely that the spinner is Black/ White rather than Red/White?
 

Attachments

  • Von Werra_1402.JPG
    Von Werra_1402.JPG
    35.5 KB · Views: 149
  • Von Werra_1403.JPG
    Von Werra_1403.JPG
    61.3 KB · Views: 150
With that pic in the salvage yard, I'd tend to agree, and when I first saw it some time ago, I revised my thinking, which was based on the old information mentioned previously. However, in one particular print I saw, in the series showing it still in the field in Kent, the spinner colours showed a different tone, and also had the 'shine' evident in the pic from the salvage yard. This made me think it was relatively fresh paint, which might account for it looking black in some pics.
But, bear in mind I'm basing my analysis on the info in that book from years ago, where it mentioned that, despite previous descriptions, the spinner was red and white. I haven't found any info, over the years, to confirm this, and the use of black and white would tie in with the colours of the unit's gyron shield under the cockpit, plus, in a clear shot in the salvage yard, shown in the Jagdwaffe books, it does look more black than red.
I think nowadays, if I was doing von Werra's kite, I'd go with black.( Despite the fact I'm sure I've seen a colour pic at some time, of another '109, with red and white.) I've also just remembered, I have a model of another JG3 machine, built some years back, where I painted the spinner black and white, based on photos, profiles and information that this was a Geschwader scheme !
Finaly Cory, I'm having problems with 'Windows Hotmail' since they 'improved' it a few days ago, and I can't open or send e-mails at the moment ! Don't know how to solve it, but, when I have, I'll get the other pics and the articles to you.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back