**** DONE: 1/48 Bf 109G-4/R6 "Yellow 11" of 13.(Slow)/JG 52 Eastern Front GB

[Crimea_River]

Username: Crimea River
Name: Andy
Category 1 Advanced
Model: Bf 109G-6 "Aces Mount"
Scale: 1:48
Manufacturer: Hobbycraft
Aftermarket addons: None - OOB with minor scratchbuilding

This build is inspired by, and with a little prodding from, Igor from his thread on Letka 13, also known as 13 (Slow)/JG 52 - "Slow" being short for "Slowak". [EDIT: Deleted text that was here. The scheme to be depicted by this build will be per the profiles and pictures shown in posts 6 though 8 below. The original plan to depict White 6 in the picture and profile directly below has been abandoned as this aircraft did not serve on the Eastern Front as graciously pointed out by Igor in post #5.]

This will be essentially and OOB build (yeah right! ) likely with closed canopy so minimal detail work. Rather, I will be concentrating more on the paint scheme, insignia and a/c number which, unless I find some decals somewhere, will be done by either painting, making home-made decals, or by modifying decals from my stash. Should be a challenge.

The kit is a Hobbycraft 109 G-6 and has only had one thing done on it and that was to paint the prop RLM 70 when I had some left over in my airbrush a while ago. I hope that's OK with everyone, seeing as how I'm starting kinda late anyway. Pics of the opened kit are below.

Input and suggestions are welcome!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice one Andy, looking forward to you touch on this one and who do you think your kidding.............OOB...........yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[magnu]

Looking forward to your progress on this one Andy

 

[Wayne Little]

very Interesting Andy...go for it....

 

[imalko]

Great stuff Andy! I'm delighted you chose to do a Slovakian bird after all.
Little input and suggestions... I'm afraid this particular aircraft can't be related to Eastern front. Letka 13 used their Bf 109G-6 in home defense role against Western Allies only. The yellow fuselage band in this case was reckognition feature for home defense and isn't related to eastern front. Also it is debatable if these Bf 109G-6s had yellow underside wingtips at all. For definitive analysis of camouflage and markings of Slovakian Bf 109G-6s please check my posts #13 and #15 in fallowing thread: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aircraft-markings-camouflage/slovakian-aircraft-camouflage-markings-22624.html

However, there were two Slovakian Messerschmitts Bf 109G-6 that can be somewhat related to the context of the eastern front. In late summer of 1944 a so called Army of East Slovakia (Vychodoslovenská armáda) was formed and deployed along the eastern frontiers of the country in anticipation of Soviet offensive. To make the long story short this army was supported by Flight Group of Air Arms (Letecká skupina Vzdušných zbraní) under major J.Trnka, which was, among other aircraft, equipped with two Messerschmitts Bf 109G-6 - survivors of the 26th of June - "White 7"(?) Wr.Nr. 161742 and "White 9" Wr.Nr. 161725. When Uprising started these two aircraft were flown over to the Soviets, but later returned to insurgent territory and served with Combined Squadron.

Though two Bf 109G-6s mentioned above do fit the GB frame, if you wish to build Slovakian Messerschmitt undoubtedly associated with eastern front then you should probably go with Bf 109E or Bf 109G-2 G-4 flown by Slovak pilots when Letka 13 operated as part of JG 52 in 1942-43. (In this case Emils would be with Slovak national insignia while Gustavs would be in standard German insignia, but with white-blue-red rings on the spinner and with some interesting elements of camouflage around engine cowlings on some aircraft.) What ever the case I'm looking forward to your work on this build.
Cheers!

Edit: I added the profile of Bf 109G-6 "White 9" Wr.Nr.161725 from HTmodel Špecial publication.

 

[Crimea_River]

Hey, thanks Igor. How about this one then? It was a toss up between this and White 6. If this is an Eastern front bird, I'll switch.

 

[imalko]

Yes, it is Andy. Let me see if I have some pictures of it...

Edit: Okay, this is what I got...
Here are few pictures of Messerschmitt Bf 109G-4/R6 "Yellow 11" of 13.(Slow)/JG 52 as published in HTmodel špecial no.912 (pg.34-35). The color profile you've posted is also from this book. The true nature of color used for "spots" on the engine cowling is debatable. It was speculated earlier it was some shade of gray (or even white), but in most recent publication on the topic it is said that these spots were in fact yellow.
Among aircraft of Letka 13 which sported this kind of "spotted" cowlings was "Yellow 11" shown here. The pictures show "Yellow 11" at Anapa airfield (Kuban bridgehead) in April 1943. As 13.(Slow)/JG 52 had more pilots than aircraft, this machine was flown by several different pilots. Among others by nadporučník Ján Gerthofer, former bomber pilot who became fighter ace credited with 26 confirmed aerial victories. The aircraft is paited in standard German fighter camouflage scheme of the time, together with national and tactical markings typical of the eastern front. Note the traces of over painted radio codes on the fuselage R?+?? and white-blue-red rings on the spinner denoting affiliation to Slovak Staffel.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Igor. I remember that one from your thread. Mods/judges, please consider this a switch in schemes to this new one so that it's a true Eastern Front rig. I'll deal with the suitable edits but may need help with the thread topic (some changes I made yesterday have not shown up in the header).

Getting down to details Igor, I'd be inclined to go with white or RLM 76 spots on the cowl as I can't imagine any reason for making them yellow, unless they were trying an autumn camo for the noses sticking out from under some birch trees. Also, there's another profile you posted (shown below) with white spots on the cowl and with a yellow cowl underneath that doesn't seem to jive with the photos above. Any thoughts on this? Yellow cowl or no?

EDIT: Also just noticed on the first picture in your post above that the splinter scheme on the wings seems more uneven than the usual straight lines but not like the saw-tooth edges as on some machines. Is there any lterature on the splinter scheme?

 

[imalko]

No problems Andy. I'm also inclined to think that these cowling spots should be in RLM76 color and not yellow or even less white. As I said in most recent book the interpretation goes in favor of yellow spots, but it just somehow doesn't sits with me. Besides they failed to give any definitive explanation why should those spots be yellow. I guess it's all down to the eye of the beholder when interpreting available photos.

As you noticed by the pictures of "Yellow 11" I've posted you can see that underside of cowling wasn't painted yellow. Not at the time when those pictures were taken (April 1943) anyway. Maybe underside cowling was repainted at some later date, but we just can't be sure. I think that in this case we should go with the photographic evidence at hand and not paint underside of the cowling yellow.

Though the picture is little blurry, I'm not quite sure that upper wing splinter pattern was of saw-tooth edges type either. Though this kind of pattern could be seen on some Bf 109Gs of Letka 13 (see the picture of "Yellow 10" in attachment below). However, if you look one of the close up shots of "Yellow 11" in my previous posts where portion of the upper wing is visible, it doesn't look like saw-tooth edges but not like straight splinter pattern either. It rather looks like more-less smooth transition between two colors approximately fallowing the lines of standard splinter pattern.

 

[Airframes]

Good choice Andy. Not sure about the spots, although the tones look very close to the yellow '11', they could be RLM76. Don't think they're white - too much contrast between the spots and white crosses for example.
The upper wing cammo is fairly typical of the 'soft edge' wave application.

 

[T Bolt]

A 109 with the measles, or is is chicken pocks? I like it Andy!

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks guys. I've edited post #1 to revise the subject to Yellow 11.

Mods/judges, I'm starting to believe Igor about not being able to modify the Thread Title. I edited it and it shows up correct in Post #1 but not in the Forum thread topic title. It doesn't seem to copy over - please fix.

 

[Wurger]

NIce choice Andy... Go for it.

 

[dirkpitt289]

That is a cool paint scheme

 

[Night Fighter Nut]

Nice paint scheme. I haven't seen that one before.

 

[rochie]

i'm sure i've got some pics of this bird Andy, i'll check and if any are different to the ones posted already i'll stick in here

 

[Crimea_River]

Great Karl!

Now that the Uhu is done, I'm re-tooling to get started on this one this weekend.

 

[rochie]

ok andy here's what i've got that's not been posted yet.
all from Osprey - Aircraft of the Aces Series #058. Jiri Railich. Slovakian and Bulgarian Aces of World War 2

i'll keep looking

 

[imalko]

Nice find Karl. I've seen this profile and picture before. However, Osprey's book isn't really accurate in all regards. The profile of "Yellow 11" is clearly based on the profile posted in post #8 on previous page and only replicates it's inaccuracies regarding yellow underside of the engine cowling and outline type of fuselage Balkenkreuz.

Also, the picture you posted does indeed show Ján Gerthofer, but aircraft behind him isn't "Yellow 11". It's another aircraft of Letka 13 with similarly spotted engine cowling - Bf 109G-4 "Yellow 6" W.Nr.19330. Check the series of pictures of Gerthofer and this aircraft taken from different angles as published in HTmodel Špecial No.912 (pg 31).

 

[javlin]

Nice project Andy how the spots?by hand?Another thing the pilot Ján Gerthofer looks rather old for a fighter pilot according to the pic Karl posted maybe 30-35 yrs of age.While I might have the wrong impression it seemed that the Allied pilot aces ranged from 19-23 would that be right?