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BUILT
9./JG 4, Flensburg airfield, Germany, May 1945
On the cowling is painted the emblem of JG 4 with
a knight's helmet. The machine probably belonged
to 9. Staffel of III./JG 4. It is possible that its pilot
was Fw. Hans Braun, who used the same marked
aircraft in late 1944. The Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4s
were received by III./JG 4 in October 1944 and
used along with the G-14 and G-10 versions.
At that time, temporary commander of 9./JG 4 was
Lt. Hans Klaffenbach (21 victories), who briefly
represented Hptm. Johannes Kaufmann (10 v.).
Hans Klaffenbach became commander of JaboG
32 with F-104s in 1964 and led it for eight years.
In 1997 he was one of the most prominent guests
at the opening of the Museum of the Air Battle over
the Ore Mountains in Czech Republic, in which he
took part on September 11, 1944. Kaufmann led
his unit from the end of January 1945 in battles
against the Red Army, and on several occasions
his unit escorted airmen in suicide attacks on
bridges on the Oder River. His daughter was the
famous German actress Christina Kaufmann.
Fuselage was probably painted in RLM 74 and
RLM 75 with yellow-grey version of RLM 76.
Vertical tail was painted in darker version of RLM
74 and 75, the RLM 74 had a tinge of green. Wing
was painted with lighter shade of colors RLM 74,
75 and 76.
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March 2024