Strana 44
Bf 110F-2, W.Nr. 5080, Lt. Walter Forst, 13.(Z)/JG 5, Kirkenes, Norway, Winter 1942/1943
In preparation for the invasion of the Soviet
Union, 1.(Z)/JG 77, a unit equipped with Bf 110
heavy fighters, was moved to northern Norway.
Their main task was to attack the strategically
important railway line to the port of Murmansk.
In the spring of 1942 it was moved under the
command of JG 5 and at first redesignated
6.(Z)/JG 5 in June 1942, then as 13.(Z)/JG 5.
During the winter period, the upper surfaces
of both warring sides‘ aircraft were sprayed
over with a white washable paint for obviously
better concealment. This applied also to this
Bf 110F-2 which code letters were also partially
painted over by the ground crew (except for the
individual aircraft letter). The yellow wingtips
indicated service on the Eastern Front.
Bf 110F-2, W.Nr. 2547, Ofw. Theo Weissenberger, 6.(Z)/JG 5, Petsamo, Finland, June 1942
Prior to becoming a German fighter ace with
208 kills to his credit and holder of the Knight‘s
Cross with Oak Leaves, Theodor Weissenberger
was, at an early age, already involved in flying
on gliders. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1936.
After completing fighter training, he became
an instructor and in 1941 he was assigned to
1.(Z)/JG 77 (on March 16th, this unit was
redesignated 10.(Z)/JG 5). In September 1942,
Weissenberger was transferred to 6./JG 5, where
he flew single engined Bf 109s. On October 24,
1944, he took over command of the newly formed
I./JG 7, equipped with the Me 262. On January 1,
1945, he took over the entire JG 7 and remained
in this function up to the end of the war. He was
killed on June 11, 1950, during an automobile
race in Nürnburgring. Weissenberger‘s
Bf 110F was sprayed RLM 74/75/76, the standard
camouflage used for fighter aircraft. The sides
of the fuselage received a heavy and irregular
overspray of RLM 74 and 75. The aircraft
carries his kill marks on the tail surfaces and
on the nose is the JG 5 Zerstörer unit‘s emblem,
a dachshund with an I-16 in its mouth.
KITS 06/2026
INFO Eduard44
June 2026