Markings for Bf 109E-4 1/32
WNr. 5344, Maj. Helmut Wick, CO of JG 2, Beaumont, France, November 1940
The appearance of this aircraft falls to the period when it was flown by Maj. Helmut Wick. At the time it had undergone many modifications to the camouflage scheme and tactical markings. The changes mirrored not only Wick’s raise through the ranks from Staffel leader to Gruppe leader and then to commanding officer of JG 2, but also the prescribed changes to Luftwaffe camouflage specifications in the second half of 1940. Our reconstruction of the aircraft shows appearance of the final guise, when Maj. Wick was killed in combat with Spitfires on November 28, 1940, after achieving his 58th victory. The aircraft carried a standard scheme of RLM 02/71/65. The light blue fuselage sides were darkened with a light overspray of RLM 71, which was applied with the blunt end of a brush. The yellow rudder was similarly dulled. The yellow rudder and nose segments were part of later marking modifications. The fuselage retains evidence of the double chevron marking denoting the CO of the Gruppe. Besides the tactical markings, the JG 2 unit insignia was carried below the cockpit, and on the front fuselage, there was another one of Wick’s original 3. Staffel. The pilot’s personal emblem, the flying kingfisher, was partly oversprayed with the Kommodor insignia, over which the emblem was partially reconstructed. This aircraft had the armored windscreen removed towards the end of its career but was still mounted when Wick led I./JG 2. Many JG 2 Emils, including Wick’s 5344, had the fuselage insignia crosses with accentuated black border at the expense of the white segments, while those on the bottom of the wing were modified as indicated in our illustrations.
WNr. 5587, Ofw. Fritz Beeck, 6./JG 51, Wissant, France, August 1940
This aircraft was lost after noon of August 28, 1940, in the vicinity of East Langdon with Ofw. Fritz Beeck at the controls. It happened during the second escort mission of the day that culminated in combat with RAF fighters in which the engine of Yellow 10 was hit. After an unavoidable belly landing the aircraft stayed in relatively good shape, but civilian vandals and allied soldiers changed this state before it could be inspected by RAF experts. The aircraft sported simple but effective camouflage. Light blue sides of the RLM 02/71/65 fuselage scheme were sprayed with the upper surface colors. Yellow identification colors, typical for mid-August 1940, were applied to the wing tips, horizontal tail surfaces, and top of the fin. As the aircraft belonged to 6. Staffel, tactical numbering and the background II./JG 51 “Gott strafe England” emblem were yellow. Three victory tabs on the left side were in white. It cannot be ruled out that these were also applied on the right side, but there is no known evidence of this.
Lt. Josef Eberle, 9./JG 54, the Netherlands, August 1940
Ground personnel of JG 54 created very interesting camouflage schemes on the unit’s aircraft in summer of 1940. They applied vertical to diagonal lines of RLM 71 in an attempt to darken the light blue fuselage sides. The standard scheme of RLM 02/71/65 was applied, along with the quick identification markings. The period scheme was applied also to Yellow 13, with which Lt. Josef Eberle managed to cross the Channel and belly land in France despite personal injury on August 12, 1940. The wingtips and fin of Eberle’s aircraft were painted RLM 27 Yellow, which was lighter shade than RLM 04 of the spinner, tactical number and background of the III./JG 54 emblem. The bottom wing color RLM 65 extended marginally to the upper surfaces. Some sources erroneously identify this aircraft as an E-3. Despite having tempted fate once over the Channel, Josef Eberle was not as successful on October 9, 1940, when he lost his life in combat with RAF fighters.
WNr. 1480, Oblt. Franz von Werra, II./JG 3, Wierre-au-Bois, France, September 1940
This “Emil” became the subject of a fascinating event that delivered the first German ace Oblt. Franz von Werra into British hands. On the morning of September 5, 1940, Franz von Werra was shot down over Kent. He managed a successful belly landing and was taken prisoner of war. His plane was scrutinized by RAF experts. Von Werra attempted to escape on several occasions, and finally succeeded during transfer to a POW camp in Canada. He managed to go through the United States to South America, and then back to Germany, where he rejoined the Luftwaffe. He served on both the eastern and western fronts but had strict orders to avoid the shores of England. The Channel, nevertheless, proved fateful for him when, on October 25, 1941, as CO of I./JG 53, he vanished. Aircraft WNr. 1480 carried the standard camouflage of RLM 02/71/65 with white identification markings. These included the rudder and wingtips. The RAF report suggests that the engine cowl was in RLM 65 and looked cleaner than the rest of the airframe. It may have been a replacement off another aircraft. The tail surfaces carried victory marks (eight aerial and five on the ground). Positioning of them was different on each side of the fin. The RLM 65 color extended to the upper surfaces of the leading edge wing.
WNr. 5819, Obstlt. Adolf Galland, CO of JG 26, Audembert, France, December 1940
Adolf Galland flew the illustrated Emil in the fall of 1940 to the beginning of 1941 as CO of III. Gruppe, and later of the entire JG 26. The tactical markings on the aircraft kept pace with the changes during this period. The standard camouflage of RLM 02/71/65 was darkened on the fuselage sides with RLM 02/71. The yellow cowling was complemented by the yellow rudder that also bore the kill marks. The surface area of the original RLM 65 was not enough for them and the yellow was oversprayed with fresh RLM 65 for the next row of kill marks. The most typical changes for WNr. 5819 at this time came with the personal emblem of Mickey Mouse and most of all the installation of the ZFR-4 telescope (installed together with the regular Revi). It didn’t serve as an gunsight but for the identification of distant aircraft. Galland replaced Werner Mölders who commanded the German fighter force as General der Jagdflieger. Later on, he became famous for locking horns with Hermann Göring. He established JV 44 at the end of the war, the famous unit well known for its Me 262 jet fighters and colorful Fw 190D piston fighters. Galland managed to shoot down 104 enemy airplanes and was awarded with Knight Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.