Markings for Bf 109G-10 1/72

Bf 109G-10/U4, WNr. 613165, 101. Puma vadászrepülö osztály, Neubiberg, Germany, May 1945

In the end of May 1945, the remaining Hungarian air units were concentrated on the Tulln airport in Austria from where they flew the missions over Wien and Brno areas. On April 5, when the frontline approached Tulln, these units transferred to the Raffelding airfield from where they continued to fly sorties to support the ground units around Wien. At the end of war the Hungarian aviators, same as their German colleagues, preferred to surrender to the US Army, therefore, on May 8, 1945, 101. osztály pilots flew the remaining aircraft over to the Bavarian Neubiberg. The aircraft manufactured in the Diana factory were camouflaged with the same colors as the aircraft manufactured in Wiener Neustadt. The photographs of black 16 show that the Hungarian national insignias were spray-painted directly on the camouflage, the German markings were not applied at all.

Bf 109G-10/U4, II./JG 52, Brno, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, April 1945

In the final weeks of fighting in Austria and Moravia in the spring of 1945, Luftwaffe fighter units were also being disbanded in this part of the European battlefield. First, II./JG 51 was disbanded on April 12, and five days later, the same fate afflicted I./JG 53. The aircraft marked White 11 (produced in the Wiener Neustädter Werke factory) was transferred to 7./JG 52, commanded by Heinz Ewald. The Messerschmitt had the inscription Rosemarie under the cockpit and sported repainted insignia of JG 53 and II./JG 51. Ofw. Richter flew White 11 into American captivity at Neubiberg on May 8, 1945, although he was not member of II./JG 52. Heinz Ewald was released from American captivity in Fürstenfeldbruck on June 22, 1945.

Avia S-99, Police Air Patrol Unit, Czechoslovak Police Air Force, Prague-Kbely, 1947

This aircraft, allocated to the air detachment of SNB (Sbor národní bezpečnosti - National Security Corps) got to the air for the first time in summer 1946. The upper and side surfaces were camouflaged in steel gray paint, the lower surfaces were sprayed in darker grey color. The engine cowlings, wings leading edges and elevators of the SNB Air Patrol aircraft were painted in scarlet red. The code letters were painted in the same color outlined in white. The national insignia was in the form of white outlined spherical triangle. The vertical tail stabilizer carried a small black numeral 4.

Bf 109G-10, 1./KG(J) 6, Prague-Kbely, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, March/April 1945

The huge losses suffered by Luftwaffe fighter units were one of the reasons that led in October 1944 to the decision to reduce the number of bomber assets and to distribute their personnel among fighter squadrons following the necessary conversion training. One of the Geschwader units affected by this change was KG 6. The unit was redesignated as KG(J) 6 and was re-equipped with the Bf 109G-10s and K-4s. Training was undertaken at Prague-Kbely, Prague-Ruzyně and also at Klecany airfields. On March 31, KG(J) 6 aircraft fought against 309th FS/31st FG Mustangs over Prague. The resulting heavy losses led to the disbandment of the unit a few days later, on April 9. This aircraft, manufactured at the Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg, was abandoned at Kbely, probably due to irreparable damage, where it was photographed after the war. The KG(J) 6 ownership was indicated by the red and black chessboard band on the rear part of the fuselage.

Bf 109G-10, 13./JG 27, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, March 1945

After the Allied landings in Normandy in early June 1944, IV. Gruppe JG 27 moved from Hungary to the French airfield of Champfleury-la-Perthe and began their participation in combat on the Western Front. After suffering heavy losses, the unit went to Lower Saxony for rest and replenishment. The unit was assigned to the Defense of the Reich system and was disbanded on March 31, 1945. Pilots and personnel were distributed among the other units of JG 27. The white wave marking on the rear fuselage identified this aircraft, manufactured at the Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg, as being assigned to the IV. Gruppe, and the green band was recognition marking of the Defense of the Reich unit JG 27.

Bf 109G-10, Hptm. Erich Hartmann, CO of I./JG 52, Görlitz, Germany, April 1945

Erich Hartmann, the most successful fighter pilot of all times, first joined the 7. Staffel of JG 52 on October 10, 1942. He stayed with Jagdgeschwader 52 till the end of the World War Two; in fact, he became the commander of its I. Gruppe. The total count of his victories was 352. For his exceptional success he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. After WWII he was transferred to the POW camp in the Ural Mountains in Soviet Union and was not released until 1955. The following year he joined the ranks of Western German Luftwaffe. He became commander of JG 71, the first Luftwaffe squadron equipped with jet-powered fighter aircraft. He retired in 1970 and died on September 20, 1993. Hartmann’s aircraft, manufactured at the Erla factory in Leipzig, carried a black tulip marking outlined in white on the nose. Below the cockpit on the left side there was a heart painted with the name of Hartmann’s wife. The Gruppe leader marking took the shape of a double wedge, but only as a white outline.

Bf 109G-10, WNr. 491407, Capt. Cesare Marchesi, 3a Squadriglia, 1o Gruppo Caccia, ANR, Lonate Pozzolo, Italy, March 1945

After declaration of the Italian Social Republic on September 18, 1943, a puppet state on the German armed forces occupied territory, and under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, Germany allowed this state to form the army in the strength of four divisions. Its aviation component, named Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, consisted of two fighter groups (Gruppo Caccia), a group of torpedo bombers (Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia) and several transport flights. Io Gruppo Caccia (Asso di Bastoni) initially flew Macchi C.205 but from November 1944 till February 1945 went through the transition training on Messerschmitt 109 in Holzkirchen, Germany. In February the unit received Messerschmitts 109 of the versions G-10 (manufactured by Erla factory in Leipzig), G-14 and G-14/AS and several K-4s. The original German markings were oversprayed in Italian colors and the aircraft received the Italian markings. The German iron crosses were left on the wing underside surfaces. There was the Io Gruppo insignia painted on the fuselage nose’s port side.

Bf 109G-10, WNr. 152xx6, 11./JG 300, Prague-Kbely, Czechoslovakia, May 1945

The aircraft found in front of the hangar at Prague-Kbely airport in the end of war comes from the production series 152xxx produced in Erla factory in Leipzig. The aircraft from this manufacturing batch had wings featuring larger bulges on the upper sides enabling the installation of the larger wheels i.e., the same type used on Bf 109G-10 planes manufactured at WNF factory and it’s Diana branch. The fuselage and wings were probably spray painted in RLM 81/82 colors even though some researchers incline towards a single color camouflage variation sprayed in RLM 81. The wing lower surfaces were not painted at all with the exemption of parts coming from subcontractors which were painted in RLM 76. The engine cowling, coming from a different airframe, is camouflaged in RLM 74/75/76 colors. Of the serial number painted on the vertical tail surface only first three digits (152) and the last one (6) are legible.

Bf 109G-14/AS, WNr. 784938, III./JG 6, Bissel, Germany, January 1945

One of the last established Luftwaffe units was Jagdgeschwader 6 established in July 1944. Its Stab plus I. and II. Gruppe were activated in Königsberg (nowadays Kaliningrad) and equipped with Fw 190A fighters. Its III. Gruppe was established in October 1944 by re-naming I./JG 5 and equipped with Messerschmitts Bf 109G. On January 1, 1945, the entire unit took part in the operation Bodenplatte, an attack of the fighter units on the Allied airports located on the liberated territories of the Western Europe. Bf 109G-14/AS marked Green 1 was photographed in May 1945 at the airport in Twente. It was reported that it had probably landed here due to the engine failure on its return from the operation Bodenplatte. JG 6 aircraft typically carried red-white-red markings on the rear fuselage, this particular aircraft sported only 2 bands.

Bf 109G-14/AS, WNr. 782xxx, str. Vladimir Sandtner, 2.ZLJ, Lučko, Croatia, April 1945

Croatian pilot of Slovak origin, Vladimir Sandtner, was trained as a member of the Croatian Air Force in 1943 by Luftwaffe units JG 104 and II./EJG 1. In April 1944, he was provisionally assigned to 3./JG 52 on the Eastern Front, as the unit with Croatian pilots, 15.(Kroat.)/JG 52, was withdrawn from the front at that time. During the fighting over Romania in June 1944, he achieved a confirmed Il-2 kill, while another victory over a Yak-9 was not confirmed. In the spring of 1945, Sandtner served with the rank of stražnik (Feldwebel) in the 2. zrakoplovno lovačko jato (fighter squadron), which was involved in anti-partisan operations and occasionally clashed with RAF fighters. During a reconnaissance flight on April 16 near Senj, he deserted to Italy together with stražnik Josip Ceković, landing at Falconara (Sandtner) and Iesi (Ceković) airfield. Sandtner’s aircraft had register number 2104 in Croatian Air Force inventory. An ibex was painted on both sides of the fuselage.