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The Gruppe which Molders

led so successfully had


developed a very simple
camouflage scheme during the

early months of 1940. It


combined

effective

on the ground
measure of low
visibility in the air, especially
concealment

with a

at low level where the Gruppe


operated throughout the

swastika in its pre-war


location across the rudder
hinge-line. Later in 1940,
when IIL/JG 53 were led by

Hauptm. Wilcke,

many

aircraft had their swastikas


obliterated, the space being
occupied by white victory
bars. The Stab markings were,

of

course, black and white

outlines.

French campaign. Basically


all the upper surfaces were
sprayed Grau 02 (Grey), while

wing surfaces were given


patches of green (probably
RLM 71) and the same colour

was applied to

fuselage
decking, leaving an irregular,

feathered edge. Here and


there over the airframe one
can see touches of 71 spray

added to break up

the
uniformity of the flat RLM 02,
which carried a green tone that

merged well with

most

backgrounds.

The crosses on the fuselage


sides usually had narrow white
borders. This feature persisted
in the Gruppe until the end of

Werner Molders,
With the number of

photo-

graphed at Lor, near Sissonne


non-

standard features to be seen in


be

at the end of

May

Messerschmitt photos of
1940; and yet, among the

1940, during the German


France. A
few days later Molders was
shot down and this Emil
was destroyed. It was not far

normal. This was the

from Chantilly and before he


was sent to a POW camp,
Molders was detained in what

its markings, this should

one of

the

classic

aircraft of III./JG 53 its


appearance was almost

Kommanduer machine of

advance through

may have been a stable.

1940. Their proportions

appear to be the same as those

laid down for the wing upper


surlace crosses. Under-wing

crosses on the pale blue


surface were standard. with
the broad white borders.
It was also a Gruppe custom to

record victory claims across


the fin area rather than the

rudder. This might account


for the retention of this

A photograph which looks


though

it

as

was taken entirely

for the benefit of model


builders. It is one of many that
appear in a new book by Dr
Prien, tracing the history of
the third and later the fourth

Gruppen of JG 21. The


incident occurred on 3Oth

January 1941 when the Emils


of III.IJG 21 were making
their way to their new airfields
in the Balkans in readiness for
the German offensive in April.
The aircraft appears to have
been recently re-painted, but
surprisingly in the early 1940
scheme, and lacking any of
the areas ol yellow ID paint.
Nor were the Gruppe badges
shown below the windshield.
At this date it was usual for the
aircraft to have been up-rated
to F-7 standard, but although
this 109 had a capped spinner.
its cockpit hood and armour
were in the out-dated pattern
of 1939. The four gun
muzzles are covered.
The black numerals "15" were

outlined in white and were


caried in the Gruppe fashion
on the sides ol the engine
cowling. From a study of the
pictures in Dr Prien's book,
this practice began about
October 1939 when the unit
was based in Vorden, near
Osnabruck.

The splinter pattern over the

upper surface was clearly


defined in the RLM 71102
colours, but note the scuff
marks where airmen have
climbed on to the port wing
root. Also the manner in
which the pale blue (RLM 65)

of the undersurfaces has been


brought around the leading
edges ol the wings. The wingtip slats hang open and the
landing flaps are in the down

Photo 1. (Adelmann)

588

position.

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ALE AV I AT I ON MO D ELLER

over-painted in grey to
reduce visibility. This
was often seen on airqaft

of the first

Gruppe.

Upper surfaces and the


other national markings
were standard for the

period. The personal

photo (Photo 3a) shows


Franz Jaenisch in the

cockpit

after

of W.Nr 1588
his 100th

operational flight, prior to

the start of the battle of

Britain. the 3. Staffel


badge (a triangular

pennant) which can be


seen on the cowling of

Photo 2. (Grote)

This was the aircraft,


coded yellow 8, which
Fw. Franz Jaenisch flew

through the

French
campaign and most of the
Battle of Britain, in 3./JG
2, He had served in J.88
in Spain where his

customary Bfl09B was


coded 6.10. In 3.lJG2he
often flew as wingman to
Staffelkaptan Helmut
Wick. This photo was
taken before the end of
August when the yellow
ID paint was added to
rudder and cowlings, but
otherwise it was basically
like this on 15th October
1940 when Fw. Horst
Hellriegel had to force

land it on the Isle of


White, onto Bowcombe
Down. The RAF crash

report (AIR 22/266)


makes all the usual
observations,
but
comments on the Mickey
Mouse badge with the
boxing gloves. Many exLegion Condor pilots
used variations of Mickey
Mouse, but Franze
Jaenisch told me his was
the only one with the
gloves.
The fuselage was typical

of 3. Staffel - a dense
mottle of RLM 7l

probably applied with a


sponge over the earlier
pale blue finish; and the

white edges of

the
fuselage crosses partially

Photo 3a (via Prien)


yellow 8, and depicted in
the past in red and white,

was

in fact blue and

yellow, the

Photo 3 (via Prien)

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ALE AV I AT I ON MO D ELLER

national
colours of Sweden. The
emblem introduced by
General A.D Vennig
Strumpell rn 1939, whose
wife was Swedish. In
October 1940 this badge
had been obliterated by
the yellow [D paint

589

concealment

This photograph came


from the album of Oblt.
Paul Temme who had
been the Adiutant of I./JG

at

higher
altitude where combat

with Allied aircraft

was

anticipated as

the
dreadful winter weather
of early 1940 began to
improve. The normal

2 "Richthofen" until
taken prisoner at Kommodore marking
Shoreham in August was in this case
1940. It shows the supplemented by a small
personal mount of Oberst numeral 1 above the
Gerd von Massow. forward bar. On the

the outline shape.

The markings carried by


this Emil indicate that it
was usually flown by the
Kommodore of JG 53
"Pik-As", either Major
von Cramon-Taubadel,
or, after 22nd November
1940, Major von
Maltzahn. The very dark

decking over the pale


blue (RLM 65) fuselage
sides suggests that the
photo relates to the early
months of 1940, but the
all-yellow cowling and

spinner could

appeared only

have
after late

August. Furthermore

during August and until


late November the use of
the Pik-As badge was

forbidden

by

Goeing,

Taking into account all


these facts, I am unable to

put a date upon this


photograph because

although each detail of


finish and markings is
quite normal in its own
context, when they are all
put together they add up
to a set on contradictions.
It may be noted that there
was no pilot head armour
on the hood. which points

towards a pre-Battle of
Britain date, particularly

in the case of

Kommodore

machine.
The dark coloured rudder

was a replacement pafi


which still awaited its top
coat of paint, a condition

seen on many other


atcraft and not at all

unusual.

Photo 4.

Kommodore of the
Geshwader until March

1940, at

Rebstock

Frankfurt-

in

January,

when the pilots of JG

watched enviously as
their comrades of JG 53
at Wiesbaden were
having most of the action
over the French
border.

Noteworthy are

the
the
fuselage cross remains in
small size, but in the
newer style with wide
white borders. Crosses
on the wings were of the
very iarge type ordered
after the Polish campaign
had revealed the poor

Balkenkreuze:

level

of

aircraft

recognition in

the
Wehrmacht. All upper
surfaces were in the then
standard pattern using
RLM 7l/02 colours, the

remainder being in
Hellblau RLM 65 which
was found to help
590

original print,

numeral had

this
been

covered with white poster


the
photo was clearly von

paint. The pilot in

Massow

The fin and rudder would


certainly have been
painted RLM 65, but at
this date the swastika
might have remained
across the hinge-line, or it
could have been repainted on the fin.

When Harry von Bulow


became Kommodore in
March, von Massow went
to a staff posting; but

despite his age


continued

to fly

he

from
time to time, and he was
indeed shot down over
the French lines in May.

avoiding capture

to his
unharmed.
returned

and

post
The
Richthofen shield was
silver and black with a
red "R".

Photo 5.
who ordered that a broad

red band should be


painted around

Altogether

thoughprovoking photograph.

the

cowlings. In November
when the badge was reinstated, it was always
larger than the examples

in this photo, with

9N'licbeal 9agne

Spade that almost filled


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