Stukageschwader 77 - ebay photo find #359

 

On offer here. Thanks to Snautzer 

Focke Wulf Fw 190 D-11 Platzschutzstaffel - IBG Models latest release and an updated list of documented airframes

The latest IBG models 72nd scale Fw 190 Doras are released  - the new box features two kits including options to build a rare Dora variant, the D-11.

The D-11 variant of the Focke-Wulf 190 was designed as an interceptor fighter, incorporating many of the features found on the Ta 152.  Developed around the A-8 airframe, the D-11 was powered by a new MW- 50 boosted 35-litre Jumo 213 F inverted V 12 engine rated at 2060 hp for take-off. The sturdier mountings for this powerful engine resulted in a slight bulging of the previously smooth contours of the engine cowling.  Armament was also changed from the D-9; the two cowl-mounted MG 131 machine guns were deleted which made for a refined upper cowl shape. The 20-mm MG 151/20s in the wing roots were retained. The enlarged Ta 152-type supercharger intake on the starboard side of the cowling and the VS 10 paddle-bladed propeller assembly were further characteristics of this sub-type. In addition a 30-mm MK 108 cannon could be installed in each of the outer wing stations, the new spinner also being prepared for the later installation of a further MK 108 or MG 151 firing through the engine camshaft. 

Two rare views of Fw 190 D-11 'Red 4' WNr. 220010  - as featured in the new IBG Models Dora box art - from the well-known München-Riem control tower line-up . 'Red 4' featured the "Der nachste Herr die selbe Dame!" slogan. 

 

There are only seven (maybe eight) known/documented Fw 190 D-11 aircraft out of some twenty produced. These were manufactured exclusively at the Focke Wulf Sorau factory in the WNr. 220 series and are listed here below in chronological Werknummer order from those known. In the final weeks of the war these machines were gathered together in southern Germany in the Verbandsführerschule General der Jagdflieger (VFS-GdJ – a training school for unit leaders) although the reasons for this are unclear. It has been suggested that as all other units using Doras were front-line there were only limited possibilities to work on these new machines and given their limited number they were assembled in a non-combat unit where Focke-Wulf technicians could spend time on their maintenance and testing. When the VFS-GdJ was finally disbanded these machines were assigned to other units, most notably JV 44, JGr 10 and JG 101. 2./JGr 10 Dora-11’s were equipped with R4M rocket launching rails under the wings in place of the outer wing cannon. JG 101 did not use its Doras in action prior to its disbandment under Kommandeur Maj. Hans Knauth on April 16, 1945.

220000, White Chevron 53, VFS-GdJ, Bad Wörishofen
220009, White Double Chevron, VFS-GdJ, Bad Wörishofen
220010, White Chevron 58, VFS-GdJ, 'Red 4', JV 44, Munich-Riem
220011, White Chevron 57, VFS-GdJ, Bad Wörishofen, 

22001?  White Chevron 57  R4Ms  at Schongau JG 101 ("Does this machine have any correlation with WNr 220011  found less than 30 kms away? ")

220012, White Double Chevron + Bar, VFS-GdJ, Salzburg-Maxglan, pos. Major Günther Rall

220013, White Chevron ??, VFS-GdJ, 'Red 2', JV 44, found at Bad Aibling  (JV 44 crest but no inscription)
220014, White Chevron 61, VFS-GdJ, Bad Wörishofen

(with thanks to David E. Brown)

also on this blog;

my build of the IBG Models Fw 190 D-9 "Cottbus Production" 

IBG Models Fw 190 D Mimetall

Dora-9 'Red 1' of the JV 44 airfield protection unit

An extensive Fw 190 Dora feature by this blog writer is published in the next issue (No. 91) of Aerojournal magazine with new personal accounts and rare images. (French language text)

D-11 WNr. 220011, White Chevron 57, VFS-GdJ, Bad Wörishofen

A history of Küstenfliegergruppe 806 - new Air War Publications eArticle

 

AWP have a new eArticle by Adam Thompson available to download. Küstenfliegergruppe 806 was established in the autumn of 1939 as a maritime unit operating a mix of seaplanes and land-based aircraft, serving with the German naval air service. However, the requirements of an expanding war meant that by the summer of 1940, it had transformed into a conventional Luftwaffe bomber unit flying the Junkers 88 under the new designation of Kampfgruppe 806. Between July 1940 and August 1942 the Ju 88s of KGr. 806 would serve successfully over Britain, the Eastern Front, and finally, the Mediterranean, against a variety of targets on land and at sea. The article is 22 pages, contains 21 photos (one in colour), two colour maps and several first-hand accounts from the men involved on both sides. For those Luftwaffe enthusiasts who enjoy reading about maritime operations and bomber units. Ready to purchase and download from the AWP site here

 

And if rare personal accounts are of interest, a reminder that this blog author's own contribution to the Air War Publications catalogue of eArticles features some fascinating stories from the Luftwaffe single-engine night fighter force. Entitled 'Wilde Sau und Moskitojagd', two former 'wilde Sau' pilots of JG 302 and I./NJG 11 describe some of their hair-raising experiences at the controls of their Me 109s at night in the cloud-banked and freezing skies over Germany during the winters of 1943 and 1944. For the price of a cup of coffee, this eArticle features rare photos, accounts and some exclusive Anders Hjortsberg artwork in a 19-page PDF format for your device or printer and can be downloaded here

'Messerschmitt Me 262 - Development and Politics' by Dan Sharp (Mortons) - new Luftwaffe books

 

Available now from UK publisher Mortons is this significant new work on the Me 262 by Dan Sharp. This is not the previously announced "Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe Vol. 3: Messerschmitt Me 262" which was planned to focus squarely on the 'secret projects' and sub-variants of the type.  Nor is it a book about combat ops or even a book where every page looks familiar because the reader has already seen the images a dozen times elsewhere. In fact, this is really a book for people who've read the Me 262 story elsewhere - probably different, conflicting versions of that story - and wondered which was the definitive version. As Dan points out, up to this point there probably hasn't been a 'definitive' version. So the small-ish and small format soft-back of the 'Secret Projects..' series has become a new and much larger work as the author explained;

" ..the further I went into the primary source material the more apparent it became that the truth about what happened to the Me 262 throughout its development diverged somewhat from all existing written accounts. As a result, I expanded the book to encompass all aspects of the aircraft's development - the projects, the sub-variants, the prototypes and the full production variants - as well as the discussions that went on about them. The book went from 30,000 words to 160,000 words, from 248x185mm to 297x210mm, from 150 images to 300, and from 150 pages to 328. The original title and cover art no longer reflected the book's contents and as such I persuaded the publisher to change both. This has indeed created some confusion, for which I am sorry, but I believe that the book as it stands now is a great deal better than it would have been in its original form...". 

There is very little about combat operations in Dan's new book. The content is focused on exactly what it says in the title -  'Messerschmitt Me 262 Development and Politics'. As usual with his books, the text is grounded in cited primary source documents throughout.  As the author explains, older references about units operating the Me 262 etc. are still as valid as ever they were but all previous references concerning the type's developmental history are somewhat out-of-date. 

" if I make a point about something in the book you can see what evidence there is underpinning it, should you wish to. Taking surviving German wartime documents as a whole, a very significant proportion of them - I would hazard a guess at something like 10% - either concern the Me 262 directly or contain information which informs the Me 262's story. This amounts to literally thousands of documents and I have, consequently, collected and processed most of these, distilling the information they contain into the book.." 

Many of the images in the book are drawings from Messerschmitt reports - and many of them are, I believe, previously unpublished. Some have appeared in 'cleaned up' form in the works of, for example, Smith and Creek, but anyone who has read any of Dan's previous works will know that you get the original drawing - as scruffy as it might be. The images, like the text, are presented in chronological order - with any given image on the page having been produced at around the same time as the events being described in the text on that page. Where relevant, the author has noted where those images actually come from too - so for example the famous side view of the Me 262 V1, as well as detail shots of the same aircraft, all appear together in a single original report, the written content of which Willy Messerschmitt personally described as 'nonsensical'. Author Sharp again; 

 " ..I hope to provide additional context and richness to the Me 262 development story where previous works have simply used those photos and others without offering any insight on their background and origin. I read other people's books as widely as possible both before and during the writing process, so I'm well aware of what has previously been written about the Me 262; I was able to test assertions made in those books against the primary sources to see whether they had any validity..."

So to repeat, there are, for example, no biographies of the key players involved in the Me 262 story, no technical explanations of how a turbojet works, no lengthy back-story about the Messerschmitt company and its founding etc. The author's 160,000 words are concerned exclusively with the design, development, discussion and decision-making - with a side order of production. Dan Sharp again;

" my principal aim with this book was to find out what actually happened to the Me 262 all the way through from 1938 to 1945 by using the historical sources rather than whatever appears in other people's books. What emerges, I think, is a rather more complex and nuanced story than anyone, including me, would have expected..." 

 Also on this blog;

Dan Sharp - Heinkel He 162 -'Secret Projects of The Luftwaffe'

Morton's editor and author Dan Sharp on his new " Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe -Jet Fighters "

Uffz. Walter Lühs, 9./JG 26 - service record and death in combat

 

Fw 190 A-4 'Yellow 14' flown by Uffz. Walter Lühs of 9./JG 26, late 1942-early 1943, probably Flugplatz Maldegem, Belgium (East Flanders).

Born on March 27, 1920 in Schwerin/Meckl, Walter Lühs was a 23-year old III./JG 26 Fw 190 pilot. According to his service record (reproduced below from his Ehrenbuch entry at Freiburg) he started training during the summer of 1939 and arrived at his first combat unit, III./JG 26 on the Channel coast, three years later in September 1942. Note (above) the EK II on his tunic - probably awarded following his first (and only) victory - he downed a four-engine bomber early in his career as a fighter pilot..."..durch seine fliegerisches Können und seine Einsatzfreudigkeit gelang es ihm schon bei den ersten Einsätzen ein viermotoriges Kampfflugzeug abzuschießen.." He flew 21 combat sorties in total. 

Flying from an airfield in Belgium, he failed to return along with his Rottenführer from a combat sortie against four-engine bombers over the North Sea ("norddeutsche Küstengebiet") on June 25, 1943. 

".. as unit leader ...[Einheitsführer]...it is my sad duty to inform you that you son failed to return from a combat sortie on 25 June. On this date we flew a mission to intercept four-engine bombers. In the course of the  air battle our Staffel was forced to disperse and therefore I am unable to give any further details as to the exact  fate of your son although through radio communication it has been established that he was with his Rotte leader up to the last moments. Both failed to return from the mission. As combat took place out over the sea the air-sea rescue services were immediately notified on our return to base, although their efforts did not meet with success. These events have hit us all very hard. Be assured of our Staffel's deepest sympathies...Your son was a much-loved comrade..[..] and an enthusiastic pilot. In the time he was a member of the Staffel his grit and fighting spirit earned him the admiration and appreciation of all the unit's pilots......"   

Medico's Modeling Practise - JG 27 Gustav Fliegerdenkmal!

 

well known -even iconic- image of a JG 27 Gustav nosed-over in a so-called Fliegerdenkmal 'flyers monument' modeled by Serbian Dr. of medicine "Medico".....

"...this is the Eduard Me 109 G 6, the car is Tamiya's Citroen CV11 and the figures, timeless but still not surpassed in 1/48 ... ICM!

Assembly: passed without major problems, the only major refinement  to the Me 109 was the tropical filter, which is mostly self-built since what Eduard packs in the weekend edition box is unusable. With the help of a friend, I  found the necessary decals (Thank you Peco!) And for the accurate reconstruction of the painting scheme, Anders Hjortsberg's blog 'The profile Paintshop' was crucial.

Painting: for the Me 109 I used Gunze paint according to the standard for that time RLM 74/75/76. the model was pre-shaded and after applying the basic colors and some post shading, I went over the finish with a home-made panel and rivet wash, highlighting the edge of various panels in a very diluted light gray. Then I tried a new aging technique by playing with “salt weathering” shadows because I wanted to get the effect of camouflage wear / fading. The decals of course had to follow this worn look so I used a MAKER mask.

I now leave the diorama to your critique and ... the test of time. ..."

Visit Medico's superb blog at https://medicosmp.blogspot.com/

Fw 190 & pilots from the album of Heinz Stöwer I./JG 11 - ebay photo find #358

 

The following images are from the album of Jagdflieger Heinz Stöwer (left) who flew with JG 1 and JG 11. He was KIA in late May 1944 with 3./JG 11 being shot down in combat with fighters near Blumenthal. He had claimed around 15 victories in total including B-17s on Feb 21 and 22 during 'Big Week'. During February 1944 and flying out of Husum I./JG 11 claimed 31 Viermots during the month having been ordered to only attack American bombers. (Prien, JfV Teil 13/V p38) Seven defensive missions were flown during the month for 10 Fw 190s and four pilots lost. Stöwer claimed two more B-17s on March 29 and  April 09. He claimed two B-17s on April 11, 1944 for his 10th and 11th victories. On 29 April he claimed his 12th (a B-24). I./JG 11 claimed 43 Viermots and 8 fighters during April 1944. Two more B-17s fell to Stöwer's guns during May - I./JG 11 flew eleven defensive missions in the month for only 22 Viermots claimed, evidence of increasing American air superiority over Germany. On the last of these missions on May 30, Stöwer was shot down and killed by escort fighters in his Fw 190 A-7' yellow 1' (WNr. 430694).

The tall Major Anton Mader, first Kommodore of JG 11 - seen here with the Kommandeur III./JG 11, Anton Hackl. Hackl took over the leadership of JG 11 following Kommodore Graf's downing on March 29, 1944. 

 

JG 11 was established in April 1943. Kommodore Mader, born January 7, 1913 in Castelnuovo joined the Luftwaffe after the annexation of Austria. At the outbreak of war he commanded 3./JG 76 and then served on the staff of JG 2 and I./JG 2. In June 1941 he took up the post of Kommandeur II./JG 77, fighting at the head of his unit in Russia and Africa. Having scored 40 victories he was awarded the Knight’s Cross. 

Kommandeur I./JG 11. was Hptm. Irwin Clausen (left), born on August 5, 1911 in Berlin. Clausen began his career in the Navy and in 1935 moved to the Luftwaffe. In September 1939, with the rank of Feldwebel he scored his first victory over Poland with I./LG 2. During operation “Barbarossa” he commanded 1./JG 77, and from July, 1942 he was Staffelkapitan of 6./JG 77. In July he tallied some 45 victories within three weeks. Because of his distinctive facial profile he was nicknamed “Caesar”. As an Oberleutnant, having scored 52 victories he was awarded the Knight Cross on May 19, 1942. On July 23, 1942 he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight’s Cross on the occasion of his 101st victory. 

 

3. Staffel JG 11 Fw 190 A-6 - note mid-wing pitot tube position and the thin white fuselage bands on these machines. The first Fieseler-produced Fw 190 A-6s arrived at 3./JG 11 in late July 1943 in Husum. 'Yellow 7' (below) is Fieseler WNr 530106 and was regularly flown by FhjFw. Hans-Georg Guethenke and belly-landed by this pilot on August 17, 1943. (see Rodeike, p205)

The 3. Staffel cowl emblem can be seen on the A-7 below along with the yellow fuselage band. Although previously published in at least two works, this image recently sold on ebay for 665 euros!

" ....With Oblt. (Hans-Heinrich) Koenig leading we headed towards the formation all guns blazing. Suddenly there was a flash. Koenig had failed to pull up in time and had smashed full tilt into a B-17...."  Fritz Engau's account of I./JG 11 in action on May 22, 1944 here

Uffz Heinz KLÖPPER, 2./ JG 77 - ebay photo find #357

 

Uffz Heinrich KLÖPPER, born 9 Jan 1918 in Gross-Bülten, was a 2./JG 77 pilot in May 1940. On 15 May six Bf 109s of 2./JG 77 intercepted five French fighters at Rosée. Two Morane 406s were claimed by Oblt Eckehard Priebe and Klöpper - they were in all probability Bloch 152s of GC II/1 up from Laon/Couvron on a bomber escort sortie. Klöpper's victory was not confirmed and Klöpper himself was shot down. Bailing out and not knowing if he would land in his lines, Klöpper unholstered his pistol during the descent - until he saw the uniforms of his compatriots coming to his aid. The personal emblem on his Emil (below) recalls this bail-out. During the Battle of Britain he returned his only victory with 2./JG 77 - a Spitfire over Dungeness on October 5, 1940. The Staffel became 11./JG 51 and went east for Barbarossa. During the first day of the assault, on 22 June Klöpper shot down his first VVS aircraft, a Soviet SB-3 bomber. During 1942 he instructed before returning to his unit. In March 1943, he was posted to 7./JG 1. As Staffelkapitän, Klöpper made his last kill on 26 November 1943, a USAAF P-38 Lightning. The next day he was killed over the Netherlands during air-combat with another P-38 Lightning and crashed near "de Oldenhof" castle in the vicinity of Vollenhove. Klöpper shot down a total of 94 enemy aircraft in approximately 500 combat missions. DK (21 Aug 42), RK on September 4, 1942.

on offer here

Yet more Luftwaffe pets .....Oblt. Georg Schirmböck, 4./JG 77, Hptm. Alexander von Winterfeldt, 3./JG 2

 

 Oblt. Georg Schirmböck joined the Luftwaffe at the end of 1936. In 1939 he was posted to II./ JG 77 (5./JG 77 and 4./JG 77). In May 1941 he flew as Stafü of 5./JG 77 before moving to the Stab. Seen here in France, the Emil appears to have the 4. Staffel 'Sensenmann'  -  death riding the scythe - emblem under the cockpit. Schirmböck survived the war, credited with 3 vics ..

'fliegende Holzschuh' emblem on the yellow cowl of this 7./JG 54 Emil

Bundesarchiv caption reads ;

"..Sowjetunion-Mitte.- Ritterkreuzträger Heinz Frank (links) mit Hund auf seinem Flugzeug Messerschmitt Me 109.."

Sowjetunion-Nord (Eismeer).- Hauptmann Horst Carganico (mit Ritterkreuz) vor Jagdflugzeug Messerschmitt Bf 109; Hund (Schnauzer auf dem Flugzeug); PK Luftflotte 5. During 1940 Carganico served as Adjutant to the Gkr. II./JG 77 Hentschel throughout the deployment of this Gruppe in Norway.

two more from III./JG 2;

Note the fox cub on the (unknown) pilot's shoulder. Click on this image to view in full screen!

Below; seen here on the left, Hptm. Alexander von Winterfeldt of 3./JG 2 is in discussion with fellow pilots Pflanz (dark glasses) and Strümpell following a sortie flown from Signy-le-Petit, France during May 1940. On May 20, 1940 3./JG 2 claimed eight LeO 451 bombers shot down, one being credited to Great War aviator von Winterfeldt. Staffelhund is ‘Cognac’ the terrier.

4./JG 26 Emil also in France at the end of the Westfeldzug. 

below; from the wartime publication "Schwert am Himmel" (Heinz Orlovius, 1940)

Below;  Dr Adolf Rossbach was flight surgeon with JG 53 on Sicily. He is seen here seated on Heinz Bär's I./JG 77 Bf 109 G-2 at Comiso during 1942. 

Below;  Ofw. Stefan Litjens, 4./JG 53, Sicily, in October 1942. He had been seriously injured in combat in late 1941, losing an eye. Despite his vision impairment he returned to combat and flew missions over Malta from Sicily before the unit was transferred to Tunisia. Here he claimed eight Allied aircraft shot down and flew many ground attack missions. Litjens was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 21 June 1943 for 32 victories.

Above; Oblt. Werner Gayko - Staffelkapitän 9./JG 5, Herdla, 1945 - Gayko survived the war credited with 13 victories. Born in May 1923 in Wehlau (East Prussia) he arrived in Petsamo at III./JG 5 during the autumn of 1943. Appointed Staffelkapitän 9./JG 5 during 1944 he led the Staffel through until the end of the war and is mentioned on numerous occasions in Girbig's history of the unit. During February 1945 he was shot down off the coast of Norway, ditching his Fw 190 before being eventually rescued by Norwegian fishermen. Postwar he joined the Bundeswehr, retiring in 1982. He passed away in October 1994.

Also on this blog; 

 more Luftwaffe pets!

 Dackel Staffel JG 5, Felix Brandis, 'Struppi' 9./JG 54, Bello and Bungi, unit pets - I./JG26 Gottfried Dietze

..150th issue of leading German aviation magazine "Klassiker der Luftfahrt" - Luftwaffe in Greece

 

"...  In the winter of 1999, when the editorial teams of the aviation group of Motor Presse Stuttgart decided to put the history articles from FLUG REVUE into a special issue, probably no one realised that 23 years later this magazine would become a permanent fixture in the German market. Today you are holding the 150th issue of the magazine for aviation history in your hands. 150 issues of emotion, detailed aircraft reports, news, glimpses behind closed hangar doors and the best photography. The latest warbirds and historic aircraft, completed restorations, hitherto unknown photographs from the  WW II era, as well as reports and photos from events and airshows around the world. The classic of aviation reliably provides you with the latest news and historical background... in this issue [..] exciting and previously unpublished colour photos taken by a German soldier stationed near Athens. We publish these rare photographs in our gallery.." 

 Colour image on the front cover of the 150th issue of 'Klassiker der Luftfahrt' - Bf 110s of the Sonderkommando Junck (4./ZG 76) seen in Athens during a stop-over en route to Iraq..

Note the air intake and the enlarged 'tropicalised' radiators, indicating that the machines visible here are Bf 110 E sub-types.  Given the absence of white spinner and nose these machines may have not originally been on the strength of ZG 76 - the third machine from the camera does not have the Haifischmaul (shark mouth) either.  (Thanks to GP for the pointer!)

Also on this blog;

Air war in Syria and Iraq May-June 1941

PDF extract of the latest issue of 'Klassiker der Luftfahrt' on the publisher's website here

Kommandeur Hptm. Anton Hackl, Fw 190 ace A-6 III./JG 11

 

  JG 11 ace Hptm.Anton Hackl at the controls of his  III./JG 11 Fw 190 A-6. Note the 'Drache' (dragon) Wappenschild under the cockpit. His mechanics are hiding his Kommandeur 'chevron triangle'. March 1944, Oldenburg.

see page 225 'Jagdflugzeug 190' , Rodeike

'Bastard Flugzeuge' - Erla Bf 109 G-10 JG 300

 

From 1942 production of the Me 109 Gustav took place at three main plants - Erla-Maschinenwerke in Leipzig, Wiener Neustädter Flugzeugwerke and Messerschmitt GmbH in Regensburg – and ran to a total of 16 series in 82 different designs. A rationalisation 'programme' had become absolutely necessary as well over 1,000 changes had been incorporated into the drawings. (quoted in Schmoll, 'Me 109 - Produktion und Einsatz') As a result major difficulties had arisen during repairs and the replacement of parts. In addition to the new DB engines with their larger superchargers and power boosting (the 'stop-gap' AS and the 605 D) a range of actions were introduced to improve 'commonality'. At the same time changes to the fuselage structure were introduced primarily to reduce drag and increase speed; eg the engine cowl covers were thickened by some 70 mm which enabled the elimination of the typical MG cowl ‘bulges’, the canopy was streamlined aerodynamically and pilot visibility improved (simplified canopy framing and mountings). Increased stability in the takeoff and landing runs was possible through bigger wheels, a lengthened tail wheel and a larger fin and rudder, the so-called ‘aufgestocktes Seitenleitwerk’. And so on. 

Conceived as part of this 'programme', the G-10 was a 'new' light, fast fighter, powered by the DB 605 D adapted for B4 fuel with MW 50 power boosting. (Subsequent versions used C-3 fuel with MW 50). The Methanol/Water Sondernotleistung (special emergency power) injection was an aid to more effective combustion or 'wet' power. Author Schmoll states that the G-10 was the "..fastest variant of the Bf 109-series to see service, capable of 700 km/h at 7,500 m.." Intended to enter series production alongside the K-4 - bringing the Gustav-series up to K-series standard -  deliveries of the G-10 actually started later than the K-4.

 Distinguishing features include the refined 'elliptical' cowl shape over the MG 131s as seen on the G-6/AS. Independent of the engine variant fitted, Erla G-10 production (WNr in the 150-152 000 and 490-491 000 range) is (easily) identifiable by the asymetric cowl shape (designated 'Type 110' by Mermet) with the 'elliptical' or curved MG breech bulge only featuring on the starboard side.  The 'Type 100' cowling  with the Ballungen (elipse, plural) on both sides featured on WNF and Mtt Regensburg production and those airframes recycled from G-6s  (eg, WNr. 130 000, 610 000 and 613 000). The DB 605 D featured a larger oil tank and a relocated oil filler hatch as one of the key ID features - due to the greater volume of oil (60 iso 45 litres) an oil cooler of larger surface area  (wider and shallower) was present. Even though the small "chin" bulges were not  a feature of the 'Type 110' cowl or required by the DB 605 D engine, these are present on the 'Type 100' cowl - probably in an attempt to increase 'commonality' with other variants then in series production.  (see diagram below, from Mermet, 'Bf 109 G-1 to K-4, a guide to engines and fittings')

Below; pilots of 2./JG 300 including Uffz. Hans Dahmen (right) on the cowl of a recently delivered Erla G-10 in late 1944 - note the absence of lower cowl 'chin' bulges. The fairing in front of the windscreen is rectangular and not the 'scallop-shaped' elliptical fairing on the starboard side of the cowl/fuselage.  As the Russians arrived at the Oder during January 1945, I.Gruppe moved from Borkheide to Liegnitz in the 'East'..

Below; late-war Erla Bf 109 G-10 in overall dark green as seen in service with I./JG 300. (Anders Hjortsberg artwork) A good view of the rectangular cowl section (just in front of the windscreen) being removed with what may be an Erla WNr. (?50719) visible.....

On the starboard side of the 'Type 110 cowl' the hatch for the cold weather starter is repositioned much higher up on the cowl (appears lower near the exhaust stack on the G-14). Other features of the G-10 include the tall tail with trim tabs and enlarged fairings on the wing to accomodate the bigger main wheels - and of course the 'Vollsichthaube', the 'clear vision' canopy minus the heavy framing. Note the absence of an antenna mast - replaced by the under-wing whip aerial - another 'streamlining' measure on late-war Bf 109 production.  

There are really no hard and fast rules with late-war 109s of course -  early Regensburg G-10 production featured the original G-6 wing with the smaller main wheels and upper wing 'tear-drop' bulges and according to some (eg Wolowski) early Erla G-10s - possibly as many as fifty examples - received the AS engine with the bigger deep radiators and lower cowling bumps. These were from the first production batch, WNr. 490 000. These may have been designated G-10/AS  (see JfV Teil 13/IV pages 27 and 28). Erla referred to them as 'Bastard Flugzeuge'.

The concept of a G-10/AS usually provokes a comment or two. The 'true' 109-experts will deny that the Bf 109 G-10/AS even existed. Several units nonetheless reported Bf 109 G-10/AS machines in their loss returns - in particular JG 300 - and, as far as is known, mostly in the Erla 490 000 WerkNr. range.. 

17 Dec 44 - Lt. Köhler, Otto  - 10./JG 300 Bf 109 G-10/ASM, WNr. 490291 'White 1', combat with P-51, 100%.

24 Dec 44 - Lt. Kampf, Werner - 10./JG 300 Bf 109 G-10/ASM WNr. 490299 ''white 11', combat bei Erfurt, 100%

(Some would say DB 605 AS powered Bf 109 G-10s were simply designated as Bf 109 G-10)

According to Mermet's first book around 4,500 G-10s were built, of which 3,500 were either re-cycled Gustav airframes, or Gustav airframes that received the 605 D engine while in production!  Figures that proved to be wildly inaccurate...

Schmoll quotes the following figures for G-10 production;

Erla - 1,534  G-10 (November 44- Feb 45, including 916 G-10/R6 with the Patin PKS 12 Kurssteuerung 'automatic pilot')

Mtt Regensburg - 116 G-10  (October 44 -Jan 45)

WNF -  approx 360 G-10/U4  (Mk 108 30mm cannon +MGs, only built by WNF during January -Feb 45)

A further 518 G-10s were constructed during March 1945 by Erla and WNF before production ended.

Below; Me 109 G-10/U4 of II./JG 52, WNr probably in the 611 000 range (WNF production) at Neubiberg after surrender. An enlargement from the negative via James V.Crow collection. Click for a full-screen view.

AZ 'Erla' Bf 109 G-10 by Jan Pavlik

Below; Bf 109 G-10 W.Nr. unknown. Note port side 'elliptical bulge'.  "Yellow 11" is a machine that belonged to III./JG 4 seen after Jüterbog-Damm (?) fell to the Soviets in late April 1945. Large wheel bulges, small tail wheel, JG 4 crest on cowl. III. Gruppe Balken, yellow rudder ...

Incidentally, Vladimir Sandtner's 109 - extensively photographed at Falconara, Italy after the pilot deserted during April 1945 - is NOT a G-10, although identified as such by many including Ritger in his "Messerschmitt 109 F-K Variants". Aside from the fact that the Allied Intelligence report states "G-14"  the starboard view shows the repositioned cws aperture. More on this blog at the link...

also on this blog;

More Erla-built G-10s of JG 300

Jan Pavlik's AZ 109s

Bf 109 G-6/AS in JG 300

Erla factory Einflieger Karl Hannes

"erhöhte Notleistung" in the BMW 801