Erla production 'saw-tooth' wing camouflage pattern

 

First completion of 2023, another of the 'old' new-tool Eduard Bf 109s, this time in the markings of 11./JG 27 ace Bartels. IV./JG 27 were at Kalamaki, Greece in the autumn of 1943 and intervened over Kos and Leros during October as German forces pushed out the British from these Dodecanese islands following the Italian 'change-of-sides'. J-L Roba recently produced a comprehensive monograph on these combats published by Lela Presse and reviewed on this blog.

Note alongside the finished model my 72nd Academy G-6 in the 'same' scheme. As usual the mottling is a pretty rough 'approximation' given that the real machine is only 'partially' covered photographically. As SAM editor Gary Hatcher remarked a while ago, how can Luftwaffe modellers be satisfied knowing that their mottling is always so 'hit and miss'? I suppose he may have a point - all of the known images of this machine show the port side. Not one shows the starboard side AFAIK. A feature of some Erla-Leipzig 1943 production, the upper surface 'saw-tooth' pattern was less problematic and 're-created' here easily enough with a P-Mask mask. The underwing 'R6' MG 151 cannon gondola have been opened up to display the Eduard resin cannon...I asked profile artist Anders Hjortsberg to comment on the 'saw-tooth' finish;

" ....In mid 1943 an Erla built 109 would certainly have the sawtooth pattern. I'm not sure when it was first applied but I think I've seen Friedrichs with it as well. It was used well into 1944. As to why, I don't know, there's no official document showing anything about it. The document that laid down the rules for the pattern used by WNF and Erla did mention a 10 cm transition between colours in the pattern though. WNF used what I believe was the intended effect, i.e a blurred demarcation that comes naturally when painting free hand with a spray gun. Erla wanted to use some sort of template for the pattern and so they cut a saw tooth template to fulfill the order of a 10 cm transition. That's just my theory though, there's no confirming this. Looking at the crude "Spotted mottle" on Erla aircraft is another hint that they didn't want to work as much free hand as WNF and Mtt Regensburg. It was only in the 46x.xxx series that a softer mottle started to appear and the wing pattern got changed as well, more conforming to the WNF style although an interim pattern can be seen where there's a free hand pattern painted clumsily to resemble the saw tooth pattern..."

below;  Bartel's 'Red 13' showing a partial view of the starboard wing with the 'saw-tooth' demarcation circled in red.

A better view of the 'saw-tooth' scheme - including on the tailplanes  - on a JG 53 Gustav found abandoned in Italy.