Lancaster Bomber 514 Squadron

That is a wild color scheme but I think it is the one I have seen somewhere before. The image I have in my mind from that fleeting glance of the JU88 is of a silvery color. I,m sure the partial moon did
not reflect a true picture. Thanks TA
Alex Campbell

 

The tiger stripe type camouflage is quite realistic and directly inspired from nature, but I would have imagined this camouflage around late 1944, early 1945 and probably later on the G6 models.
For the July 1944 period, I have a pattern that is heading towards a glossy aluminium silverish-grey with small dots that would rather remind a cheetah type camouflage. I will try to find a sample that would be easier to identify than a description. Your comments are welcome as I am trying to find a camouflage that is as close as possible of those used in Chateaudun.

 

NJG 2 went through several different camo's on the G-1 and G-6 variants.

the Model showing the welle or meander effect maybe wrong, the colours for fact are way off. Should be RLM 76 blue-white with RLM 65 Grey-with a touch of violet in the blotches and later war Green violet added in a Meander finish. i have phtos of NJG 5 G-1's smashed up and left at French bases that show camo patterns will try and find them and post here.

Erich

 

Thanks Erich, I appreciate your help . What about the dots? Do you agree with me about that or would you say stripes or spirals?

 

Again the dialogue is amazing. Has someone a link to a list of the German

 

My turn for OOPS! I need a translation of the terms used for German squadrons,flights,groups etc. It would give me a better view of the overall picture.
Hopefully Alex Campbell

 

the standard for G-1's in 1944 was the blue base RLM 76 which faded with summer sunlight to a blue-white and then grey blotches witha tinge of violet in them.
During 44 the blotches had soft edges so it appeared that they would fade into the RLM 76 blue and di over time again in the warm summer months.

In 1945 the Blotches had more of a harder edge to them such as this after war photo of a 88G-6, hopeful this makes some sense



the pic sadly is quite small

Alex :

Staffel = Squadron

Geschwader = primarily would be wing such as fighter wing or bomber wing ........ i.e. NJG = Nachtjagdgeschwader or Night Fighter wing, about 45 to 50 aircraft in 3 squadrons to a Night Fighter group.

Gruppe = Group which had 3 Staffeln in a Night Fighter Wing

NJG 2 by 1945 had 5 Gruppen in it's establishment.

Incidently V./NJG 2 performed the deadly night ground attacks in 1945 and formed from ex-bomber personell of III./KG 2 = Third Group of Bomber wing 2

 

This is a Me-110 but is it closer to what you had in mind Erich ?

Click the link and then go to gallery and the 110 is about 1/3 down the page.

http://www.rlm.at/start_e.htm?cont/archiv01_e.htm&1

 

thanks Ta but no not really. I've got the photos it is just getting them sorted and into the saved files.....

 

The closest I could get were the colours I found on the Strassner G1 pictures.

Another Question . Does anyone know whether NJG2 used one of the code letters on the front ,just behind the radar device, so that you could recognise aircrafts from the front?
4R+CK would get the letter "C".
I have seen these letters on several G1's but am not sure about NJG2 aircrafts

 

you sure they were G-1's ? G-6's yes for NJG 3 I know of. NJG 2 I am not at all sure

the pics of the G-1 of Strassner in Rökkers book are terrible if you are trying to contrast any colour from them

 

There is a picture of NJG2 from early 1945 with a G1 with letter "F" (page 47)in Griehl's "Nightfighters over the Reich".
+ a colour picture of a NJG3 G1 with letter "A" (on page 12). This is I believe just before they swithed to G6s.
Other units may have used them too.
The BF110 had them (I have G4 pictures)
There was even one on the final version of the rare Dornier 217J .

The colour picture of the G1 is the best I could find so far. Sometimes the tinge appears somewhat violet, but from an other angle they turn rather olive.

 

NJG 2 had G-6's in October of 44 and NJG 3 had them even in September and completely outfitted by mid-December with the G-6. If it was a G-1's they may have been old hacks

 

It is possible that only the best pilots got the G6 first and that G1s were used for another couple of months. Also only one of the pictures is actually said to be from 1945, the others are not dated and are probably from 1944. I 'll scan one or two later today

 

Skipper, not to get to sidetracked from our original thoughts but yes there were G-1 conversions used in 1945, the standard FuG 220 set was modified to take the newer FuG 220d set and the canted 45 degree radar aerial display, and I have photos of these birds during and after war.

 

Thank you for your confirmation Erich. We are not getting side tracked, on the contrary. With these elements I hope to get enough elements to get a piece of artwork for Mr Campbell with the July 28th combat.
I will post a draft of a Chateaudun G1 after work. It has the Fug 220 with red and white stripes.

 

Pictures will have to wait a few hours, the photobucket site has maintenance. I'll be back.

 

Here is a draft of a G1 at Chateaudun in July 1944. There are several of us working on it. I think we are getting pretty close. The code is not Strassner's yet. The artist is
C. Diepedalle who works with me on this kind of projects. When it is ready we will add details such as Strassner's codes etc..

 

Erich is your Nov 29th picture a captured Ju-88 ? In the background it looks like the tail section of a P-61.

 

Here is The NJG2 picture from Griehl's "Nightfighters over the Reich", They are standing in front of a G1, possibly at Chateaudun or Dijon. You can clearly notice the letter "F" on the G1 nose . It is possible that Strassner + crew is on the picture but I haven't identified any of the men.