American captured '109 art

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:22 pm

I came across this neat artwork on a captured Messerschmitt Bf 109 on the Australian War Memorial (AWM) website:

http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/MEC0509

http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/MEC0668

Quote:

ID number MEC0668
Photographer Le Guay, Laurence Craddock
Description Gambut, Cyrenaica, Libya. c. 1943. A Messerschmitt Bf109 aircraft flown by the Americans in Gambut.

ID number MEC0509
Photographer Le Guay, Laurence Craddock
Place made North Africa: Western Desert, Libya, Cyrenaica
Date made c 1944
Description Nose art depicting an American Indian gesturing with his index finger and armed with a stone axe and a bow, displayed under the cockpit of a captured Messerschmitt Bf 109 G fighter at Berca.

Despite the date discrepancy, I think that we have two images of the same aircraft, on or about the same time - the scheme, missing canopy, and a pair of images by one photographer in the AWM collection are all non-conclusive indicators.

Either way, neat painting! Anyone got any ideas as to its origin? Is it a unit marking, or a one off?

(More pics to come...)

Regards,

Dan Johnson II · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 1:49 am **Posts:** 659

86th Fighter Squadron, 79th Fighter Group, MTO

I do believe all the MTO fighter groups had their own 109s or 190s. Lots of photos of this bird in the 79th FG history by Don Woerpel

JDK · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:34 am

Thanks Dan. Here's a copy of the unit insignia from Wiki:

Were those images (above) included in the book you mention, and if so what's the credit? Not important, just curious.

Regards,

lmritger · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:47 am

JDK wrote:

I came across this neat artwork on a captured Messerschmitt Bf 109 on the Australian War Memorial (AWM) website:

http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/MEC0509

http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/MEC0668

Quote:

ID number MEC0668
Photographer Le Guay, Laurence Craddock
Description Gambut, Cyrenaica, Libya. c. 1943. A Messerschmitt Bf109 aircraft flown by the Americans in Gambut.

ID number MEC0509
Photographer Le Guay, Laurence Craddock
Place made North Africa: Western Desert, Libya, Cyrenaica
Date made c 1944
Description Nose art depicting an American Indian gesturing with his index finger and armed with a stone axe and a bow, displayed under the cockpit of a captured Messerschmitt Bf 109 G fighter at Berca.

Despite the date discrepancy, I think that we have two images of the same aircraft, on or about the same time - the scheme, missing canopy, and a pair of images by one photographer in the AWM collection are all non-conclusive indicators.

Either way, neat painting! Anyone got any ideas as to its origin? Is it a unit marking, or a one off?

(More pics to come...)

Regards,

Dan already nailed the unit emblem; the lower pic is of the famous Bf 109G-2 "Irmgard" formerly of 2.(H)/14, later captured and coded x8-7 (you can just make out the "x8" on the fuselage in this shot). I'll have to check my pics to see if Irmgard ever got the 86th FS emblem applied to her; the top pic is clearly a tropical G model so we have that going for us.

Nice find!

Lynn

EDIT: Confirmed via the Kecam "Captured Me 109" book... Irmgard (Bf 109G-2/R2 WNr 10605)was captured by the 87th FS originally, then went to the 86th FS in the summer of 43 and it's emblem is visible in other shots as well.

Dan Johnson II · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 1:49 am **Posts:** 659

Almost forgot this thread. Not the same pictures. The images were taken by the squadron doctor. There are a couple of them where Eddie Rickenbacker is shown next to the plane and then this one that appears to have the x8 mentioned on the fuselage.

CWBuff · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:14 am **Posts:** 854

Some more views of 'Irmgard' at various periods of her lifetime...

Shortly after capture...

NARA via Footnote/Fold3

From: Aufklarer : Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Aircraft and Units 1935 - 1945 (Wadman/Bradley/Ketley)

Unknown web

Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)

Here she is at Wright Field during static testing. A replacement port wing has been fitted... the original is off to the side.

Unknown web

Fade to Black...

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American captured '109 art

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