Skin for Aeroplane Heaven's great Me109E, an E4 of Haupmann Wilhelm Balthasar, Gruppenkommandeur III./JG3, Desvres, August 1940.
My sources indicate the RLM71/02 and 65 colors. The aircraft has a very unique paint scheme due to being the mount of the pilot when he was Kaptain of 7.JG27, as indicated by the white 1 on the cowling and the III./JG27 badge ahead of the windscreen on either side. Upon his promotion to Gruppenkommandeur of III.JG3 he had the new gruppen's battleax badge placed on top of his white 1 on the cowling, added a green spinner tip (seems to be JG3's Stab color) and instead of the customary zwei winkel (2 chevrons) opted for a green 1 (his favorite number maybe?) and a green horizantal bar for III gruppe. His new post was awarded on 1 September, 1940. Just 3 days later he received a serious leg wound in a dogfight with RAF sq. 222 Spitfires over Canterbury, claimimg one Spitfre in the battle. 14 days later he returned to the air and over the next two weeks scored 5 additional victories. However his wound had not healed and he was hospitalized in early November.He was out of action until the middle of February 1941, when he was promoted to the rank of Kommodore of JG2. He claimed 11 victories in June and july 1941, when in a dogfight on June 27th, he dived to loose a pursuing aircraft. One of his gruppe reported that a wing of his 109F sheared off in the dive causing an uncontrollable spin causing a fatal crash southeast of St.Omer. He was burried in a military cemetary in Flanders, next to his father, who had perished in the First World War. His final victory score was 47, including 6 in Spain.
PSULLYKEYS
Submitted by PSULLYKEYS
My sources indicate the RLM71/02 and 65 colors. The aircraft has a very unique paint scheme due to being the mount of the pilot when he was Kaptain of 7.JG27, as indicated by the white 1 on the cowling and the III./JG27 badge ahead of the windscreen on either side. Upon his promotion to Gruppenkommandeur of III.JG3 he had the new gruppen's battleax badge placed on top of his white 1 on the cowling, added a green spinner tip (seems to be JG3's Stab color) and instead of the customary zwei winkel (2 chevrons) opted for a green 1 (his favorite number maybe?) and a green horizantal bar for III gruppe. His new post was awarded on 1 September, 1940. Just 3 days later he received a serious leg wound in a dogfight with RAF sq. 222 Spitfires over Canterbury, claimimg one Spitfre in the battle. 14 days later he returned to the air and over the next two weeks scored 5 additional victories. However his wound had not healed and he was hospitalized in early November.He was out of action until the middle of February 1941, when he was promoted to the rank of Kommodore of JG2. He claimed 11 victories in June and july 1941, when in a dogfight on June 27th, he dived to loose a pursuing aircraft. One of his gruppe reported that a wing of his 109F sheared off in the dive causing an uncontrollable spin causing a fatal crash southeast of St.Omer. He was burried in a military cemetary in Flanders, next to his father, who had perished in the First World War. His final victory score was 47, including 6 in Spain.
PSULLYKEYS
Submitted by PSULLYKEYS
