Skin for Aeroplane Heaven's great Me109E, an E4 flown by Oberlieutnant Walter Fiel of 8./JG53, BOB, October 1940.
No additional information concerning Oberlieutnant Fiel was found.
The aircaft has a distinctve "red band" painted around the nose...here's why..
"The Red Band of Shame"
JG53 was noted as the "Pik As" (Ace of Spades) fighter wing, the group proudly displaying the symbol on noses of their me109s. However, in July 1940, Hans Juergen von Cramon-Traubadel,Kommodore of JG53 aroused Goering's rath by marrying into a family with unpure aryan credentials. As such, he was not awarded the Knights Cross and was ordered to have all of the JG's planes paint over the "Pik AS" with a red band.
When Haupmann Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke assumed command of III/JG53 on 13Aug1940, he retaliated by painting over the red band and the swastikas on the tail of the III Gruppe aircraft!
Finally, in November 1940, the "red band" order was recinded and JG53 repainted the "Pik As" on the noses of its aircraft until the end of the war.
PSULLYKEYS
Submitted by PSULLYKEYS
No additional information concerning Oberlieutnant Fiel was found.
The aircaft has a distinctve "red band" painted around the nose...here's why..
"The Red Band of Shame"
JG53 was noted as the "Pik As" (Ace of Spades) fighter wing, the group proudly displaying the symbol on noses of their me109s. However, in July 1940, Hans Juergen von Cramon-Traubadel,Kommodore of JG53 aroused Goering's rath by marrying into a family with unpure aryan credentials. As such, he was not awarded the Knights Cross and was ordered to have all of the JG's planes paint over the "Pik AS" with a red band.
When Haupmann Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke assumed command of III/JG53 on 13Aug1940, he retaliated by painting over the red band and the swastikas on the tail of the III Gruppe aircraft!
Finally, in November 1940, the "red band" order was recinded and JG53 repainted the "Pik As" on the noses of its aircraft until the end of the war.
PSULLYKEYS
Submitted by PSULLYKEYS
