A V-1 With Very Unusual Camouflage Pattern

Image size: 1600 x 867 pixel. 478 KB
Date: Between 13 September and 7 October 1944
Place: Varrelbusch Airfield, Cloppenburg, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

A V-1 with very unusual camouflage pattern! Picture taken at the ammunition dump of Varrelbusch airfield. The V-1 was stored in the open, without special camouflage measures. Note the yellow protective cap on the nose of the V-1! This picture was taken between September 13th and October 7th 1944 with 1.Staffel / Kampfgeschwader 53 (KG 53) on Varrelbusch airfield. The Staffel operated from September 16th from this base with V-1’s against England. The V-1’s were to be released over the northsea. The missions were flown at low level to prevent detection by British radar. After release of the flying bomb, the bomb was directed to its target by a fixed bearing and fuel load. The losses of KG 53 were high, mainly caused by Allied nightfighters and bad weather.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

Messerschmitt Bf 109 is “Blaue 15” of Leutnant Lehmann

 Image size: 1600 x 777 pixel. 471 KB
Date: Wednesday, 27 December 1944
Place: Niedermendig/Eifel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

The camouflage pattern already indicates it: this picture was taken in Germany during the final months of 1944. This Messerschmitt Bf 109 is “blaue 15” of Leutnant Lehmann of the 2.Staffel/NAG 1 (formed out of 4.(F)/123 on November 1st 1944). Picture taken at Niedermendig/Eifel airfield on December 27th 1944. A picture which may encourage modellers to build a diorama! Please note how close the aircraft is parked to the building.

Source:

Luftwaffe im Focus - Edition No.1 2002

Consolidated B-24D Liberator "First Sergeant" of 458th Bomb Group

Image size: 1600 x 1053 pixel. 255 KB
Date: Saturday, 27 May 1944
Place: Norwich, Norwalk, England
Photographer: Unknown

Consolidated B-24D-30-CO Liberator (#42-40127) "First Sergeant" of the 8th Air Force, 458th Bombardment Group, 754th Bombardment Squadron, is shown on the apron at the group's base at RAF Horsham St. Faith, 27 May 1944. Originally "Thar She Blows Again" in operation from Algeria against Ploesti with the 93rd Bombardment Group, 329th Bombardment Squadron, and received moderate damage. Her crew, led by Lieutenant Charles Merrill, all returned safely. Originally named "Bucket of Bolts" when it was first received by the 458th, "First Sergeant" became the 458th's first assembly ship and was painted with the polka dots for high visibility. "First Sergeant's" job would be to take off before the other combat aircraft, and then lead them of the group into a combat formation, to provide maximum coverage for each ship. Then "First Sergeant" would return to base. She was crewed by rotation, usually pilots or aircrew that had suffered combat fatigue or were in need of flight time. On May 27, 1944, "First Sergeant" was the victim of a flare. While loading the plane's Very signal pistol, the gun discharged and lit other flares. This caused the war-weary B-24 to burn on the runway.

Source:

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) NLR-PHOCO-A-65343B 

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0007