Bf 109E-4, Black <+-, II/JG3, Hptm Franz von Werra, September 1940 BoB GB

[Catch22]

Username: Catch22
Name: Cory
Category: Category 2
Scale: 1/48
Kit: Tamiya Bf109E-4/7
Accessories: Aeromaster Decals.

Here's my first entry into the BoB build. I don't actually even have the kit yet, but hopefully within the next couple days I will. I know they have it at one of the LHS, because my dad and brother went there while I was at work...

Here's the profile from the decals:



It has the Werknummer being 5057 in the instructions, but I think that's a typo and it's actually 1480, as that's what it is from another reference and the decals themselves.

About the decal profile, which I'm concerned is inaccurate. Terry has already pointed out the spinner is red, not black.



The last profile I think is more correct, from markstyling.com.

Thoughts?

[B-17engineer]

Very cool!!

[Airframes]

The last profile is more like it Cory. The spinner was quartered in red and white, and the 'saddle' cowling, presumed to be a replacement from another aircraft, was mottled on top, appearing to be RLM 02 over RLM 65. I think the white nose cowlings had a straight demarcation at the top, but I'll check and post an old, but accurate, 3 view profile I have, and some close up pics of it belly landed, and in the salvage yard.
I can scan and e-mail you the story of von Werra if you wish and, of course, he was the subject of the rather well done 1950s movie 'The One that Got Away', starring Hardy Kruger. Coincidentally, one of my entries is the 'Emil' of Heinz Schnabel, shot down on the same day, and 'The One who Almost Got Away' - after stealing an aircraft from the north of England, and getting as far as Norfolk, where he tried to re-fuel !!
I'll be posting his story in my thread with in the next day or so.

[Catch22]

That would be fantastic Terry, thank you sir. I read what Wikipedia had to offer on his story, very interesting.

Also, in a "trade" I made with my brother, I have procured a Tamiya E-4 kit. All I have to do is buy him a G-6, at some point. Basically it was just so I could get started this weekend. Still have finishing touches to do on my F-4! Gotta stop doing this....

[Airframes]

No probs mate. I've got a couple of accounts, but I'll send you the one which was in ( I think) Fly Past magazine a few years back. I'll also post some pics, some of which will be from the Jagwaffe books, others I have on file. I recently watched the movie, which was a free DVD with a daily newspaper here in the UK! It's still a good movie even by today's standards.

[Catch22]

I'll have to look out for that movie and see if I can rent it around here.

[Airframes]

Wait out on that one Cory. A mate of mine has just bought a machine thingy for copying VHS to DVD and DVD to DVD, and as it was his DVD I watched, I can probably get a copy made for you. He's bringing the gizmo round to my place, so that we can copy a load of old VHS cassettes onto DVD, inlcuding some unseen footage I have of a Mosquito operation, so I should be able to get a copy made for you - that is, if it'll play on the North American zone DVD players ?

[Catch22]

Hmm, not sure. If it won't, I've got four computers and an Xbox I can try it on! That would be really cool Terry!

[B-17engineer]

It won't work on a DVD player

BUT

Works on a PC and never tried xbox!

[vikingBerserker]

We're going to have some excellent 109's, great choice!

[Crimea_River]

A whole Geschwader, I'd say. I may yet join in.

I like your choice Cory

[Catch22]

Thanks guys, sprayed the cockpit earlier, maybe will get some work done tonight.

[Airframes]

Just been collecting some stuff together for you Cory. I notice in the Jagdwaffe book, they say the spinner is the normal Schwarzgrun, with white segments. However, having checked all the photos, there is a difference in tone between the spinner back plate and the segments, which makes me suggest it is red, and other accounts from years back have always maintained the colours were red and white, one even going so far as to say (something like) "despite some descriptions, this was red and white".
By the way, von Werra was an Oberleutnant, not a Hauptmann, at the time.

[Catch22]

Thanks Terry! Life would be much easier if they'd only had unlimited access to colour film!

[Airframes]

It sure would ! What puzzles me is, back in the 1960s, the availability of literature on ww2 aircraft etc was nowhere near as large as it is today, and this caused a lot of frustration. It also lead to many errors being compounded over the years, where an author would base his new work on his research, part of which at least was based on previous works. But, some of the stuff published back then was based on first hand, or eye witness experience, and in these instances, the facts are more often than not spot on. In the case of von Werra's '109, I've seen profiles without the white distemper cowling panels, and with green segments to the spinner, and black segments too ! I no longer have the book, but the account describing it as red and white gave the explanation why, and was from an eye witness. Other examples of prolonged errors include the shield on Wick's aircraft, which has been shown as red, when in fact it is the colours of the Swedish flag, due to a Swedish 'association' ! This has only been corrected in relatively recent years.