Brian J

In response to Dave Wadman's invitation to discuss the subject of the well documented 'White 4' flown by Horst Perez I will proceed with a brief background. I first became aware of this aircraft as a fifteen year old who (with great acticipation) monthly biked to the news stand at the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel exit to purchase a copy of 'Royal Air Force Flying Review.' In the December 1959 issue (which I have on my desk as I type this correspondence!) was a COLOUR 3-view drawing of a Bf 109 that took my breath away. It was only recently that this publication had introduced colour and I treasured each issue. I have always wanted to do a build up of this subject, but over the decades collected conflicting information as to the camouflage/colours used on this aircraft. I know, I know, get a life and just build the damn thing...life is too short...but I'm the kind of modeller who 'has to have it right' before I start. I've sought medical help but to no avail. It just dawned on me as I type this that it is exactly 50 years to the month that I first saw that article! Excuse me for a moment, there's a knock at the door...god, I hope it's not the Grim Reaper, I'll never get that kit built! But I digress. In the article, entltled 'That 'One-O-Nine' a gentleman who was at the crash scene within a few hours stated, "...the finish of the aircraft was a follows: Upper surfaces of the wings and tailplane, and the top of the fuselage were dark grey---about the same shade as the old naval "Home Fleet Grey." On the extreme top of the fuselage, the grey had a near-brownish tinge, as this had been sprayed on as an absolutely final finish." The accompanying 3-view by Endsleigh Castle shows the upper port wing completely grey (in error, the '4' on the fuselage is solid black). Boy, did that description fly in the face of the commonly accepted theories on Luftwaffe markings in 1959! As I stated, over the decades I have collected any article/photos I could find on this aircraft. As they were in b&w it was always difficult to interrept shade/hue (whatever the experts call it!) of grey and the splinter scheme pattern on the upper surfaces (as I indicated earlier, the colour 3-view showed a solid grey port wing)...and what about that brown mentioned in the article? I looked forward with great anticipation when I heard that Classic Publications was going to produce their 'Luftwaffe Colours' series, and I was not disappointed! I was particularily pleased to see colour profiles to go along with photos of the subject aircraft. On page 280-1 of 'Battle of Britain, Phase Three' of the Jagdwaffe Series, can be found a colour profile and several b&w photos of 'White 4.' The profile caption reads, "...detailed examination of surviving sections of original paint prove it was finished in non-standard locally mixed greys on the upper surfaces and not the 74/75 as described in previously published accounts." In my opinion the colour profile is the most accurate artwork of the subject I have seen to date. I won't bore anyone who hasn't already nodded off with more mindless detail (or will I), but I would enjoy reading opinions on the September 2004 issue of Model Aircraft Monthly in which Paul Lucas discusses his experience when studying parts of the airframe of 'White 4.' I found it to be a very worthwhile read. The fact that over the decades the wings may have been replaced and so are of little value when trying to finally solve the camouflage colours of this airframe is worthy of note. The article also includes investigations of Bf 109 airframes in local museums that indicate that grey/brown schemes were also applied during late 1940. That elusive brown colour comes up again! To conclude, my questions to Dave, and anyone else, are: 1) What colours would you choose to represent those used by the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940 as they experimented with camouflage? Should some shade of brown be included in any interpretation of 'White 4'? 2) What upper surface splinter pattern would be used when aircraft were repainted in the field? Did ground crews try to replicate the exact splinter patterns or did they just free hand it? Which colour would replace which colour? Soft edge or hard edge? One final question/point. In an earlier correspondence this week Dave mentioned that there may be several colour profiles in the 'Luftwaffe Colours-Jagdwaffe' series that are inaccurate. Would it be possible to identify them and suggest a correction? In anticipation of a response to the above...thank you for your time and patience!

Wow!! I've learned more accurate information about 'Yellow 12' in the past 24 hours than I had in the past 40 years! Thanks again, Dave, you've been a gold mine of updated information. I'll post those questions on 'White 4' as soon as I gather my thoughts. Warmest regards and thanks, Brian James

Hello, Dave First, allow me to express my gratitude for your detailed, authoritative and quick response. The muddied waters on the subject are much clearer now and I feel I can proceed with my kit with confidence. I have had a keen interest in all areas of the Battle of Britain for decades and I am always amazed how new interpretations are being made as more data is made available. I do have one more question (well, actually two) about 'Yellow 12.' The EagleCals EC#122 sheet provides one (set?) scissors for the port side. The Kagero book/decal set provides two...one for the starboard side as well. What is your best guess as to them being on both sides of the fuselage? My second question concerns the possible fading of the 70/71 upper surfaces. This airframe had probably been in service for several months or more and while the RLM65 was extended up on the fuselage sides I doubt any fresh paint was applied to the other surfaces. Any thoughts on that? I have more questions on another Bf109E (White 4 flown by Horst Perez), but I'll start a new post on that one.

My apologies for the following rambling but I want to cover my research over the past forty years and get all my ducks in order! I recently posted this question on another modeling web site and thought I had reached a satisfactory conclusion until last week. The question/topic has to do with the colours used on Fw. Ernst Arnold's 'Yellow 12' and the extent of the yellow nose markings. My introduction to this aircraft was a June 1970 article in Aircraft Illustrated written by the well known BoB authority/author MICHAEL PAYNE . Apparently he viewed this aircraft when it was on display in Exeter in the autumn of 1940. Mr. Payne observed, "...the only details which I could later recall were the white scissors painted behind the cockpit on the dark upper camouflage, the pale blue lower fuselage and undersurfaces, and the yellow cowling. My original impressison, which has since proved wrong, was that the upper surfaces were more grey than green." Years later, when including a caption to the same well known photo of Mr. F. Beaseley sitting in the cockpit of 'Yellow 12' in another English modeling magazine Mr. Payne stated, "From my memory the upper fuselage was mostly grey, toning well with the pale blue sides. Wings were 71/02 in a standared pattern." In 1987 Mr. Payne authored a book entitled 'Messerschmitt Bf 109 Into the Battle' published by Air Research Publications. On page 32 the above mentioned photo is captioned, "The splinter combination appears to be 74/02." The Volume 13, No.1 issue of the IPMS Canada 'Random Thoughts' includes a b&w profile of 'Yellow 12' and states that, "Upper surfaces---Dunkelgrau 74/Mittelgrau 75 splinter. Undersurfaces---Hellgrau 76." In a later issue a correction is made that the yellow on the upper engine cowling should be extended back another panel. The recent Kagero publication 'Topcolors 4', Jagdwaffe over England' includes a coloured 3-view drawing of 'Yellow 12' with a caption stating, "The aircraft was finished in RLM 70/RLM 71 on the upper sides and RLM 65 on the undersides..." When Eduard isssued their 1/32 Bf 109E-1 I purchased the kit as well as the EagleCals EC#122 decal sheet. Their reference was 'Jagdwaffe: Battle of Britain Phase Two' (Classic Colours). A colour profile of 'Yellow 12' and the often reproduced two b&w photos are included on page 170. The profile caption includes, "The machine was finished in a high demarcation 70/71 upper surface camouflage...The entire cowling and spinner were yellow..." This is how the decal instructions suggest you paint this aircraft. I have become skeptical of some of the artwork in this series. An example can be found on page 148 where a colour profile of 'Yellow 11' of JG 26 is shown with a complete yellow nose. However, a photo of this crashed aircraft is also shown with what appears to me as no yellow nose. So much for artists interpretations! I posted the questions about the correct camouflage colours and yellow nose markings on another modeling web site and the consensus was that they trusted the information on the EagleCal sheet. I was ready to start my build up of the kit, confident that I finally had it right...forget what Michael Payne said, so what if he was there and saw the actual aircraft, JERRY CRANDELL must have got it right! Before I started I was thumbing through 'The Messerschmitt Bf 109, Part I' (SAM Publications) by LYNN RITGER, another respected 109 authority. At the top of page 61, under JG 27 Losses I found 'Yellow 12' information, which stated, "Top color is grey. Yellow cowl and spinner." AAAHHH!! Three "experts" and three different interpretations! Right now I'm torn between collecting doll house furniture and/or stamps! It has always seemed to me that judging from the two known photos of this aircraft, the fuselage colours appear too light to be 70/71. I would be most grateful to hear any informed opinions as to what was the most probable colours used and to what extent yellow was used on the nose.