ROA Bf 109 markings

[Troy Smith]

I'm starting a new thread on this one, but because of this thread

"Russian pilots in Me262"

http://www.britmodel...topic=234924157

I made a posting in that thread, edited below, but i dug out the scans i was talking about, which show the only photographic evidence of a ROA marking in use was on the fin of a Bf109 G-10, which was a St Andrews cross in a shield, replacing the swastika.

The actual photo they spotted the ROA symbol in has to be seen to be believed, as it's from a wrecked hangar with the fin inverted.

The details are from spotting the piece of wreckage is the same plane as the one from a bit of film where you can see the '15'.

You have to look very closely! Superb photo analysis.

I hope this pic is clear enough. I went 'eh? where?' when I first saw this!

Here's the profile. [partly reconstructed as the book says]

more info on the ROA air units here

http://forum.axishis...pic.php?t=85264

http://www.ww2aircra...force-7574.html

note, profiles showing the St Andrews cross on the fuselage and wings are 'guess work'

like this fantasy profile

...didn't stop some decals being made of them!!!!

http://www.propagtea...2.asp?detail=32

Never trust a profile without a photo is becoming my new motto!

The only documented example I have run across of an ROA plane with anything but standard luftwaffe markings is 'white 15' above.

AFAIK there has NOT been a decal sheet for 'white 15', which is rather ironic.

Hope of interest.

T

[Fernando]

Hi, Troy,

there has been a lot of wishful thinking in decal makers lately. However, the find of "White 15" is a quite interesting one. I wouldn't bet the machines were consecutively numbered from 1 to 15, though!

You could model "White 15" by using the small ROA shield and German crosses elsewhere.

Fernando

[Brad]

Yes I was in shock when I picked up this book as an impulse purchase and saw these pictures. I hadn't really believed they were marked in this way as the only other pictures I'd seen were of White 24, which carries standard Luftwaffe markings.

The link below seems to give the aircraft which the ROA had. Now, weather they actually did is another story and we might never know unless pictures turn up which is always a possiblitiy.

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=85264

[Ed Russell]

Caption translation Remains of JG 52 at the airport at German Brod, May 1945. Visible is Messerschmitt Bf 109G-1 (No. 612982) "white 24" belonging to the first ROA Squadron. The aircraft indicates that the German tactical number was painted between the tail and the cross, the location being typical of the planes flown by the Russians. Carol Thorne

It appears to me that there is a swastika on the fin, not a ROA insignia.

Edited August 25, 2012 by Ed Russell

[Super Aereo]

White 24 definitely carried a swastika on the fin.

A Russian forum (rich in Nazi imagery) published a better version of that photo together with a second photo, and other images as well, mainly ROA airmen and a few dubious profiles, including a ROA Me 262

http://reibert.info/...read.php?t=1285

Links to the photos:

http://reibert.info/...85&d=1270499620

http://reibert.info/...86&d=1270499620