Kilroy1988 Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 Hello folks! I have an old Heller BF 109 b-1/c-1 kit that includes decals for a version with a rooster with an outstretched neck as the Jagdgruppe symbol. Does anyone know which group this belongs to? I'd like to use the model in a little diorama and want to create a plausible historical background, and if the decals provided are reasonable for my purposes that would be great! Thanks! -Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturmovik Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 The rooster is for 9/ZG 26, according to the kit's instructions: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heller-80236-messerschmitt-bf-109b-1-c-1--131725 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilroy1988 Posted February 4, 2019 Author Share Posted February 4, 2019 20 minutes ago, Sturmovik said: The rooster is for 9/ZG 26, according to the kit's instructions: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heller-80236-messerschmitt-bf-109b-1-c-1--131725 Thank you! I could not find this information in English on the old instruction sheet provided in my kit. I'll look again just to make sure I'm not crazy, but I'm glad to know now! -Gregory 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 (edited) 7 hours ago, Sturmovik said: The rooster is for 9/ZG 26, according to the kit's instructions: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heller-80236-messerschmitt-bf-109b-1-c-1--131725 Sadly i have that very same kit and i never thought about the decals ? Edited February 4, 2019 by Corsairfoxfouruncle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilroy1988 Posted February 4, 2019 Author Share Posted February 4, 2019 4 hours ago, Sturmovik said: The rooster is for 9/ZG 26, according to the kit's instructions: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heller-80236-messerschmitt-bf-109b-1-c-1--131725 Looking into it more closely, it seems that one would have great difficulty finding information about the early BF 109s used by this heavy fighter/bomber squadron, as just prior to the outbreak of the war they switched to ME 110s and never looked back... I suppose the decals will not be appropriate for my diorama! I planned to have a pilot/captain standing in front of the aircraft, having a letter (orders) delivered to him out on the airfield by a messenger on a BMW R12 motorcycle. I don't think orders delivered prior to the outbreak of the war would have involved the sort of urgency or secrecy that the messenger delivery system required, a telephone call or radio transmission being sufficient. Oh, well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 I don't doubt that the emblem was that of 9/ZG26, but what was the unit's identity before that? Zerstorer aircraft would carry 4 character codes not just numbers. I suspect this was indeed a Jagdgruppe in the previous Luftwaffe organisation - but I don't know that for sure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Profile 23 on the Bf110 has a profile (not that I would trust it) of that rooster on Bf110D 3U+KT. ZG26 was previously JG 134 which changed its initial Ar68Es for Bf109B's so the Heller artwork is probably correct. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Hello Red cockerel on noses of two 9./ZG 26 Bf 110 Ds: Numerical markings on Heller's kit are not questionable, although cockerel emblem is. Due to early Bf 110 production delays all prewar Zerstörer units were initially equipped with single seaters and were marked accordingly. Prior to becoming 9./ZG 26, this unit had been part of JGr. 126, III./JG 142 and IV./JG 134. There are two photos of JG 134 Arados Ar 68 E in Jagdwaffe (1-1) - Birth of the Luftwaffe fighter force (Classic colours) book, both without an emblem of any kind. There is a colour profile of Ar 68 E, yellow 4 belonging to III./JG 142, in the same publication, apparently representing one of the aircraft from previously mentioned photos, also without an emblem. I have been browsing through my books, looking for a photo of Bf 109 D with cockerel emblem, but so far no luck. Pity, it would make an attractive model. Cheers Jure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilroy1988 Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 Thanks for the information, Jure! I plan to put a red stripe on the vertical stabilizer and make this kit look like one from the Richthofen unit (JG 132) which was reformed into a different Jagdgruppe in late 1938 and re-assigned to western Germany. The emblem, which is a little red 'R' on a white blazon, will be simple enough to hand-paint onto the plane. Cheers! -Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Hello Gregory Quite a colourful paint scheme, at least for pre-war German fighter. I wish my hand would be as steady as yours. With a bit of luck, I could pull something like this in 1/24, but most certainly not in 1/72 scale. Cheers Jure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silberpferd Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Hi, this website gives the unit as being Jagdgruppe 126 https://me109.info/web.php?lang=de&auth=e&name=version_display&auswahl_hv=1&auswahl_uv=34&bildertyp=2&selectversion=d1&versionscategory=5&nextpage=8#bm HTH Laurent 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard502 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Kilroy1988: in case you want the Richthofen badge as a decal I can send you some, off a Superscale sheet 1/72 scale. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Hello Great site, Laurent, thank you very much. Your discovery not only substantiated Heller's kit decals, but provided a wealth of unknown (at least to me) Bf 109 photos. Anyone being fed up with Hartmann's Bf 109 Gs? On the page 32 there is a photo of one of the Bf 109 D-1 he flew in JFS 2 in 1942. Cheers Jure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturmovik Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 1 hour ago, Jure Miljevic said: Anyone being fed up with Hartmann's Bf 109 Gs? On the page 32 there is a photo of one of the Bf 109 D-1 he flew in JFS 2 in 1942. Cheers Jure Which aircraft is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 I looked at page 32 nothing says his name specifically so any help @Jure Miljevic is appreciated ? I have one of these kits set aside for the Heller group build and that might become my 1st choice. Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Hello Sorry, should have been more specific. Check page 32, photo ID 2291, or click the following link: https://me109.info/display.php?from=site&lang=de&auth=e&name=version_display&fotonummer=2291 Apparently the photo comes from the book about Erich Hartmann. The source is listed as ˝Erich Hartmann - Die Geschichte des erfolgreichsten Jagdfliegers der Welt˝ book, published by Motorbuch. Pilot's rank is given as unknown, but pilot's name is listed as Erich ˝Bubbi˝ Hartmann. I am eventually going to buy the book to learn more, but for now, the photo will do nicely. Cheers Jure 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmig Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 FWIW, in his 1963 book, "Markings and Camouflage Systems of Luftwaffe Aircraft in Workd War II", Karl Ries shows this rooster as being used by 9./ZG 26 "Horst Wessel" on Bf 109Bs and Bf 110Cs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatFlyHalf Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Just found this https://me109.info/display.php?from=site&lang=de&auth=e&name=newphotos&fotonummer=15894 Thought it would be of some interest. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonbraun Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 (edited) Here is a poor quality photo of a Yellow 3 assigned to JGr 126, Autumn 1939. There is not a lot of photo documentation, but it appears that in addition to the cockerel the unit also displayed feminine names on the cowling. Angelika, Cissy, Gigi, Gisela, and Della being documented on various machines. Edited February 26, 2019 by Vonbraun 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilroy1988 Posted March 23, 2019 Author Share Posted March 23, 2019 Coming back to this post very late, but feeling that a proper thank you is in order for each of you who took the time to respond and do some research about the question I posed! It's much appreciated. I ended up finishing my Heller model up without a squadron marking at all, because I found a photo of some Cs or Ds in a Polish airfield without any, but with the same style of yellow numbers on the individual aircraft. This seemed appropriate enough, given the possibility that I'll be using the model in a diorama featuring the Polish campaign. Cheers! -Gregory 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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