This picture was taken by the wingman of Oberfeldwebel Walter Recker from 4. Staffel, II./Jagdgeschwader 53 flying "White 11" on an escort flight to Malta in the summer of 1942.
The order of battle for Luftfotte 2 (the regional command for Italy, North Africa, and Greece) and II. Fliegerkorps (which controlled the Geschwader under that command) records that II./JG 53 flew only the Bf 109F-4 that summer, most of them Bf 109F-4Zs, which had been fitted with the GM-1 nitrous oxide boost system. GM abbreviates Göring Mischung, the heady mixture named after the Luftwaffe Reichsmarschall. Insulated bottles of nitrous oxide were installed in each wing and at altitude, where the atmosphere was thinner, compressed air forced the liquid directly into the supercharger, where the injected oxide was vaporized, boosting the engine with supplied air. The developers referred to the device as the "HaHa-Gerät"—and it certainly would have been a laughing matter if gas seeped into the cockpit.
When the Bf 109G-2 (Gustave) entered service, it did not appreciatively differ from the F-series, except most notably in its more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605A engine (identified externally by additional intake scoops on either side of the engine cowling to cool the oil tank and engine spark plugs), which was a supercharged, liquid-cooled V-12. But, unlike the Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, which had the same configuration and powered both the Hurricane MkII C and Supermarine Spitfire, the 605A was inverted, which permitted the barrel of a 20mm cannon to be fitted between the cylinder banks and fire directly through the propeller hub, a placement that aligned with the centerline of the fuselage and therefore the accuracy of the gun.
Too, the Daimler-Benz engine was fuel injected, a high-pressure Bosch pump injecting fuel directly into each of the cylinders even under negative gravitational force. The Merlin XX was fitted with a float carburetor, which in a steep dive forced all the fuel to the top of the float chamber and so flooded the carburetor with an overly-rich air/fuel mixture—a "rich cut" that momentarily choked the engine. The problem eventually was solved by an ingenious retrofit: inserted in the fuel line was a brass restrictor known as "Miss Shilling's Orifice" after the engineer who introduced the modification. (At least, the sloshing fuel was 100-octane, imported from the United States and for which the Merlin XX engine was specifically designed.)
There were larger wheels to accommodate the extra weight—which required a realignment of the axle that, in turn, necessitated a bulge or blister (Beule, "hump") in the upper-wing surfaces. The size of the tail wheel was increased as well and, no longer able to be retracted into its recess, was locked in place. The G-4 also debuted the FuG 16Z VHF, a Funkgerät ("radio device") with very high frequency that tripled range and improved fidelity. To accommodate the new set, the lead-in antenna was moved farther back along the fuselage and, just below the cockpit, fittings supported a sun shade.
These improvements added weight and compromised handling—with the added irony that many Luftwaffe pilots preferred the older, lighter, and more agile F-4.
By September 1942, II./JG 53 began to be supplied with the Bf 109G-2 Trop, and by October, the Geschwader was comprised entirely of that model. By November, however, the number had dropped and by December, the G-2 Trop was replaced entirely. It now was being supplied with the newer G-4 Trop, twenty-seven of them. In January 1943, that number had risen to thirty-five and was flown exclusively. All this argues that, by the end of November, Obfw Recker would have flown a G-2 Trop. But Prien insists that he was flying a G-4 Trop, which was delivered to III./JG 53 at the end of October 1942 and then, "soon afterward," to II./JG 53. If the plane was indeed a G-4 (and here, one must respect Prien's authority), then it would have arrived just weeks, if not days, before the encounter with the aging Hurricane MkII C flown by Flying Office Ian Ingram on November 27, 1942.
The Bf 109G-4 recreated here was flown by Obfw Recker as it might have appeared on that morning. It had been tropicalized at the factory in a paint scheme of RLM 79 Sandgelb ("sand yellow") over RLM 78 Himmelblau ("sky blue") that extended mid-way up the fuselage. Depending upon the local vegetation, a mottle of RLM 80 Olivgrün ("olive green") was added in the field. It is this overspray that accounts for such variation in the plane's camouflage pattern. The paint had a slight sheen or semi-gloss which, in any event, quickly dulled under the relentless Mediterranean sun, whereas the Hurricane used a matte paint to avoid reflection.
Theater markings included a white band aft of the black Balkenkreuz ("bar cross") on the fuselage and white wing tips, both of which allowed for more immediate identification in the air—as did the yellow undercowling in RLM 27 Gelb, which had been introduced in August 1940 during the Battle of Britain, when often the entire cowling was painted. (The label reads Vorsicht beim Öffnen, Kühler ist im Haubenteil eingebaut: "Be careful when opening, the radiator is installed in the hood.")
Recker was a Luftwaffe ace twice over, having downed six planes on the Eastern Front and five in North Africa—a Spitfire southeast of Tunis only two weeks earlier. F/O Ingram was to be his eleventh and final kill.
The Bf 109G was a small plane, almost petite when compared to the Hurricane Mk IIC. In all dimensions, it was the more diminutive, especially in height (the Hurricane was five feet taller) and, more importantly in wingspan, which was seven-and-a-half feet shorter. This meant that its wing loading (the weight of the plane divided by the area of the wing and measured in lbs/ft2) was relatively high, almost 40 lbs per square foot. And a higher wing load meant a higher rate of climb and better speed, although it did degrade turning performance—but turning was to be avoided in the first place, as it slowed the plane. The Bf 109G was manufactured for speed, not maneuverability.
The wing, too, was comparably thin which, offering less air resistance, had lower drag and consequently, higher speed. But, again, there were attendant disadvantages. There was a greater tendency to stall when airflow over the wing no longer provided sufficient lift. To compensate, slats automatically extended from the leading edge to provide greater surface area. Nor did the thinner wing have the capacity to house machine guns, which were mounted instead on the engine cowling. The 20mm MG 151/20 nose cannon, firing directly through the propeller spinner, did not need to be harmonized: its shells simply went where the plane was pointed.
A pipe extended through the rear fuselage in which a lifting bar could be inserted to allow the plane to be hoisted off the ground and supported while being serviced. The reinforced jack point prevented damage to the thin aluminum alloy skin and, by elevating the tail, permitted calibration of the two cowl-mounted MG 17 machine guns. Although barely legible in the picture, its location was marked by a stenciled directive in the corner of the II Gruppe bar that read Hier anheben ("lift here").
More telling, there was no room to contain the landing gear, which retracted into the fuselage. Wings therefore were easier to manufacture and could be readily detached for repair or transport. But attaching the landing gear to the fuselage instead of out over the wings meant its track width was inherently narrow (about 6.75 ft) and the wheels had to be awkwardly splayed out. (By comparison, the stance of a Hurricane MkII C was a full two-feet wider.)
The narrow tract, coupled with the powerful torque of the new DB 605A engine, complicated not only landing but takeoff. When parked on the runway in a three-point position (the plane resting on its front landing gear and tail wheel), the nose of a Bf 109G-2 angled upward by about fifteen degrees (considerably more than the Hurricane MkII C, which was about nine degrees). This degree of pitch, together with the long engine cowling seriously compromised any forward visibility.
It also aggravated engine torque. In level flight, spinning propellers (and the Bf 109G had wider propeller blades than the F series) cut a helical or corkscrew path through the air, and both blades have the same angle of attack, producing the same amount of thrust. When the propeller is pitched upward, however, as it would be on takeoff, the blades spinning downward have a greater angle of attack than they do rotating back up and so, slightly more thrust—which causes the plane to yaw or twist to the left. This asymmetrical loading on the blades is known as the P-factor.
It is complimented by engine torque, which is the rotational twisting of the airframe itself. To compensate for the clockwise spinning of the blades (from the perspective of the cockpit), the plane rolls in the opposite direction. If not controlled by the right rudder (and the natural tendency of the pilot was to overcorrect), the left wing could dip and the rear of the plane suddenly pivot, spinning around in what is called a ground-loop. It was a very real problem in the Bf 109, and pilots resorted, not only to the rudder, but to pumping the right-wheel brake and even locking the tailwheel in place to minimize swerving. On a sodden airfield (and November, which marked the beginning of the rainy season, was especially wet that year), the left wheel could sink into the soft ground and the undercarriage collapse.
Some incidental notes—
A Geschwader (the approximate equivalent of a RAF Wing) was defined by its operational role. A Sturzkampfgeschwader (abbreviated St.G, from which "Stuka" derives its name) specialized in dive bombing, a Jagdgeschwader in fighting (literally, "hunting"). Each was comprised of Gruppen (Groups) which, in turn, were made up of Staffeln (Squadrons), the Geschwader being identified by an Arabic numeral and the Gruppen within it by a Roman one.
Most planes in the Luftwaffe had a four-character alphanumeric code (Verbandskennzeichen) displayed fore and aft of the Balkenkreuz. A fighter wing, however, was an exception. Air combat required immediate recognition, and a Staff (Stab) plane piloted by a Geschwader Kommodore, Adjutant, or Kommandeur was emblazoned with one of several large identifying chevrons in front of the black cross. After it, the Gruppe was identified by a symbol. I Gruppe had none at all; II Gruppe, a horizontal bar; III Gruppe, a wavy or vertical bar; and IV Gruppe, initially a dot and then a cross and finally a partially wavy line.
Jagdgeschwader 53 can serve as an example. The unit's identifying emblem (Geschwaderabzeichen) was painted on the engine cowling: a Pik As or "Ace of Spades." Behind the Balkenkreuz, and across the white fuselage band of the North African theater, a horizontal bar signified that the plane belonged to II Gruppe. The individual aircraft was identified by a number, its color signifying the Staffel to which it was assigned—in this case 4. Staffel (the only planes with white markings assigned to that Gruppe). A Bf 109 with an Ace of Spades on its nose, a white horizontal bar behind the Balkenkreuz, and the number eleven in front designated the eleventh plane in the fourth Staffel of II Gruppe in Jagdgeschwader 53—which the briefest of glances would confirm as "White 11" belonging to 4./JG 53.
The Bf 109G-4 is not often profiled, being so similar to the G-2 in outward appearance, and usually is skipped in favor of the G-6 with its prominent ammunition drums on the cowling.
This profile is provided by Prien and shows a camouflage scheme for the G-4. Although there is no attribution, the side-view may have come from Oberflächenschutzlist 8 (OS 109 F u. G), a Surface Protection List that dictated the approved camouflage scheme, primers, and colors for the Bf 109 F and G series.
There are half-a-dozen charts purporting to show the official colors stipulated by the German Ministry of Aviation (Reichsluftfahrt Ministerium, abbreviated RLM) to camouflage the planes of the Luftwaffe—all of them presenting slightly different shades. The scheme followed here is that of Merrick and Hitchcock.
Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed (the English spelling was Bizerta) was a French airfield on the outskirts of that city. But following "Operation Torch" (November 8–16, 1942, the codename for the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa), it was immediately seized by German and Italian troops and became one of the Luftwaffe's most important airfields in Tunisia. Situated on the northern coast, it was a major transportation hub for cargo flights from Sicily and Italy, especially at the beginning of the North African campaign. Its two runways were paved and there were hangers for aircraft. Most fighter units, including II./JG 53, were stationed there. But, beginning on November 14 and continuing throughout the month, the airfield was relentlessly bombed by the RAF and USAAF—at least, when the weather allowed.
The urgency of neutralizing the airfield, which would not be captured until May 7, 1943, is conveyed in a report by the United States Twelfth Air Force. "In November alone it was said that more than 1,200 Ju-52 landings were made at Bizerte....Not only did the enemy have the advantage of being within 100 miles of his Sicilian bases, across a strip of water which he rigidly controlled, but the airdromes in eastern Tunisia were suitable for all-weather use, an incalculable advantage during the rainy season." As for the Allies, "Northern Tunisia is a region of heavy winter rains, which usually begin in late November and continue through February. If the advance ["Operation Torch"] failed to seize Tunis and Bizerte before the rains began, it was inevitable that roads and airfields would be reduced to quagmires." It did not, and "By this time the autumn rains had set in, and airfields were so muddy that aircraft, particularly bombers, were often immobilized."
Prien suggests that the dive bombers Recker was escorting when he encountered F/O Ingram were from II./StG 3. If so, seventeen American tanks had broken through their airfield at Djedeida just two days before, ramming or machine gunning at least eighteen Ju 87s and five Bf 109s. The day after the encounter, Recker himself was wounded at Bizerte when he suffering splinter wounds during a bombing raid as his plane scrambled in an Alarmstart. The plane (Werknummer 16 072) was 15% damaged, and one wonders if injuries to the pilot were proportionate.
Recker's highest decoration was the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe or "Honor Goblet," which was awarded for exceptional skill, usually after the recipient had received the Iron Cross, First Class but not yet qualified for a higher reward such as the German or Knight’s Cross. Originally, the goblet was almost pure silver but by the early months of 1942 wartime shortages of the precious metal had limited its production to an alloy of nickel silver. He survived the war.
In designating a new plane, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (German Air Ministry) used the initials of the original aircraft manufacturer as a prefix. The Bf 109 was so named because it first had been produced by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft Works) in 1934. But when Willy Messerschmitt, the chief designer and engineer, eventually assumed control four years later, the company was reorganized and renamed Messerschmitt AG after its new managing director. Planes now carried the "Me" prefix—and, although a misnomer and not officially correct, this was the name the Allies tended to use for the 109, as can be seen in British reports at the time. Indeed, there was a tendency to consider any Messerschmitt plane as a "Me," even those produced before the company had changed its name. Presumably, too, it was easier to pronounce "Messerschmitt" than "Bayerische Flugzeugwerke."
References: Jagdgeschwader 53: A History of the "Pik As" Geschwader, Volume 2: May 1942-January 1944 (1997) by Jochen Prien (pp. 467, 508, 587); Jagdgeschwader 53: A History of the "Pik As" Geschwader, Volume 3: January 1944-May 1945 (1998) by Jochen Prien (Appendices 3-7); Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945, Teil 8/2: Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum–November 1941 bis Dezember 1942 [2004] by Jochen Prien, Gerhard Stemmer, Peter Rodeike, and Winfred Bock (pp. 109, 150, 163); The Messerschmitt Bf 109: Late Series (F to K Including the Z Series) (2nd ed) (2022) by Richard A. Franks; Messerschmitt Bf 109 F, G, & K Series: An Illustrated Study (1992) by Jochen & Peter Rodeike (pp. 80ff); Luftwaffe Codes, Markings & Units 1939-1945 (1995) by Barry C. Rosch (pp. 109-118); The Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft 1935-1945 (1980) by Kenneth A. Merrick and Thomas H. Hitchcock; Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Tunisia (2016) by Henry L. deZeng IV; The AAF in Northwest Africa: An Account of the Twelfth Air Force in the Northwest African Landings and the Battle for Tunisia (1992) by the Center for Air Force History.
See also RLM colors.
