Belonging to 7./NJG 4, this nightfighter is an E-type that was based at Mainz-Finthen in the summer of 1942. The plane has been profiled several times in the literature, usually with its unit code in gray, although Breffort and Jouineau display the characters in red. It is this uncertainty that makes the plane so intriguing: discerning which color is correct, as both look almost the same in a black-and-white photograph.
In this grainy photo of 3C+AR on the ground, I've superimposed RLM 02 (
grau) and RLM 23 (
rot) in gray scale so one can see how similar they are.
But if rendering unit codes in color can be problematic, deciphering them is less so: "3C" designates
Nachtjagdgeschwader 4; the letter "A," which is outlined in the color the
Staffel (white), the particular aircraft in the squadron (and flown by its
Staffelkapitan); and "R," 7
Staffel, III
Gruppe. The spinner tips also are in the color of the
Staffel, which no doubt made the plane a bit more visible when lined up on a darkened runway.
The
Englandblitz on the nose is larger and less bomb-shaped on the planes of NJG 4 and moved farther back on the fuselage, under the canopy. I've made this change for 3C+AR, which can be downloaded
here.
09-28-2011, 06:11 PM
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