IL2

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 taking-off North Africa 1941 01

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 Sicily to North Africa 1941 01

Photo 01: A Bf-109E-7 Trop of 1./JG27, probably photographed on Sicily before the transfer flight to Tripoli. This aircraft has retained its European grey/green camouflage scheme and has a white fuselage band and yellow cowling.

Pilots JG27.1 before their flight to North Africa 01

Photo 01: Pilots of I./JG27 before their flight to North Africa. On the extreme left is Fw. Werner Schroer and, next to him holding papers, Oblt. Wolfgang Redlich, the Staffelkapitan. Second from the right is Ofw. Albert Espenlaub, wearing a life jacket.

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 ferry flight Sicily to North Africa 1941 01

Photo 01: The fact that this Bf-109 is carrying an auxiliary fuel tank suggests the photograph was probably taken during the ferry flight from Sicily to North Africa.

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 Libya 1941 01

Photo 01: Desert sand was highly abrasive and aircraft paintwork quickly weathered, as may be seen on the spinner and lower engine cowling of this Bf-109E from I./JG27 which was photographed while being repainted.

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 Libya 1941 02

Photo 01: Personalised aircraft were rather rare in the Western Desert. This Bf-109E-7, with uppersurfaces camouflaged in an overall sand colour, has the legend ‘Trup’ painted on the fuselage, just above the forward wing root.

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 (W_+) W.Nr 4167 Libya 1941 01

Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 North Africa 01

Photo 01: Luftwaffe ground staff working on a Bf-109E-7 of I./JG27. Note that the vehicle parked in the foreground is a captured Ford CMP truck. For most of the desert war, identifying friend from foe was particularly difficult as both sides used mainly British vehicles and, according to Rommel, in July 1942, 85 per cent of his transport consisted of captured enemy vehicles.

Messerschmitt Bf-109F JG27.1 North Africa 01

The completely yellow engine cowling, used as a recognition aid by Bf-109Es in North Africa, was retained by some of the later Bf-109Fs, as is evident from these views of a mechanic preparing an aircraft of I./JG27 for its next sortie.

Messerschmitt Bf-109F JG27.1 Martuba Feb 1942 01

Photo 01: Ground staff watching as a mechanic cautiously opens the under cowling of a Bf-109F-4 Trop of I./JG27 at Martuba in February 1942. From the amount of smoke and oil, there appears to have been a problem with the oil cooler.