Author Topic: CorkyJr - Widewing other Knowledgables (Read 274 times)

Souless · « **on:** June 30, 2006, 10:28:50 AM »

I have been comming across more and more pics recently featuring a longated rectangal with a circle above it placed on the rudder of various german aircraft.
Does the rectangle mean 5 kills or 1 kill? or is it a kill marking?
What do the circles represent? some pics its just a circle sometimes within the circle there are diff markings, what does this represent?

Bruno · « **Reply #1 on:** June 30, 2006, 10:54:31 AM »

The 'rectangle' is 1 confirmed kill claim the circle above is nationality of the claim...

Souless · « **Reply #2 on:** June 30, 2006, 11:06:19 AM »

Ahh thanks bruno and on that note was this an early war practice?
Trying to imagine what hartman,barkhorn,rall,kittel,nowatny would have done

Krusty · « **Reply #3 on:** June 30, 2006, 11:28:17 AM »

The circle over it usually has an RAF roundel or the nationality that was shot down. The rectangle often had a date inside it or more information (so that for aces with a full rudder -- it would be a history of their career).

Bruno · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2006, 11:41:32 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Souless
Ahh thanks bruno and on that note was this an early war practice?
Trying to imagine what hartman,barkhorn,rall,kittel,nowatny would have done

It varied but as the war progressed things like kill markings were left off. In war things like aircraft were disposable items. They had short life span and very few pilots kept the same aircraft for any considerable time, especially the LW late in the war. From '43 on you begin to see less and less. A lot of the ones with dates and high decoration were painted (dressed up)specifically for propaganda photos etc...

There was considerable variety. Here's a link to a page with a photo of Graf & Grislawski Bf 109 rudders

Lusche · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2006, 11:53:25 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Souless
Ahh thanks bruno and on that note was this an early war practice?
Trying to imagine what hartman,barkhorn,rall,kittel,nowatny would have done

The markings on the rudder indicate 94 kills:
After his 69. kill, Galland was awarded the Knight´s Cross with Oakleafes and Swords. Additional kills after that were marked by rectangles as usual. If you take a close look, you can see the leafes and swords painted under the number.
So you can see that the kill markings were "reset" for very successful aces, usually after a higher decoration was awarded and/or after a certain number of victories was reched, for example 100/150/200 on the eastern front.