PeterEvans LEMB Admin

Well my friends... that, as they say, is that. To the small number of you who have bothered to post here with your kind words, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart... However, it really would have been good to get a small amount of recognition from our peers for what the forum has achieved. When I say peers, I mean the authors and experts in our midst. They are among a number of members I see here, day after day after day, names who appear in print or who are held in great esteem by us all, but for whatever reason, they never fully embraced what a small minority of us were looking to achieve. As I've said before and as I'll say it again, if the old guard don't foster and encourage the younger members today, where will the authors and enthusiasts of the future come from? Also, what is the purpose of you being a member of a community like this? Sadly, one can only assume it's because they are looking to get the maximum return from doing the square root of nothing... The one thing I hope the LEMB will be remembered for was its willingness to share material without the blinkered petty selfishness and rudeness seen elsewhere. It's never been about me or any one individual, it's been about us as a group, trying to foster a community ethic. However, my one big regret is that we never did manage to fully achieve this but despite my disappointment, I really don't know what more we could have done... I wish Clint all the very best with his new venture... the internet is such a different animal today from when the LEMB was created. Members expectations are to be spoon fed information with little or no thought at offering information or comment back and even the most basic expression of gratitude is not forthcoming. With regards the LEMB, it was never my legacy, it was OUR legacy... Cheers Pete

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=20169&p=122319

Many thanks to each and every one of you for your kind words (including those sent via PM too)... believe me, they are very much appreciated and incredibly humbling... but all may not be lost, so watch this space for possible positive developments chaps...

After some 19 years (the last 10 of which have been on our current IPB forum platform) its my incredibly sad duty to announce that as of Friday 29th August 2014, the LEMB will be finally closing down. Unlike a majority of forums which close, the contents of this forum are to remain visible as a fitting memorial to the small number of members (you know who you are) who've posted, contributed and most importantly of all, bought into what I've been trying to achieve since launching the LEML way back in 1995. As a result, the current membership need not worry about any posts/photos/attachments being lost as all of the forum contents will remain visible for the foreseeable future with only the ability to post being switched off... Going forward, I'm more than happy to pay for another 12 months hosting, but I will be looking for a more cost effective/longer term way for the archived data to be preserved and accessed. This may include the launching, by a current LEMB member/members, of another independent forum, details of which will appear here once I know more. This new venture will have nothing to do with me, I plan to try and take a break from the subject and move onto pastures anew... To all of the members who, during the time I accepted donations, contributed their own hard earned cash to help towards the running costs, your generosity was, and always has, been very much appreciated. Even though I didn't need the financial help, it always warmed my heart that members were willing to contribute, so thanks again to each and every one of you I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the various members of my moderation team who've help with the more mundane duties. So, in no particular order, extra special thanks to Mike Murphy, Christian M. Aguilar, Patrick Gelder, Neil Page, Göran Larrson, and Clint Mitchell... each and every one of them deserves a medal, not only for giving up their spare time to help with the running of the forum, but with having to put up with my constant reminders about the forum rules... so thanks again chaps... I've made some great friends here, so thanks again to everybody who contributed and I wish each and every one of you the very best for the future... Hopefully... you learnt, I learnt and we all learnt

Yep, I'd seen this example too, pity that the fourth letter of the Sktz isn't visible on the example above. Perhaps looking through the JG77 losses for a "weiß 5" with a Sktz ??+V? might bear fruit? To throw a spanner in the II./JG77 or III./JG77 theory, whilst looking elsewhere, on page 382 of "Jagdwaffe, The Mediterranean 1943-45, vol 4, sect 4" by J-L.Roba & M.Pegg [Classic, 2004] there is a photo of what is captioned as a probable Bf109G-8/R5 coded small white 6 with a white theatre band (but no visible letter) apparently serving with 3./NAGr.11 in August 1944! So the small number was used elsewhere, albeit, I still think the JG77 theory is the best theory...

Didn't III./JG77 use small numbers on their Bf109's in the MTO? Currently working my way through the four huge "Geschichte Des Jagdgeschwaders 77" to see if I can find anything that matches...

Grabbed these two GI photos of Fw190 wrecks via the link below: Source: http://cgi.ebay.com/G-I-s-Snap-Shots-German-Aircraft-2-each-/370495420608

Captioned by the seller as being Fokker G-1s, before I post this in the appropriate captured Fokker G-1 thread, can one of our Fokker experts confirm that the twin-boom types in the photo below are indeed Fokker G-1s? Source: http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Fokker-G-I-Beute-Flugzeug-Focke-Wulf-Fw58-Kennung-/170618369890?pt=Militaria&hash=item27b9a5b762 They look like Fw189's to me, but I can't be 100% sure...

Many thanks for confirming my suspicions chaps...

This selection of images currently available on eBay here shows Uffz Herbert Maxis Bf109G-14, WNr.784993 of 13./JG53 as appears on pages 234/235 of the excellent "Bodenplatte, The Luftwaffe's Last Hope" by J.Manrho and R.Putz [Hikoki, 2004]

Belated thanks for your feedback Ed... very much appreciated

Grabbed, converted and posted below are a nice selection of Bf110 negatives currently available on eBay here...

My pleasure Javier... I get as much pleasure from these images and you guys do. Thanks for the pointer Evgeny, I thought I'd seen similar somewhere recently so you saved me having to search to find image #9 above on page 34 of John and Fernando's book

Grabbed and posted this interesting image of an MG equipped DFS230 assault glider - currently available on eBay here

I'm not too sure, take a look at the various images of this Ar234B-2, WNr.140173 coded F1+MT on this thread and the paint scheme on photo 2 in post #1 doesn't seem to match that on the photo above. However, I think the big clue is that the engines appear to be missing on the Ar234 above and that does match F1+MT...

Grabbed this selection of images from new eBay listings today and posted here for your enjoyment and interest... 1. http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-Photo-Captured-German-Ju-88-Night-Fighters-FW190-/120695970434 - Ju88's and Bf110 2. http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-Photo-Captured-German-FW-190-Mistel-Fighter-/170613854606?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b960d18e - Mistel S2 at Gardelegen 3. http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-Photo-Captured-German-FW-190-Mistel-Fighter-2-/170613855209?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b960d3e9 - Mistel S2 at Gardelegen 4. http://cgi.ebay.com/6-WWII-DESTROYED-GERMAN-AIRPLANES-ME-262-JET-PHOTOS-/220752106528 - selection of GI Fw190, Me262 & wreck shots 5. http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-Photo-Abandoned-German-Fighter-Plane-FW-190-/120695971500 - Ar96

Many thanks Junker, do you have any idea as to the location?

Another image of the much photographed DV+IM is currently available on eBay here There are also four different images of the same Bf110, which is captioned as a Bf110G-2, on page 60 of "Messerschmitt Bf110 - Volume III" by M.Murawski & T.Szlagor [Kagaro, 2004] but no mention is made of the location...

Grabbed & posted all these images below, dated on their reverse as Sept'45 and quoted by the seller as being taken at Cheb in Czechoslovakia, from this eBay listing:

My pleasure chaps, glad that they prove of interest. Thanks for the links Goran, I knew I'd seen the broken tail Me262 somewhere before and now I know where! It had been driving me mad since posting these shots yesterday!

My pleasure Paul... its a shame that I can't seem to match the two Me262's with examples shown in "Luftwaffe over Czech Territory 1945" by J.Rajlich, S.Kokoska & A.Janda [JaPo 2001]. Perhaps somebody with the new JaPo "Messerschmitt Me262s of KG and KG(J)" can check to see if there is anything new included. Its still on my wants list, pending a visit to the Aviation Bookshop...

Here for comparison is a photo of 6-4, reproduced from "Les Messerschmitt Espagnols" by J.A.Cerda [Hors Serie No.5, 1997] and also a grab of the image in post #138 - note the way the numbering system for 6-4 differs from that used on a majority of the Bf109 operated in Spain: Not that they are very comprehensive, but there is no mention of 6-4 being lost in the "Messerschmitt Bf109 Losses" in "Condor, The Luftwaffe in Spain" by P.Laureau [Hikoki, 2000]. The same volume has a larger listing of Bf109 used in Spain and the fate for 6-4 is recorded as "withdrawn from service end 1937"... so it appears that the wreck is perhaps 6-14, 6-24, 6-34, 6-44, 6-54, 6-64, 6-74, 6-84 or 6-94? Of these only two feature in the loss listings previously mentioned: 6-14 - Bf109B - 18-07-37 - Uffz Haabach - shot down - I-16 6-74 - Bf109D - 11-38 - La Cenia - Accident - Crash landed There is a photo of 6-74 on page 108 of the same book which is captioned as Bf109D possibly being scrapped at La Cenia after major structural damage to the fuselage. The dark areas of paint left where the flying surfaces have been removed are also visible. Given the broken back on the eBay image, this could indeed be 6-74...

I don't see many new or unusual Me262 images on eBay, but the one below, listed here caught my eye during my last eBay search today and is reproduced below for anybody who may be interested... A model shot or a real period shot? The same seller has listed this non-Luftwaffe shot which leads me to think that its the former...

I did post a link to the same separate auction in my post Ian... and its a P-51, not a Spitfire...