Tuesday 8 March 2016

Ju 88 C-6 9H+SL - expired ebay auction #163


Abandoned Ju 88 C-6 9H+SL with a yellow fuselage band and spinner spirals (just visible to the right of the image -click on the photo to view large). According to this old TOCH thread the code 9H was used by the Nahaufklärungsstaffel Kroatien on its Hs 126s and Do 17s from its formation in March 1943 to May 1945. The Staffel was based at Zagreb-Lučko during its entire existence, although it operated from other airfields in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

One contributor to the TOCH thread suggests that this code might be '8H' belonging to the recce Staffel (F)33. See my previous post - this unit's Ju 88s also had a yellow fuselage band and was for a time at least based in the East. The photograph was subsequently published in Roger Gaemperle's "Captured Eagles" book reviewed on this blog here. I'm sure '8H' fits the historical 'story' of this machine better but, that said, you do see what you see.. '9H' appears to fit rather than any other characters. The spinner spirals are of interest - and certainly quite rare on a Ju 88 C-6. Croatian Dornier Do 17s also occasionally featured spinner spirals.

 I asked John McIllmurray of AIMS (the Ju 88 modelling site) to identify the variant and to explain why this was a C-6; ..." obviously it is an A-4 airframe as it has Jumo 211 J engines- you can see the radiator scoop under the engines and the engine temp and propeller pitch window (un-used on outside of engine - the engines were not handed so the window appears on both sides). The angle of the vertical stabilizer rules out a G-variant, as does the small outboard rear bomb bay hatch open, instead of the G series large weapons pack. Finally you can just make out the nose gun battery protruding out from the armour plate - the nose is off that is all .."