Article about: Nick, Matt, Chris, Adrian, Thank you for comments and suggestions. I have the referenced Luftwaffe Emblems book here on my shelf, and I previously saw a very similar emblem included in a pos
This is my first post so let's see how this goes. Following are pics of three German squadron models. I picked up both the ME-110 (Destroyer) and JU-87 (Stuka) at a street fair in Stuttgart in 1993. I then subsequently purchased the FW-189 (Uhu) off e-bay in around 1998. Also saw an ME-109 on ebay in 2000 but lost the auction. Am always looking for more and will pay accordingly.
My first question is related to the squadron emblem on the 110. It is a mountain goat standing on a mountain top. Can anyone identify the squadron. Likewise, the Stuka carries designation numbers of TE 14. Can anyone correlate those numbers to a squadron. I've tried for years without success.
In looking at the pics, you'll notice the Stuka has been denazified but the 110 has not been touched. I did add a new prop on the Stuka, but everything else is totally original; right down to the tobacco smoke stains on the bottom. They are made out of aircraft aluminum and each weighs well over a pound. All are hand painted and the camo work on the 110 is exceptional. Hope you like them.
Cheers From Luft44 in La Verne, California
P.S. Also attached is a pic from the cover of Der Adler, Aug 10, 1943. If you look closely you can see a Stuka squadron model behind sleeve of the Luftwaffe Major.
P.P.S. I just found this board. Absolutely amazing stuff out here. THANK YOU.
Hi luft44. Welcome to the forum, even though I am also relatively new here. You will find yourself lost in reading the amazing threads posted here. You will also find some of the most knowledgeable, courteous and helpful guys in the militaria world right here who are always willing to lend a hand in research and authentication of items. Don't forget to thank them for any help.
I love your models and it is the first time I have seen these. Is this your only area of interest or are there other things related to WWII which you collect?
Nice catches. I find that some of the best items of militaria I have found were in the places where I never expected and when not even looking for them. Sadly, many got away because I just had no money to buy them at the time.
Thanks for the reply. At first I bought and sold everything I could find. That was in the 90's. I've since backed-off and now limit my purchases to only WWII USAAF, Luft and RAF aviation items. I try to focus on unique items and then research their origin and history. I'll be posting more examples in the coming weeks.
Is the suggestion these are actual wartime models held by actual squadrons? Are they marked or something to show this? I've never heard of anything like it myself. The Stuka in particular seems unlikely to be a formal unit piece since the code isn't a normal form- all others besides the Jagdgeschwader used a combination of a letter-number code to indicate the Geschwader, and two letters to indicate the individual aircraft and its Staffel; St.G. 2, for example, was coded 'T6' and the first aircraft of its 5. Staffel was 'AN' (the second was 'BN', etc.). The Bf110 symbol also isn't a particular Zerstörergeschwader symbol- sometimes Staffeln had their own symbology, and even individual pilots could do; I recognize it but can't place it. It could be anything really- the single-seat fighter units had far, far more symbols than just the 5 or 6 ZGs. The Zerstörer too used the same coding system as the Stuka did- 4 characters, two on either side of the Balkenkreuz.
Yes, the suggestion is that they are Squadron Models, circa WWII, an example of which can be seen in the below picture. That having been said, I recognize that they could have been manufacturer models, or perhaps even toys. However, the amount of tobacco staining on the undersides leads me to doubt that they were used as toys. I too have searched many books and cannot find the squadron symbol or designation anywhere, which is exactly why I posted the inquiry.
As mentioned, the Ju-87 and Me-110 were both purchased at a street faire on the Schloss Platz in downtown Stuttgart back in 1993. Frankly, they are far too good to be fakes, and the price was most reasonable. Attached are a few more pictures.
Oh I wasn't suggesting they could be 'fakes' per se- just that there'd have to be some convincing evidence to suggest they were formal Luftwaffe unit models if they're bought and sold as such; the one in the photo could be anything. Toys would be my first thought over a LW piece. If there's a lack of any marking, that seems odd in either sense as German military stuff is marked like it's going out of style, and commercial manufacturers certainly like to let everyone know whose work something is. Using so much valuable aluminum during the war for toys also seems tough to believe, although the markings including the tail Hakenkreuz make post-war manufacture a dodgy suggestion too. I don't know but I'd think perhaps toy collectors might be able to help- the incorrect markings on every one really doesn't make them seem like they'd belong to a formal military unit though as they of anyone would at least know it's wrong, or certainly wouldn't make the errors...
Welcome from me too and thank you for posting your models. They look very good and I would be happy with them being period items from the photos shown. I hope you find the unit the mountain goat emblem belongs to. I remember seeing it before but on a U-Boat if memory serves me correctly.
Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....
Luftwaffe Squadron Models - ID Requested
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"In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem
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