As American and British troops rapidly encircled Sicily in mid-1943, these abandoned Bf 109 G-6/Trop aircraft from II. Gruppe/JG 53 are being inspected by an A-36 Invader unit that occupied their Comiso, Sicily, field following a hasty Axis retreat back to mainland Italy. “Yellow 7” W.Nr. 18068 was painted in standard RLM 74/75/76 Gray splinter/mottle scheme with white fuselage and underwing Mediterranean theater bands for quick identification. Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53), or better know by its moniker, Pik As (Ace of Spades), was one of the earliest Luftwaffe units formed with remnants of the Condor Legion, initially into three Gruppen with service throughout all major fronts until the fall of Berlin. During the Low Countries and French campaigns of May/June 1940, JG 53 claimed 275 victories against Armee de l’Air…
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Flight Journal (Digital) - 1 Issue, November/December 2024