This repaint is for the payware FlyingIron Simulations Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6. It depicts Bf 109G-2 W.Nr. 10804 "Gelbe 13" flown by Lt. Wilhelm Crinius, 3./JG 53, Bizerta, Tunisia, January, 1943.
A native to Hohenhausen, Wilhelm Crinius, joined the Luftwaffe in 1940. In February 1942, Gefreiter Crinius was posted to 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 based in Sicily. In March and April 1942, he flew 60 missions over Malta. On 1 April, he was promoted to Unteroffizier. In May 1942, I./JG 53 was transferred to the Eastern Front near Kursk. Crinius achieved his first victories on 9 June when he shot down two Il-2 Sturmoviks. On 8 July, Crinius shot down two Douglas Boston bombers west of Voronezh, although his aircraft was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire and he was forced to belly-landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 10243) between the enemy lines, where he was rescued by a German patrol and safely returned to his unit.
In July 1942, I./JG 53 was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern Front, where Crinius claimed his 15th kill on 1 August. He claimed his 24th victory on 11 August 1942. The next day I./JG 53 relocated from Bereska to Tusov, closer to the front and Crinius shot down three Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3s, bringing his total to 27 victories. Crinius recorded his 49th victory on 27 August which was also the 1,000th victory for I. Gruppe of JG 53. After his 55th victory on 1 September he was promoted to Feldwebel. Hereafter Crinius was particularly successful, claiming some 40 victories in August and 46 victories in the timeframe 1–22 September, including his 100th on 22 September. He was the 22nd Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.
Together with Friedrich-Karl Müller, Crinius received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 23 September 1942. He was the 127th member of the German armed forces to be so honored. The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler in October at the Führerhauptquartier Werwolf, Hitler's headquarters located in a pine forest about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of Vinnytsia, in Ukraine. Three other Luftwaffe officers were presented with the Oak Leaves that day by Hitler, Oberleutnant Müller, Oberleutnant Wolfgang Tonne and Leutant Hans Beißwenger. Crinius was promoted to Leutnant der Reserve on 1 October 1942. Following the presentation, Müller, Tonne and Crinius were ordered to Berlin where they made a propaganda appearance at the "House of the Press". At the same time, I. Gruppe of JG 53 relocated from the Eastern Front to Comiso Airfiled in Sicily where they arrived on 10 October.
In November 1942, Crinius relocated with I./JG 53 to Tunisia. In Africa, Crinius claimed another 14 victories, including a B-17 Flying Fortress on 26 December 1942 over Bizerte. On 13 January 1943, he engaged in aerial combat with Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire fighters near El Kala, Crinius' aircraft was hit and he was wounded in the thigh. Breaking off combat, he headed for his base but his engine then caught fire. He ditched his damaged Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 10805) in the sea. He spent 24 hours in the water before being rescued by French sailors and Arabs. After hospitalisation for his wounds, Crinius became a prisoner of war.
After World War II, Wilhelm Crinius worked in private industry, serving as a director in the German branch of the Dutch Philips GmbH. He was appointed chairman of the board of directors of the Ernst Düllmann GmbH in 1971. On 18 June 1989, as a pensioner, Crinius ran for the European Parliament in Hesse as candidate for the right-wing German People's Union (Deutsche Volksunion). He died on 26 April 1997 in Stuhr-Fahrenhorst, Lower Saxony.
The G-2 depicted here was received by Crinius in mid-November 1942. It was a late-production G-2 built by Erla flugzeugwerke in the autumn of 1942. It differed from most G-2's in having deeper wheel wells and a reinforced non-retractable tail wheel. The tropical intake filter was removed. It was camouflaged in RLM 78/79 paint and had patches and patterns painted in RLM80.
The rudder bears the painting os the Knight's Cross accompanied by signs of shotdowns.
(copy/paste from the net)
NOTE
This repaint features historical tail markings.
There is no optional replacement file.
2 months ago
Vizipok
Regards.
2 months ago
2 months ago
Spook48
Gerardius