The “Black 3” of 2./JG27
Not all Bf109 in North Africa was painted light brown, one of them was the ”Black 3” of 2./JG27.
She started her career in Luftwaffe as part of 2./I./JG3 in Europe.
JG 3 was one of the Luftwaffe's fighter units that took part in Battle of France and later later flew intensively in Battle of Britain. Late 1940, the Geschwader was re-equipped with the new Bf109F (Friedrich) and transferred back to Germany in preparation for operation Barbarossa.
THE Black 3 was sent to Africa and delivered to 2./I./JG27 in Ail-el-Gazala in Libya. Most of the African aircrafts was repainted in RLM79 (Sand-Yellow) desert camouflage, but some of the aircrafts kept their European Camouflage. Maybe they just did not bother with the painting, or may be, in this case, the ground crew thought the “Zebra”-stripes was so cool, they let it stay.
The Black 3 had a rather unusual “zebra”-stripe camouflage, the yellow cowling and the red “Tatzelwurm”-emblem of 2./JG3
