
Ju52 skinpack of 2./KGrzbV106 - renamed 10./TG2 march - july 1943 MTO


A semihistorical skinpack containing 12 (the complete staffel) fully marked Ju52 of 2./10.Staffel, based as well as possible on historical photographs.
Additonally 1 skin of a Stab./KGrzbV106 (or Stab./IIITG2) a/c enclosed. It wasn't originally inteded by me to make another MTO skinpack for the Ju52 but i skinned
some of this unit for making historical accurate screenshots of my Me323 Cap Bon skinpack. Looking at them i liked this comparatively colourful paintscheme and decided
to make another staffelskinpack - made with my newest template version, containing many new details. Two versions of nomarks, swastika only and generics enclosed.          


The Paintschemes: 

The Ju52 units in the MTO serviced with the standard rlm 70/71/65 splinter camo. Like all luftwaffe transport units they never adopted a tropical paintscheme. The handful
of known tropical camos were experimental and limited to some few individuals.
Ju52 with dark green or sometimes blackened undersurfaces are known, they usually were drawn from school or training units. White theatre bands and/or underwingtipps for
service in the MTO. The very most Ju52 in the MTO had yellow engine undercowlings.

KGrzbV106 (Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 106 = combatgroup for special purpose 106) consisted of four staffeln (squadrons) and a staff flight (stab).
Each staffel had a strength of 12 a/c, the staff usually had 5 a/c. The fuselage codes were 4V+?C-N-P-R-S for the staff and the four squadrons, the questionmark stands for the
individual and coloured a/c letter. Staffelcolours were green-white-red-yellow-blue (stab-1.-2.-3.-4.Staffel). Aquired tactical MTO tail codes were H (unit), staffelnumber (S for
Stab) and a/c letter in yellow colour. 
I couldn't find out which staffel of KGrzbV106 accompanied the Me323 to Tunisia on april 22th of 1943 and therefore i choosed the most colourful combination:
the generally blue nose emblem (commemorating the Narvik service in Norway 1940) of KGrzbV106 and red staffelcolour of 2.Staffel. Together with the yellow engine undercowlings
and tactical tail codes it is looking very well.  
I tried to skin all known paintscheme variations like different camo patterns, light blue and dark undersurfaces, a/c letters with and without outline, old and new style
balkencross and swastika, black or coloured underwing letter, full underwing codes or a/c letter only, large and small unitcodes (the latter standard for the period), different sized/coloured 
tailcodes, size/positions of theatre bands etc.

Furthermore these are the most detailed and technical accurate (still not perfect, but i'm working on it) Ju52s i made so far, three different variants of the period are simulated in this skinpack:
- the 3mg4e (top cargo door, smaller fuselage cargo door, small door near the right side fuselage cargo door)
- the 3mg7e (no small door on right rear fuselage but cabin door on right forward fuselage, broader/wider large cargo door)
- the 3mg10e (no top cargo door, largest three-part fuselage cargo door)

Due to some limits in the 3D-model, especially the number of windows, compromises were necessary.


History:

KGrzbV106 served at the eastern front when orders came to take base at Brindisi/Italy in february 1943. From march 1943 onwards the unit served in the skinned paintschemes,
carrying men and material from Italy to Tunisia and back. The unit lost 22 a/c to the enemy in april 1943, no or small fighter escorts were available on most transport missions.
Usually missions were flown at altitudes of 20 to 50 meters above the sea to avoid attacks from below. Compact Wedge formations to concentrate defensive fire power.
The 10 Ju52 of KGrzbV106 weren't involved in the cap bon massacre, they held their assigned course in contrast to the Me323, who ran into several allied fighter squadrons.
On around may 13th 1943 the luftwaffe transport units were completely reorganized and the KGzbVs and KGrzbVs became Transportgeschwaders (transportwings) or part (groups) of
such. KGrzbV106 was redesignated III./TG2 then, our 2.Staffel therefore became 10./TG2.
The paintschemes and codes didn't alter until july 1943 (there are pics taken in mid of july still displaying the old codes), then the new III./TG2 unitcode 8T+?D-T-U-V-W was used.   
III./TG2 serviced in Italy until end of september 1943 and after 10 days of refreshing in Staaken/Germany it was sent to the eastern front until the end of the ETO war.   
                                      
       


Credits/Sources:

Foo'bar, Imme and millekmh for using their templates or parts of them
Transporter Vol.1 and 2 by Martin Pegg (classic publications)
'Transporter' wer kennt sie schon... by Karl Kssler
jet&prop aviation magazine - Rudolf Hecke, Karl Kssler
luftwaffe im focus magazine
Luftwaffe Experten Message Board 
Luftarchiv.de
Special thanks to Gerhard Stemmer (book author, co-author of Jochen Prien)
for his informations regarding the history of KGrzbV106

As always the skins are free for noncommercial use only. Any reupload requires my permission.
Hope you enjoy these works - your feedback is much appreciated!

ATB
Cheruskerarmin


www.axis-and-allies-paintworks.com

mailto  cheruskerarmin@freenet.de
