A ground serviceman painting over the engine cowling’s upper panel of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 the “African” emblem chosen by the Luftwaffe’s I Gruppe/Jagdgeschwader 27 (I./JG27) at the time of its deployment to North African theatre of operations. Victor Sierra

Painting the “African” emblem

A pair of Messerchmitt Bf 109E, equipped with underbelly auxiliary tanks, of the Luftwaffe’s I./JG 27 (I Gruppe/Jagdgeschwader 27) on a Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) airfield, 1941. On March 1941 the I./JG27, embedded inside the X Fliegerkorps (German Air Corps), appear deployed on Gela Airfield. Note over the yellow engine cowling the emblem adopted by this unit at the time of the deployment in North Africa. Victor Sierra

Bf 109s on MTO

A Messerschmitt Bf 109F of the Luftwaffe’s Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG53) “Pik-As” overflying the Alps during the unit’s ferry flight from the Eastern Front to Comiso, Sicily, later 1941 for operations against Malta. Victor Sierra