This aircraft initially belonged to Oblt. Hubert Mutherich of 5./JG 54, as indicated not only by the unit marking on the nose, but also by the kill marks on the rudder and the name ‘Lilo’ under the canopy.
After the aircraft was transferred over to III. Gruppe JG 77, it gained not only the 8./JG 54 emblem (the comical bird) and II./JG 54 (the Aspern Lion), but also the wolf head on the engine cowl. The aircraft gained an interesting addition to the camouflage paint in the form of sprayed areas of RLM 70 and RLM 71. The port aileron was a replacement and carried yellow markings. Photographs also suggest that the aircraft could have carried a yellow stripe on the trailing edge of the flaps. At the time of the transference of this aircraft to III./JG 77, this feature became virtually indistinguishable.
Mutherich, an ace with 43 kills, died in action against the Soviets, when on September 9th, 1941, he made a forced landing after combat with Soviet fighters. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross on August 6th, 1941.
