1/32 Hasegawa, Bf 109G-6/R6/trop, flown by Oblt. Emil Josef Clade, CO of 7./ JG 27, Kalamaki, A Greece, January 1944
Twenty-year-old Emil Clade entered the ranks of the Luftwaffe in 1936 and on completion of his training was assigned to 1./JG 1. His first kill came on May 11th, 1940, when he dispatched a Belgian Gladiator near Maastricht. On the same day, he also shot down a French LeO 451 bomber. Still in May, he managed to down a French Morane fighter and a British Spitfire. From July 1940 until June 1942 he trained new fighter pilots. This was followed by service in North Africa with 5./JG 27. On May 23rd, 1943 he took command of 7./JG 27. In February 1945, he was given command of III./JG 27, a post he held to the end of the war. During the course of the war, he was credited with 27 kills. He died in May 2010. The aircraft, wearing a typical camouflage scheme applied by Messerschmitt at Regensburg, had previous codes painted over in RLM 02. The white fuselage band was worn by aircraft operating over the southern front. There is the 7 Staffel JG 27 badge below the cockpit and the marking of its III. Gruppe on the nose. The white fin and rudder indicate the Staffel CO’s aircraft.
