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Grumman F3F-2 (G-19)

Fairey Swordfish cut-away

The Ju 87R‑2/trop decorated with the distinctive “snake” motif has long occupied a peculiar place in Luftwaffe historiography, its identity shaped as much by speculation as by evidence. For decades, the aircraft was widely attributed to Lt. Hubert Pölz of 6./StG 2 supposedly coded T6+CP, an interpretation that emerged in the 1970s when only a single frontal image was known. With no visible unit markings, artists and researchers filled the gaps with conjecture, producing numerous side‑view reconstructions featuring varying camouflage patterns, snake colors, and Staffel letters. By 1979, the consensus had settled—incorrectly—on the letter “C,” and this assumption persisted unchallenged for nearly a quarter‑century.

The situation changed in 2005 when additional photographs surfaced, finally revealing the full unit code: T6+DP. This confirmed that the aircraft belonged to 6./StG 2 but left unresolved whether Pölz himself flew it. No surviving documentation conclusively links him to this specific machine, and the attribution remains unproven.

Camouflage analysis suggests that the upper surfaces were originally finished in standard RLM 70/71, later over‑painted with irregular patches of what was likely an Italian Giallo Mimetico. This aligns with the logistical reality of mid‑1941: the Luftwaffe had not yet widely introduced the dedicated desert colours RLM 78, 79, and 80, and German units operating from shared Italian airfields frequently used locally available paints. The presence of other Ju 87s nearby still in unmodified RLM 70/71 supports a summer 1941 timeframe.

The snake itself appears to have been painted white, with sand‑coloured spots. An alternative theory—that the spots were unpainted gaps revealing the underlying camouflage—seems less convincing given their uniform tone. Additional details include an attempt to obscure the upper Balkenkreuz with darker paint and a visually reduced rudder area, possibly achieved with pale blue over‑painting. A competing explanation attributes the rudder’s appearance to sunlight rather than pigment.