End of hostilities - Vol 03 - Sardinia - Villacidro - Part 1

This post will contain details on the aircraft remains located on or around the airfield at Villacidro - the location where the second largest collection of Ju 88s were found on Sardinia.

I am writing this partly on request from a reader who work on Ju 88 units and wanted to see what was in the reports on that particular aircraft model.

There were 12 Ju 88s found at Villacidro - and the wrecks must have been in a reasonable condition - as identifying features were found on a lot of them.

Ju 88s found at Villacidro

No	Type of aircraft	Works No. & Acceptance date	Markings	Engine type and No.	Remarks	Loss record
1	Ju 88 A-4 Trop	-	3 Z - C (green) D	-	Wrecked
2	Ju 88	W.N. 2398 W.N. 3984	F I - D (white) H	-	Wrecked
3	Ju 88 A-4 Trop	W.N. 1143	F I - D (yellow) T	-	Crest. Yellow lion with red tongue and claws on black shield. With Heidelberg written above	Info
4	Ju 88 A-4	W.N. on fin 5658	I H x D (blue) R	-	Wrecked
5	Ju 88 A-14	W.N. from main plate 088 014 4665	I H x B (blue) R	-	Wrecked
6	Ju 88 A-14	W.N. from main plate 088 014 4407	I H x B (outlined yellow) T	Jumo 211 J	Crest. "Vestigium Leonis". Lion in black on yellow shield.	Info
7	Ju 88	W.N. 0140568	4 D x G (white) S	-	Crest. Yellow shield with black diving eagle.
8	Ju 88	W.N. 0144408	-	-	Crest. "Vestigium Leonis", black lion on yellow shield.	Info
9	Ju 88 A-4	W.N. 0144320	I T x C (outline yellow) T	-	Wrecked	Info
10	Ju 88 A-4	W.N. 0144285	I T x D (outlined white) S	-	Wrecked	Info
11	Ju 88 A-4	W.N. from main plate 4587	I T - D (blue) R	-	Wrecked	Info
12	Ju 88 A-4	-	I T - F (outlined yellow) T	-	Wrecked

There are a few interesting features here - note that the aircraft unit codes are written with a capital I (Italy), and not the number 1 (one). This is most likely due to the fact that the messages were transferred using radio and/or teleprinter equipment - and later written up based on that communication. I have seen a lot of the same in German communication on teleprinter strips and there they often use for example "roemisch 3 KG 54" to state that he communication relates to III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 54.

What we have here is a nice collection of  KG 26 (code 1H and 1T), KG 30 (4D), KG 76 (code F1), KG 77 (code 3Z) aircraft.

The report I am quoting is produced after November 24th 1943 - and one of the III./K.G.26 aircraft listed here was recorded as lost on November 18th 1942 (note the interesting location name in the German loss record!):

http://www.aviationhistory.no/ref_db/lw_loss_public.asp?lossid=144011