About an hour before the first CR. 42s left for the battle front on 10 March, seven Ju 87s were delivered to Caselle: KN+RK, RF+JI, RF+JO and RF+JD flew in from Vicenza; RK+SN, RF+JN and RF+JH arrived, possibly from Parma.

Regarding the CR. 42s, British intelligence analysts commented that E8 was the marking of KG 50 and “recent references have shown equipment of the H Staffel with Ca. 314.” I’m still trying to find those “recent references.”

Bernd Schewen’s Flugbuch shows that 2./NSG 9 had two SAIMAN aircraft, E8+ZK and 30+26 (the latter first appearing on 6 April). Between 6 and 26 August 1944 he made several flights in an Fi 156 marked E8+YB. It is possible that this was the former E8+YH, reassigned from 1./NSG 9 after the formation of the Gruppenstab.

Also among the aircraft he flew while with NSG 9 were three Ju 87s in the markings of SG 151 6Q+NH (or possibly +NA, the writing is not clear) and 6Q+NO and 6Q+NP. None of these flights was operational and most were brief:

On 29 December 1943, I./SG 151 had announced that it was giving up the following aircraft but it was not clear from the fragmentary intercept who was to receive them:

Allied signals interception tracked the movement of several 6Q coded Ju 87s into Italy in early 1944. On 26 February, Aircraft Movement Control at Treviso reported to Fürstenfeldbrück from AMC 222 (Treviso) that four Ju 87s had arrived at 16.05 hours local time. These were 6Q+NO, NN, NK and NP. Half an hour later, the same four machines landed at Piacenza along with a SAIMAN 202 coded “3.”

The intelligence analysts commented that:

1) Fürstenfeldbrück is an air cadet college about 30 miles west of Munich.

2) Aircraft marking 6Q previously reported with SG 151.

3) The Ju 87 movement would appear to be in the nature of a practice flight.

On 2 March, München-Riem and Fürstenfeldbrück were told by Piacenza that six Ju 87s had arrived at 14.50 hours: 6Q+NI, H, J, L, M, H and O. At 16.08, Caselle was told that these machines had left Piacenza at 16.08. Forty-five minutes later, Caselle reported the landing of 6 Ju 87s: 6Q+NI, NJ, NS, NO, NM and NH.

The evaluation of this information was that the routing on to Caselle from Piacenza combined with the fact that two of the aircraft (C and M) had been active on 26 February reinforced the earlier view that this was probably a practice flight.

On 6 March, Ju 87s 6Q+NN, NI, NJ and NL, left Caselle for Vicenza at 1540 hours. Interestingly, Vicenza reported the arrival of Ju 87s marked white 13, 12, 9 and 10 at 1653, suggesting that these “6Q+N_” machines also carried an identification number. Lacking photographic evidence, there is no way to be sure whether this number was a full-size tactical marking or a small character on the fin or rudder (as seen in some Nachtschlachtgruppen).

The analysts commented on another unusual point: “it will be noted that the constant letter in these markings is the third, and not the fourth.” They also noted that this was the first instance of colour markings being reported for flights of Ju 87s in the Italian area.

During March, five “6Q” machines (6Q+NH, OH, FP, ND and DY) were also identified from ordinary R/T and W/T traffic and two of these did not have N as the third character of their codes.

Apart from the references to Caselle, there is nothing in these signals to tie these aircraft to NSG 9 but Schewen’s Flugbuch (unknown to the Allies at the time, of course) provides the link.

Meanwhile, Ju 87s were reaching NSG 9 from other sources: RK+SN, RF+JH and RF+JN landed at Treviso from München-Riem at 16.37 hours on 9 March before moving on to Parma, where they landed at 18.05. The same aircraft flew in to Caselle at 13.38 hours next day. A few minutes earlier, KN+RK, RF+JI, +JO and +JD arrived in Caselle from Vicenza.