In July 1940, Hans Juergen von Cramon-Traubadel, Kommodore of JG53 aroused Goering's rath by marrying into a family with unpure aryan credentials.
As such, he was not awarded the Knights Cross and was ordered to have all of the JG's planes paint over the "Pik AS" ( Ace of Spades ) with a red band.

When Haupmann Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke assumed command of III/JG53 on 13Aug1940, he retaliated by painting over the red band and the swastikas on the tail of the III Gruppe aircraft!

Finally, in November 1940, the "red band" order was recinded and JG53 repainted the "Pik As" on the noses of its aircraft until the end of the war.

http://www.michael-reimer.com/CFS2/C...affe_JG53.html

Is this story true? Thanx for any info!

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