The Little World

Sharp-eyed readers will notice something unusual about this small Dutch fighter of 1939. It is undressing…

Or rather, it is caught in between one set of colours and another. The real planes were delivered to the French air force from the Rotterdam plant of Koolhoven just prior to war with the diplomatic ruse of painting over the French roundels and tail markings with white paint.

Then when they were safely delivered the French ground crews could remove the white and the Dutch civil registration numbers from the side of the fuselage and put on proper markings. This one is just in the process of being washed.

Note that the planes were delivered without guns fitted – though the gun housings were ready for them.

All perfectly legal – what could possibly go wrong? Betcha it fooled the Germans completely…