Those Gustavs taken straight from the Luftwaffe, beared a 'black 4' with all the previous markings overpainted in Italian grey. Those machines had applied a stenciled individual aircraft number, with the squadriglia (flight) identity on the white band, the gruppo badge on the cowling of the engine and a white shield-less Savoia cross on the tail. It should be noted that some other typical Regia Aeronautica symbols like the fasces on the fuselage side and wings are absent in some cases, as well as Savoia coat of arms in the centre of the cross on the tail. It was strange that the Regia Aeronautica allowed such customization level as they strongly discouraged individualism and preferred to credit victories as a whole, rather than to pilots.
One of the Italian top aces who flew the Gustav, Ugo Drago, beared a 'white 7' in his aircraft with the fuselage overpainted to completely remove German markings and with his squadron's badge the 'Gigi Tre Orsei' absent, which is odd. However, most of the pilots of that squadron, did add it like Capitano (Captain) Mario Bellagambi, who beared it on his Gustav, within a white square and just ahead of its squadriglia number. Bellagambi shared the destruction of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator on 30th June 1943 but his machine was discovered unuseable by the Allied forces at Sciacca.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109_operational_history#Combat_service_with_Italy
2. Osprey - Aircraft of the Aces 2 - Bf 109 Aces Of North Africa And The Mediterranean
3. Osprey - Aircraft of the Aces 34 - Italian Aces of World War II
4. La Bancarella Aeronautica - Ali Straniere in Italia 01 - Messerschmitt Bf 109 Italiani.
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