'Struck through' swastika on late-war Fw 190s by Peter Kassak

 

by Peter Kassak -  images via Peter Kassak and the Crow Collection

In the Axis Wings Vol.4 we have published an article covering the history of a 'new' III./JG 54 which later became part of IV./JG 51. The feature was illustrated with photographs of four Fw 190s belonging to the Gruppe, “black 15”, “black 17”, “white 15” and “blue 7”.  Aside from the 'elongated' Wellenlinie III. Gruppe wavy line on the rear fuselage, one markings 'feature' of all four of these machines was the swastika 'struck through' with a diagonal white stripe. The purpose of this marking has not been explained fully or satisfactorily. As the unit was mostly deployed on the 'Oder front' flying constant harassing and ground-attack sorties against the Russians in the last months of the war ( "...the target was yet again the bridges across the Oder built beneath the surface of the water during the night by the Russians..", Heinz Schmidt, 10./JG 54) it is usually suggested that the 'struck through' Hakenkreuz was some sort of  Oder front 'tactical' marking, perhaps to increase visibility for ground troops. Not that that makes much sense really as the swastika itself was highly visible!  The four aircraft mentioned above though were not an exception. This small post shows additional photos of these and  other machines on the strength of either III./JG 54 or IV./JG 51 (most probably taken on charge from III./JG 54 without repainting) and with similarly modified tail markings displayed. These images were, however, not of sufficiently good enough quality to be published alongside the Axis Wings article text so had to be omitted. 

Below; belly-landed Fw 190 of 10./JG 54 flown by Ofw. Willi Schlecht being put back on its 'feet', 11 March 1945, following a Jabo mission against the Oder bridges flown from a field strip at Müncheberg outside Berlin. The swastika in the image has been 'censored' although the white diagonal stripe has already had a similar effect on the actual machine...

Below; there exists in the Crow Collection (curated by Del Davis) a series of images showing the end of Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-8 W.Nr. 350859 “blue 7+~”. Flown by III./JG 54, “blue 7+~” fell into US hands at Mϋnster Handorf when the airfield was occupied by personnel of the 390th Service Squadron, 79th Service Group, responsible for the P-47s of the 406th Fighter Group.  Two other Fw 190s belly landed about 15 miles from airbase Y-94 at Mϋnster Handorf in late April 1945 so that their pilots could surrender to the Americans. Fw 190 “blue 7+~” was later repaired as seen in the second image below - the 'original' torn rudder has presumably been replaced as the diagonal stripe is limited to the tail fin only.

A 'wide' view (below, left) and a close-up of Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-8 W.Nr.350859 “white 11+~” at the wreck yard of the Luftwaffe at the end of WWII in Flensburg. The diagonal stripe through the swastika suggests that this was another late-war machine belonging to III./JG 54.

Below;  another view of the Flensburg dump - Fw 190 A “white 9+~” with blown canopy was a late-war machine assigned to IV./JG 51 and most likely saw service previously with III./JG 54  as it displays the diagonal white stripe through the swastika.

 Below; a well-known photo of Focke Wulf Fw 190 D-9 W.Nr.213097 “White 11+~” from 13./JG 51 photographed at Flensburg in May 1945. However, in the background to the left of the “Dora-9” is Fw 190 “white 5+~” with the 'amended' swastika. It was almost certainly an ex III./JG 54 plane that ended up in the hands of IV./JG 51. 

 Below; photos of Fw 190 A-8 “white 13+~” of 9./JG 54 at Eggersdorf were recently published in Prien JfV Teil 16/I. (pages 370-371)  The swastika is not visible, but this Focke Wulf belonged to the Gruppe and almost certainly featured the 'struck through' Hakenkreuz. Note the relatively 'dark' finish and the stencilled figure '3'. The somewhat 'elongated' Wellenlinie (wavy line) was  the Gruppe marking of the 'new' III./JG 54. The Gruppe moved to Eggersdorf from Grossenhain on 9 February 1945 and “white 13+~” is seen here carrying an AB 250 Abwurfbehälter on the belly rack.

Wurmheller receives the DKiG - Bundesarchiv photo find#14

 

This brief report by PK Brütting consists of just three images entitled 'Frankreich.- Feldflugplatz. Auszeichnung eines Piloten'. (A field strip in France - a pilot is presented with an award). These show Oesau pinning a DKiG to the tunic of JG 2 ace Wurmheller who received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold) on 21 August 1942. He was awarded this 'honour'  - the 'Spiegelei' or 'fried egg'- just days after the actions over Dieppe where he supposedly shot down 7 opponents with a broken leg!  At the time he was an Oberfeldwebel. He would soon be promoted to Leutnant and be nominated for the Eichenlaub. He is seen here in front of 'yellow 3' of III./JG 2.

Also on this blog

Wurmheller at Vannes, August 1943

Wurmheller at Dieppe, August 1942

Fw 190 A-8, WNr.732197, Fw. Rudolf Artner JG 5

 

Fw 190 A-8 'White 10' WNr.732197, Herdla. Photos dated 8 March 1945, after Fw. Artner (standing on the wing and then seated on the stabiliser with his 'Abschussstock') had scored his 20th victory, a Beaufighter (RD 132) of 455 Sqn.  'White 10' features the JG 5 yellow/black 'Bauchbinde' RVT fuselage bands, the 'new' setting-sun 'Eismeer' cowl emblem and the typical 9. Staffel white-painted armoured ring protecting the oil cooler. Ago-built WNr.732197 was scrapped in Norway at the end of the war. Also in the images are Uffz. Siegfried Ballerstädt and Uffz. Martin Ullman of 9./JG 5. Previously published in Rodeike's 'Jagdflugzeug 190', decals for 'white 10' are available via EagleCals.

Also on this blog;

Hptm. Theo Weißenberger's I./JG 5 on the Invasionsfront

Hptm. Horst Carganico's Bf 109 G-6/AS Kommandeur I./JG 5

Fw 190 Jabos - archive photo scan #52

 

Two armourers preparing to mount an SC 250 bomb on the belly rack of Fw 190 A-2/U1 WNr. 2081, ‘Blue 3’ of 10.(Jabo)/JG 2 at Saint-André-de-l’Eure in the summer of 1942.

Below; III./SKG 10 Fw 190 A-4 in Tunisia, La Fauconnerie, March-April 1943. Gruppenkommandeur was Oblt. Fritz Schröter. Schröter departed the front early in April to get married. His A-4 (WNr. 0142327) displaying command chevrons was lost on 8 April, shot down by ground fire with Gruppe Ia (operations officer) Lt. Clemens Graf von und zu Westerholt und Gysenberg at the controls.

An Fw 190 F-8 of III./SG 3 takes off on a mission from Tilsit airfield in July 1944.  The gear retraction sequence is underway. Note the yellow wingtips. The SC 250 bomb is fitted with a steel 'tip' to prevent it from ricocheting on impact. (ECPAD - PK Doege)

The mysterious ‘swoosh’ - late-war Fw 190 colours by Giampiero Piva

 The mysterious ‘swoosh’   by Giampiero Piva

In the second half of 1944, the use of the new RLM 81 and 82 colours began to become widespread in production, alongside the practice of leaving the undersides of the wings partially in bare metal. On a number of Fw 190s - both short and long-noses - a section of the fuselage also appears to be painted in a darker shade than RLM 76, perhaps RLM 75, which generally extends beneath the fuselage itself. There is no certainty regarding the purpose of this ‘swoosh’, as British and American experts and researchers call it; there are only many hypotheses. Finally, it should be noted that it is present on both the FW 190 A/F/G (photo 1) and the FW 190 D (photo 2).

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R2 Butcherbirds / Rammjäger of IV./JG 3 - archive photo scan #42

 

New Fw 190 decals in 48th from the Czech ASK Art Scale Kit (Art Scale Kit Item No. D48075 - Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R2 Part 2) features Butcherbirds / Rammjäger of IV./JG 3.

Reference photos are provided in the package ..but here is a better view of 'black 12' which was apparently lost during the transit from Germany to Normandy making a forced landing in France shortly after the Gruppe was sent west following the D-Day landings. Note over-painted rear fuselage band. Click on the image for a wide-screen view.

Fw-190 A-8/R2, 'black 12', Wnr.730282, IV.(Sturm)/JG 3,  June 1944.

Fw 190 coded 'JFE' , Bf 108 PS-T

 

According to the Robinson/Derry "Flightcraft" book on the Fw 190 (to which this blogger largely contributed) this is Fw 190 F-8, WNr 933849, which was found abandoned on a Luftwaffe airfield and appropriated by W/Cdr James Francis ‘Stocky’ Edwards, RCAF, 127 Wing, in late 1944/early 1945. The story goes that W/Cdr Edwards spotted the Fw 190 in an adjacent field while returning from a sortie during the Allied advance through Belgium and the Netherlands and had it transported to the base where the Wing was operating from which, according to the photo’s original caption was Soltau, Germany, but may possibly have been B.58 Melsbroek or B.56 Evere in Belgium. All the aircraft’s Luftwaffe markings were overpainted and RAF roundels and fin flashes applied, as were the Wing Commander’s initials ‘JFE’. Apparently, the aircraft was unofficially flown several times, although its ultimate fate is uncertain. The Messerschmitt Bf 108 in the background also carries RAF markings and the initials ‘PST’ of fellow Canadian, Group Captain Percival Stanley ‘Stan’ Turner, who oversaw the conversion of 127 Wing on to ground attack duties and flew with the Wing on several missions. (Courtesy of Carl Vincent)

Uffz. Kunze Fw 190 A-6 JG 1

Some time ago now I received a message from Falk Boersch, the nephew of JG 1 Fw 190 pilot Uffz. Bernhard Kunze, seen here (above) standing between his two mechanics. Unfortunately Falk's web site is now defunct but Falk had researched the circumstances and details of his uncle's fatal crash at the controls of his 2./ JG 1 FW 190 A-6 (Black 1, WN 550884) on 5 January 1944 close to Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany. A subject that Falk and I agreed on was the very inconsistent discussion of the checkerboard colour of the fighters he piloted. Falk had written to all the relevant publishers to get what he himself called the 'truth' published - but unfortunately without success. Nowadays of course everyone knows that black/white was the only combination of coloured checks on JG 1 Fw 190s - there were no black/yellow checkers on Kunze's machines such as can be seen on those old profiles published in the Mombeek JG 1 book series (and on EagleCal decal sheets) There were no exceptions at any time - all the different Staffeln of JG 1 were painted the same identical black/white colour combination irrespective of the Staffel or Staffel Kennung...

Bernard Kunze had been shot down the previous summer attacking B-17s as the U.S. 8th Air Force launched one of its first large-scale bombing raids against aircraft factories in Oschersleben on 28 July 1943. As the formations of over 300 B-17s struggled to their targets they were widely dispersed by repeated attacks from the Jagdgruppen - over 300 Fw 190s and Bf 109s were scrambled. Up from Deelen just before 10:00, Kunze, flying 'white 12', attacked a lone, damaged B-17 in the vicinity of Groningen with his Rottenflieger. Kunze was relatively inexperienced, having claimed his first victory only on 13 June, a B-17 downed during a raid on Kiel. He added a second on 22 June and had claimed his third B-17 just two days prior to the 28 July interception. The two Fw 190s immediately closed with the straggler to finish it off. An easy target. As Kunze maneuvered into a firing position and opened up, the American bomber suddenly returned fire. The gunners' bursts of fire struck Kunze’s aircraft hard, sending it into a steep dive. Though he managed to pull out, his Fw 190 was barely controllable and continued to lose altitude rapidly. To his horror, Kunze realized he was on a collision course with a public outdoor swimming pool in Drachten (Netherlands) — and there was nothing he could do to steer clear. It was a warm summer day, and the pool was packed. The aircraft skimmed just above the water and clipped a woman standing near the pool's edge with its wingtip, throwing her into the water but miraculously leaving her unharmed. The plane came to a stop at the far end of the pool. Swimmers, still in their bathing suits, fled out into the streets. Meanwhile, Kunze calmly walked across the road to a garage and phoned the nearby Leeuwarden airbase to request a car to come and retrieve him. In total six I./JG 1 Fw 190s were either brought down or made forced landings after attacking the bombers - a second sortie was flown by those fighters that could be refuelled and rearmed in time. For no visible result... 

Model of Kunze's 'white 12' by 'Elger'. Thanks to Elger for the images and text outline of Kunze's July 43 sortie. Elger presented Falk with a model of this machine for his aunt, Bernhard Kunze's sister, who was still alive in the early 2000s. This is his most recent superb representation of 'white 12' using the Hasegawa 1:32nd kit.

 

Oblt. Rudolf Smola Stukageschwader 'Immelmann', Schlachtflugzeug Luftflotte 4, April-May 1944 - Bundesarchiv photo report #9

 

from Bernard Roland's excellent two volume history of Stukageschwader 'Immelmann' (Lela Presse)

" ..New crews joined the Immelmann as the unit's losses began to accumulate. The arrival of the Austrian Oblt Rudolf “Bazi” Smola during September 1943 was of particular note. From Vienna, Smola had been a Gebirgsjäger (light infantry 'mountain' troops) before applying to fly as an observer in various Hs 126 reconnaissance units. In March 1943, he submitted a request to be trained as a pilot. It took him just six months to join the Immelmann, where he carved out his reputation..[..]..during April 1944 II./SG 2 operated out of Karankut before being called up at Chersones and flying missions over the Crimea. Appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./SG 2, Smola made a name for himself and his Staffel. According to one report, Smola's Staffel destroyed numerous armoured vehicles to the north of Sebastopol in just a few days, as well as thirty-six enemy aircraft in combat and twenty on the ground. Three of these victories and fourteen ground destructions were credited to Smola himself.." 

Still at the head of his 5.Staffel SG 2, Smola was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 27 July 1944 after some 530 combat sorties including approx 130 as an observer with 7.(H)/21, 12.(H)/13 and NAG 13 from the Polish campaign and including the opening phases of ‘Barbarossa’. During September 1944, he was named Kommandeur of IV./SG 151 (with the rank of Hptm.) then commanded I./SG 3. He was shot down and killed on 27 March 1945 by Russian flak at Zinten (East Prussia). In total Smola was credited with some 600 war flights and 17 victories.

more Fw 190s - archive photo scan #36

 

more Fw 190s scanned - #36 in a series of photos scanned for this blog..

Staffelkapitän 2./JG 11 Erich Hondt’s A-5/U12 WNr 410 266 ‘schwarze 13' with the Staffelzeichen on the cowl. Hondt's machine displayed the so-called Schwarmführerstreifen or red diagonal stripes of a Schwarm leader along the fuselage sides appearing as a 'Vee' from above..The U12 Rüstsatz comprised underwing gondolas each containing a pair of MG 151 cannon, one of the few armament Rüstsätze to reach operational status

Ofw. Bigge's 'Black 2' of the Fw 190 nightfighter Staffel 2./JG 2 in the early summer of 1943 in western France seen flipped over after a bombing raid according to the hand-written caption on the image - or as a result of a landing accident on 6 September 1943 according to another source....Fw 190s of this Staffel were finished in overall 76..

 Another JG 11 Kanonenboot with the underwing Gondelwaffen

..and from the ongoing Petrick archive ebay sell off.  Oskar Romm's Dora seen in Prenzlau, March 1945. I don't recall this image from Jochen Prien's history of IV./JG 3. A nice find...

Werfer rocket launcher-toting A-7/8s of I./JG 26 getting airborne from a field strip in western France during the summer of 1944. These aircraft were used with limited success on ground attack sorties against Allied armour and road convoys..

new-tool Fw 190 in 1:72 from KP - first (..and second build) from Michel Wilhelme

 

"...Hi Neil, here is the latest new-tool Fw 190 kit from Kovozavody KP - this is from the A-3 "Aces" box finished in the markings of Oskar 'Ossi' Romm of JG 51 in Eastern front greens. This is one of the markings options on the kit decal sheet. Unfortunately this new-tool KP Fw 190 is not a particularly straight forward build. It requires a fair bit of filler and sanding of various parts. Even so I think I got a nice model out of it. The pictures give you an idea of the other options in the A-2 and A-4 boxes..."  Michel Wilhelme

 

" Hi Neil, here is the second Fw 190 from KP that I just finished. This is Detlev ROHWER's A-3 in 1942 in France. Nothing special on this assembly I begin to know what it is necessary to make to obtain a good result.."