Sturmstaffel 1, IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 - ebay photo find 316

..it is not every day that you come across new Sturmstaffel or Sturmgruppe images. Given the Bf 109 with IV. Gruppe bar these images possibly date from the period April/May 1944. In early May 1944 Sturmstaffel 1 was re-designated as 11. Staffel of IV./JG 3 under new Gruppenkommandeur Hptm Willi Moritz.  IV./JG 3 was to be re-equipped with the Fw 190 and further develop von Kornatzki's assault concept. The Sturmstaffel experiment had patently enjoyed a measure of success - all told some 62 heavy bombers had been claimed shot down between 11 January and 29 April 1944 for the loss of 11 of the original pilot complement killed in action. Their actions heralded a more general expansion of units using these methods with both II./JG 300 and II./JG 4 converting to the Sturm role during the summer of 1944..

The Fw 190 with the bulged cowl cover and the mid-wing pitot tube is an A-7 and is kitted out with 'blinkers', fuselage bands and the 'lightning bolt' emblem on the cowl..

my bids are in ..here

ZG 26 Haifisch Bf 110 and Fw 190 A-7 Sturmstaffel 1 - ebay photo find #227

Pilots of the Sturmstaffel assemble for a photo 'shoot' in front of one of the unit's FW 190 A-7 in Salzwedel prior to the 'deactivation' of the unit in late April 1944. Uffz. Maximowitz far left and Major von Kornatzki back to camera in greatcoat in the view above and seen striding out in the view below. A rarely seen view of the pilot complement prior to and after the more formal and oft-published view of the unit. Offered for sale by Michael Meyer here

Other pilots in the photo shoot are Oblt. Zehart, Lt. Elser, Lt. Müller, Lt. Metz, Lt. Gerth, Fw. Röhrich, Lt. Franz, unbekannt, Ofw. Marburg, Ofw. Peinemann, Fw. Groten, Uffz. Keune und Uffz. Boesch who is recognisable in the image below, far right

Five of these experienced Sturmstaffel 1 pilots would provide the core of Major von Kornatzki’s next command: II. (Sturm)/ JG 4 - Leutnant Ulrich Blaese, Feldwebel Gerhard Marburg, Leutnant Rudolf Metz, Leutnant Werner Peinemann and Oberleutnant Othmar Zehart. The remaining Sturmstaffel pilots integrated a newly formed 11 Staffel of IV./JG 3 under new Gruppenkommandeur Hptm Willi Moritz.

Much more on the Sturmstaffel on this blog

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/gerd-vivrouxs-fw-190-6-white-2.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/focke-wulf-190-6-sturmjager-white-4.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/pauke-pauke-iv-jg-3-and-sturmstaffel-1.html


Below; Haifsich Geschwader Bf 110 on a field strip being refuelled somewhere in France  (possibly).

On offer here

Crashed Emil of JG 77 via Andreas Drechsler here

Eduard Info 83 Memmingen 18 July 1944 by Jan Zdiarsky - IV.(Sturm)/JG 3

Published in the latest issue of Eduard's Info pdf magazine (no. 83) is Jan Zdiarsky's thorough account of the Memmingen air battle of 18 July 1944 which introduces Eduard's new Fw 190 A-8/R2 Profipack kit. The box-art is striking to say the least. Meticulously researched it is based on the facts as presented by Jan. The artist is in this case Piotr Forkasziewicz.

from the 483rd BG unit citation;

"..As part of the strategic effort of the 15th Air Force against industrial and counter air targets in south-western Germany, a force of 167 B-17s of the 5th Wing was dispatched on 18 July 1944 to attack and destroy the Memmingen airdrome and installations at Memmingen, Germany. The importance of this target is emphasized by its description in the Intelligence Annex to the Operations Order, "Memmingen Airdrome activity has increased, with recent cover showing 70 to 73 ME-110's and 410's not too well dispersed. The installations are used for repair and assembly. This makes this airdrome one of the highest priority counter-air targets.."

At that stage the Americans were almost certainly unaware that following the Oschersleben air battle of 7 July the Sturmjäger of IV./JG 3 had moved to a new and larger field just south of Munich equipped with a concrete runway coincidentally home to the Zerstörer training Gruppe I./ZG 101 - Memmingen!

Due to adverse weather encountered en route the US bombers found themselves devoid of fighter cover. In the absence of a properly authenticated recall signal, the 483rd BG decided to attack the primary target as ordered and continued on alone and unescorted over the northern edge of Italy, over Austria and into the target area in south-west Germany. Kommodore JG 300 Walther Dahl recalled events in his sometimes exaggerated memoir  "Rammjäger "..
  
"....I have been feeling unwell for several days. The flight surgeon reckons I’ve got a touch of angina and has confined me to my bed. I’m off the flight roster of course. It is a beautiful bright morning....my Ia comes in to tell me a call has come in from Division. A force of about one hundred bombers with strong fighter escort is headed towards Munich. Such a relatively small force heading towards a large city like Munich is unusual and it is difficult to track the exact course of the bombers with radar given the proximity of the Alps. Our Einsatzleiter (Mission Co-ordinator) Hptm Kraus has put the pilots on readiness. The first sightings come in from the ground observation post at Kempten. The bombers target must be Memmingen! My gut feeling was right! The bombers will arrive over the field in minutes !..."

Some 45 Fw 190 A-8/R2 Sturmböcke of IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 led by Hptm Wilhelm Moritz were scrambled. The Sturmgruppe climbed to meet the bombers now flying over Innsbruck in a north westerly direction. As they manoeuvred into their attack formation taking up station in line abreast individual Staffelführer selected their targets behind the bombers and calmly ordered their pilots to hold their fire until they had approached to close range....


For a full account of what happened on 18 July 1944, read Jan's article - certainly one of the most complete accounts of this battle. Free download at this link
 https://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2017/info-eduard-2017-05EN.pdf

(thanks to Adam at the 72nd scale news blog for the heads-up)


Also on this blog;

Fw 190 Sturmbock over Oschersleben 7 July 1944
http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/focke-wulf-190-sturmbock-over.html

Pauke! Pauke!  IV./ JG 3 and Sturmstaffel 1 in action against the US 8th Air Force, 11 April 1944
http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/pauke-pauke-iv-jg-3-and-sturmstaffel-1_4.html

Pauke! Pauke! IV./ JG 3 and Sturmstaffel 1 in action against the US 8th Air Force, 11 April 1944 - Luftwaffe fighter aces, Fw 190 Defence of the Reich

Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr.712, 26 April 1944 - combat footage over the Reich from German wartime newsreel

The Wochenschau cinema newsreel Nr. 712, presented to German cinema audiences on 26 April 1944 splices together all sorts of 'combat footage'  much of it 'rehashed'. In this piece I have 'captured' the best stills from this reportage some of which was filmed during April 1944 at Salzwedel,  home to the Fw 190s of the Sturmstaffel and the Bf 109s of IV./JG 3. The film as shown in cinemas appears to focus for at least some of its footage on the US 8th Air Force raid of 11 April 1944.  IV./JG 3 was one of the most successful units flying in the Reichsverteidigungduring the first half of 1944 and 11 April 1944 was to be their 'best' day defending the Reich prior to the formation of the Sturmgruppen. Otto Bach of JG 1and his Geschwaderkommodore Oesau are also interviewed prominently. I have captioned these images using the original German commentary and references such as the as-yet untranslated Gruppehistory of IV./JG 3 by Jochen Prien....

The film sequence opens with footage of German monitoring and listening posts tracking a US Air Force bomber incursion. The commentary mentions that German fighters often scramble to oppose as many as 600 bombers - on 11 April 1944 the US 8th Air Force dispatched over 900 bombers to aircraft factories in central Germany, a huge force that was screened by over 800 fighter escorts. On the German side some 18 day fighter Gruppen were sent up to counter the incursion. The scene switches to Salzwedel where the Fw 190s of the Sturmstaffel and the Bf 109s of IV./JG 3 are quickly scrambled...a line up of Sturmstaffel 1 FW 190s at Salzwedel (above right)

Above, a technician shows the PK reporter one of the gun cams - a BSK 16 (Leica) - fitted into the wing of the FW 190. Here he is seen closing it up....before installing it in the wing via the undercarriage well. Gun cameras were not in widespread use in the Luftwaffe fighter force during 1944 and were generally not used in the confirmation of victory claims..

"Einsatz Alarm!' IV./JG 3 is scrambled at 10:05 - pilots are seen running out to their Bf 109s, clambering into the cockpit and being strapped in..Note the extremely small frontal area of the windshield. In the next image the 'erste Wart' slams the canopy shut. Note the underwing MG 151 cannon in this view of 'Yellow 1', a typical IV./JG 3 'Kanonenboot'. Bf 109s of IV./JG 3 get airborne and roar low over the camera man. They have been ordered to form up with units of the 1. and 3. Jagddivision in a large Gefechtsverband or battle formation..

Also scrambled at 10:05, the FW 190s launch into their take off runs. It is just possible to make out the white/black/white rear fuselage bands worn by the aircraft of the Sturmstaffel. The Sturmstaffel had been established in late 1943. Its volunteer pilots undertook to bring down at least one four engined bomber on every mission, even if they had to ram it. To allow the pilots to get close enough to the heavily defended bombers, their FW 190s were fitted with extra armour plating around the cockpit area - bolt-on 5 mm armour plates or "Panzer Platten" - and 30 mm armoured glass panels were scabbed onto the canopy. Additional Panzerglas was added to the windshield quarter-panels. The outboard 20 mm wing guns were replaced by MK 108 30 mm cannon. Although the results gained by Sturmstaffel 1 were not spectacular, they were enough to spur the formation of three Sturmgruppen 



Angriff ...attack. Kampf über den Wolken..combat above the clouds..

The defenders close on a bomber Pulk between Braunschweig and Halberstadt. Boring in from astern to close range the sky is quickly filled with exploding machines, pieces of debris and parachutes of baled out airmen. With their emphasis on attacking the bombers at all costs, German fighters used M-Geschoss explosive shells - gun camera footage shows the type of explosions when they hit.

Above;  "...Rückkehr der deutschen Staffeln.."  much back-slapping and hand-shaking as the successful fighter pilots are welcomed home. JG 3 alone claimed some 34 Ab-und-Herausschüsse on 11 April 1944, of which 16 were attributed to IV./JG 3 in this first engagement. Returning home to Salzwedel a second 'Alarmstart!' was ordered at 12:40 - IV./JG 3 reported a further eight victories, clashing with 1 BD four-engine bombers south of Rostock.

..Lt. Dieter Zink (above) of the Stab IV./JG 3 has returned with two victories.. Here he is seen after climbing down from the machine usually flown by the Kommandeur.. He usually flew as Kommandeur Friedrich-Karl Müller's wingman and followed him when Müller moved to the Geschwaderstab JG 3 in mid-April 1944.

On page 141 of Prien's 'Chronik' Zink explained why he was flying Mueller's machine that day;

'..one day a team of PK reporters arrived on the airfield and explained that they were there to film some footage for the Wochenschau. A special camera was mounted in Major Müller's machine- our normal gun camera was not adequate for this purpose. The person in charge of the PK-Trupp explained to the Major exactly what sort of pictures he wanted .." now Herr Major you have to do this and then you should do that..and so on and so forth ". He got short shrift from the Major - Müller told him in no uncertain terms that as Kommandeur he didn't have to anything at all. To cut a long story short the Kommandeur then ordered me to take his aircraft and get the necessary footage...'

..Sturmstaffel pilots seen leaving their dispersal . The Fw 190 A-7 has been fitted with armoured canopy 'blinkers' and is wearing the white/black/white defence of the Reich fuselage bands.. Fw. Gerhard Marburg of the Sturmstaffel seen being congratulated on his return (below)

..Above, Lt. Karl-Dieter Hecker, an 11./ JG 3 pilot who had been with IV. Gruppe since its establishment in June 1943. He was wounded in combat on three occasions and survived the war. He was StaKa of 15. Staffel from late 1944. He achieved six victories and successfully baled out on four occasions. Here he is seen just after returning his first victory on 11 April, a B-17..Another successful IV./JG 3 pilot that day was Lt. Willi Unger who likewise returned his first victory and went on to become one of the leading four-engine bomber 'killers'..

..the camera lingers on more IV./JG 3 personalities - above, Hptm. Wilhem Moritz, who would be appointed Kommandeur from mid-April charged with converting IV./JG 3 to the Sturm close-in armoured assault role - Sturmstaffel 1 was disbanded at around the same - a core of its pilots went on to II.(Sturm)/JG 4 established a few months later..




..and Gruppenkommandeur Friedrich-Karl Müller (above) - who did not fly the sortie on 11 April - seen here in discussion with Walther Dahl..Müller was about to be appointed Kommodore of JG 3 after only a few short weeks in charge of IV./JG 3, replacing Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke..In the event German day fighters had enjoyed one of their most successful days on 11 April 1944.

Storming the bombers Volume II - first review. JG 4 Sturmgruppe Defending the Reich

During March 1945, high-ranking Wehrmacht officers undertook a number of tours of Luftwaffe aerodromes with the aim of relaying the following exhortations emanating from the Reichsmarchall Göring and Genraloberst Stumpf:

" The battle for the Reich, for our people and our homeland is entering its decisive phase. In blind hatred the nations of the world have come together to destroy us. We must draw on our last remaining forces to resist this evil tide. Never in our history has our German homeland been threatened with such total destruction from which there will be no rebirth. We can resist this danger only by manifesting the highest qualities of German combativeness. This is why I am turning to you in our most decisive hour of need: save the nation through the sacrifice in battle of your own life! I call upon you now to one last taking up of arms from which there is only a small probability of return. Those who respond to this appeal will immediately enrol for a flying training programme. Comrades - a place of honour awaits you in the roll call of the Luftwaffe's most revered fighting men. By your sacrifice you will give the German people renewed hope of victory and become an example for future generations in this hour of their greatest danger." (s) Göring

Several dozen pilots responded to this appeal - among them senior and experienced pilots from diverse backgrounds. It was explained that they would be called upon to dive their aircraft onto those of the enemy, as well as troop concentrations, pontoon bridges and other kinds of strategic objectives. Many of the contingent of volunteers were to train for the 'suicide' mission mounted by the Sonderkommando Elbe mentioned previously, while other volunteers were kept in reserve for other types of Selbstopfer – or 'self-sacrifice' - operations. For many of them life itself had already lost all meaning following the death of loved ones and the destruction and loss of all their possessions. Having lived since a young age in the Third Reich, they had in all likelihood been convinced by the Nazi Party propaganda machine of the superiority of their nation and their race. Many doubtless considered that their own fate was indivisible from that of the nation. If this value system was to collapse then everything they held dear would be destroyed for ever. For most the only possible outcome was to die in action - to go down with the Third Reich in its death throes.

Those remaining members of JG 4 who had some contact with the activities and operations of these suicide pilots - usually as a result of being assigned to escort them into action - would remain deeply affected by the experience. Lt. Ewald Kraas, of the Stab III./JG 4 recalled;

" In early April 45 - as the Soviet advance along the Oder front was showing signs of stalling - there were a number of discussions on the subject of suicide missions at the level of the Geschwaderstab in JG 4 - we had become aware that a group of volunteer pilots were being called upon to fly their aircraft - packed with explosives - into the pontoon bridges that had been thrown across the Oder. During this period of inflammatory calls to the German fighting spirit it came as no surprise that some of our pilots were coming forward to undertake these kinds of 'self-sacrifice' missions - after all there had never been any shortage of volunteers for the Sturmstaffeln in our Geschwader. However a Rammjäger always had the option of bailing out at the last minute after ramming an enemy bomber - but these Selbstopfer pilots were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, diving their fully fuelled fighters onto enemy targets..

During the middle of April our Kommodore, Obstlt. Michalski, accompanied by several staff officers paid a visit to Jüterbog/Altes Lager - the aerodrome where the suicide volunteers were assembling. On his return he described the situation there to Hptm. Gerhard Strasen- I was present during this conversation. Michalski had seen eighty volunteers - pilots of all ages, ranks, backgrounds and experience. There was even an Oberfeldwebel among their number who had been decorated with the Ritterkreuz. The discussion turned to the motivations of these men and what drove them to want to sacrifice themselves in this way. Michalski turned to me and said : "well, Lt. Kraas, would you ever consider putting yourself forward to fly this kind of mission?"

Without hesitation I replied: "Herr Oberstleutnant, frankly - not at all!" _" No, neither would I" he admitted..

A link to Adam Norenberg's review of "Storming the Bombers - Vol. 2".

" ...The rare oral testimonies found here are backed up by excellent photographs from pilots and crew’s private collections. Credit must go as well to Neil Page who has produced the translation of the text and has made sure the book is never just a dry account of history as many books are when translated into the English language..."



http://www.themodellingnews.com/2012/01/review-storming-bombers-chronicle-of.html

II.(Sturm)/JG 4 on the Eastern Front, February 1945, Fw 190 Defence of the Reich

Above;  'Yellow 8' of 7.(Sturm)/ JG 4 assigned to Hans Gerd Neuhaus being replenished with fuel and munitions at Neuhausen during February 1945. Note the black-white-black Reichsvertidigung fuselage bands and the snow on the ground..

By late January 1945, when the Soviets reached the Oder just sixty miles from Berlin, the Sturmgruppen suddenly had more pressing concerns than shooting down USAF bombers.  ALL three Gruppen of Fw 190 bomber destroyers were deployed to the Eastern Front in short order, where their heavily armed and armoured Fw 190 A-8/R8s were committed on hazardous low-level strafing and bombing attacks on Soviet troops as the latter prepared their all-out assault on the Reichshauptstadt.

During early February 1945 the 48 pilots and 38 aircraft of II.(Sturm)/JG 4 were located at Neuhausen in der Lausitz under Major Gerhard Schroeder flying operations in defence of Cottbus and the surrounding area. The results of operations flown from this field during the first week of February were mixed to say the least. While the Fw 190s ventral racks now toted 250 kg bombs and their 20mm and 30mm cannon could inflict heavy losses on soft-skinned vehicles, horse-drawn columns and even tanks, it was often difficult to pick out valid targets on roads clogged with refugees fleeing westwards ahead of the Soviet advance. Soviet columns also quickly adopted the practise of using refugee Treks as human shields. Facilities for the Sturmgruppe at Neuhausen were rudimentary and the runway track was pitted and rutted and covered in puddles which grew ever-larger in the melting snow, resulting in a number of accidents.

During the week or so that the Sturmgruppe was based there, a constant round of  ground-attack sorties was flown for which its pilots had received little or no training. From the cockpits of their Fw 190s the pilots could see Russian columns that stretched away to the horizon, their progress marked by columns of smoke. There was little evidence of German troops on the ground- just devastation, " as though the entire Steppe was unfurling over Germany.." Ogfr. Adolf Held of 6. (Sturm)./ JG 4 wrote in his diary;

" ..our runway track is little more than a lake which has already resulted in seven landing accidents over the last few days and further takeoffs have been prohibited. As the Soviets are now no more than kilometres away we have been given instruction on how to handle Panzerfaust bazooka rocket launchers.."

The picture above is taken from the album of Hans Gerd Neuhaus, formerly a nightfighter pilot who joined JG 4 during late 1944. The images from Neuhaus' album were published over three issues of the German magazine 'Flugzeug Classic' during 2010 and the image here is reproduced with the kind permission of FLUGZEUG CLASSIC editor Markus Wunderlich. Back issues and a chance to view an on-line sample of the current issue are available at the link.

STOP PRESS -  images taken down since originally posted they have subsequently been secured for Volume II of the JG 4 history currently at the printers !

Wilhelm Moritz Fw 190 A-8/R2 Schongau August 1944 - 1/48 Sturmbock

Most Luftwaffe enthusiasts are familiar with Wilhelm Moritz's late IV./JG 3 Sturmbock  but superlative builds of his Fw 190 A-8/ R2 are perhaps not so common. This is UK modeller Rowan Gough's very nice Fw 190 Sturmbock as flown by the Kommandeur of  IV.(Sturm) /JG 3 during the summer of 1944.

Note the full "Sturmjägerausrüstung" - assault fighter equipment/armament package - featured on this machine, consisting of an armoured glass windscreen, triangular glass panels and side panels (otherwise known as "Scheuklappen", or 'blinkers') and Zusatzscheibe cockpit armour plates. This additional armour package had no Rüstsatz-number at the time, although it is sometimes designated "R7". In order to save weight, the MG cowl machine guns were removed and faired over on these aircraft. The heavy MK 108 cannon in the outer wing position are the principal feature of the R2 Rüstsatz, although Fieseler-manufactured Sturmjäger usually featured -as here - the broad Holzluftschraube wooden prop blades, and a BMW 801 D-2 engine incorporating the erhoehte Notleistung emergency power boost as indicated by the small yellow ring to rear of the upper cowl .

During August 1944 IV.(Sturm) /JG 3 was expanded to four Staffeln but the unit's pilot losses during that month were particularly severe - and not always due to enemy action!

The Staffelkapitän of 13./JG 3 Ekkehard Tichy - who had lost an eye during combat in March 1944 - was killed when he collided with a B-17 on 16 August. Posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant and awarded the Ritterkreuz, Ekkehard Tichy had some 25 victories including eleven four-engined bombers. Worse was to come on the morning of 20 August 1944 when 7. Jagddivision ordered IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 to readiness in anticipation of a 15th AF raid coming up from Italy. The pilots of 14.(Sturm)/JG 3 were collected from their quarters off the base for the short journey to Schongau. My correspondent former Sturmstaffel 1 and IV./JG 3 pilot Günter Ehrlich recalled what happened next in a letter written in 2001;

“..On 20 August 1944, readiness had been ordered and our bike and sidecar driver set out to get us four pilots of 14. Staffel to Schongau as quickly as possible. At a bend our totally overloaded motorcycle smashed straight into an oncoming truck. The injuries of those on the cycle were in part so severe that the 14. Sturmstaffel had to do without Unteroffiziere Oskar Bösch, Günter Ehrlich, Erich Pusch and Werner Schanz for a lengthy time. Since I was jammed into the sidecar, my left leg suffered a compound fracture. My convalescence extended well into 1945 and by the time I finally rejoined my comrades in Prenzlau in February they were flying combat sorties against the Russians..”

Rowans' complete build log is featured on britmodeller.com here

Click on the label links below for more on this blog on the Sturmgruppen and the Fw 190 A-8/R2

unknown Sturmjäger pilot IV.(Sturm)/JG3

Another photographic gem (and low-res copy) from the collection of French researcher, author, archivist Jean-Yves Lorant. Lovely view of an unfortunately unidentified Sturm pilot of IV./JG3 seen at cockpit readiness in December 1944 or January 1945 at Gütersloh. This Sturmbock is still fitted with the armoured canopy glass known as Scheuklappen or 'blinkers' and may be a  machine from Oskar Bösch's 14. Staffel although any other indications/guesses would be most welcome. Feldwebel Josef Brandt of 13./JG3 is another candidate but the only photo of this pilot published hitherto in Jochen Prien's Chronik is too over-exposed and indistinct to allow a positive identification.

differences between the FW190A-8/R2 and A-8/R8 sub-types in the Sturmgruppen

Photo print in my collection of Uffz. Peter Bock of 8./JG300 in front of his 'schwarze 2' Fw 190 A-8/R2 seen in early 1945. Note the Panzerplatte side armour, the outer wing Mk 108 cannon bulges and the armoured windshield quarter pane. Bock claimed a P-51 on 14 February 1945 over the Chemnitz-Leipzig-Dresden sector


A perennial question on forums and modelling sites is the request for more info on the 190A-8/R2 and A-8/R8.

" ...Does anyone know the difference between the FW190A-8/R2 and A-8/R8? The reason I ask is I have both the 1/48 Tamiya A-8/R2 and the 1/48 Hasegawa A-8/R8. In the instructions for the Tamiya kit it is advised that the fuselage guns for the R2 version be removed, but in the Hasegawa instructions for the R8 they have you leave the fuselage guns in. My understanding is the A-8/R2 and R8 had the extra armour on the fuselage side under the cockpit and it has the 30mm cannon added to the outboard wings and the fuselage guns were removed and this plane was made for attacking bombers and if the pilots could not shoot the bomber down they were suppose to ram it but few ever did.."

Well for most modellers the debate is entirely redundant - I'd go further and say that in fact the R2/R8 debate is a complete can of worms since they were essentially the same thing!
A brief round-up of the various 'Sturm' variants of the Fw 190 was provided by 'squirrel' on ARC a while ago. I've reproduced the bulk of his text further down, but amended it where it is incorrect! It should of course be born in mind that the 'R2' was the designation introducing the 'definitive' Sturm variant which entered service with IV.(Sturm)/ JG 3 during April/May 1944 when Sturmstaffel 1 was incorporated into the unit as 11./JG 3. II./JG 300 became a 'Sturmgruppe' some time in July 1944 ( the exact date is not known) while II./JG4 was not established until late July/ early August 1944

Firstly, the following is excerpted from the September 1944 edition of “D. (Luft) T.2190 A-8, Fw 190 A-8 Aircraft Handbook.” This is the Luftwaffe erection and maintenance manual for the A-8 series aircraft.

“Technical description No. 284, Fw 190 A-8 Fighter, Page 4 – 5”

Armament: The normal armament of the Fw 190 A-8 consists of:

2 MG 131 in the upper cowling with 475 rpg.
2 MG 151 in the wing roots with 250 rpg.
2 MG 151 in the outer wing with 140 rpg.

An armament modification currently in production is the:
Fw 190 A-8/R2 with MK 108s in the outer wing panels with 55 rpg (replacing the outer MG 151s.)

Fw 190 A-8/ R7 with increased cockpit armour for use by the Stumstaffeln, with the following armament: 2 MG 131 and 4 MG 151 as per the standard Fw 190 A-8.

Fw 190 A-8/R8 also with the increased armour, but with 2 MK 108s in the outer wings as per the Fw 190 A-8/R2.

So much for the 'official' manufacturer's documentation.

A-6: When the first Sturmstaffel - Sturmstaffel 1 - was formed in the autumn of 1943, ie a full year before the handbook quoted above - the A-6 model was in production. It had a lightened wing structure and was designed to mount four MG 151s firing armour-piercing and incendiary rounds. It received the additional "Sturmjägerausrüstung", consisting of an armoured glass windscreen, triangular glass panels and side panels (otherwise known as "Scheuklappen", i.e. blinkers) and cockpit armour plates. This additional armour package had no Rüstsatz-number at the time, although it is sometimes designated "R7" as above. In order to save weight, the MG cowl machine guns were removed on these aircraft.

Besides one prototype, there was no A-6 with MK 108 in the outer wings; i.e. an A-6/R2 did not exist.

A-7: a good percentage of the approximately 700 A-7 models were built as A-7/R2- this version was fitted with the heavy MK 108 cannon in place of the MG 151/20 in the outer wings. These aircraft were flown by other Reichsverteidigung units in early 1944 - not only by Sturmjäger. A good example is JG 11. The aircraft for the Sturmjäger additionally had the "Sturmjägerausrüstung" (i.e., additional armour), and the MG 131 were usually removed.

A-8/R2: A-7/R2 were quickly supplanted by the similar A-8/R2; the aircraft for the Sturmjäger additionally had the "Sturmjägerausrüstung", and the MG 131 were usually removed. The additional armour was not popular with the pilots. 'squirrel' writes that in II./JG 300 the "blinkers" "were always removed". This is not stricly correct as Lorant shows several JG 300 machines in a lineup with the 'blinkers' but was a common modification carried out at unit level in the various Sturmgruppen. The formation of ice at altitude restricting visibility was a problem with these fittings.

A-8/R8 and A-9/R8: These aircraft were "planned" to replace the R2 in the Sturmgruppen. The R8 had the armament of the R2 (i.e. 2 x MG 151/20, 2 x MK 108, no MG 131) plus the armoured windscreen and quarter panes. However the key change here relates to the uprated TU or TS engine to replace the BMW 801 D - if available. There were other detail amendments for 'R8' mainly involving additional internal armour protection (for the oil cooler) which would not be an issue for the modeller..

However when 'squirrel' writes " It is hard to tell how many A-8/R8 and A-9/R8 were actually built, and the only distinguishing feature between the R2 and R8 on pictures is the armoured glass windscreen and triangular glass panels.." I'm not quite sure what he is trying to argue since these features were present on all Sturm variants.

When the MK 108 cannon armed Fw 190 A-8/R2s entered service with IV./JG 3 in April/May 1944 they already had the armour in the optimal 'Sturm' configuration with the armoured windshield glass and quarter panes. To go into combat against Pulks of B-17s and B-24s, the Fw 190 was modified with bolt-on 5 mm armour plates, so-called "Panzerplatten", scabbed onto the fuselage sides. Additional 30 mm armoured glass panels were mounted on the canopy and extra glass was added to the windshield quarter-panels. The outboard 20 mm wing guns were replaced by the MK 108 30 mm cannon. Most A-7 machines of Sturmstaffel 1 were so-equipped long before an 'official' 'R2' designation existed. The first A-8s arrived in the Sturmstaffel during April 1944 (cf. Siegfried Mueller Flugbuch)- this combination was thus the 'classic' Fw 190 A-8/R2 "Sturmbock" (Ram). In an effort to save some weight, the 13 mm machine guns that were mounted over the engine were often removed.

However - and it's a very big however - after the first 'successes' - and more importanly for the pilots - the heavy losses, canopy and in some instances the fuselage armour was progressively removed by some pilots. The well-known photos of Dahl's 'Blue 13' taken during the autumn of 1944 show a machine which has had its Panzerplatten removed. Dahl left JG300 during December 1944. An 8./JG 300 pilot comments (Lorant JG300) that he wanted to remove the Mk 108 cannon as well - the entire raison d'etre of the type - although this was not authorised. So by the time frame late September-early November 1944 you have a situation where 190 Sturm variants at unit level have lost the prinicipal Sturm features - prior to the manufacturer even issuing the R8 designation.

In my view the R2 and R8 can be seen as being to all intents and purposes the same thing - the 'R8' designation in particular was a purely 'administrative' device introduced by the manufacturer to pull together all the 'different' Sturm fits - and had very little or nothing to do with what was happening at unit level by the time of its introduction in late 1944. Some of the more knowledgeable enthusiasts quote Rodeike here.
I think its very difficult to come to any hard and fast designations on the basis of a single factory document - but I would suggest that what was happening at unit level anticipates later 'official' developments, with Rüstsätze & engines being retro-fitted and then removed according to operational requirements, pilot preferences etc.

However lets look at what the Focke Wulf document (dated 20 October 1944) in Rodeike actually says;

"...The A-8/R2 with the MK 108 & armour fitted with the TU/TS is re-designated R8… Das Triebwerk BMW 801 TU ..ist nach Möglichkeit ...einzubauern. Grund: Verstärkte Panzerung für Kühler und Behälter..... Die Schusskanale in der oberen Triebswerksschale sind dabei adzudecken... .. the gun troughs in the upper engine cowl cover are as a consequence to be faired over ..."  ( ie ...where the BMW 801 TU is installed).



However such external configuration can be seen in very many photos taken prior to issue of the above-cited document where such aircraft were designated R2. Note the erhöhte Notleistung as identified by the small yellow ring to rear of the upper cowl cover was featured on both the D-2 & TU powerplants..

Klaus Bretschneider's Fw 190 A-8 WNr. 682204 Red 1 (lost on 24 December 1944) displays all these features and is ‘officially’ listed as an R8. However despite reproducing the document referred to above, Rodeike captions the picture of ‘Red 1’ on P363 of his Jagdflugzeug 190 book as the R2.  Indeed his 444 page book on the Fw 190 doesn't show a single photograph of a Fw 190 A-8/R8 - which at least demonstrates to me that an 'R8' cannot be identified from photos and should be of no concern to modellers!

To conclude and based on my readings of Rodeike, correspondence with Sturm pilots from II./JG300, and IV./JG 3 and Lorant's two volume history of JG300, the 'R8' designation was essentially a manufacturer's 'catch all'. Note again that although most pilots weren't happy with the heavy wing cannon (MK 108) they were not allowed to remove them. Those pilots such as Ernst Schroeder who did fly A-8s in the Sturmgruppe with no Mk 108 cannon or armour fit were those generally recognised to have had some success in fending off the Mustang escorts so flew as top cover escorts for their more laden comrades. To repeat, by the time 'R8' designation appeared in late 1944 the Sturmgruppen had little requirement to put into service fully fledged 'Sturm' machines. There are very few 'R8' machines appearing in the loss lists of II.(Sturm)/JG 300 - a unit which suffered huge losses in attacks against the bomber Pulks.



The reason for all these apparent adhoc variations in the Sturm config is straight forward and largely determined by the pressure of events at unit level. Invariably caught by the P-51s before being able to reach the bombers, by September 1944 through November, December and culminating on 14 January 1945 - when huge numbers of them were shot down -the Sturm 190 pilots were having to fight for their lives..

Eduard weekend edition Fw 190 Sturmbock 1:48 scale

To coincide with the release of their new 'weekend' edition of their Fw 190 Sturmbock kit the Eduard July 2010 newsletter contains an informative and well written piece by Jan Zdiarsky on the history of Sturmbock or 'bomber destroyer' variant of the Focke Wulf 190 heavy fighter with particular reference to IV.(Sturm)/JG3 and II.(Sturm)/JG4. Download currently available from the Eduard homepage. Alternatively you can visit the 'label' links at the bottom of this post for more on the Fw 190 Sturmbock with photos exclusive to this site.

Eduard homepage





Here is the reference photo that Eduard presumably used in preparing their profile above. I first published this shot in my March 2001 SAM 'Sturmgruppen 1944' article. Note this 6. Staffel pilot's named mispelled in the Eduard caption above - he was Fw. Adalbert KOCH and is seen seated on the engine cowl in the photo below. Note that his Sturmbock was in fact 'Yellow 15' and not 'yellow 5'. The open machine gun cowl cover indicates that there were no cowl MG 131s. The inscription 'Titti Wau Wau' (his baby daughter's first 'words') appears on the armour plate below the cockpit. The armoured glass canopy panes were soon dispensed with by the pilots as ice tended to form between them and the canopy at high altitude..

more Focke Wulf 190 aces (Wurmheller, Bretschneider, Priller, Bär, Linz, Weik, Migge)

 

Wurmheller's III./JG 2 'yellow 2' Fw 190 A-5 from the Eduard A-5 'Heavy fighter' kit in 72nd

Revell Fw 190 A finished as Klaus Bretschneider's 'Red 1' from September 1944 when Bretschneider was Staffelkapitän of 5.(Sturm)/JG 300, decals from the Aeromaster 'Rammjäger' set. I've added plastic card 'armour plate' to the cockpit sides, faired in the upper cowl MGs and fabricated some 30 mm cannon in the outboard wing stations from sprue! Bretschneider did in fact 'ram' a B-17 in this aircraft. However this was an unintentional act - a collision - since he was able to land 'Red 1' safely - full story in the Jean-Yves Lorant's JG 300 history.

 

Staffelkapitän 2./JG11 Erich Hondt’s A-5 WNr 410 266 ‘schwarze 13' (see model pic below). The numeral was black with a red outline. It displayed the so-called Schwarmführerstreifen or red diagonal stripes of a Schwarm leader along the fuselage sides appearing as a 'Vee' from above. The aircraft did not have a yellow Rumpfband. Two reasons; Hondt wrote a letter describing this machine and its colourful finish which was published in a German-language book. The pilot was then shot down and the aircraft lost on 8 October 1943, well before fuselage bands were introduced. See Peter Rodeike in Jet & Prop 3/12. Hondt’s A-5 was in addition fitted with the U12 Rüstsatz which consisted of underwing gondolas each containing a pair of MG 151 cannon, one of the few armament Rüstsätze to reach operational status



Revell A-8 in the markings of Hans Weik, IV.(Sturm)/JG3 ace (36 vics.
Weik was WIA as Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 3 on 18 July 1944 at the controls of this Fw 190A-8/R2 (W.Nr. 680 747) "White 7". The wounds were serious enough to keep Weik from any further front line duties. On 27 July, Oberleutnant Weik was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 36 victories. In April 1945, Weik was transferred to III./ EJG 2 at Lechfeld to train on the Me 262 jet fighter.







Günther Migge's NJGr.10 "Kognakpumpe" 'White 9' Neptun radar equipped Fw 190 night fighter in 72nd scale. The 'cognac pump' inscription under the boar's head emblem was probably a reference to the nerve-jangling experience of flying a single-engine fighter at night






Italeri A-8 in the markings of JG 5 ace Lt. Rudi Linz, Kapitän of 12./JG 5 who was shot down and KIA on 9 Feb 1945 at the controls of Fw 190 A-8 WNr. 732183 'Blue 4'. Posthumously awarded the RK. The port side of this a/c featured a large green heart emblem under the cockpit..

The Revell & Academy Fw 190s side by side in the colours of Heinz Bär's 'Red 13' (JG 1) and Staffelführer JG 11 Erich Hondt. (Note how horrible the Academy kit is with its barn-door type wing & hopelessly oversized ailerons. The rudder and engine cowl are also under-sized. In fact the front end bears no relation to the actual aircraft - easily Academy's worst 72nd scale kit)