Fw190, classic German
fighter of the Luftwaffe. Focke-Wulfe 190 shown in aviation art prints by
renowned aviation artist Ivan Berryman, Nicholas Trudgian and Robert
Taylor.
Focke-Wulf Fw190 by
Malcolm V Lowe. Arguably Germanys best piston-engined fighter of the
war, the Fw190 remained in the vanguard of the German war effort from late
1941 until VE-Day. With in excess of 20,000 examples being constructed in
dedicated factories and dispersed sites across Germany and eastern Europe,
the Fw190 proved its worth both as a fighter interceptor and a
fighter-bomber. This volume describes the production processes involved in
constructing the legendary Focke-Wulf fighter, tracing the airframe from
factory floor to the frontline on the Channel coast and the Crimean
plains. Chapters on the aircrafts powerplant, armament and late war
development into the superlative Fw190D and Ta152 are all included, as is
a detailed appendices listing the various production batches. Profusely
illustrated with a hand-picked selection of both official company
photographs and wartime archival imagery, this book is a must for
Luftwaffe enthusiasts, hobbyists and historians alike.
Cat Among the Pigeons (FW190) by Ivan Berryman
It was in 1941 that the remarkable Focke-Wulfe FW190 first appeared
in the skies of Europe, quickly establishing itself as a most formidable
adversary. It proved to be the supreme weapon against all allied bomber
forces. Here FW190A-8 of 1 Gruppe, Jagdgesschwader 1 is shown attacking
a B17G of 381st Bomb Group during a critical defence of the Reich in
1944.
Ramraiders by
Robert Tomlin FW 190 A-8/R-8 Sturmbock no 681382 of Hauptmann Wilhelm
Moritz stalks a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses. Moritz led 4JG3,
the Luftaffes first dedicated Sturmgruppe for seven months from April to
November 44 before being relieved from exhaustion. He ended the war
with over 44 victories..
On the Prowl by Philip E West. Focke-Wulf FW 190. When this purposeful looking, squat,
angular aircraft first appeared in the skies over France in 1941 it came
as quite a shock and soon gained a reputation and the nickname Butcher
Bird. A superb fighting machine, it served the Luftwaffe in many
variants throughout the war. |
 | Cat Among the Pigeons (FW190) by Ivan Berryman. | 3 editions available from £60.00 |  | Winter Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) | 3 editions available from £ |  | Checkertail Clan by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £120.00 |  | Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £120.00 |  | Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian. | 2 editions available from £130.00 |  | First Strike on Berlin by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £155.00 |  | Hostile Sky by Robert Taylor | 2 editions available from £225.00 |  | Ramrod by Robert Taylor | 2 editions available from £80.00 |  | Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor. | 2 editions available from £200.00 |  | On the Prowl by Philip West. | 3 editions available from £75.00 |  | Mountain Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian | 3 editions available from £95.00 |  | Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian. | 2 editions available from £95.00 |  | Winter Combat by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £190.00 |  | Ardennes Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £140.00 |  | Ramraiders by Robert Tomlin. | £14.00 |  | Savage Skies by Robert Taylor. | 3 editions available from £200.00 |  | The Yoxford Boys by Simon Atack. | 2 editions available from £95.00 |  | Ramraiders by Richard Taylor. | 4 editions available from £95.00 |  | Snow Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £75.00 |  | Storm Chasers by Nicolas Trudgian. | 3 editions available from £130.00 |  | Day of the Fighters by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | 1 editions available from £330.00 |  | Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | £410.00 |  | Hauptmann Hermann-Friedrich Joppien, Knights Cross. by Richard Hook. | £70.00 |  | Tough Day by James Dietz. | £102.00 |  | Predator by Keith Aspinall. | £16.00 |  | Focke-Wulf Fw190 by Malcolm V Lowe. | £12.99 |  | Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. | 4 editions available from £130.00 |  | Eagles on the Channel Front by Robert Taylor. | 2 editions available from £200.00 |  | No Turning Back by Robert Taylor. | 3 editions available from £200.00 |  | Long Nose Trouble by Stan Stokes. | 6 editions available from £37.00 |  | Ivan the Terrible by Stan Stokes. | 2 editions available from £37.00 |
| Long Nose Trouble by Stan Stokes.
The
Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge
against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed
by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally
accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that
the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the
limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which
were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these
concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of
the top fighter aircraft of WW II. The first prototype flew in mid-1939.
The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of
acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was
ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe
pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role,
but at this stage of the War many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter
escort. As the War dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly
accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The
Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off
sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing
missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was
likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a
high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled
engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and
capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system,
the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of
426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two
wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the
Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to
the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to
compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began
to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all
the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor
role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds
were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based.
This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied
attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in
Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed
approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was
impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future
production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect
this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully
utilized in the role for which it was intended.
Timber Wolf by Nicholas Trudgian Emerging form its forest hiding, an Fw190 of 5./JG300 prepares to
scramble for yet another intercept mission.
Leutnant Klaus Bretschneider,
Staffelkapitan of 5./JG300, kicks up the dust as he taxis hif Fw190 A-8
"Red One" from its forest hiding place into the sunlight in
preparation for take-off. The scene is northern Germany, November 1944.
The Staffelkapitan will lead his 190s in a massed "sturm"
intercept upon incoming American bombers. Already with 14 night victories,
Bretschneider added 17 further victories in just 26 daylight missions,
claiming three heavy bombers in a single day. Flying his appropriately
named aircraft "Rauhbautz" (Tough guy VII) he was not adverse to
ramming an opponent, and clearly got through a number of aircraft in the
process - Bretschneider earned a reputation as a fearless fighter pilot
before himself being shot down, losing his life to P-51 pilots in
December, 1944.
With Allied fighters dominating the skies, their
incessant attacks on Luftwaffe airfields forced the German fighter units
to take desparate measures to conceal their whereabouts. Commonplace were
the hurriedly prepared strips, often near dense forests where parked
aircraft were difficult to detect from the air, typical of the setting
chosen for Nicholas Trudgian's new painting Timber Wolf. Its colourful
spinner glinting in the sunlight, the formidable Fw190 makes an awesome
sight as it prepares to go to war. Prints are signed by two of the
Luftwaffe's outstanding exponents of this great WWII fighter creating a
highly desirable collector's piece. |
| Mountain Wolf by Nicholas Trudgian
Focke-Wulf "Red Three" prepares to scramble from the Alpine
region airfield at Ainring, 1945 With the inexorable advance
of the Allied forces through Germany, many of the fighter units moved into
Alpine regions in their effort to stay operational. Among the most feared
of the Luftwaffe's remaining combat units were those equipped with the
remarkable Me262 fighter jet. With their huge speed advantage, the 262s
were a difficult target in aerial combat even for the fastest Allied
fighters, but the German jets were especially vulnerable to attack during
take-off and landing. The American long range fighter pilots were quick to
spot this weakness, and scored many successes by catching the jet pilots
as they returned low on fuel and ammunition.
Commanding JV-44, General Adolf Galland countered the
threat by employing the Fw190 "Dora" 9s to fly top cover, their
task being to sweep the sky as the jets returned from combat. Nicholas
Trudgian's new painting Mountain Wolf depicts the colourful Fw190 of Hptm
Waldermar Wubke of JV-44 as he prepares to scramble "Red Three"
at Ainring airfield in May 1945. The brightly coloured paint schemes
brought about the staffel's radio call sign Papagei, the German for
Parrot!
Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicholas
Trudgian's latest print records the last days of air combat as WWII drew
to a close. Authenticated with the signatures of two Fw190 pilots, both
Knight's Cross holders, Mountain Wolf makes a valuable pint which will
enhance the serious collector's portfolio. |
| Operation Bodenplatte by Nicholas Trudgian
Signed by Helmut Ballewski, Helmut Bennemann, Werner Hohenberg,
Walter Krupinski. As dawn broke on January 1, 1945 every serviceable Luftwaffe fighter
scrambled from bases ranging across northern Germany. In the desperate
effort to get 900 aircraft airborne many older experienced pilots, now
retired from flying duties, were thrown into the fray. The success of
Operation Bodenplatte, a secretly planned maximum strength effort to
cripple British and American air forces, was to be achieved by mass
surprise attacks on their bases in France, Belgium and Holland. It was a
battle fought at great cost to the Luftwaffe. During the low-level attacks
and aerial battles that raged throughout the day, some 300 Luftwaffe
aircraft were lost. Though 200 Allied aircraft were destroyed, most on the
ground, pilot losses were light.
The paintings takes us right into the action above the Allied air
base at Eindhoven. Me262 jets join a concentration of Me109s and Fw190s of
JG-3 fighter wing, as they hurtle across the airfield in an assault that
lasted 23 minutes, while spitfires form 414 Sqn RCAF do their best to
repel the attack. On the ground Typhoon fighters of 439 Sqn - one of 8
Typhoon squadrons based at Eindhoven - take a hammering, no fewer than 60
being destroyed or damaged. |
| No Turning Back by Robert Taylor
A Lancaster comes under attack from an Fw190 during a raid over
Europe. On the night of November the 3rd 1943, Flight Lieutenant Bill Reid took
his N0.61 Squadron Lancaster off to join a force detailed to attack
Dusseldorf, deep in the heart of Germany. Right after crossing the
coast of Holland they were attacked by an Me110 night fighter, its gunfire
shattering the Lancaster's windscreen and damaging the elevator, making
the aircraft difficult to handle. Though wounded in the head,
shoulders and hands, after ascertaining his crew were unscathed,
mentioning nothing of his injuries, Bill Reid continued towards the
target, still over an hour ahead of him. Closer to the target his
Lancaster was again attacked, this time by a Focke Wulf 190 which raked
the bomber from stem to stern. His navigator was killed, hi wireless
operator fatally injured, and Bill was again wounded in the attack.
Though communications within the aircraft were severed, heating had
failed, and only the rear turret remained operative, Bill Reid flew his
bucking Lancaster steadily towards Dusseldorf. Having memorised his
course he brought the bomber right over the target with such accuracy the
bomber knew nothing of his captain's injuries or casualties to his
comrades. Photographs confirmed the bombs were released right on
target. Growing weak from loss of blood and lapsing into periods of
unconsciousness, with the aid of the flight engineer and bomb-aimer, Bill
steered the Lancaster towards home navigating by the pole star and
moon. Despite the intense cold, they survived a barrage of AA
gunfire as they passed over the Dutch coast. As they approached
England the captain was revived, took control, and landed safely even
though the runway lights were partially obscured by mist, one leg of the
damaged undercarriage collapsing as the weight came on. For his
tenacity and devotion to duty Bill Reid was decorated with Britain's
highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross.
Savage Skies by Robert Taylor.
The weather on the
morning of 31 December, 1944 was already unpleasant. In the Ardennes,
hard-pressed German troops were battling Allied ground forces advancing
through several inches of snow. Above, darkening skies heralded the
arrival of more snow. At 10.45am, in deteriorating weather, a battle
formation of 30 Fw190D fighters climbed out of Varrelbusch and headed
south over the snowcovered landscape. Under the command of 12./JG54
Staffelkapitan, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, and initially tasked to provide
air cover to their beleaguered comrades below, the group was re-assigned
to intercept enemy aircraft in the region of Limburg almost immediately
the pilots were airborne. Flying south they ran directly into the
oncoming weather, and with visibility dangerously reduced, Dortenmann
elected to climb through the solid cloud into clear air. As the Fw190s
broke cloud above the area of Koblenz they sighted a formation of nine
2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators and formed up for an attack. Some 6000
feet above, top-cover P-51 Mustangs had watched the Fw190s climbing
through the banks of clouds, and turned 180 degrees to position behind
the Luftwaffe fighters. Diving in from their height advantage, the
Mustang pilots entered the fray and within seconds the sky was filled
with swirling dogfights.
|
|
