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Fw190 - Aircraft Profile - Fokke-Wulf : Fw190

Fw190

Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf
Number Built :
Production Began : 1940
Retired : 1945
Type : Fighter

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 WWII. 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.

Fw190


Latest Fw190 Artwork Releases !
 Oscar Boesch joined the Luftwaffe in 1942 and flew his first combat mission in April 1944, crash-landing and flipping his Fw190.  However, as part of a unit specialising in attacking American daylight bombing raids, he scored 18 victories in 120 missions before the end of the war.  He is depicted here making a head-on attack in his Fw190A-8/R8 against American B-24 Liberators.

Tribute to Oscar Boesch by Ivan Berryman.
 Regarded as one of the finest wingmen to have flown, Hugo Broch first flew alongside Horst Adameit (who scored 166 victories) then Bazi Sterr (130 victories) before emerging as one of the superb combat pilots of JG54.  Shown here in his Fw190, he scored 81 victories in 324 missions and was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Tribute to Hugo Broch by Ivan Berryman.
 The Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 54 Erich Rudorffer is depicted in Fw190A-6 'Black Double Chevron' over the misty forests of Finland in June 1944. Credited with 222 aerial victories, he survived being shot down no less than sixteen times and survived the war until eventually passing away in 2016 aged 98.

Tribute to Major Erich Rudorffer by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
 A large umbrella of Spitfire Wings covered most of the sky over Dieppe during the Allied attack Operation Jubilee on 19th August 1942. Squadron leader Johnnie Johnson leads 610 (County of Chester) Squadron down from top cover support to lend a hand to Spitfires of 485 Squadron (New Zealand) and 411 Squadron (Canadian) which made up the 12 Group Wing, led by W/C Pat Jameson. The enemy being made up of a huge mixed force of Fw190 and Me109 fighters from JG2 and JG26. 12 Group Wing flew four times that disastrous day and in the end the Royal Air Force lost 106 aircraft compared to the Luftwaffe losses of 48.

The Battle for the Skies Over Dieppe, 19th August 1942 by Graeme Lothian. (PC)

Fw190 Artwork Collection



Cat Among the Pigeons (FW190) by Ivan Berryman.


Fw190A-4, Winter 1944 by Ivan Berryman.


Fw190F Fighters - Winter 1943 by Ivan Berryman.


Willi Reschke's Fw190A8 of III./JG301 during October 1944 by Ivan Berryman.


Focke Wulf Fw190A-4/U8 by Ivan Berryman.


Bill Reid VC by Graeme Lothian. (P)


Focke-Wulf Fw190A-5/U8 by Ivan Berryman.


Fw190 by Jason Askew. (P)


Focke Wulf Supremacy by Ivan Berryman.


Erich Rudorffer - Eastern Front Ace by Brian Bateman. (P)


Erich Rudorffer by Brian Bateman. (P)


Clipped Signature - Gunther Rall.


Clipped Signature - Hugo Broch.


Clipped Signature - Werner Hohenburg.


Clipped Signature - Heinz Radlauer.


Clipped Signature - Kurt Kesten.


Clipped Signature - Karl-Heinz Wiesner.


The Battle for the Skies Over Dieppe, 19th August 1942 by Graeme Lothian.


Winter Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian.


Hannes Trautloft by Graeme Lothian.


Looking for Business by Ivan Berryman.


Knight's Realm by Brian Bateman.


Eismeer Patrol by Anthony Saunders.

The Last Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian.


Checkertail Clan by Nicolas Trudgian


Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian.


Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian.


First Strike on Berlin by Nicolas Trudgian.


Hostile Sky by Robert Taylor


Ramrod by Robert Taylor


Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor.


On the Prowl by Philip West (AP)


Mountain Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian


Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian.

Winter Combat by Nicolas Trudgian.


Ardennes Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian.


Ramraiders by Robert Tomlin.


Savage Skies by Robert Taylor.


Ramraiders by Richard Taylor.


Storm Chasers by Nicolas Trudgian.


Day of the Fighters by Nicolas Trudgian.


Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)


The Blackest Friday by Ivan Berryman.


Breaking Cover by Robert Taylor.


Berlin Boar Fight by Anthony Saunders.


Tribute to Major Erich Rudorffer by Ivan Berryman.


Dora-Nine by Ivan Berryman. (PC)


Yellow 10 by Ivan Berryman. (PC)


Full Chat by Ivan Berryman. (PC)


Tribute to Hugo Broch by Ivan Berryman.


Tribute to Oscar Boesch by Ivan Berryman.


Holding the Line, Dunaburg, Latvia, 21st July 1944 by David Pentland.


Head on Pass by David Pentland.


Unhappy New Year by David Pentland.


Hunting Sturmoviks by David Pentland.


Lucky 13 by David Pentland.


African Expedition by David Pentland.


Fw190s by Ivan Berryman.


Tough Day by James Dietz.


Predator by Keith Aspinall.

Focke-Wulf Fw190 by Malcolm V Lowe.


Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian.

Focke Wulf Fw190 Aces of the Russian Front.

Focke-Wulf Fw190 Aces of the Western Front.

Fighter Aircraft of World War Two - Focke-Wulf FW190.


Gathering Storm by Robert Taylor.


Swansong by Robert Taylor.


Eagles on the Channel Front by Robert Taylor.


No Turning Back by Robert Taylor.


Long Nose Trouble by Stan Stokes.


Ivan the Terrible by Stan Stokes.
Known Aces for this aircraft
Ace NameVictories
Gunther Rall275.00
Otto Kittel267.00
Kurt Tanzer143.00
Alfred Grislawski133.00
Rudolf Rademacher126.00
Dieter Hrabak125.00
Heinz Marquardt121.00
Anton Dobele94.00
Josef Jennewein86.00
Hugo Broch81.00
Alfred Teumer76.00
Adolf Glunz72.00
Alfred Heckmann71.00
Heinz Lange70.00
Hermann Buchner58.00
Gunther Seeger56.00
Herbert Koller49.00
Gerhard Schopfel45.00
Norbert Hannig42.00
Erwin Leykauf33.00
Werner Hohenberg33.00
Willi Reschke28.00
Robert Spreckels21.00
Wolfgang Schenck18.00
Siegfried Muller17.00
Heinz Radlauer15.00
Hans-Ulrich Rudel11.00
Leander Mayer11.00
Alfred Ambs7.00


Fw190
Squadron details



JG1
Country : Germany


JG1

German World War II fighter unit or "wing" which used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, between 1940–1944. The name of the unit derives from Jagd, meaning "hunt" and Geschwader, meaning "wing". First formed in May 1939 in eastern Prussia, I./JG 1 was one of the original groups created by the Luftwaffe as part of its expansion plans.

Between 1940 and 1942, JG 1 operated primarily over the Western Front and northern occupied Europe. During the initial days of the war, JG 1 faced little resistance, apart from occasional Royal Air Force (RAF) excursions. The unit was rarely engaged in large-scale confrontations during this time. From late 1942 onwards it was tasked with defense of the Reich duties. After D-Day, elements of JG 1 were moved to France and were tasked with air support to the army Wehrmacht, along with their air defense role. Operation Bodenplatte severely reduced the strength of JG 1.

Towards the end of the war, the unit was disbanded and its remaining pilots and aircraft were re-organized. What remained of these groups surrendered to Allied forces at the end of the war.

JG 1 was the first unit to attempt 'aerial bombing' techniques against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bomber formations. It was the only unit to be equipped with the Heinkel He 162 jet fighter.

In 1944 the "Oesau" suffix was added to the unit's title, after its late Geschwaderkommodore Oberst Walter Oesau (127 kills), who was killed in action. Some 700 enemy aircraft were claimed shot down during the war.



JG2
Country : Germany


JG2

Jagdgeschwader 2 was formed from parts of Jagdgeschwader 131 "Richthofen" on 1 May 1939 in Döberitz and its first commander was Oberst Robert Ritter von Greim. At the outbreak of the war JG 2 was tasked with defence of the Reich and based in the Berlin area under Luftgaukommando III. Stab and II. Gruppe were equipped with the Bf 109E and were located at Döberitz with 10.(N) staffel flying the Bf 109D in Straussberg.

10.(N) Staffel was one of the first night fighter units formed in the Luftwaffe. Later this staffel was expanded into IV.(N) Gruppe. This Gruppe gained the Luftwaffe’s first night kill over the RAF Bomber Command on the night of 25/26 on April 1940 when Ofw Förster shot down a Handley Page Hampden.

The unit saw little combat until the Western offensive against France and the Low Countries from 10 May 1940 onwards. During the campaign against France, JG 2 was tasked with escorting raids and defending German airspace to the south of Heinz Guderian's Panzer forces which were encircling the French and the British Expeditionary Force further north. Leutnant Helmut Wick, who later became part of a trio of outstanding aces (including Adolf Galland from Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) and Werner Mölders from Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51)) in the Battle of Britain, attained his first and the Geschwader's second kill on 22 November 1939, a French Curtiss Hawk Model 75. The first victory for the JG 2 was scored by Oberfeldwebel Kley (3. Staffel) at the same day.

JG 2 took part in the Battle of Britain, operating Bf 109Es over the South Coast of England and the English Channel from bases in Cherbourg and Normandy. Major Helmut Wick emerged as one of the Battle’s top Luftwaffe aces, claiming 31 kills for a personal total of 56, before being killed (MIA) in action versus Spitfires of No. 609 Squadron in November 1940. Wick was seen to bail out successfully but was not found by German Air/Sea Rescue attempts. The Spitfire who dispatched him was immediately shot down by Oberleutnant Rudolf Pflanz. Ofw. Schnell, Ofw. Machold and Olt. Hans "Assi" Hahn also claimed heavily during this period, with 16 kills each. Some 42 JG 2 pilots were killed or made POW during the battle.



JG26
Country : Germany


JG26

Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated mainly in Western Europe against Great Britain, France and the United States but also saw service against Russia. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran and Freikorps member arrested and executed by the French for sabotage in 1923.

Commanders of II. Gruppe JG 26

Hptm. Werner Palm, 1 May 1939 – 27 June 1939
Hptm Herwig Knüppel, 28 June 1939 – 19 May 1940
Hptm Karl Ebbighausen, 20 May 1940 – 31 May 1940
Hptm. Erich Noack, 1 June 1940 – 24 July 1940
Hptm Karl Ebbighausen, 25 July 1940 – 16 August 1940
Hptm Erich Bode, 17 August 1940 – 3.10.40
Hptm Walter Adolph, 4 October 1940 – 18 September 1941
Hptm Joachim Müncheberg, 19 September 1941 – 21 July 1942
Hptm Conny Meyer, 22 July 1942 – 2 January 1943
Maj Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, 3 January 43 – 17 August 1943
Hptm Hans Naumann, 18 August 1943 – 8 September 1943
ObLt Johannes Seifert, 9 September 1943 – 25 November 1943
Maj Wilhelm Gäth, 26 November 1943 – 1 March 1944
Hptm Hans Naumann, 2 March 1944 – 28 June 1944
Hptm Emil Lang, 29 June 1944 – 3 September 1944
Hptm Georg-Peter Eder, 4 September 1944 – 8 October 1944
Maj Anton Hackl, 9 October 1944 – 29 January 45
ObLt Waldemar Radener, 30 January 1945 – 22 February 1945
Hptm Paul Schauder, 23 February 1945 – 1 May 1945



JG3
Country : Germany


JG3

Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. The Geschwader operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet in 1942.

Commanders of IV./JG 3

Major Franz Beyer, 1. June 1943
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 February 1944
Major Friedrich-Karl Müller, 26 February 1944
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 April 1944
Major Wilhelm Moritz, 18 April 1944
Hauptmann Hubert-York Weydenhammer, 5 December 1944
Major Erwin Bacsila, 5 January 1945
Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, 17 February 1945
Hauptmann Gerhard Koall, 25 April 1945
Hauptmann Günther Schack, 1 Mai 1945



JG300
Country : Germany


JG300

Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 300 was formed on June 26, 1943 in Deelen as Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann, from July 18, 1943 as Stab/JG Herrmann, and then finally redesignated on August 20, 1943 to Stab/JG 300. Its first Geschwaderkommodore was Oberstleutnant Hajo Herrmann.


JG54
Country : Germany


JG54

I./JG 54 was initially formed as I./JG 70 near Nuremberg in July 1939, just two short months before hostilities broke out. As was to become tradition within Grunherzgeschwader, the Gruppe took the Nurember coat-of-arms (a veritcally divided shield with a black heraldic bird on the left, and red and white diagonal stripes on the right) to represent the region the unit came from.

On September 15, 1939, I./JG 70 was redesignated I./JG 54

The initial unit designation for II./JG 54 was I./JG 138. This unit was raised in 1938 after the Austrian annexation. Naturally many Austrian nationals were recruited when I./JG 138 was formed. The Aspern coat of arms (black lion's head surmounting a white cross on a red field) was taken by the Gruppe for its identity.

I./JG 138 was briefly designated I./JG 76 before finally becoming II./JG 54 on April 6, 1940.

The III./JG 54 has its roots in Prussia. Initially I./JG 21, the members were drawn from the Jesau region in Prussia. The modified Jesau coat-of-arms (a shield with a Jesau cross with three diving aircraft on a red background, with a white outline on the shield) was adopted as the Gruppe's own.

On July 15, 1939, I./JG 21 was redesignated III./JG 54. However, the bureaucratic nature of the young Luftwaffe was such that it was over a year before records would reflect the new designation. Consequently, III./JG 54 fought in Poland and France as I./JG 21.


Kommodoren of JG 54 :

Major Martin Mettig; 2 Feb 40 to 25 Aug 40.
Oberst Hannes Trautloft; 25 Aug 40 to 5 Jul 43.
Major Hubertus von Bonin; 6 Jul 43 to 15 Dec 43.
Oberstleutnant Anton Mader; 28 Jan 44 to Sep 44.
Oberst Dieter Hrabak; 1 Oct 44 to 8 May 45.



Fw190
Pilot and aircrew signature details





Leutnant Hugo Broch
Our estimated value of this signature : £55

Leutnant Hugo Broch

Vital to all fighter units are the pilots who make such superb wingmen that their leaders are loath to part with them. Hugo Broch was one such wingman. Having joined VI./JG54 in January he flew first with Horst Adameit (166 victories), and later with Bazi Sterr (130 victories), but soon demonstrated his own skill in combat. By the end of 1944 he had lifted his personal score to 71 victories. One of JG54s great Fw190 Aces, Hugo Broch saw combat on the Eastern and Baltic Fronts, and completed the war having flown 324 combat missions, and claiming 81 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross.







Feldwebel Erich Brunotte
Our estimated value of this signature : £60
Died : 2023

Feldwebel Erich Brunotte

Born in 1923, Erich Brunotte joined the Luftwaffe and started immediate pilot training in June 1941. He flew on the Eastern Front with 1./Gruppe Nauhaufklarungs Geschwader 102, and later transferred to fly with IV./Jagdgeswader 51 Molders, in the 13th Staffel. Promoted to Unteroffizier in December 1944, and Feldwebel in April 1945, he flew most marks of the Bf109, and the Fw190. His very last combat mission was in the Fw Dora 9 on 3rd May 1945 at Flensburg in northen Germany. Died January 19th 2023 in Hamm, Germany.







Oberst Hermann Buchner
Our estimated value of this signature : £65
Died : 2005

Oberst Hermann Buchner

Hermann Buchner was born in Salzburg, Austria, 30th October 1919. Hermann Buchners first combat role was ground attack. After 215 combat missions he was badly injured when his Me109 exploded at 22,000ft. Returning to action in 1943, he flew a further 200 missions before again being wounded. Back in action a third time, he fought in the Crimea and Romania. After 500 ground attack missions he transferred to join Nowotny, the Me262 jet trials unit, and then 9./JG7. He was the first jet pilot in history to score a victory. Hermann Buchner had 58 air victories plus 48 tanks, numerous trucks and anti-aircraft units. He was awarded the Knights Cross in July 1944. Hermann Buchner died in Lorsching, 1st December 2005, aged 86.







Unteroffizier Gustav Drees
Our estimated value of this signature : £55

Unteroffizier Gustav Drees

Born in 1923, Gustav Drees was called up for military service in 1942, and with a passion for flying joined the Luftwaffe. After training as a fighter pilot he was immediately posted to the Eastern Front with his first front-line unit - JG54 Green Hearts, where he flew the Me 109. In very early 1943 he became one of the first of the JG54 pilots to fly the Fw190A in combat. With four air victories to his credit with JG54 in Russia, towards the end of the war he was posted to join JG 108 in Austria, where he stayed until the end.







Oberleutnant Adolf Glunz
Our estimated value of this signature : £65
Died : 2002

Oberleutnant Adolf Glunz

Adolf Glunz served with 4/JG-52 on both the Channel Coast and then in Russia. Returning to the English Channel with II./JG-25 he became one of the most successful fighter pilots on the Western Front. Adolf Glunz saw combat continuously right up to the war end and, remarkably, was never shot down or wounded in over 574 missions, many whilst flying the Fw190. Awarded the Knight's Cross in 1943, he acheived a personal score of 71 victories. He died 1st August 2002.







Hauptmann Alfred Grislawski
Our estimated value of this signature : £60
Died : 2003

Hauptmann Alfred Grislawski

Alfred Grislawski joined 9./JG52 in 1940, quickly becoming an Ace. An outstanding fighter pilot, his air victories were 133 in over 800 combat missions until he was severely wounded. he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Died 19th September 2003.







Oberst Hajo Hermann
Our estimated value of this signature : £65
Died : 2010

Oberst Hajo Hermann

Hans-Joachim Hermann was born on August 1st 1913 in Kiel, Germany. Hans-Joachim Hermann began his military career as an infantry officer, but after his introduction to gliding – and an invitation from Herman Göring, he transferred to the newly-created Luftwaffe and was commissioned in 1935. In August 1936, Herrmann was in the first group of Germans to arrive in Spain to support General Franco's Nationalist forces. Initially Hans-Joachim Hermann flew bombing operations in the Junkers 52 before becoming a founder member of the Condor Legion, whosemain mission was to attack airfields and defensive positions near Madrid. Many more bombing operations followed, and in April 1937 he returned to Germany. When Germany invading Poland Hermann took off in his Heinkel He111 to bomb railway lines in Poland on the first day. This was the first of 18 targets that Hermann attacked before his unit moved to support the German invasion of Norway. His unit was deployed to bomb targets near Oslo and Stavanger and after the fall of Norway, Hermann's unit was re-equipped with the Junkers 88 and moved to support the German army during the blitzkrieg across the Low Countries and France. During the battle of Britain Hermann was the commander of the 7th Staffel of KG-4, and he led many bombing attacks on England. His first target was oil refineries at Thames Haven and on the night of the 7th / 8th of September 1940 he attacked London. This was his 69th operation against England, when he bombed the India Dock. By the end of the Battle of Britian Hajo Hermann had flown 21 missions over London. A formidable figure in the Luftwaffe, Hajo Hermann was originally awarded the Knight's Cross in 1940 as a bomber pilot. In February 1941 while based in Sicily, Hermann led dive-bombing attacks against airfields on Malta. He was also ordered to hold the British Fleet in check. Attacks against the Royal Navy's heaviest ships followed. On April 7th 1941 following the German advance into Greece, Hermann's unit started mining and bombing operations in the eastern Mediterranean. On one attack, against shipping in Piraeus harbour, Hermann's bomb hit Clan Fraser, which was carrying 350 tons of high explosive. The resulting explosion sank 10 other ships and closed the port for many months. Hermann flew over 320 operations with KG4. In July 1941 Hermann was appointed commander of a bomber group, initially based in France to attack targets in England, before moving to a new base in the far north of Norway. His unit attacked Allied convoys heading for Murmansk with supplies for the Russians - these artic convoys included PQ-17, which was continously attacked. PQ -17 would lose a total of 24 merchantmen and only 11 ships made it through. With II./JG30, Hermann sank a total of 12 ships and in 1942 Hermann was assigned to the general staff in Germany, where he became a close confidant of Göring. In July 1942 he was appointed to the Luftwaffe operational staff. During the summer of 1943 as the Royal Air Force carried out night bombing raids, Hermann devised the tactic of using day fighters to hunt alone rather than in packs. As a bomber man himself, his ideas initially gained little support from the Luftwaffe's night fighter staff, but Göring supported the idea. Flown by experienced night fighter pilots and ex-instructors, the fighters waited in the darkness above their Allied targets, using the light of fires below to illuminate the bombers before attacking. He was responsible for the formation of JG300 and founded the highly successful Wilde Sau (Wild Boar) tactics of free roaming Fw190 night fighters. Hermann himself flew more than 50 wild boar missions and was twice forced to bail out of his stricken fighter. In December 1943 he was appointed Luftwaffe Inspector of Aerial Defence. At the end of 1944 he led the 9th Flieger division and created the famous Rammkommando. Hermann was credited with shooting down nine RAF bombers. After being Inspector General of night fighters, Hermann was appointed to command the First Fighter Division, when he continued to fly on operations. At the end of the war he was captured by the Russians. He spent 10 years in Soviet camps and was one of the last to be released, returning to Germany on October 12th 1955. Hajo Hermann awarded the Knight's Cross, Oak Leaves and Swords. Sadly, we have learned that Hajo Hermann passed away on 5th November 2010.







Oberfeldwebel Werner Hohenberg
Our estimated value of this signature : £65
Died : 2001

Oberfeldwebel Werner Hohenberg

Werner Hohenberg joined JG52 in July 1942, flying with 8th Staffel. He scored 4 victories in a single day on 5th July 1943 but on July 9th 1943 he was badly wounded when his aircraft was hit by Russian flak, causing him to be in hospital until November 1st, 1944. He was then posted to JG2 'Richtofen' on the Western Front. On January 1st, 1945 he took part in Operation Bodenplatte, and was again shot down, his Fw190 this time hit by US flak. Landing behind British lines he was taken POW. Werner Hohenberg flew over 200 combat missions, scoring 33 air victories. He was awarded the Iron Cross. He died in October 2001.







Dieter Hrabak
Our estimated value of this signature : £60
Died : 1995

Dieter Hrabak

Dieter Hrabak was shot down in his first aerial combat during the Polish Campaign. He survived to become one of the Luftwaffes most respected and popular leaders. He scored his first victory in the Battle of France, and got 15 more during the Battle of Britain. By Eagle Day he was in command of II./JG 54, which he led until taking command of JG 52 in 1942. He was the first JG 54 Ace to be awarded the Knights Cross. He ended the war back in command of JG 54, and was credited with 125 victories.

Dieter Hrabak was born on 19th December 1914 in a small village near Leipzig. Upon graduation from high school, he hoped to become a commercial pilot, but in 1934 Hrabak joined the Reichsmarine. Within 6 months he transferred to the newly formed Luftwaffe for flight training. By April 1939, Hrabak was recognised as an experienced pilot and given command of a squadron in Vienna. On his very first combat mission in September 1939 over Poland, he was shot down - the first of 11 times. Hrabaks first aerial victory came during the Battle of France. Flying an Me109, he claimed five more victories before the armistice. In the summer of 1940, his squadron was incorporated into a newly formed fighting wing, JG54 Green Hearts. Hrabak commanded II./JG54, one of the wings three groups as the Luftwaffe began its assault on England. During the Batttle of Britain he brought his score to 16 Royal Air Force fighters and Field Marshal Goring personally decorated him with the Knights Cross. In the spring of 1941, II./JG54 flew in the short campaign against Yugoslavia. When Operation Barbarosa began in Russia, he flew on the northern sector of the front and fought over Leningrad. In November 1942, Hrabak took command of JG52 on the southern front and fought over Stalingrad. In August 1943, he got his 100th aerial victory and in November, Hitler awarded him Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross. In early 1944, JG52 achieved its 10,000th aerial victory - the most by any Luftwaffe wing. In October 1944, he returned to his old wing, the Green Hearts, as Commander. Flying the Focke Wulf Fw190, he fought until near the end of the war in Kurland. After the war, he worked in the auto and chemical industry. He was a key architect in rebuilding the modern German Air Force. In 1953, Chancellor Adenaur asked him to help form a new German Air Force. Hrabak personally interviewed most of the officers who would form the nucleus. In mid-1955, he came to the United States and trained on modern jets. In the summer of 1956, he returned home to command the Advanced Pilot Training Centre at Furstenfeldbruck AB. By 1960, he commanded all GAF flying training centres. Two years later, he took charge of the air defence sector covering northern Germany and the Netherlands. In 1964, he was named NATOs Chief of Air Defence, Central Europe, until he became special manager for the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Finally, as a major general, he commanded the GAFs tactical command, retiring on 1st October 1970. He died on 15th September 1995.







Major Heinz Lange
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2006

Major Heinz Lange

At the outbreak of war Heinz Lange was with I./JG21 scoring his first victory in October 1939. He flew 76 missions in the Battle of Britain with 8./JG54, and never lost a wingman. After flying in the Balkan campaign he took part in the invasion of Russia, scoring 7 victories during the first week. In October 1941 he was given command of 1./JG54 and in 1942 command of 3./JG51. In January 1944 Heinz Lange returned to JG54 to command 1.Gruppe and then back to JG51 where he was appointed Kommodore of JG51 Molders, leading IV./JG51 at the same time. Heinz Lange flew over 628 missions and achieved 70 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross. Born 2nd October 1917, died 26th February 2006.







Oberleutnant Erwin Leykauf
Our estimated value of this signature : £45

Oberleutnant Erwin Leykauf

Born in January 1918, Erwin Leykauf learned to fly at glider school and Luftkriegschule, before being called up to fly at the beginning of the war. He flew with JG21 at the beginning of the Battle of Britain, which soon became JG54 where he scored his first 7 victories. Transferring to the Balkans and later the Eastern Front he was forced into an emergency landing behind enemy lines during Operation Barbarossa, eventually making his way back to rejoin his unit. On the night of 22nd - 23rd June 1942, he claimed 6 victories in less than one hour. In August 1943, Leykauf began converting with JG54 to the Fw190 fighter. At the end of the war he was with JG7, flying the Me262, although he did not get a chance to fly any missions on the jet fighter. Erwin was awarded the Iron Cross I and II and his victories had climbed to 33.






Oberfahnrich Heinz Meyer
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 1987

Oberfahnrich Heinz Meyer

One of the most successful of the younger Stuka pilots, Heinz Meyer joined the Luftwaffe in January 1940, and completed his Stuka pilot training in 1942. In July of that year he first saw action 3./St.G. 102 in Foggia, Italy, whilst flying on an armed reconnaissance mission. In February 1943 he joined 8./SG2 Immelmann on the Eastern Front. With his Staffel he was one of the most highly regarded pilots on the entire Eastern front and took part in the Battle of Kursk with Rudel. Heinz flew his 500th combat mission on 31st May 1944, and received the German Cross in August 1944. By the end of the war he had completed 618 combat missions, including 30 in the Fw190, and destroyed 40 tanks, 40 gun positions, 100 vehicles, 3 bridges, 2 ammunition dumps and 2 supply trains. He was awarded the Knights Cross on 17th April 1945. He died on 22nd September 1987.







Leutnant Siegfried Muller
Our estimated value of this signature : £55

Leutnant Siegfried Muller

Born in 1924, Siegfried Muller first flew with JG1 Molders in the south of France. In 1943 he took part in the air battles over Salerno and Monte Cassino. He joined IV./JG3 Udet in June 1944, where he was promoted to Staffelkapitan of 16 Staffel /IV Sturm Gruppe flying heavily armoured Fw190s. With this Gruppe he took part in the Ardennes Offensive and on 1st January 1945, Operation Bodenplatte. At the end of the war he was attached to JG7 for training on the Me262 jet fighter. Awarded the Iron Cross 1 and 2, he scored 17 victories, including 9 four-engined bombers.







Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer
Our estimated value of this signature : £45

Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer

Heinz Radlauer learnt to fly gliders in 1940, aged 17, and joined the Luftwaffe in August 1941. After Fighter School, in June 1944 he was posted to join JG51 Molders then fighting on the Eastern Front near Minsk, scoring his first victory in October of that year. Heinz Radlauer fleew the Bf109G, the Fw190A, and at the end of the war the Fw190D, by which time he had notched up over 100 combat missions, flying his last combat mission on 30th April 1945. Credited with 15 air victories, all on the Eastern Front, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class.







General Gunther Rall
Our estimated value of this signature : £75
Died : 2009

General Gunther Rall

A young pilot with III/JG52 at the outbreak of war. He quickly demonstrated his natural ability and leadership qualities, scoring his first air victory early in the Battle of Britain, and by July 1940 was leading 8/JG52. After transfer to the Eastern Front his air victories mounted at an astonishing rate. A crash hospitalised him but within nine months he was back in the cockpit, and, when commanding III/JG52, gained the Wings 500th victory. Gunther fought throughout the war to become the 3rd highest Ace in history with 275 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Gunther Rall was born on March 10, 1918 in the small Bavarian town of Gaggenau, Baden. Immersing himself in Boy Scout activities during the difficult economic times in Germany following WW 1, Rall finished school in 1936 and joined the German Army. Influenced by a friend, who was a young officer in the Luftwaffe, Rall entered pilots school in 1938. His initial posting was with JG52. He attained his first aerial victory during the Battle of France in May of 1940. During the Battle of Britain JG52 absorbed many casualties, and Rall was promoted to Squadron Commander at the young age of 22. With his fair-hair and smooth complexion the young officer looked even younger than his years. But behind this pleasant exterior was a fierce competitor with the heart of a tiger. Later, Ralls squadron would support the attack on Crete, followed by deployment to the Southern Sector on the Eastern Front. Ralls victory totals began to mount. Following his 37 th victory, GiInther was himself shot down. He was lucky to survive the crash, but with a badly broken back he would spend most of the next year in various hospitals. In Vienna at the University Hospital he would meet his future wife, Hertha. Miraculously, Rall recovered and returned to the Luftwaffe in August of 1942. By November his score exceeded 100 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves to accompany the Knights Cross he was awarded only weeks earlier. As the War progressed against Russia, Rall began to encounter ever more experienced Soviet pilots flying better performing aircraft. Despite this fact, and being shot down several more times himself, Ralls victory tally kept rising. By March of 1944 the ace had attained 273 aerial victories. With the War now going badly for Germany, Rall was transferred to the Western Front. He was able to attain only two more victories against the swarms of Allied bombers and fighter escorts which now pounded Germany every day and night. In May of 1944 Rall was shot down by a P-47. Losing his thumb in the battle he remained out of combat until later in 1944. Ralls final assignments included flying 190Ds as Kornmodore of JG300, and flying the Me-262 jet. Ralls 275 aerial victories (attained on less than 700 combat sorties) make him the third highest scoring ace of all time. If not for the down time suffered as a result of his broken back, Rall might have actually equaled or exceeded Erich Hartmanns alltime record of 352 aerial victories. Rall was not much for socializing during the War. He was a fierce competitor with a businessmans attitude about flying. He was an excellent marksman, and possibly the best deflection shot expert of the War. He continued to fly with the Bundeslufwaffe following the War, serving as its Commander-In Chief in 1970-74. Sadly Gunther Rall died on 4th October 2009.







Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke
Our estimated value of this signature : £40
Died : 2017

Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke

One of the outstanding younger Luftwaffe pilots, Willi Reschke was one of the leading members of JG300 Wilde Sau flying the Fw190A in the 'Defence of the Reich'. Towards the latter months of the war he transferred to the Stabsschwarm of JG301, still flying the Fw190A. Awarded the Knight's Crossin April 1945, he was credited with 26 victories - all in the west - including 18 four engined bombers. He died on 5th July 2017.







Major Erich Rudorffer
Our estimated value of this signature : £60
Died : 2016

Major Erich Rudorffer

Erich Rudorffer was born on November 1st 1917 in the town of Zwickau in Saxony. Erich Rudorffer joined the Luftwaffes I./JG2 Richthofen in November 1939, and was soon flying combat patrols in January 1940 and was assigned to I/JG 2 Richthofen with the rank of Oberfeldwebel. He took part in the Battle of France, scoring the first of his many victories over a French Hawk 75 on May 14th, 1940. He went on to score eight additional victories during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. Rudorffer recalled an incident in August 1940 when he escorted a badly damaged Hurricane across the Channel - ditching in the English Channel was greatly feared by pilots on both sides. As fate often does, Rudorffer found the roles reversed two weeks later, when he was escorted by an RAF fighter after receiving battle damage. By May 1st 1941 Rudorffer had achieved 19 victories, which led to the award of the Knights Cross. In June 1941 Rodorffer became an Adjutant of II./JG2. In 1942 Rudorffer participated in Operation Cerberus (known as the Channel Dash) and flew over the Allied landings at Dieppe. Erich Rudorffer along with JG2 was transferred to North Africa in December 1942. It was in North Africa that Rudorffer showed his propensity for multiple-victory sorties. He shot down eight British aircraft in 32 minutes on February 9th 1943 and seven more in 20 minutes six days later. After scoring a total of 26 victories in Tunisia, Rudorffer returned to France in April 1943 and was posted to command II./JG54 in Russia, after Hauptmann Heinrich Jung, its Kommodore, failed to return from a mission on July 30th 1943. On August 24th 1943 he shot down 5 Russian aircraft on the first mission of the day and followed that up with three more victories on the second mission. He scored seven victories in seven minutes on October 11th but his finest achievement occurred on November 6th when in the course of 17 minutes, he shot down thirteen Russian aircraft. Rudorffer became known to Russian pilots as the fighter of Libau. On October 28th 1944 while about to land, Rudorffer spotted a large formation of Il-2 Sturmoviks. He quickly aborted the landing and moved to engage the Russian aircraft. In under ten minutes, nine of the of the II-2 Sturmoviks were shot down causing the rest to disperse. Rudorffer would later that day go on and shoot down a further two Russian aircraft. These victories took his total to 113 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves on April 11th 1944. Rudorffer would on the 26th January 1945 on his 210th victory receive the addition of the Swords. In February 1945 Rudorffer took command of I./JG7 flying the Me262. He was one of the first jet fighter aces of the war, scoring 12 victories in the Me262. He shot down ten 4-engine bombers during the 'Defense of the Reich missions'. He was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. Erich Rudorffer never took leave, was shot down 16 times having to bail out 9 times, and ended the war with 222 victories from over 1000 missions. He was awarded the Knights Cross, with Oak Leaves and Swords. Erich Rudorffer died on 8th April 2016.







Major Gerhard Schopfel
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2003

Major Gerhard Schopfel

Gerhard Schopfel was Staffelkapitan of 9./JG26 at the outbreak of war, and became Kommandeur of III./JG26 in August 1940. In December 1941 he succeeded Adolf Galland as Kommodore of JG26 until Januray 1943. Later, Kommodore of JG4 and JG6. He flew over 700 combat missions, achieving 40 victories, all in the West. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in 1940. Died 17th May 2003.







Oberleutnant Gunther Seeger
Our estimated value of this signature : £50
Died : 2013

Oberleutnant Gunther Seeger

In February 1940, Gunther Seeger was an Unteroffizier with 3./JG2, scoring his first victory in the early days of the Battle of Britain. he served on the Channel Front until December 1942, including several months with the Geschwaderstabsschwarm. He transferred to the Mediterranean theatre with II./JG2 before joining 6./JG53. In February 1943 he joined 7./JG53 becoming Staffelkapitan in September 1944. Awarded the Knight's Cross, Gunther Seeger scored 56 victories.




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