Then were the 190's shot down and if so, does the Luftwaffe confirm this.
If the records show the three downed 190s, or at least an engagement that day, you can get the ID of the pilots. At least we'd be able to see if they were rookies or not.
My guess is that they were rookies on thier first flight and that B-24 strayed into thier flight...seeing this, they got "Jadgfeiber" and went after it, not having enough experience to keep an eye out for allied fighters...
I wouldn't underestimate the defensive armament of the bombers, it could keep FW-190s at bay long enough for the 486th to see them in need of assistance.
There is also a difference between Fw190s...also, were these Fw190s from a flight school, as we are supposing? If so, they would not have the firepower to tear a bomber apart like the heavily armed Fw190A-8s
Chances are, they were older Fw190A-4 or A-5 aircraft, armed with only the cowl mounted MG17s and wing mounted MG151
If this is the case, then these three attacking a lone B-24 would have been like three young lions trying to take on a wounded Cape Buffalo
having considered this very carefully, lol, the only possible use for the streamer I can think of is to denote the flight leader for the rookies, yet having more than one flying together seems to defy this?
unless of course the rookies didn't make it?