Hi Guys,
Of late it's been a busy ol'e time here in the backabeyond and with the Classic Fighters airshow at Omaka looming (Easter w/end) I thought I'd write a piece on the Fw 190, an aeroplane you are all familiar with, since the Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection example, the first Flug Werk 190 built, will make its big airshow debut.
Occasionally, largely to suppliment my meagre income fixing our national airline's broken regional airliners, I write articles for a national aviation magazine. Researching the Fw 190 was fun and I used this forum as something of an inspiration for my article, which focusses on the impact the '190 had on the RAF between its entry to service and when Arnim Faber landed at RAF Pembry in June 1942. The main inspiration I had was a thread that was opened here on which was the better fighter in 1941 - 1942, the Bf 109F or the Fw 190A, which raged on for a number of pages, with convincing arguments on borh sides. So, I'd like to thank those of you who inadvertently contributed to my article and increasing my knowledge of the '190.
Here is a snippet from the article; I can't put too much here since the editor would be upset if it appeared anywhere else before it goes to print, but a couple of paragraphs won't go amiss. It's titled: "The RAF's Bogeyman; The Fw 190 Butcher Bird goes to war"
"The new fighter's ascendency over its enemy began almost immediately, with Luftwaffe units equipping with Fw 190s devising tactics to take full advantage of their superior performance over the Spitfire V. Since the Spitfire's tight turning circle was well known, engaging the British fighter in the horizontal plane was dangerous and to be avoided. With superior dive and climb speed to the Spitfire, the Fw 190 was best flown in the vertical plane, diving upon enemy aircraft from altitude in high speed slashing attacks, followed by zoom climbs back to altitude. Best of all was the Fw 190's ability to out run its opponent, which gave its pilots the advantage of breaking off from combat at will.
With the RAF's first encounter with Fw 190s in September 1941, which were tentatively misidentified in combat reports as a "Curtiss Hawk", Fighter Command's fortunes reached a low ebb; the previous six months of cross-channel operations had seen losses soar to as many as 416 fighters during 20,495 sorties flown. Some 700 enemy aircraft were claimed in that period, but actual Luftwaffe losses were as low as 103 fighters.
Occupying the job of Fighter Command C-in-C since Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh 'Stuffy' Dowding was ousted after the Battle of Britain, Air Marshal Sholto Douglas had initiated his squadrons' offensive charges into enemy territory, carrying out 'Circusses' and 'Rhubarbs', quaint code names for luring enemy aircraft into combat by attacking random targets of opportunity on the ground. Despite favourable reports however, losses suffered during these dangerous missions were taking their toll and the RAF was forced into the disagreeable situation of maintaining a more defensive stance by curtailing cross-channel ops. Once the Fw 190 arrived on the scene, the Air Staff issued a Directive on 13 November 1941 halting all RAF operations over northern Europe.
Aircrew morale within Fighter Command plummeted. News of successful enemy action, such as the "Channel Dash" of 12 February 1942, where the Kriegsmarine battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and their destroyer escort steamed brazenly through the English Channel in broad daylight gave them even more reason to fret.
Operation Cerberus-Donnerkeil was the first combined operation the Fw 190 was engaged in. Organisation of air cover was the responsibility of celebrated German fighter leader Oberst Adolf 'Dolfo' Galland, who had relinquished command of JG 26, the first Luftwaffe unit to convert to the new fighter, to become Inspecteur der Jagdflieger (Fighter Pilot Inspector). Paltry attacks by Royal Navy Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, gallantly led by Lt Cdr Eugene Esmonde were violently opposed by JG 26's Butcher Birds, whose pilots found themselves frantically pushing buttons to lower flaps and undercarriage to slow their fighters to attack the antiquated biplanes. Sadly, all of Esmonde's charges were shot down and not a single torpedo struck home. Esmonde was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his unfailing courage during the hopeless attack.
Throughout the first half of 1941, the Spitfire Mk.V fitted with a 1,230 hp single-stage supercharged Rolls Royce Merlin 45 proved a tractable fighter that was believed to be able to counter the new Messerschmitt Bf 109F adequately, despite the latter's superior altitude performance. It was minuted by the Air Staff that, "The aircraft has a superior initial climb and dive to that of the Spitfire, but it is considered that the Spitfire could easily out-turn the Me 109F, especially at high speed.". In practise however, the 'F model Messerschmitt was proving a headache and was largely responsible for the high losses of fighters in the first six months of 1941. The appearance of the Butcher Bird changed attitudes toward Fighter Command's failing cross-channel campaign, however."
At 2,900 words its not overly long, but has to fit in the confines of what will be a busy magazine that month. It's going in print in the April issue.
The Cof F FW 190, decorated in the markings of of 222 kills Ace Erich Rudorffer of II/JG 54. The aircraft wears the name Stahlgewitter, literally "Steel Storm", the Grunherz (Green Heart) emblem of JG 54 and the coat-of-arms of Vienna-Aspern; the emblem of II Gruppe.
Of late it's been a busy ol'e time here in the backabeyond and with the Classic Fighters airshow at Omaka looming (Easter w/end) I thought I'd write a piece on the Fw 190, an aeroplane you are all familiar with, since the Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection example, the first Flug Werk 190 built, will make its big airshow debut.
Occasionally, largely to suppliment my meagre income fixing our national airline's broken regional airliners, I write articles for a national aviation magazine. Researching the Fw 190 was fun and I used this forum as something of an inspiration for my article, which focusses on the impact the '190 had on the RAF between its entry to service and when Arnim Faber landed at RAF Pembry in June 1942. The main inspiration I had was a thread that was opened here on which was the better fighter in 1941 - 1942, the Bf 109F or the Fw 190A, which raged on for a number of pages, with convincing arguments on borh sides. So, I'd like to thank those of you who inadvertently contributed to my article and increasing my knowledge of the '190.
Here is a snippet from the article; I can't put too much here since the editor would be upset if it appeared anywhere else before it goes to print, but a couple of paragraphs won't go amiss. It's titled: "The RAF's Bogeyman; The Fw 190 Butcher Bird goes to war"
"The new fighter's ascendency over its enemy began almost immediately, with Luftwaffe units equipping with Fw 190s devising tactics to take full advantage of their superior performance over the Spitfire V. Since the Spitfire's tight turning circle was well known, engaging the British fighter in the horizontal plane was dangerous and to be avoided. With superior dive and climb speed to the Spitfire, the Fw 190 was best flown in the vertical plane, diving upon enemy aircraft from altitude in high speed slashing attacks, followed by zoom climbs back to altitude. Best of all was the Fw 190's ability to out run its opponent, which gave its pilots the advantage of breaking off from combat at will.
With the RAF's first encounter with Fw 190s in September 1941, which were tentatively misidentified in combat reports as a "Curtiss Hawk", Fighter Command's fortunes reached a low ebb; the previous six months of cross-channel operations had seen losses soar to as many as 416 fighters during 20,495 sorties flown. Some 700 enemy aircraft were claimed in that period, but actual Luftwaffe losses were as low as 103 fighters.
Occupying the job of Fighter Command C-in-C since Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh 'Stuffy' Dowding was ousted after the Battle of Britain, Air Marshal Sholto Douglas had initiated his squadrons' offensive charges into enemy territory, carrying out 'Circusses' and 'Rhubarbs', quaint code names for luring enemy aircraft into combat by attacking random targets of opportunity on the ground. Despite favourable reports however, losses suffered during these dangerous missions were taking their toll and the RAF was forced into the disagreeable situation of maintaining a more defensive stance by curtailing cross-channel ops. Once the Fw 190 arrived on the scene, the Air Staff issued a Directive on 13 November 1941 halting all RAF operations over northern Europe.
Aircrew morale within Fighter Command plummeted. News of successful enemy action, such as the "Channel Dash" of 12 February 1942, where the Kriegsmarine battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and their destroyer escort steamed brazenly through the English Channel in broad daylight gave them even more reason to fret.
Operation Cerberus-Donnerkeil was the first combined operation the Fw 190 was engaged in. Organisation of air cover was the responsibility of celebrated German fighter leader Oberst Adolf 'Dolfo' Galland, who had relinquished command of JG 26, the first Luftwaffe unit to convert to the new fighter, to become Inspecteur der Jagdflieger (Fighter Pilot Inspector). Paltry attacks by Royal Navy Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, gallantly led by Lt Cdr Eugene Esmonde were violently opposed by JG 26's Butcher Birds, whose pilots found themselves frantically pushing buttons to lower flaps and undercarriage to slow their fighters to attack the antiquated biplanes. Sadly, all of Esmonde's charges were shot down and not a single torpedo struck home. Esmonde was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his unfailing courage during the hopeless attack.
Throughout the first half of 1941, the Spitfire Mk.V fitted with a 1,230 hp single-stage supercharged Rolls Royce Merlin 45 proved a tractable fighter that was believed to be able to counter the new Messerschmitt Bf 109F adequately, despite the latter's superior altitude performance. It was minuted by the Air Staff that, "The aircraft has a superior initial climb and dive to that of the Spitfire, but it is considered that the Spitfire could easily out-turn the Me 109F, especially at high speed.". In practise however, the 'F model Messerschmitt was proving a headache and was largely responsible for the high losses of fighters in the first six months of 1941. The appearance of the Butcher Bird changed attitudes toward Fighter Command's failing cross-channel campaign, however."
At 2,900 words its not overly long, but has to fit in the confines of what will be a busy magazine that month. It's going in print in the April issue.
The Cof F FW 190, decorated in the markings of of 222 kills Ace Erich Rudorffer of II/JG 54. The aircraft wears the name Stahlgewitter, literally "Steel Storm", the Grunherz (Green Heart) emblem of JG 54 and the coat-of-arms of Vienna-Aspern; the emblem of II Gruppe.
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