Strana 25
#84205
BOXART STORY
Many Luftwaffe pilots were accustomed to
flying the Bf 109 E since the Spanish Civil War and
had literally grown attached to these machines.
As a result, transitioning to the Bf 109 F-1 and
F-2 variants—equipped with weaker armament
compared to the E-7 version—proved unpopular
for many of them. Old habits die hard. Even more
difficult was the transition to an entirely new type
of fighter aircraft with significantly different flight
characteristics and a radial engine instead of an
inline one: the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.
The first unit to operate the new Fw 190 A-1 was
II./JG 26 "Schlageter," equipped with Bf 109 Es.
Around the beginning of August 1941,
Erprobungsstaffel 190, led by Oblt. Otto Behrens,
was transferred from the test center in Rechlin
to the Paris-Le Bourget airfield. Behrens' unit had
successfully completed its operational tests and
was now tasked with passing on its findings to
II./JG 26, commanded by Hptm. Walter Adolph.
Without Behrens' experience and dedication,
the entire project would, in all likelihood, have
been abandoned, as it was plagued with persistent
issues—mainly concerning the BMW 801 C-1
powerplant—that would have discouraged less
determined individuals.
Part of II./JG 26 trained on Focke-Wulf aircraft
in Paris, the rest of the unit flew combat sorties
with old planes in Belgium at the Moorsele airbase.
This practice became standard for other units
transitioning to the Fw 190 A. The first successful
deployment of the Fw 190 A took place on August
14, 1941.
In November 1941 III./JG 26 began rearming
with the Fw 190 A-1, however, problems with
the power units persisted. Mechanics had to
make modifications to the exhaust manifolds
in field conditions, and the unit independently
sourced some spare parts from across Germany.
A testament to the engine's reliability issues is the
fact that BMW awarded Oblt. Borris, the commander
of 8./JG 26, a gold watch after the engine of his
Fw 190 surpassed 100 hours of operating time.
By early 1942, the first Fw 190 A-2s, equipped
with the improved BMW 801 C-2 powerplant, were
documented in service with III./JG 26. Notably, the
first aircraft of this version was recorded with
II./JG 26 as early as December 1941. In the same
month, I./JG 26 took delivery of its first Fw 190 A-1s.
In 1941, Stab JG 26, under the command of Adolf
Galland, continued to operate Messerschmitt Bf 109
F-4s. By this time, this version of the Bf 109 had
become popular among many pilots. When Maj.
Gerhard Schöpfel took over command of JG 26,
his Stab began rearming with the Fw 190 A-2 in
January 1942, followed by the A-3 version in April.
The fighter-bomber unit, 10./JG 26, transitioned
from the Bf 109 F-4/B to the, then, already proven
Fw 190 A-2 and A-3 models only in June and July of
1942. The A-3 variant was equipped with the BMW
801 D-2 powerplant, which by then had become
relatively trouble-free.
Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" received their
Fw 190s significantly later than their JG 26
counterparts. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 and
F-4 remained in use by Stab JG 2 until July 1942,
with at least one E-7 still in service! Under the
command of Obstlt. Walter Oesau, the Stab of JG
2 took delivery of its first Fw 190 A-3 in May 1942,
followed by additional A-2 and A-3 versions in the
subsequent months. The first Gruppe within JG 2
to begin rearmament with the Fw 190 was II./JG 2,
which received the A-2s in March 1942. One of its
pilots recalled that very few aircraft were equipped
with four wing-mounted guns. This shortage was
reportedly due to insufficient gun production
capacity, and aircraft with the full armament
were usually reserved for unit commanders.
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2, F-4, and even one
E-4 were gradually phased out of II./JG 2 until
May 1942.
Next in line was III./JG 2, commanded by Hptm.
Hans "Assi" Hahn. His unit gradually retired the
Bf 109 F-2 and F-4 variants by July 1942, starting
receiving the Fw 190 A-2 and A-3 models in May.
Hahn’s brand-new aircraft is depicted on box art by
Piotr Forkasiewicz, with additional details available
in the historical text included in the kit's instructions.
I./JG 2 was the last to transition to the Fw 190, doing
so between June and July 1942. The same timeline
applied to the fighter-bomber unit 10./JG 2, which
also began rearming during this period.
The Fw 190 was an ideal fighter aircraft for
medium- and low-altitude combat, where it held
an advantage of its powerful armament and ability
to escape in steep dives. However, the operational
needs of Luftwaffe fighter units gradually evolved,
especially after the arrival of American forces in the
UK. As a result, during 1943, some aforementioned
units were rearmed with Bf 109s, which were better
suited for high-altitude combat. In the spring,
II./JG 2 received the G-3, G-4, and G-6 variants.
Later, in the autumn, III./JG 26 transitioned to the
G-3, G-5, and G-6 models.
Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
Old Habits Die Hard
Text: Jan Bobek
INFO Eduard
25
February 2025