Strana 43
WNr. 610487, Lt. Heinz Ewald, II./JG 52, Veszprém, Hungary, February 1945
WNr. 612769, 101. vadászezred, Neubiberg, Germany, May 1945
Heinz Ewald was born on September 1, 1922,
in Zoppot (Sopot), Free City of Danzig (Gdańsk).
On December 1, 1941, he volunteered for military
service and, after basic training with Fl.Ausb.
Rgt. 23, underwent pilot training. In the fall of
1943, he was assigned to 6./JG 52 on the Eastern
Front, where he often flew as a wingman
to Gerhard Barkhorn. On November 12, 1943,
he achieved his first aerial victory. On June 24,
1944, he suffered serious injuries, after downing
a B-24 bomber near Ploiești, he was himself
shot down by escorting fighters. Following
his recovery, he returned in October 1944 to
II./JG 52, which was then stationed in Hungary.
He recorded his 50th aerial victory on January
2, 1945, and achieved five more victories the
following day. In the final months of the war,
he was involved in the defence of Vienna.
His 84th and last victory was achieved on April
16, 1945. Four days later, Ewald was awarded
the Knight’s Cross. Throughout his career,
he was shot down several times and earned
a reputation as a lucky pilot.
In the end of March 1945, the remaining
Hungarian units were concentrated at Tulln
airport in Austria from where they flew sorties
to the areas of Vienna and Brno. After the
front approached Tulln on April 5, 1945, they
relocated to Raffelding airport, from where
they continued in the air support of the land
forces in the vicinity of Vienna. At the end of
the war, the Hungarian airmen, same as their
German comrades-in-arms, better surrendered
to the American Army than to Soviet one,
therefore the 101. vadászezred pilots flew over
to the Bavarian Neubiberg with their remaining
aircraft. Airframes manufactured in Diana
plant were camouflaged in the same colors
as the airframes from Wiener Neustadt plant.
From the photographs of Red 12 it is obvious that
the Hungarian national markings were spray-
painted directly on the factory camouflage.
The German markings were not applied at all.
Part of the wing undersurfaces remained in
the natural metal color.
KITS 02/2025
INFO Eduard
43
February 2025