Page 18
Eduard Info 2010 page 18
History
Under the leadership of Günther Rall, the school
found it necessary to relocate from Königsberg, which
was being approached by the Red Army, to the sou-
thern Germany, to Bad Wörishofen. Among others,
this was also the base for elements of the training
unit I./JG 101 and also a specialized unit nicknamed
‘Zirkus Rosarius’, which demonstrated to German
airmen captured enemy equipment. Güther Rall was
able to try out machines that he had met in combat,
such as the Spit re, Mustang, Lightning and Thun-
derbolt.
Günther Rall received orders in mid-February
to take command of Jagdgeschwader 300,
but before leaving the VFS des G.d.J., he had
the opportunity to test y the Fw 190 D-11. He did
have memories of the event, but more precise informa-
tion could not be obtained, as, unfortunately, his late war
log-book was not preserved. Today, there are known
quite a few examples of Fw 190 D-11s carrying
the markings of the VFS des G.d.J. as many of these
found their way into the view nders of American ca-
meramen and local aviation enthusiasts. The rst
Fw 190 D-11s were ferried from the production lines
through February. It is practically certain that the machi-
nes carrying the double chevron, that we know of today,
were allocated to unit commander. It cannot be ruled
out that Günther Rall also ew one of these machi-
nes. Why would I make this claim, when G. Rall was
to be transferred to JG 300? Transferring command
and function was seldom a straight forward affair.
It was similar to the leaving of a head of a rm. So-
Günther Rall (1918-2009), who’s units ew the Fw 190 D-11 at the end
of the war, was, with his 275 victories, the third most successful ghter
ace in history. In August, 1939, he was attached to III./JG 52, and
remained there until the spring of 1944. His rst kill came in the Battle
of France, and then (as CO of 8. Staffel) took part in the Battle of
Britain, and also the battles over Crete. His second victory didn’t come
until the con ict began with the Soviets. By the end of November, 1941,
he gained another 34 victories, but was himself shot down and suffered
spinal injuries that took him some eight months to recuperate from. Dur-
ing this period he met a doctor that eventually became his wife.
In July, 1942, he returned to the Eastern Front, and for his one hun-
dredth victory was awarded the Oak Leaf to go with the Knight’s Cross
he received not even two months previous. In April, 1943, he was cred-
ited with JG 52’s 5000th kill, and at the end of August, he attained the
two hundred mark. From the beginning of June, 1943, he was named
CO of III./JG 52, which was the most successful component of JG 52.
This unit amassed over 10,000 kills, and Rall’s III. Gruppe was credited
at least with 4,000 of them. His personal best month came in October,
1943, over the course of which he destroyed forty Soviet ghters.
In the spring of 1944, JG 52 needed to pick ve commanders with sig-
ni cant enough combat experience against ghters to be recalled back
to Germany, to take part in the planning of the ‘Defense of the Reich’.
Günther Rall became the commanding of cer of II./JG 11 on April 19th,
and less than a month later, on May 12th, he was shot down during
combat with 56th FG Thunderbolts and suffered a hand injury.
In the fall of 1944,
he became CO of Verbandsführerschule des Generals der Jagd ieger,
and the spring he took over command of JG 300. After the war,
he returned to ying, not avoiding the military, and progressively built
a second career. He trained in the United States, and became a pioneer
in the use of the F-104 in Germany. In the sixties, he was Kommodore
of Jagdbombergeschwader 34, and later commanded the 3rd and 1st
Luftwaffendivision, and at the start of the seventies, he became Inspe-
kteur der Luftwaffe. Up to 1975, he was Germany’s attaché to NATO.
Up to last year, he was intensively involved with veteran reunions inter-
nationally, and in work with German Fighter Pilots Association.
He is the author of a very good memoir, which has been published in
German (Mein Flugbuch), and in English (My Logbook). Mr. Rall dis-
played, despite his age and past injuries, a unique vitality, friendliness,
and, quite literally, emitted energy. However, in Prague he did claim at
a book signing that signing such a huge quantity of autographs took
more out of him than ghting Thunderbolts in May, 1944.
(Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1990-021-11A via Wikimedia Comons)
Fw 190 D-11, W.Nr. 220 017 (also identi ed as 220 012) with Verbands-
führerschule des Generals der Jagd ieger at Bad Wörishofen. Fhr Otto
Leisner of I./JG 300 ew training missions in this aircraft on March 14th
and 15th, 1945. (JaPo)
metimes, it could’ve taken weeks for the transition
to be fully implemented.
At the end of April, 1945, the training unit was disban-
ded, and most of its Fw 190 D-11s (among others)
stayed in bad Wörishofen and its satellite air elds,
but some apparently found their way to combat units
in the surrounding region.
Why would the rst produced, and unique, Fw 190 D-11
be delivered to a school rather than a combat
unit? I can present two possible explanations,
and I do not discount other alternatives:
- In its day, it was one of the most advanced high per-
formance ghters available to the Luftwaffe, and was