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eduard
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Info Eduard - June 2011
HISTORY
Fw 190A-5, Oblt. Max Stotz, 5./JG 54, Russia, Spring, 1943
Fw 190A-5, 4./II./JG 54 (Jabo), Soviet Union, Summer, 1943
Fw 190A-6 W.Nr. 550885, Lt. Hans Dortenmann,
2./JG 54, Russia, February, 1944.
The aircraft depicted here is dated from the
winter to summer time frame, 1943, when the
Fw 190s of JG 54 went through frequent ca-
mouage scheme modications that bore little
resemblance to the prescribed instructions. Black
‘5‘, own by Oblt. Max Stotz, is camouaged
in a similar way to that of Fw 190A-5 ‘Ramm-
bock’ (Scheme ‘A’), consisting of two similar
greens, applied over the original scheme of RLM
74/75/76. In this case, this did not include the
area of the Swastika or the W.Nr. at the tip of
the n.
A large unknown remains the application of the
JG 54 emblem and its II. Gruppe on the front
fuselage. Although these are represented in most
previous reconstructions, it must be noted that
their exact rendering on this bird could not be
based on any serious documentation. They could
not be backed by photographic resources, nor
on any other II./JG 54 aircraft of the same time.
That opens up to the possibility that these were
not even carried. If they were in fact applied,
then the heart emblem would have been ca-
rried on both sides under the cockpit, same as
This aircraft is shown as it appeared during
service with II./JG 54 as a ghter-bomber and
used mainly in attacking ground targets. In this
way, ghter units often supported ground units
as the opportunity arose. Less often did the role
of the Jabo (Jagd-Bomber) see ground attack
become the main role within the ghter units.
Some examples could be taken from elements
of II./JG 54 as summer turned to fall in 1943,
as indicated by the switch from a number code
to a letter one. The white color of the ‘K’ should
place the aircraft within the 1st Staffel.
The camouage consisted of, as with the rst two
offered choices, two greens applied over the
original RLM 74/75/76. Of the green-green
scheme, RLM 70 is more prevalent, which gives
a nal look of almost a monotone, dark green.
Fairly uncommon for the given time frame,
the spinner has a white spiral applied to it. Also
worth noting is the extension of the undercowling
yellow to the oil cooler and oil tank. Non stan-
dard are also the crosses on the fuselage and
wing undersides that lacked the black outline.
These appear to have been applied fresh over
the new green scheme.
the II./JG 54 marking on both sides of the nose.
The ‘Aspern Lion’ - emblem of II./JG 54, would
also have been applied such that it was always
facing forward.
The pilot of this aircraft, Oblt. Max Stotz, was
credited with 189 kills over the course of over
700 combat ights, and was awarded the Knigh-
t’s Cross with Oak Cluster. He is still listed as MIA
after combat in the area of Viteb in the Soviet
Union on August 19, 1943.
This kit offers the markings for two aircraft own
by Hans Dortenmann. This Fw 190 was painted
with washable white paint during the winter of
1943-1944 over the original RLM 74/75/76,
partially visible. In this aircraft, Dortenmann
gained his rst unorthodox conrmed kill, after
colliding with a Soviet ghter at low altitude, li-
kely piloted by Cpt. I. M. Astakhov of the 49th
IAP. In the collision, Dortenmann lost much of his
left wing. Despite that, he was able to belly in
at Orscha Sud. Before being transferred to the
Western Front in the summer of 1944, he would
shoot down a further 14 Soviet aircraft, including
four Il-s Sturmoviks.