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eduard
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Info Eduard - June 2011
Fw 190A-8, Lt. Hans Dortenmann, 2./JG 54, Villacoublay,
France, June, 1944
Fw 190A-8, 9./JG 54, Villacoublay, France, Summer, 1944
HISTORY
The second of Hans Dortenmann’s aircraft to be
offered in this article is one used in the Defen-
se of the Reich (Reichsverteidigung). With the
illustrated Red ‘1‘, Dortenmann ew as CO of 2.
Staffel, temporarily subordinate to III. Gruppe,
in France during the summer of 1944. At the end
of the war, the twenty-three-year-old pilot and
holder of the Knight’s Cross had 38 kills under
his belt, which he gained during the very short
span of just fourteen months. During his combat
career, he fought against the Soviets, British and
Americans.
This aircraft carries a standard scheme consis-
ting of RLM 74/75/76 with a white spiral on the
spinner. It also carries the markings of the De-
fense of the Reich (a blue band for JG 54), and
a red vertical band on the rear fuselage deno-
ting service with III. Gruppe. The red color means
2. (or 10.) Staffel, and the number 1 belongs to
the Staffel CO. The inscription ‘Hascherl 1‘ under
the cockpit was only carried on the left, and
together with the devil insignia on the engine
cowl are personal markings of the pilot. Whe-
ther or not the devil was on both sides has not
been identied in photographs, but it is possible.
The unit marking for III. Gruppe JG 54 was
applied to both sides of the Fw 190A-8.
The simplied later variation on the fuselage
cross was in this case with a black interior.
War weary but striking, Yellow ‘2‘ of 9. Staffel/
JG 54 hails from the days of combat against
the Americans within the Defense of the Reich
in the summer of 1944. The camouage of RLM
74/75/76 and the spiral on the spinner all co-
rrespond to Luftwaffe standards. The blue rear
fuselage band identies service with JG 54
in the Defense of the Reich system, and the 9.
Staffel by the yellow Gruppe marking and fuse-
lage number. The fuselage crosses had their in-
side sprayed RLM 74. The marking of III./JG 54
was found on both sides of the fuselage. III./JG
54 operated on the Western Front from French
and German airelds after being reassigned
from Smolensk in February, 1943. The unit’s pi-
lots protected defeated territory from allied -
ghter sweeps and bombing attacks. During May
and June, 1944, the unit turned in their Bf 109s
for Fw 190s, which they used in the Luftwaffe’s
and Wehrmacht’s attempts to stem the tide of
the allied invasion of Normandy. Later, III./JG
54 was tasked with the priority of defending
against attacks of the USAAF, usually in combat
against allied escort ghters. The unit’s attack
against American bomber formations are also
not to be forgotten.