WOW281 Focke Wulf Fw 190 ‘Hermann Graf’

Description

The Focke Wulf Fw 190 is one of the iconic aircraft of all time and along with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter force during WW2.  Designed by Kurt Tank the Fw 190 entered service in 1941 and quickly proved itself superior to the RAF’s Spitfire MK V in virtually every respect.

The Fw 190 was upgraded throughout its service during WW2 and was liked by its pilots for its ruggedness and ability to land on the rough airstrips, which were often found on the Russian front. Not only was the Fw 190 used as a day fighter but saw service as a night and ground attack fighter and towards the end of the war it was also utilized to carry the Mistel, a radio controlled Junkers Ju 88 packed with explosives which was often used to destroy bridges.

Our warbird is flown by German Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace, Hermann Graf, who served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He became the first pilot in aviation history to claim 200 aerial victories. In around 830 combat missions he claimed a total of 212 aerial victories, almost all of which were achieved on the Eastern Front.

Graf, a pre-war football player and glider pilot joined the Luftwaffe and started flight training in 1936. He was initially selected for transport aviation but was subsequently posted to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) in May 1939. At the outbreak of war he was stationed on the Franco–German border flying uneventful patrols. He was then posted as a flight instructor stationed in Romania as part of a German military mission training Romanian pilots. Graf flew a few ground support missions in the closing days of the German invasion of Crete.
Following the start of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Graf claimed his first aerial victory on 4 August 1941. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross after 45 victories on 24 January 1942. It was during the second summer of the eastern campaign however that his success rate dramatically increased. By 16 September 1942 his number of victories had increased to 172 for which he was honoured with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the time of its presentation to Graf it was Germany’s highest military decoration. On 26 September 1942 he shot down his 200th enemy aircraft.

On 28 January 1943 Graf took command of Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost (Fighter Training Group East) based in occupied France. Here newly trained fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front received their final training from experienced Eastern Front pilots. The main base was at St. Jean d’Angély 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast although Graf spent most of his time at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. Graf selected a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5 aircraft for his personal use and lavishly decorated it as can be seen from our aircraft.
Graf ended the war with 212 aerial victories.