Willi Steinmann and IAR-80A white 109
 

Steinmann was "exiled" to Romania after shooting down his GrK on 1/6/43.
The Wings Palette website has a profile of an IAR-80A which is captioned as having being flown by Steinmann. A date is not given.
Osprey's Romanian Aces of WW2 has a photo of Steinmann and others including Romanians at a briefing on an airfield with IAR-80A white 109 and others in the background. The text suggests the briefing was fictitious and for propaganda purposes only, and cooperation between the Germans and Romanians was rare.
I'm inclined to agree with Osprey and conclude that whoever came up with Steinmann as a pilot of an IAR-80A added 1+1 and got an answer of 5.
Can anyone add anything to confirm or refute this?
Thanks
Peter

Re: Willi Steinmann and IAR-80A white 109
 

Hi Peter, the only Germans who flew the IAR-80 were some of the training officers at Galati during 1943/44; that school was subsequently moved to Brasov and named Jagdlehrgang Kronstadt. There is a series of propaganda photos taken with JG 4 and ARR personnel made during 1943, I highly doubt it that Steinmann flew the IAR then.

Re: Willi Steinmann and IAR-80A white 109
 

Thanks! I suspected as much.
Peter

Re: Willi Steinmann and IAR-80A white 109
 

Good afternoon Peter,

I think Wilhelm Steinmann is the top scorer of JG4, with 38 kills, all scored in the Bf109.
However, there is a gap in his kill list with six missing claims in the 18Dec44-12Mar45 period.
http://luftwaffe.cz/steinmann.html
Have these missing claims been found in the meantime ?

Cheers,

Michael