I/SG 4 Fw 190 in Lithuania July 1944 (JAGDWAFFE War in East 44-45)

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

I made an ex tempore purchase of the book(let) "War in East 1944-45" (Jagdwaffe series) by Bergström and Pegg. I don't regret the money spent.

On page 129 there is one of the most interesting photos. I quote part of the caption: "...This photograph is a still from a wartime film taken in Lithuania in late July 1944, soon after the unit had arrived in the East, and shows an Fw 190 F-8 of I./SG 4, still with Mediterranean camouflage..."

For modelling-minded Luftflotte 1 enthusiast like I am this is a marvellous picture. The plane (black?) 12 has also the Mickey Mouse emblem for dressing.

I would like to ask more information about this "wartime film". I assume it is some Newsreel film (Wochensau or such?). Is it verified positively that the picture has been shot in Lithuania?

From earlier discussion of the possible camouflage of I./SG 4 Fw 190s in Baltics it came out (I think it was mr. Beale) that the "Mediterranean" camo might have been a May 1944 thing. My guess is that very few (if any) of those survived to be among the ones in Baltic July 1944 ("Abgang" for I/SG 4 during May 44 was 83 !!). And the replacements were most likely in European camo.

So if truely shot in Lithuania (probably Tilsit) the Jagdwaffe book photo of I/SG 4 Fw 190 "12" is a real rarity.


Regards,
Kari