Fw 190C-0 and Fw190M-1(?) in Sweden

[RolandF]

May 8th 1945 two Fw 190s, according to Bo Widfeldt´s "The Luftwaffe in Sweden 1939-45 (1983)" p.39 landed at Allskogsgard(Ystad) and Glemminge(Ystad) resp., both belonging to III./SG 3. Bothe planes had their radio and oxygen equipment removed to provide space for additional two passengers, thus allowing six refugees to escape from the advancing Soviet Army.
Not only this story is rather remarkable, but the type designations is rather enigmatic, too.
The first Focke-Wulf with its passengers
Leutnant Heinz Töpfer
S(?)gfr Helmuth Böhn
Oberfeldwebel Hermann Goldenbohm
was designated as a Fw 190M-1. Its WNr is listed as 931484, so It should have been a Fw 190F-8 variant. Widfeldt assumes some connections with Mistel use as the upper component.
The second Focke-Wulf with its passengers
Stabsfeldwebel Werner Skirlo
Feldwebel Johann Gruber
Feldwebel Adolf Karnel
was designated as a Fw 190C WNr 584205. The photo, indeed, shows the air intake at the port side characteristic for a Daimler-Benz equipped plane; Swastika and Balkenkreuz being from the traditional type with black and white trimming, sliding hood also old-type without the bulge.
Widfeldt claims this plane being Fw 190CV33, originally WNr 0056, StKz GH+KW. Being the fifth C-series prozotype he claims this C-series having received WNr 584205 after the switch to six-digit WNrn in 1944.
This seems rather doubtful to me and not easy to believe.
Does somebody from our Scandinavian colleagues have some addional and newer informations?

Regards

Roland

[Peter]

Roland,

If you look at Bookie's site regarding FW190's in Sweden you will find pictures of them both.

http://fw190.hobbyvista.com/sweden.htm

As you can see they are marked C+I and M+I which I think is the reason for the confusion.

In Widfeldts reworked book "Tyska nödlandare 1939-1935" from 2007 Bo is not saying what version they were, he states wnr 931484 (M+I) and 584205 (C+I) which I think is wrong, if you look at the pictures, C+I is wnr 931484

Best Regards
Peter

[S Sheflin]

Hello Roland and Peter,

I show the following for the two Fw190s in question:

Fw190F-8, WNr. 931484, C+ I, III./SG3, Pilot Ltn. Töpfer, Hans (Hainz?) +2 passengers
Fw190F-8, WNr. 584205, M+ I, III./SG3, Pilot StFw. Skirlo, Werner +2 passengers

I am, however, still uncertain if I have the correct pilots with the correct aircraft.

Steve Sheflin

[RolandF]

Thank you for the clarification. Two Fw 190F-8 in a Schlachtgeschwader make more sense than a Fw 190C-0.
And the codes M+| and C+| mistaken for M-1 and C-1 are plausible, too.
The photograph of a Daimler-Benz equipped Fw 190 in Widfeldt´s book must be wrong, then.
Sgfr might significate Stabsgefreiter.

Regards

Roland

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

Yes, they were both FW 190 F-8s from III./S.G. 3. Leutnant Töpfer was a member of 8./S.G. 3. I've been contacted by relatives of Hermann Goldenbohm and Werner Skirlo, and will tell their stories in my Air War Courland book at some point in the not too distant future.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.facebook.com/airwarpublications

[ju55dk]

Those 2 Fw 190 from III/SG were unlucky in landing in Sweden, as they and passengers were turned over to Russia. Other maschines landed in Denmark and Flensburg. They were spared the same fate.

Junker

[Peter]

Roland,

If you compare the picture in Widfeldt's book from 1983 with the picture in Bookie's site you can clealy see the C+I marking in the later but that I after the + is missing in the photo in Widfeldt's book.

PM me if you want Bo's email if you want to ask him directley.

Here is a good site for WWII planes in Sweden during the war if you are interested; http://www.forcedlandingcollection.se/indexe.html

Best Regards
Peter

[KrisJG3]

Hans Töpfer

"...Oberleutnant Hans Töpfer of I./SG 3. at Utti, Finland. July 9, 1944. Töpfer received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 11 days after this photo was taken...."

http://www.ww2incolor.com/german-air-force/157063.html

[Jim P.]

I don't think this is the same Töpfer. Per Obermaier, the Töpfer who was awarded the RK was injured and became POW on 19-Feb-45.

[KrisJG3]

Thanks Jim P. for information. I do not know about it.

Kris