Bodenplatte: Fw 190 A of II./JG 4

[Nick Beale]

I just found this photo while I was looking for information about US anti-aircraft artillery units.

You need to scroll a way down the page and it's captioned as an Me 109 but nevertheless…

Even with Photoshop I can't make out the fuselage number for sure but it could be Wagner's "white 11".

[O.Menu]

Thanks to share Nick.

You're right fuselage number is impossible to read but indeed it's not Wagner "white11" for sure since camouflages are very different between the two...

[FalkeEins]

....an interesting photo if it is was it says it is....I would probably have expected to see a bit more snow on the ground though, if taken in the aftermath of the event.....

there were only a handful of II.(Sturm)/JG 4 190s that made successful forced landings on 1.1.45 aside from Wagner's.. the majority of them were 5. Staffel machines..but Wagner's is the only one reported down at St. Trond..
from their own accounts in the JG 4 history you could probably discount the forced landings carried out by Uffz. Horst Tharann 8./JG4 and Lt. Gottfried Morio 7./JG 4..& we know what Gueldenpfennig's 'Yellow 2' looks like..

aside from Wagner's white 11, white 4, 14, 18 and 7 from 5. Staffel were all lost ..best candidate is perhaps Hans Peschel's 'white 14' (flak, Beauvechain)

[Alain57]

Hi ,

Was this 385 anti-aircraft unit based at St-Trond A-92 ?

Alain

[montana]

Hi,

First there was no snow at St Trond on 1.1.1945. Now that photo seems to show the aircraft of Gefr. Walter Wagner. According to my information this pilot made a perfect belly landing at the edge of the airfield and engineers of the 404 FG had to search in France new propeller and engine parts to repair "White 11". Maybe this is an explanation concerning the camouflage difference on the cowling.

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by montana

Hi,

First there was no snow at St Trond on 1.1.1945. Now that photo seems to show the aircraft of Gefr. Walter Wagner. According to my information this pilot made a perfect belly landing at the edge of the airfield and engineers of the 404 FG had to search in France new propeller and engine parts to repair "White 11". Maybe this is an explanation concerning the camouflage difference on the cowling.

..I think - on reflection - you're right. Two pictures of St Trond under attack in the Lorant 190 book ...no sign of snow. Another source describes Wagner as landing on the airfield itself...this looks to be in open countryside...

[Erich]

Gents maybe my Monitor is not picking it up but can anyone see the outboard 2cm weapons in the photo ?

E ~

[wotan]

I didn't see them either Erich - but I played with the image in photoshop and now I am not so sure.

In Jagdwaffe Volume 5 section 3 pages 258 / 259 there are several photos of white 11 (after repair with gear extended etc..) some with a yellow under cowling and one without captioned as having a new engine cowling (no more yellow). In all 4 photos all the guns have been removed.

[Jerry Crandall]

Hi guys;

These are interesting photos in that they are the only ones so far known that were taken before the engine cowlings were changed on Wagner's A-8/R2. Yes, the outboard 30 mm cannon blast tubes are barely visible in these photos. The impact must have been very severe to sheer off two of the three metal propeller blades and bending the remaining one like it is!
Cheers,
Jerry

[Erich]

well then it is not white 11 after all. it had four 2cm weapons not the usual late war outboard 3cm "heavies". anyone else see the number on the fuselage ?

E ~