FW 190D found by 102nd Infantry Division, 1945

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Dear all (and especially Eric and Jerry;-)),

I just stumbled on a FW 190 D-9 picture which I did not know beforehand (yes, I do own and browse both monumental JaPo volumes and Jerrry's excellent first volume).

The pic can be found in large size under this link in flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2454800...n/photostream/

and was uploaded by Austin W. Arrington in March 2008. My thanks to him.

The Black and White RV band clearly identifies a JG 26 machine. Any idea about the place where it was found? Any other details?

Thanks for your inputs

Marc

[digedag1]

Hi,
On condition the photo was taken by the 102nd Inf Div:
Guess it shows one of the six steel-lamella-hangars at Stendal airfield,probably one of the hangars in the north-west corner.
It is reported that the A/F fell in American hands relatively undamaged.
The roof of one of the hangars collapsed short time after the war had ended.
The town Stendal surrendered the night 12-13 April.

After Action Report, 13 April '45, 5th AD:
..........
personnel, PW's, two thousand fifty eight (2058), killed, 30 (estimated),
material captured or destroyed:
Eighty (80) airplanes (over-run),
forty (40) carloads of V-2s,............

Regards,
digedag1

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hallo Digedag,

Thanks so much for your input, yes the picture was definitely taken by memebers of the 102 Divison; here is the original legend to the picture:

"Focke-Wulf 190 V5 (left) and FW 190 D-9 (right) in a bombed-out luftwaffe hanger sometime in the spring of 1945. GI's from the 102nd Infantry Division can be seen on the far right inspecting the recently liberated aircraft"

If you look at the other pics Austin W Arrington did post, you will find also Me 262 A-1a Wnr 112385, "Yellow 8" of 3./JG 7:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2454800...in/dateposted/

with the following caption:

"Pictured above is the world's very first Combat-Operational Jet fighter, Willy Messerschmitt's ME 262 sits in a bombed out Luftwaffe hanger in Spring 1945. Curious GI’s from the US 405th Infantry Regiment of the 102nd Infantry Division inspect the aircraft and support equipment in the foreground shortly after VE Day in Late May 1945."

This narrows done the unit and the time frame. If you check out the other thread about this plane posted by McMaster on the LEMB forum, this by all means enhances the chances this unknown FW 190 D pic was taken in Stendal... http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...showtopic=5757

Looking forward to hear more about this plane, and, again, my thanks for your informations

Cheers

Marc

PS: I will be offline for the next three weeks, and glad to see any novelty on this topic once I'm back.

[digedag1]

A short film sequence taken on Stendal A/F (I guess) shows GI's examine captured planes.
In the background one of the for Stendal A/F so typical great oval hangars.
Source:
"Planes of the German Luftwaffe - Fw190"
Video 1992(?), by Network Projects USA Inc.

Regards
digedag1

[sirbob]

What is that aircraft lying on the floor by the wall on the left of the photo? The exhausts are very high in the nose , unless it's upside down.

[Tony Kambic]

I would think it's an upside down power egg for a D9. You can see a set of FW wings just under the D9.

[sirbob]

Tony, are you sure you mean the D9? I can't see anything there but a jumble of wreckage. Maybe behind the radial-engined Fw, and those wings would be stacked against the fuselage in question, but it dosn't look like the nose of a D9 to me.

[Tony Kambic]

You are so right, it is not a D9. I enlarged the view as best as possible and cannot come up with anything. The black looks now like some type of marking but I've never seen one like that. It is definitely an FW wing set on the floor in the back though.