Fw 190 "Drop" tanks - when/if dropped??

[chicoartist]

Hi guys,

I'm working on a couple of paintings featuring JG 1 Fw 190 A-6s. A smaller painting will show an Fw taxiing out with the drop tank in place, and the second, larger, piece will show a plane attacking B-17s.

Question is this: in my research, I've found a few Fw 190 pictures taken just after the pilot shut down the engine. The caption for one shot specifically mentions that the pilot has just returned from shooting down a B-24 - the drop tank remains in place.

Was this a common practice? Any insights into Luftwaffe practices in this regard will be much appreciated.

Wade

[Erich]

Wade :

someone can give you the official version but " Fatty " ordered that his JG's keep the zusatztank in place even during combats with P-51's/P-47's to conserve fuel during the aerial battles of summer of 1944 till wars end.

E ~

[WEISNER]

Any Pilot lucky enough to survive a few missions would at the first contact with enemy aircraft, Shed that tank immediatly. The reasons are obvious.
A great painting of this moment can be found on the cover of Willi Reschkes fine book, Jagdgeschwader 301/302 "Wilde Sau".
After the drop, many pilots had A few hairy moments, forgetting to switch to internal fuel supply....And found themselves in a very heavy glider. One pilot, I can not recall his name at this moment, Scored a victory in this very situation..... when his engine quit, and the enemy fighter overshot, he opened up with all guns..... scoring perhaps one of the few victories while gliding after his engine quickly ran out of gas. Can any member remember who this was?
Kevin

[chicoartist]

More info --

Thanks to Jerry Crandall, et al, for giving me such great insights into Luftwaffe practices, re: "Did Fw 190s carry their 'drop' tanks into combat, as opposed to dropping them, as was SOP with the 8th AF fighter groups, for example?" See Jerry's comments on Hyperscale's PLANE TALKING forum.

I thought I had lost my hard copy of Williamson Murray's STRATEGY FOR DEFEAT - THE LUFTWAFFE - 1939-1945 (I found it this morning - yea!), so last night I took a chance and Googled "Williamson Murray Luftwaffe PDF" in hopes the book was PDF'd and online - it is!

Here's a relevant passage (the year is 1943):





The no. 74 footnote is clipped here:





This all coincides with info Jerry and others mentioned, *BUT*, my paintings will be set in September 1943 (did I mention that? Duhh ...), obviously before the "directive" cited above. The order to hold on to the tanks at all costs (even in combat? That point isn't clear here) wouldn't have applied yet, and in all probability Fw 190 drivers (using common sense) in Sept '43 would have dropped their tanks as SOP prior to entering combat.

Do I have all this right? I'm a Luftwaffe newbie, though I am working to change that, so correct me if I've missed something.

So, unless advised differently, I'll show the taxiing out ground scene with the tank on, and off/dropped for the "attacking B-17s" depiction.

Thanks, guys!

Wade

[Artist]

Wade, Just thought I would let you know I heard RT's 190 painting took some flak for showing the drop tanks still on after engagement. I read some Luft. veterans pionted out this mistake. Bob