Hungarian Fw 190 ? (E-Bay photo)

[Kari Lumppio]

Helou!


Couple of days ago Ed West posted link to this photo Fw 190:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6527678766

I quote from the description:
"Original photo taken by G.I. of a Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 W. Nr. 550789 with a white 41 on the engine cowling. The W. Nr. can be read on the fin and the undercowling and underwing tips are yellow."

First guess is that this is a flight school machine. But could it be one of the last batch of Fw 190 flown by Hungarians? The plane does carry yellow ID markings which were not standard for training aircraft (???). Compare to the following snippet:

"By the end of the war the 102. Fighter Bomber Group received Fw-190F-8 bombers. The first 18 a/c were received in Oct 1944 by 102/1 "Pavian" sqn, the following 18 in Dec 1944 - Jan 1945, by 102/2 "Puli" sqn (W.501- W.572). Serials were painted black only on the first 18 a/c (31). On the second batch of 18 a/c the last two digits of the serials were painted white on the motor cowling (31)(34). To paint over the 36 a/c received after Jan 1945 was not possible. They flew partly with German markings, with only white serials (from 37 to 72) on the cowling (36)."

The author is Tadeusz P. Dobrowiecki and the complete article can be found in:
"Insignia of the Hungarian AF: from the WWI until the present - http version of a paper published in Small Air Forces Observer, No 77"
http://home.mit.bme.hu/~tade/pages/hungavia.htm
(Main page: http://home.mit.bme.hu/~tade )


The number "41" on the cowling of the E-Bay Fw 190 fits nicely into the block 37-72. For comparison couple of photos of Hungarian Fw 190 "64" from the same homepage:

"A/c Nr. 64, crashed"
http://home.mit.bme.hu/~tade/ac-pict/Hung-AF/pre-1945/Fw190/F190cr64.jpg

"A/c Nr. 64 (late in the war Hungarian Fw190 wore German markings and white numbering on motor cowling"
http://home.mit.bme.hu/~tade/ac-pict/Hung-AF/pre-1945/Fw190/F190fus64.jpg

Does anyone know of other sources for the Hungarian Fw 190s? Besides the Squadron Signal book. In an old IPMS Finland newletter (the "Kiertis" not "Mallari") there was photo of a Fw 190 with name "Agi" and IIRC I have also seen somewhere a photo of Fw 190 carrying name "Pöttom". Is there more available in photographic form? Or textwise (I'm not capable of Hungarian, although I am "Ugri-Mugri" too) ?


Looking forward of your comments,
Kari

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Kari,

I am not familiar in the A WNr blocks, and I know exactly just F's and one G among the Hungarian planes, the remained WNr's shows only F's also.
However: some A variants also possible (according to few photos and remebrances)

It would be nice to know, where was taken these photo.

P.S. the quoted article is not accurate.

[Kari Lumppio]

Hi Csaba!

Thanks for your response.

Regarding the: "P.S. the quoted article is not accurate." I for one would be interestered of corrections to the article. Especially if there is something wrong in the quoted part.

Regards,
Kari

[Dénes Bernád]

From Sept. 1944 on, all warplanes subordinated to Luftflotte 4 - incl. Hungarian ones - supposed to be marked with a large 'V' on the port wing undersurface, in lieu of the yellow bottom wingtips, so they would not be confused with "treacherous" Rumanian aircraft. I cannot see the marking. True, in the last stage of war, these markings were discontinued (I don't have my references handy to give more detailed dates). Except for the large white numeral on the engine cowling, I don't see any other detail that would denote a Hungarian manned machine.
On another hand, everything was possible...