Fw 190s of III./KG 51: November 1944

[Nick Beale]

I've just added a page http://www.ghostbombers.com/kf4/IIIkg51.html to my website which gives Werk Nummern for nine Fw 190 G-3s and F-8s of III./KG 51 and the tactical codes of six of them.

There's also information about the fates of some of these machines and the Gruppe's strength at this period.

[Pawel Burchard]

Nick, that's interesting. I assume G-3s were modified A-5 airframes and wonder if unit's F-8s have been modified to carry double underwing droptanks.

regards,
Pawel

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Pawel Burchard

Nick, that's interesting. I assume G-3s were modified A-5 airframes and wonder if unit's F-8s have been modified to carry double underwing droptanks.

On the first point, I don't know if the 160 000 series were rebuilt A-5s or "genuine" G-3s but I'm sure someone here will.

Would there have been an operational need for the drop tanks by this time and would there have been enough fuel to put in them, I wonder? However, there was at least one RAF Mosquito claim very late in the war for an Fw 190 with underwing drop tanks although it may take me some time to locate the report.

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

To the best of my knowledge, the FW 190 G-3 W.Nr 160 000 series were new-build aircraft, not re-built FW 190 A-5s.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

[Nick Beale]

I've now expanded this web page http://www.ghostbombers.com/kf4/IIIkg51.html to include some information about what III./KG 51 was doing at the time in question and why the Gruppe was briefly split in two.