Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8
Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8 '111' 'Black 15' Wk Nr
unknown
III./JG 54 / 'Grunherz', Heinz Schmidt, River Oder, Spring 1945.
Famously known as the 'Butcher Bird' the Focke Wulf Fw 190 was a formidable
foe to any allied aircraft and pilot. This versatile aircraft saw service
in North Africa and on the Russian front and was used in all roles from
ground attack to inttercepting allied bomber formations in close combat.
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8 was the final sub-type of the fighter version
of Kurt Tank's design powered by the BMW 801 radial engine, and the
variant produced in the greatest numbers. The Fw 190A-8 added a liitle
more internal fuel to earlier marks, and had various armament fits,
including as on this example an under-fuselage bomb-rack when used as
a fighter-bomber. This particular Fw 190A-8 has two 20 mm MG 151 cannon
in the wing roots with two more in the outer wing sections, and two
13 mm MG 131 machine guns mounted in the forward fuselage. Jagdgeschwader
54 spent most of its operational service on the Eastern front, and although
noted for its creative approach to unusual camouflage patterns and colours,
this Fw 190A-8 is finished in the standard later-war grey colours. The
white stripe on the fin often denoted a formation leader in the late
stages of the war, and the white 111 may be the last three digits of the Werk
Number.
Heinz Schmidt was born in Halberstadt, Sachsen-Anhalt, 1922 . His first
real link with aviation was when he became a Junkers aircraft apprentice.
When war broke out in 1939 he joined the Luftwaffe and was trained as
an airframe mechanic. He made several applications to remuster as aircrew,
but his superiors said that an exJunkers apprentice was more use to
the Luftwaffe on the ground than in the air!
For the duration of the Battle of Britain, Heinz Schmidt served with
KG 77 and also experienced the opening phase of the Russian Campaign
in 1941.
In that same year his application for pilot training was finally accepted
and he quickly found himself on the way to Flugzeugfuhrerschule A/B
23 at Aufbouren for primary flying training. From biplanes he progressed
to twin-engined aircraft and finally qualified on the Do 217.
In 1943 he was posted to KG 100 where, to his total disgust, he was
required to fly the 'lame' He 111.When Goring called for Luftwaffe bomber
pilots to volunteer for fighter pilot training in 1944, Heinz Schmidt
lost no time in getting away from KG 100. His twin- engine training
paid dividends and he quickly learnt to fly the Bf 110 with ZG 101 at
Memmingen. To his great delight a posting followed to ZG 76 and the
Me 410 Hornet, an aircraft that he loved to fly and greatly respected.At
the end of 1944 ZG 76 was disbanded and its pilots formed the nucleus
of the new III./JG 54, 'The Last of the Green Hearts'. Operating from
Muncheberg, near Berlin, the unit's Fw 190s saw intensive action against
Russian ground targets such as, road and rail supply columns, flak positions,
armour and the bridges across the River Oder.
A few weeks before the war ended, III./JG 54 was also disbanded and
Heinz Schmidt packed his bags and headed for JG 2 'Richthofen' which
had just re-equipped with the Fw 190 D-9. Happy though he was to fly
this excellent fighter, the realities of having to fight an overwhelming
enemy with no fuel and ammunition only served to strengthen his will
to survive at all costs.When the post-war German Air Force was activated
in the mid-fifties, Heinz Schmidt returned as an instructor and trained
hundreds of young pilots on the
Havard Mk IV and Fouga Magister at FFS 'A' Landsberg. Some ten years
later he was commissioned and joined the Flugdienststaffel (Facilities
Squadron) at Kaufbeuren, the same base where he had learnt to
fly back in 1941. His final years before retirement in 1977 as a Captain
were spent flying the 'the most harmless aircraft of his career', the
Dornier Do 28 and the Piaggio Pi 149.
Scale 1:72 Wingspan 5.41" (137.5 mm) Base
size 6.37" (162 mm) square (No. 4)
Weight not including base 5.5 ozs (153 grams)
Total number of models produced 32
