Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 9 : Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Western Front

The Fw 190 was the scourge of Fighter Command from the moment it appeared on the Western Front at Abbeville in August 1941 with II./JG 26. It was not until 13 October, when the camera-gun of a No 129 Squadron Spitfire captured one of the mystery machines squarely on film during a 'Circus' to Arques, that proof positive of its identity was obtained. As the RAF's Intelligence Branch had suspected for some time, the Luftwaffe had indeed developed and was now introducing a brand-new fighter - the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. A nimble, speedy and well-armed adversary, the 'Butcher Bird' quickly proved superior to all Allied fighters of the time, particularly at medium to low altitude. Led by Experts of the calibre of 'Pips' Priller, Heinz Bar and Walter Oesau, the handful of Fw 190-equipped Jagdgeschwader flew against overwhelming odds, firstly on the Channel coast, and then in direct defence of the Reich when the Jagdflieger took on the might of the USAAF's Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. This is their story. Text and illustrations by John Weal.

Contents

• In the Beginning
• Channel and North Sea Build-Up
• Diversions North, South and Nocturnal
• Defence of the Reich - The Battle is Joined
• Normandy - The Killing Ground
• Defence of the Reich - The Battle is Lost
• The End of the Line
• Appendices