190A-4/A-5/A-6: were they still around in early 1944 in Western Front?

[1K3]

When Fw-190A-8 entered combat service in mid 1944, weere 190A-4s, 5s, and 6s still around for Reich Defence on the western front?

btw I noticed a pattern that LW in eastern front tend to keep the older model planes longer than LW in western front. For example pilots in eastern front were still flying 109Es and Fs while the pilots in western front were flying new Fw-190As and 109Gs.

[Krusty]

The Eastern Front (Russia) had inferior enemy aircraft. The hard fighting was on the Western Front (Europe), and the best (newest) aircraft were sent there.

I know that the A4/A5/A6 series were phased out as soon as the next mark was produced (meaning they got rid of their a4s when the a5s came out, same for when the a6s came out). Thing is, though, that 190as had very similar airframes, so I think a lot were sent back and re-engineered by FW et al to be later marks, so I'd suspect a fast turnaround in the front lines. Then there's the training units that get hand me downs and so forth. Ground attack units used A5s while production moved on, etc.

That's what I recall on the LW situation. I might be wrong in a few spots.

[Crumpp]

You can find some Geschwaders operating Older variant BMW801D2 FW-190A's almost until the end of the war.

JG5 for example:

http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/jagd/biiijg5.html

http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/jagd/bivjg5.html

As far as FW-190 fighter variants, the Western Front and Defense of the Reich did recieve priority.  The Eastern Front was priority for ground attack variants.

Generally speaking, the FW-190A3 operated from 1942 until late 1943.  The FW190A6 from mid 1943 until mid 1944.  

Here we see II/JG26, one of the premier 190 Gruppen on the Western Front, operated FW-190A6's until July 1944:

http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/jagd/biijg26.html

All the best,

Crumpp

[LLv34_Snefens]

On the Eastern Front the 109E was later used as a fighter-bomber, as a supplement to the Ju87, when the fighter-units upgraded to the F.

It might not have such big a bomb-load, but I know I would rather have been in a 109, than Ju87 if I was flying over there.

If you go look at the aircraft-listings, you can see that several of the Zerstörergeschwaders operated 109E's

[Knegel]

Originally posted by Krusty
The Eastern Front (Russia) had inferior enemy aircraft. The hard fighting was on the Western Front (Europe), and the best (newest) aircraft were sent there.

 

Hi,

this for sure isnt right!

The Russians had very good planes from 1943 onward and before, they was still even to the most common west planes(Hurricane, P40, Gladiator, Beaufort, Blenheim, SpitV).

The russian simply had the tactical disadvantage of a 'ground support airforce', similar to the RAF in Africa, where the Luftwaffe was simmilar successful like over russia.

Strangewise over germany the Luftwaffe HQ did force the Geschwader to fight in  tactical disadvanatge, by splitting the groups all over germany and therefor their power. The HQ simply didnt listen to the fighterleaders, who did ask for massive '1000 fighter intercepts' instead of the splitted powerless attacks.

The eastfront got 1st class planes, this front Hitler did preffer!
In the east the 109 simply was the better fighter(no B17´s, very fast climbing interceptor and very good at high alt), while the 190´s was better vs the Spitfires and B17´s(here they had time to climb and enough alt to dive away vs the Spitfires).
Therfore the east got mainly the 190F+G´s + 109s , while the west got 190A + D´s + 109´s as high alt cover.

That the east front got less good planes is a myth!

I guess the 190A4/5/6´s in 1944 got the new engines and guns, they wasnt the old 190A4/5/6´s anymore.

Greetings, Knegel

[agent 009]

Hard fighting also occurred on east front. Top allied aces were Russian.

[Bruno]

There were a few A-6s stii being used by JG54 in Kurland. IIRC SG3/4 in Kurland had an A-3 still in use as jabo...