Q: Captured FW 190 with nose art, "Jones (or John's?) Flying Circus"

[Gordon]

I bought a standard 4x5" 'good deal' photo of the type that were
available to servicemen in Europe late in the war. It shows a B-25
wing and formating TIGHT under the starboard wing is a gaudily painted
FW 190 that is under new management. The cowl ring does not match the
rest of the paint job, and it appears that the insignia in a 4' white
circle under the cockpit has been scratched off. The tail is painted
in horizontal red white and blue bars and the oversize national
insignia on the aft fuselage is within the borders of a wide
contrasting color band. My question is does anyone know who captured
this particular FW 190 and what its history was? Thanks in advance.

v/r Gordon

[Gordon]

Focke Wulf FW-190A captured and flown by the 85th fighter squadron,
79th fighter group of 12th USAAF in MTO. The aircraft is red overall
with yellow wings with red wingtips and yellow horizontal stabilizers
with red tips. It has US markings (white star in blue roundel) in a
broad yellow fuselage band. The plane also bears the squadron
insignia of the 85th fighter squadron (flying skulls).

Any other info..?

[Rob]

Another captured red Fw-190:
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On January 1, 1945, there was an Fw 190 that landed at St.Trond,
Belgium, which was captured and painted red by the American unit
there. It was flown by Gefrieter Walter Wagner . He was attacking St.
Trond airfield during Operation Bodenplat and his plane was hit by
flak. He was injured and crash-landed the Fw-190. The Americans fixed
the damage and painted her in that wonderful livery. The plane was
started several times, but never flown by the Americans.

This looks like a Fw-190A-8/R-2.

Gordon,

Your Fw-190A-5 is listed on pg 66 of the book, "Captured Butcherbirds
Fw-190 Vol.1" by J.Jackiewicz & R.Bock:

Loading Image...

One review with your a/c info:

These are some of the most colorful warplanes I have ever seen and
they remind me of the pre-War “Yellow Wings” period of the early
USAAF. A good example is one of two FW190s with unknown Werknummers
captured in Tunisia and repainted by the 85th FS/79thFG (see page 66).
This FW190A-5 was later flown by the Fighter Training School at
Constantine, Algeria and is an excellent example of a gaudy aircraft.
Its final camouflage consisted of an overall red fuselage with yellow
lower cowl and fuselage band, tricolor rudder, and yellow wings with
red wing tips.

Rob

[Rob]

Another captured red Fw-190:Loading Image...
On January 1, 1945, there was an Fw 190 that landed at St.Trond,
Belgium, which was captured and painted red by the American unit
there.  It was flown by Gefrieter Walter Wagner . He was attacking St.
Trond airfield during Operation Bodenplat and his plane was hit by
flak. He was injured and crash-landed the Fw-190. The Americans fixed
the damage and painted her in that wonderful livery. The plane was
started several times, but never flown by the Americans.
This looks like a Fw-190A-8/R-2.
Gordon,
Your Fw-190A-5 is listed on pg 66 of the book, "Captured Butcherbirds
http://www.kecay.com/images2/Atelier%20Kecay/butch2.jpg
These are some of the most colorful warplanes I have ever seen and
they remind me of the pre-War “Yellow Wings” period of the early
USAAF. A good example is one of two FW190s with unknown Werknummers
captured in Tunisia and repainted by the 85th FS/79thFG (see page 66).
This FW190A-5 was later flown by the Fighter Training School at
Constantine, Algeria and is an excellent example of a gaudy aircraft.
Its final camouflage consisted of an overall red fuselage with yellow
lower cowl and fuselage band, tricolor rudder, and yellow wings with
red wing tips.
Rob

Here's another from the 85thFS/79TH FG:

Fw-190A-4/Trop:
Loading Image...

Captured in Sicily and unathorized flown until ordered to stop.

Rob

[Rob]

Another captured red Fw-190:http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp251/plasticmanfl1948/Anotherone....
On January 1, 1945, there was an Fw 190 that landed at St.Trond,
Belgium, which was captured and painted red by the American unit
there.  It was flown by Gefrieter Walter Wagner . He was attacking St.
Trond airfield during Operation Bodenplat and his plane was hit by
flak. He was injured and crash-landed the Fw-190. The Americans fixed
the damage and painted her in that wonderful livery. The plane was
started several times, but never flown by the Americans.
This looks like a Fw-190A-8/R-2.
Gordon,
Your Fw-190A-5 is listed on pg 66 of the book, "Captured Butcherbirds
http://www.kecay.com/images2/Atelier%20Kecay/butch2.jpg
These are some of the most colorful warplanes I have ever seen and
they remind me of the pre-War “Yellow Wings” period of the early
USAAF. A good example is one of two FW190s with unknown Werknummers
captured in Tunisia and repainted by the 85th FS/79thFG (see page 66).
This FW190A-5 was later flown by the Fighter Training School at
Constantine, Algeria and is an excellent example of a gaudy aircraft.
Its final camouflage consisted of an overall red fuselage with yellow
lower cowl and fuselage band, tricolor rudder, and yellow wings with
red wing tips.
Rob

Fw-190A-4/Trop:http://pic.wpalette.com///camms/ar/451/pics/3_3.jpg
Captured in Sicily and unathorized flown until ordered to stop.
Rob- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Gordon,

This is it, right?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawk914/2934403582/

Rob

[Gordon]

Post by Rob

Post by Rob
These are some of the most colorful warplanes I have ever seen and
they remind me of the pre-War “Yellow Wings” period of the early
USAAF. A good example is one of two FW190s with unknown Werknummers
captured in Tunisia and repainted by the 85th FS/79thFG (see page 66).
This FW190A-5 was later flown by the Fighter Training School at
Constantine, Algeria and is an excellent example of a gaudy aircraft.
Its final camouflage consisted of an overall red fuselage with yellow
lower cowl and fuselage band

This is it, right?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawk914/2934403582/

That's him. On a forum, I found a guy asking for a copy of this
particular image that his father apparently had a copy of from his
service days. Strange that the WNr is apparently an unknown. I have
a few original photos of the St. Trond 190 - amazing how many aircraft
were lost that day. I think the Bodenplatte mission and all of the
combats that were recreated in the Dogfights series about the 1
January battle are the current high water mark in aviation CGI.

G

[Rob]

More pics:

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Enjoy,
Rob

[LIBERATOR]

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m170/LWMTC1/USAC/capturedfw190_red...http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m170/LWMTC1/USAC/PhotoFW190USPaint...http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m170/LWMTC1/USAC/PhotoFW190USTail1...http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m170/LWMTC1/USAC/PhotoFW190USWinge...http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m170/LWMTC1/USAC/colour_captured_f...
Enjoy,
Rob

I gotta admit it looks nice. Not as nice as a German paintjob &
markings, but it looks nice.

[Rob]

Another captured red Fw-190:http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp251/plasticmanfl1948/Anotherone....
On January 1, 1945, there was an Fw 190 that landed at St.Trond,
Belgium, which was captured and painted red by the American unit
there.  It was flown by Gefrieter Walter Wagner . He was attacking St.
Trond airfield during Operation Bodenplat and his plane was hit by
flak. He was injured and crash-landed the Fw-190. The Americans fixed
the damage and painted her in that wonderful livery. The plane was
started several times, but never flown by the Americans.
This looks like a Fw-190A-8/R-2.
Gordon,
Your Fw-190A-5 is listed on pg 66 of the book, "Captured Butcherbirds
http://www.kecay.com/images2/Atelier%20Kecay/butch2.jpg
These are some of the most colorful warplanes I have ever seen and
they remind me of the pre-War “Yellow Wings” period of the early
USAAF. A good example is one of two FW190s with unknown Werknummers
captured in Tunisia and repainted by the 85th FS/79thFG (see page 66).
This FW190A-5 was later flown by the Fighter Training School at
Constantine, Algeria and is an excellent example of a gaudy aircraft.
Its final camouflage consisted of an overall red fuselage with yellow
lower cowl and fuselage band, tricolor rudder, and yellow wings with
red wing tips.
Rob

Fw-190A-4/Trop:http://pic.wpalette.com///camms/ar/451/pics/3_3.jpg
Captured in Sicily and unathorized flown until ordered to stop.
Rob- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Link not working, so try here:
http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/451/3/0/3

Rob

[Gordon]

Fw-190A-4/Trop:http://pic.wpalette.com///camms/ar/451/pics/3_3.jpg
Captured in Sicily and unathorized flown until ordered to stop.

Link not working, so try here:http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/451/3/0/3

excellent! now, I just need to find out if the nose art, added after
this, reads "Jone's Flying Circus" or John's.