FW-190F: How effective was it as a ground-attack fighter?

[nuuumannn]

At least that's better than "Plover" or "Puffin"...

Ah, but both fit the post-Great War naming system of single-engined aircraft given land-bird names (except birds-of-prey)...

Still, the Boulton Paul Bobolink takes the cake in terms of the least militaristic sounding combat aircraft name! It was a single-engine aircraft, so it too, had a land-bird name.

 

[GrauGeist]

Like I mentioned in post #22, the British seemed to named quite a few American aircraft by locations relevant to the aircraft manufacturer's location, like the Lockheed Ventura, Ventura being a city near Lockheed's manufacturing site in California.

 

[at6]

Rudel was the best tank killer in history using the JU87. How impressive would his score have been in the 190F?

 

[GTX]

Rudel was the best tank killer in history using the JU87. How impressive would his score have been in the 190F?

He did fly the Fw190 at times - see here: rare Hans Ulrich Rudel Fw 190 photo sequence - Schlachtflieger Ju 87 G BK 37

In fact, supposedly 430 of his 2,530 combat missions were flown in the Fw190.

 

[Snautzer01]

The British had naming conventions as laid out in official Air Publications, which frequently changed, but during the Between-the-Wars period were enforced as much as possible. In 1939 the RAF template was changed and looked like this:

Fighters were given names of speed and aggression, bombers were given place names, Army Co-operation types were given Classical words, General purpose and torpedo carriers, British historical names, Transports, Counties, Flying boats, coastal towns and seaports, Trainers and Target tugs, words indicating education, gliders, historic military leaders.

The Admiralty gave Fleet Air Arm aircraft the following in 1939, fighters were prefixed with "Fire", dive bomber and reconnaissance types were given seabird names, and torpedo bombers names of oceans, seas and estuaries, although torpedo spotter reconnaissance and light reconnaissance types received marine animals and fish names.

Supermarine Smew , launch that one from a deck with a straight face.

 

[nuuumannn]

Supermarine Seamew , launch that one from a deck with a straight face.

Supermarine should'a taken note - Curtiss tried and failed...

 

[GrauGeist]

Seamew is an old name for a plain old seagull.
Besides Curtiss and Supermarine, Short had one too.
Also two ships in the Royal Navy carried that name.

 

[Snautzer01]

Seamew is an old name for a plain old seagull.
Besides Curtiss and Supermarine, Short had one too.
Also two ships in the Royal Navy carried that name.

No seamew but smew. Nuumannn edited the text from me in the quotatiom box

Smew - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[SaparotRob]

It does sound like something one would say after stepping in something foul.

 

[GrauGeist]

Well, Smew is still better than "Smee"

 

[SaparotRob]

Someone explain "Smee" to me. There is actually a component of New York City subway cars called a Smee valve. A friend of mine was a subway motorman and brought this to our attention. For years his nickname was "Smee Valve". I never heard the term used on the LIRR.

 

[GrauGeist]

Smee was Captain Hook's 1st Mate aboard the Sea Devil/Jolly Roger.

 

[SaparotRob]

And now I know.

 

[pbehn]

Being an effective ground attack, fighter bomber isnt an easy "gig". There arent many things on a battlefield that are more valuable than a good plane and its pilot. Unless you can take out things like assault guns tanks and get away with it most of the time it is only worth it at critical stages of battles.

 

[nuuumannn]

No seamew but smew. Nuumannn edited the text from me in the quotatiom box

Yeah, I misread your post, I thought you meant Seamew and just misspelled it. On the same topic though, Reginald Mitchell wanted the Spitfire to be called the Shrew, but Robert MacLean of Vickers objected. Spitfire also fit with the Air Ministry naming system as it was at the time.

 

[strider190]

The "F" version of the FW-190 included modifications to optimize it for the ground-attack role. It was intended to replace the Ju-87 and other ground attack aircraft that were not deemed to be a survivable. It served primarily on the Eastern Front. I looked and I didn't see any other discussion threads dedicated to this subtype. The floor is open. What do you think of this aircraft?

I think it was a pretty good CAS airplane. Fairly rugged, good performance at low altitudes, well gunned and capable of carrying various types of guns/bombs to suit the mission. I would point out that Hans Rudel completed the war flying an Fw190 with underwing cannon and got a lot of Russian tanks with it.

 

[Conslaw]

Hi,

The FW 190 F was a very capable and highly effective ground-attack aircraft on the Eastern Front between 1943 and 1945. Most days in 1944 and 1945, the FW 190 F-8s of Luftflotte 1 (northern sector of the Eastern Front), Luftflotte 6 (central sector) and Luftflotte 4 (southern sector) flew around 1,000 sorties against tanks, vehicles, troops, airfields, bridges, and so on. I've written a few blog posts featuring FW 190 F-8 operations, linked below. Of course, their victory claims against ground and air targets were exaggerated (by about two claims to one actual success, as was the norm for all pilots on all fronts), but they definitely created some real problems for the Red Army. Here are the relevant blog posts:

- Luftflotte 4 in December 1944
- Luftflotte 1 on 11 August 1944
- 4. Flieger-Division on 3 July 1944
- Fritz Schröter in Hungary, October 1944
- Luftflotte 4 in 1944
- Luftflotte 1 on 7 November 1944
- I. Fliegerkorps on 20 May 1944

Hopefully those posts provide some insight into FW 190 F operations.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

Andrew Arthy - I rated you "bacon" because your post is the first on-topic, "meaty" post in the thread.

 

[Snautzer01]

Yeah, I misread your post, I thought you meant Seamew and just misspelled it. On the same topic though, Reginald Mitchell wanted the Spitfire to be called the Shrew, but Robert MacLean of Vickers objected. Spitfire also fit with the Air Ministry naming system as it was at the time.

Sorry but i think one should not edit the qoute box. One cant put words to one that were never there. Mods is there a way that the qoute box can not be edited?

 

[SaparotRob]

I would like to see that as well. I sometimes have an attack of Fat Finger Syndrome. I will sometimes accidentally erase a bit of a post I'm trying to reply to.

 

[Barrett]

Hence my lack of interest in the plane. Which was designed by the brilliant aeronautical engineer, Kurt Tank. The later FW-190's (the Dora?) (which were inlines despite appearances) became "T" something or others. The original FW-190's were a great shock to the RAF. Leading to the Spitfire MK IX (?)

I recall a vid about NF FW 190's attacking Coventry one night and doing great damage. Isn't its nickname "Butcher Bird"? I believe it earned that name on the Eastern Front. I don't know if that's a Caidinism or not. That theatre was kind of far from the Solomon Islands.

I'm piggy-backing a coupla replies here.
The latter 190 was designated the Ta-152 because FW kahuna Kurt Tank was honored with his own designation, much like Messerschmitt's transition from Bf to Me.
Apparently the F model was operational in N Africa and, I believe, Italy.
The leading air-air Schlachtflieger was noted by Toliver and Constable. Naturally I do not recall the name but reputedly he was credited with 71 victories in 70 days, or maybe vice-versa. Certainly lots of opportunity in the usual E Front low-level furballs.