FW 190D-9, Hawker Tempest Mk V skins by Emel, October 2012. 


Twin Pack No 7 - Genth's last sortie, March 7 1945.


1. FW 190D-9, W.Nr. 500118,
Yellow 15, flown by
 Uffz. Karl-Georg Genth, of
 12./JG 26, Plantlnne, 
March 7 1945.*

2. Hawker Tempest Mk V, 
EJ755 (NV755?), flown by Flt. Lt. 
Basil Michael Vassilliades, No 3 Sqn, 
Volkel (Netherlands), March
 7 1945.**

On March 7 1945 III/JG 26 received orders to fly a Freie Jagd over Netherlands. 8 or 9 FW 190D's took part led by an inexperienced Oberfeldwebel - there were no experienced formation leaders left in the Third Gruppe at that stage of the war - and took off from Plantlnne about 15.00 hours. Uffz. Genth of the 12. Staffel flew as wingman to Willi Zester, the leader of this flight. The formation arrived to the combat zone at 3 000 m. The purpose was to "determine the amount of enemy activity around Enschede". Typhoons, attacking ground targets, Spitfires banking nearby were seen, but they didn't spot the German fighters. And then several flights of Tempests were there. The Focke-Wulfs began to climb as they were not flying in their optimum combat altitude. The pursuing Tempests easily closed in. At this moment Genth realised he was flying alone with Zester the rest of the German flight scattered. Six Tempests had by now closed in very near the two Focke-Wulf's and were preparing to open fire. At that moment Zester banked away and Genth was left alone with the Tempests. Flying in full throttle he tried to reach a nearby cloud layer before the Tempests would shoot him down. He made it thinking he was safe. He also began to prepare a counter attack by swinging around inside the cloud and sweeping through the Tempests head to head. But this was not to happen. The Tempests below had visual contact and once Genth emerged from the cloud one of them was waiting to attack and managed to damage the flight controls of the Fwocke-Wulf and thus Genth was forced to abandon ship. He bailed out at a very high speed 600-650 km/h, broke his arm, but landed safely. This proved to be Genth's last combat mission in world war II.

The Tempest, (EJ755) JF+A, responsible for taking Genth out of the war was flown by a Greek pilot serving with the RAF, Flt. Lt. Basil Michael Vassilliades of RAF No 3 Sqn. He had seen a lone Focke-Wulf and began pursuing it. He hit the aircraft once which forced the German pilot to take violent evasive action through several clouds. Vassilliades followed below for nearly ten minutes. When the enemy aircraft finally emerged from the cloud he got on its tail and "hit it in the cockpit area". The German pilot jettisoned his canopy and bailed out. He landed 3 km South West of Enschede.
  Sadly Basil Michael Vassilliades was killed two weeks later March 21st (25th?) 1945. He was shot down by the deadly German flak and crashed in the Bocholt woods in North Western Germany after strafing German armor in the area. His final score standing:

9 + 1/2 + 1/3 enemy planes shot down

2 destroyed on ground

1 probable shot down


* The information of this not very often skinned (if ever before) Dora of the Third Gruppe of JG 26 is based on a rather timid color profile I found while scrounging at wings palette.com, but since it is the only one I have and offers me the golden opportunity, I'm using it as the basis to reconstruct Uffz. Karl-Georg Genth's Dora 190 as it is believed (I say believed, as apart form this vague color profile, I have never seen images of Georg Genth's 190D before, in profile or photograph) to appear on the fateful day of March 7 1945 when Basil Vassilliades shot him down after a ten minute long chase through the clouds. There is an excellent description of this event by Genth himself on D. L. Caldwell's JG 26 Top Guns Of the Luftwaffe.  

The Markings of Genth's Dora appear to be fairly standard except for the unit markings which show an unusual narrow stylized numbers and Gruppe markings. Otherwise the A/C is a standard late war camouflaged 190D with no special markings (according to the profile).

** The markings of Vass' Tempest is standard No 3 Sqn. The serial number may have been NV 755 instead of JE 755, but unlikely. Camouflage is standard RAF Grey Green. No special markings as far as I know.


Sources:

JG 26 - Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by D. L. Caldwell Ballantine books 1991. Wings palette.com.

Slip the BMP files into their proper folders in your Il-2 Sturmovik/Paintschemes/Skins folder. The skins should work the next time you start the game.

The templates were redrawn from the void files. 

The mechanical layer for the Fw 190D by Jesters Ink.

Many thanks.

These skins are not to be uploaded further without my permission. You are permitted to use and publish the skins in this pack with IL-2 Sturmovik missions & campaigns, also you may rework these skins for your private use. No commercial use in any form is permitted. Please do not remove credits. 

Thank you for downloading these skins and happy flying.

Contact me by PM: at Mission 4 Today or Axis & Allies Paintworks

Emel