The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was widely regarded as the Luftwaffe's finest
fighter. It first saw service in France in August 1941, immediately
proving itself at least the equal of the then latest Spitfire variant,
the Mk.V.
There were a number of characteristics which contributed to the Fw 190's
success. The first of these was that it had been designed from the
outset to be a weapons platform, rather than an aircraft to which
weapons were added, as was the case with previous fighters. This meant
that it could carry a wide range of armament in the form of various
combinations of bomb racks, cannon pods and, later, unguided rockets.
It was also built to withstand heavy punishment, with the extensive use
of electrically powered equipment instead of the hydraulic systems
which, used by most aircraft manufacturers of the time, were more
susceptible to failure if damaged by gunfire. The relatively small
diameters of electrical wires were much less likely to be hit by gunfire
than larger hydraulic pipes.
Another element in the Fw 190's construction which added to its
durability was its wide-tracked, inwards-retracting landing gear, as
opposed to the much narrower, outwards-retracting landing gear of the
Messerschmitt Bf 109. This gave the Fw 190 much greater stability on the
ground which resulted in far fewer ground accidents than experienced by
the Bf 109.
The Fw 190's BMW 801 D-2 radial engine also produced 1,677 horse power,
giving the early Focke-Wulf 190 A-8 a top speed of more than 400 miles
per hour - which was considerably faster than the early variant
Spitfires.
It was the Spitfires with which the Fw 190 pilots frequently had to
contend when in combat over the English Channel, and particularly during
the Allied raid on Dieppe in August 1942, when more than 100 Focke-Wulfs
(from Jagdgeschwaders JG 2 and JG 26) engaged Spitfires and Hawker
Typhoons, claiming sixty-one Allied aircraft 'kills' against just
twenty-five losses of their own.
The Fw 190's weapons capability also saw it used as a fighter-bomber.
The Fw 190 A-3/U3 Jabo was used with considerable effect against Allied
shipping in the Channel and against the southeastern coasts of England
in 1942 in tip-and-runs raids. These fast, low-level attacks proved very
difficult for the defending RAF squadrons to counter and only one Fw 190
was lost on these operations.
In this illuminating study of the early service of the Fw 190, Chris
Goss has assembled a unique collection of photographs illustrating the
wide use of this highly versatile aircraft.
