Fw 190 A-8/R11 ‘Neptun’ Fhj. Ofw. Gunter Migge, 1./NJGr. 10, Werneuchen, 1944

The Fw 190A-8/R11 ‘Neptun’ was also used in the night fighting role by Nachtjagdgruppe 1 (formed January 1st, 1944, from a part of JG 300), operating primarily from fields east of Berlin. The unit, formed with only three Staffel with a very wide variation of types in service (including Bf 109, Bf 110, Ju 88, He 219 and Ta 154 besides the Fw 190), was tasked with the defense of important German cities. Above all, the unit tested new equipment for Luftwaffe night fighters under combat conditions, including Fw 190 versions from A-5 to A-8, including this machine from January to July, 1944 when they began to switch to the Bf 109G-6. With them, they transformed into a Mosquito hunting unit. In February, 1945, the unit became 2./NJG 11. One of the pilots of 1. Staffel NJGr. 10 was Fhj. Ofw. Gunther Migge, a former night fighter pilot of JG 300. His Fw 190 carried the Wilde Sau emblem, and also carried the inscription ‘Kognak pumpe’ and a glass of Migge’s favorite poison. The border of the emblem, as well as the noted inscription, were in all probability, red. However, black cannot be ruled out. The aircraft carried the standard camouflage scheme of RLM 74/75/76, with the only attempt to darken the scheme being the less common, for this timeframe, the ‘Adlerflugel’ in the form of the black wedge behind the exhaust stacks. The spinner was black. The bottom white segments of the fuselage balkenkreuz were subdued. The often quoted W.Nr. of 29210 is probably incorrect, but is supplied on the decal sheet, just in case. The kill marks on the rudder are in the form of simple white bars. The tally includes victories achieved by the pilot when flying with JG 300. Even so, Gunther Migge, with JGr. 10, achieved several kills flying this aircraft.

Additional Sources: Luftwaffe at War: Nightfighters over the Reich; Classic Colours: Luftwaffe Night Fighter Units; Kagero: Fw 190,Vol. 1,3.