A German fighter pilot of Austrian decent and a native of Gmünd situated near the border with Czechoslovakia, Walter ‘Novi’ Novotny was a holder of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, and shot down 258 enemy aircraft over the course of 442 combat sorties. He was killed in an Me 262 Schwalbe in combat with American escort fighters near an airfield at Hesepe on November 8th, 1944. During the winter season, the Luftwaffe on the Eastern front camouflaged their aircraft in white. It was applied either as an entire over-painting of the upper surface, or in the shape of various white patches. The mount of Walter Novotny wore a camo scheme composed mostly of green and brown colors on the upper side of the wings and of the fuselage, which was then partially overpainted by patches of washable white color. The airplane wore markings for the Eastern Front, consisting of yellow wingtips, including part of the rudder and the fuselage band. In the case of JG 54, this was applied behind the Balkenkreuz. The green heart on the fuselage is the emblem of JG 54. The emblem of I. Gruppe is applied on the engine cowling.
