1/48 Hasegawa Fw190 A-5 Hptm. Walter NOWOTNY, Commander of I./JG54 Grünherz, Orel, Fall 1943

An Austrian, Walter Nowotny, joined JG54 in 1941. He commanded the 1st Staffel from October, 1942, and in August of 1943 was nominated to command I./JG54. He achieved 256 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, with another 20 unconfirmed. From early 1944, he commanded JG101, a training unit in France. In September, 1944, he was tasked with forming Erprobungskommando Nowotny (III./JG6), a test unit equipped with the new Me262 jet fighters. Flying an Me262, he was killed in action on November 8th, 1944. He flew 442 combat missions, and was awarded the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Brilliants.

Flying this aircraft, Oblt. Otto Vincent, commander of 2./JG54, went missing in action on January 4th, 1944, after combat with Il-2s. The aircraft wore an unusual upper wing camouflage, seen on some of the aircraft produced by the AGO works plant in Oschersleben.