Focke-Wulf
Fw 190D: camouflage & markings
Part 1

by

Mark Debroek,
Eric Larger & Tomáš Poruba

JaPo
 

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

Reviewed by David E. Brown

“The raison d’être of this publication on the Fw 190D-series is to capture in a single publication the primary sources – photographs – as well as their interpretation, so as to pass on to fellow researchers, or any other Luftwaffe enthusiast, what are perceived to nbe the keys to identifying, c.q. classifying, through the particularities of camouflage and markings, those “Langnasen Doras” whose serial numbers cannot be derived fro pictures or other reference materials.” (Authors’ Introduction to the book “Focke-Wulf Fw 190D – Camouflage & markings – Part I”)

Appearance and Contents

This new JaPo book is very well produced.  It measures 22 x 30 cm / 9 x 12 inches, and has a laminated hard-back cover.  The pages are heavy bond, semi-matt, bright, coated paper, and the 208 pages of text and images include:

• 248 photographs (55 colour, 193 b/w)
• 70 aircraft and component plan and scrap views (41 colour, 29 b/w)
• 60 artist aircraft colour profiles (40 full page size/length; 20 half size)
• Numerous maps, charts, tables, document images, etc.

Contents and Organisation

The contents of the book are logically organized, starting with and introduction on the Dora’s operational history, followed by detailed discussion on camouflage and markings.  Subsequent sections include a comprehensive discussion of the Fw 190 D prototype aircraft, interpretation of camouflage and markings for each of the known Focke-Wulf Werknummer batches, and concludes with tables on all known aircraft and their fates for these series.  Eight sections are presented in the book and are identified and detailed below. 

1.  Introduction and Operational; History (18 pages) 

Entire books have, and will be written on various Dora units’ operational histories.  This book’s focus is on camouflage and markings, yet an excellent summary of the Dora’s operations is presented in the book supported by several tables, maps and photographs. 

2.  Fw 190D Production Series (2 pages) 

This brief section is dominated by a comprehensive chronological chart tabulating the production of all Dora-type aircraft by each known manufacturer that includes the Werknummern range for aircraft produced on a monthly basis.  This is great information for those requiring knowledge of approximately when specific aircraft were produced.  Indeed, such data is critical to unravelling and understanding the evolution of the Dora’s camouflage and markings through time. 

3.  Camouflage and Markings Theory (49 pages) 

This is a fascinating chapter that includes an outstanding overview and interpretation of Doras’ camouflage and markings, as well as interior colours.  The authors lay out their data, interpretations and the logic behind their conclusions based on official Luftwaffe and RLM documents, Oberflachenshutzliste plans, photographs and aircraft parts.  Numerous colour photos or wreckage and parts provide compelling documentation supporting their conclusions.  Interestingly, the authors have designated six different wing undersurface schemes (“W-Schemes”) that are of great importance in helping identifying where specific aircraft fall within certain Werknummer batches and series.  Three overall uppersurface schemes are also described: 75/83/76, 82/83/76 and 81/82/76.  Further text and figures are presented on the national markings styles, Geschwader, Gruppenstab and Gruppe fuselage markings for each Dora Geschwader, four pages of tabulated information on unit tail bands, spinner spiral styles for each unit, Werknummer styles and positioning, and finally, two pages of plan views illustrating and describing every known maintenance marking observed in photos and wrecks.  Simply outstanding. 

4.  Fw 190 Detailed Description of Prototypes (13 pages) 

This section focuses on most of the F w190 D prototype aircraft detaining their camouflage and markings.  Photographs, documents, colour and b/w plans, drawings and profiles are seamlessly brought together to illustrate the authors’ interpretations. 

5.  Individual Description of Production Batches (104 pages) 

Herein is the bulk of the book – 104 pages dedicated to describing the camouflage and markings of Focke-Wulf production aircraft from the 21XXXX Werknummer-series.  Six batches described in detail with accompanying colour and b/w photographs, colour and b/w profiles and plans, official documents, etc., these being: 

210001-210300 – 17 aircraft examples profiled

210901-211200 – 5 aircraft examples

211901-211950 – 17 aircraft examples

212101-212170 – 5 aircraft examples

213081-213100 – 2 aircraft examples

220001-220017 – 5 aircraft examples (D-11) 

Grey-tone profiles for each fuselage side, variations, and wing uppersurfaces illustrate the salient features for each batch.  Specific to every batch, a number of aircraft are studied in detail and for each there is a discussion on the aircraft’s history, unit, camouflage, markings and stencilling.  All sections are accompanied by period and recent photographs up to half-page size, colour and b/w plan and scrap views, and full-page artist profiles.  The latter are in this writer’s opinion the finest created for this aircraft.  New information is presented via new and previously unpublished photos and documents for a number of familiar aircraft for such things as their Werknummer, unit affiliation, camouflage colours and the like.   

 

 

Aircraft from the first production batch are naturally better represented in the study for the simple reason they were the first Dora’s in combat and hence had the greatest opportunity to be photographed.  Most of these aircraft served with either III./JG 54 or IV./JG 26.  Some batches have similar representation, though others have meagre numbers of aircraft known for their particular batch.  Included are several aircraft that have the diagnostic features of a specific batch though their entire Werknummer is not known.  That identity of such aircraft can be narrowed down to a part within a specific batch proves the validity of the authors’ analytical framework and interpretations. 

 

 

Based on the known totals for each batch, the aircraft examples for each range from 3-10% representative samples.  The small 220001-220017 has five aircraft described representing 30% of the batch.  These totals are thus statistically sufficient to permit a highly confident interpretation of the camouflage colour, schemes and markings for each batch.  This methodical analytical approach is a textbook example of how such studies and should be studied and is probably the first and most detailed study of its type yet published.  The results presented therein speak for themselves. 

6.  Summary (1 page) 

This brief section summarizes in a single page the overall results of this study and points out areas with particular sensitivities regarding available data, data limitations, etc. 

7.  Table of Known Focke-Wulf Production Losses (8 pages) 

This final section is made up of eight pages of tables chronicling every known Few 190 d is the aforementioned production batches.  The table format contains information on each known aircraft’s Werknummer, date (of significant data), marking/code, pilot, fate, location/crash site, state, and action and remarks with approximately 40 entries per page.  This is an extremely useful table and will hopefully expand as new information becomes available to be perhaps included in a subsequent volume.

8.  Bibliography & Photo Credits (2 pages)

This section lists all the published books, periodicals, and official Luftwaffe and Allied documents used and consulted by the authors, and also identifies photograph sources.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

No book is perfect and a few minor editorial errors were noted: such as “KG(J) 51” – this unit was never a Me 262 “Jagd” or fighter unit, “Prussia”  instead of “Russia”, etc.  For future volumes, the authors and published.  The “Table of Contents”, while present is relegated to the back of the book and not in the front that is familiar to western readers.  The headings for the various sections should have larger font sizes to ease in locating them in the book.  Finally, it is hoped that a comprehensive Index will be included in Volume II to facilitate locating specific information buried in the tremendous volume of data and images contained in this book. 

Regarding Part II, this will follow the same format for those Fw 190 D-9, D-13 and D-5 aircraft produced by Arbeitsgemmeinschaft Weserflug (400000-series), Mimetal (500000-series) and Fieseler (6000000-series).  Additional chapters will discuss “Modifications and Adaptations of Camouflage”, “Snapshots in Time (Aircraft of a single unit simultaneously in use)”, “Camouflage Lifecycle of an Aircraft”, “Loss Listings” and new information on “Fw 190 D-15 Camouflage and Markings”.  From conversations with the authors, a third volume is contemplated which would include new information that was forthcoming following publication of the first two volumes, Addenda and Errata, and Ta 152 camouflage and markings. 

These are the best of times for Dora fans.  With the completion of this project -Volumes I and II with over 400 pages and the potential for perhaps another 100 in Volume III  - there will be over 500 pages devoted to the camouflage and markings of the Fw 190 D-series aircraft. In addition to these, it is expected that the upcoming 300-page Eagle Edition book on the Dora will be a complimentary and without a doubt another outstanding “must-have” addition to enthusiasts’ libraries. 

In conclusion, this book is an outstanding contribution to knowledge on Luftwaffe camouflage and markings specific to the Fw 190 D-series.  It is indispensable to anyone interested in the subject as it sets the standard for the analytical analysis of aircraft camouflage and markings and most importantly, extremely well presented in a comprehensive and readable format.  For modellers, one simply cannot complete an accurate scale representation of Dora model without this book. 

In my opinion, the lofty goals by the authors quoted at the beginning of this review have been met and exceeded by their book, and hopefully the subsequent volumes.  Loftiest kudos to Mark Debroek, Eric Larger and Tomáš Poruba for their superb publication.

Highest Recommendation

Sincere thanks to Ales Janda at JaPo for the review copy of this book.

Review Copyright © 2005 by David E. Brown
This Page Created on 04 December, 2005
Last updated 13 December, 2005

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