Greg Swindells
FW190
For those interested here is a short history of this aircraft.
On January 1st 1945 the USAF 404th Fighter Group based at St. Trond was attacked by German fighter bombers as part of Operation Bodenplatte. One aircraft, flown by Gefreiter Walter Wagner, was White 11, an FW190A-8 of 5 Staffel II/JG4.
Wagner apparently mistook his intended target of LeCulot and attacked both St.Trond and American ground forces around the town of Bastogne. After suffering damage from ground-fire he then force-landed at St. Trond thinking it was LeCulot; the aircraft receiving only light damage.
The 190 was repaired to flying condition, with the apparent intention of having Leo Moon; Commander of the 508th Squadron; fly it, escorted by two P47s. To distinguish it from a real FW190 it was painted in an overall bright orange red and marked with the false code of 1-1-45 (its date of capture). Interestingly the original Luftwaffe unit crest of JG4 was retained on the port cowl. Unfortunately there is no evidence that the aircraft was ever flown in this configuration.
As the airbase at St Trond was in Belgium the aircraft codes of OO L are thought to derive from the Belgian national registration letters OO and the letter L being added for the pilot Leo Moon. It has also been described more dramatically as standing for ‘OH OH Hell’.
Request for anyone with further info – I’ve collected quite a number of images of the real aircraft and also of Commander Leo Moon but cannot find anything of its original pilot – if anyone has more info I’d be grateful to see it.
FW190
For those interested here is a short history of this aircraft.
On January 1st 1945 the USAF 404th Fighter Group based at St. Trond was attacked by German fighter bombers as part of Operation Bodenplatte. One aircraft, flown by Gefreiter Walter Wagner, was White 11, an FW190A-8 of 5 Staffel II/JG4.
Wagner apparently mistook his intended target of LeCulot and attacked both St.Trond and American ground forces around the town of Bastogne. After suffering damage from ground-fire he then force-landed at St. Trond thinking it was LeCulot; the aircraft receiving only light damage.
The 190 was repaired to flying condition, with the apparent intention of having Leo Moon; Commander of the 508th Squadron; fly it, escorted by two P47s. To distinguish it from a real FW190 it was painted in an overall bright orange red and marked with the false code of 1-1-45 (its date of capture). Interestingly the original Luftwaffe unit crest of JG4 was retained on the port cowl. Unfortunately there is no evidence that the aircraft was ever flown in this configuration.
As the airbase at St Trond was in Belgium the aircraft codes of OO L are thought to derive from the Belgian national registration letters OO and the letter L being added for the pilot Leo Moon. It has also been described more dramatically as standing for ‘OH OH Hell’.
Request for anyone with further info – I’ve collected quite a number of images of the real aircraft and also of Commander Leo Moon but cannot find anything of its original pilot – if anyone has more info I’d be grateful to see it.