Let Let Let - Warplanes

During the Soviet advance in the last month of the Second World War they have captured a lot of the enemy warplanes. This included couple of Focke-Wulf Fw190D-9’s captured intact by the 2 Guards IAP of 322 IAD at a Focke-Wulf facility near Marienburg, East Prussia. There was maintenance and repair plant and these planes are sending here for the repairs and overhauls. Soviet were taken this but from the record is known that they are actually collected all of west machines founded anywhere in the Europe. Serials of some planes captured in Marienburg are 211123 but also could be 211121.

From this selection of Dora’s, it appears that at least one example was chosen for extensive flight-testing by NII VVS. However, as Soviet main fighter types in production was the Yak and Lavockin and according to the Dora test pilots they are better aircraft. They had been frequently flown nearby Zarau airfield. For two samples is known that they are tested by official Red Army test center and they are 210185 and 210251. It appears that they ended their days being used for gun sighting and identification training on the ground by Russian pilots of the 322 IAD before probably being written off.

Soviet Fw190 Dora testing and operational use based on surviving photographic evidence present for a many tears a lot of disagreement of the researchers in the Soviet Union. Some info stated that this plane was repainted in the official Soviet colors and later used in the north Baltic fleet unit. Also based on the photographic evidence, apparently in a US Military Review circa 1948/49, showing a pair of Dora’s stationed at Görden, SW of Brandenburg. According to the article these two Dora’s remained on the Russian inventory as trainers until late 1949 until one of them crashing in Latvia during March of the same year. Interesting to note is that some of the close up images made by Soviet authorities include parts of aircraft indicated by numbers and this could indicate that the images was prepared for some kind of manual.

Color profiles

Standard camouflage is consisted of RLM 82 and RLM 83 on the topside with W3 underside. Plane has no service labels on it even the red trim tabs. Serial number is only 21….1 visible. Plane was very dirt and fad.

This sample had fuselage and tail over paint with topside Soviet dark blue grey color. White diagonal stripe is mystery and could not get is this of German origin or add by Soviet. Also there is visible band in the rear fuselage and color look like the white. Cockpit canopy is in the German topside camouflage color.

Plane above this is the cleanest plane I have note on the photos and it had standard camouflage with RLM76 on the whole underside. Green spot on the rear fuselage is maybe the result of some cover or damage repair over paints done in the German service. This plane had all of the service labels on it.

Srecko Bradic

Photo credit- Genady Petrov, Color profiles- Srecko Bradic