Markings Fw-190, Hauptmann Schumann 10/JG2

[RossJ]

Hi, Newbie here.
On the 20th Jan 1943, my father who was 13 and lived in Bromley, At that time just outside London, saw a German single engine plane fly overhead very low. In his recollection he thought it must have been a "Messerschmitt" as the nose was painted yellow. He thought it was the same plane which, in his words "Shot up a School in Catford".
There is a good chance that he did see the plane which ended up attacking a school a few miles from where he was, however the records show this to be a Fw-190, of JG2 (possibly 10/JG2?), piloted by Heinz Schumann. I think both the ME-109s and Fw-190s that were around on that raid both had yellow paint at the front, however he may have seen one of the other planes on that particular raid.
In my dad's memory I've decided to build a model of the plane he may have seen which is Schumann's Fw-190, apparently an A4-U3 version.
I've not been able to find any specific details of the plane, however it would probably have had the standard camouflage pattern of that time and my research seems to suggest there would have been blue numbering and patterns (wiggly line, stripe or dot). Possibly a fox with a boat in it's mouth as a nose emblem too.
Does anyone who actually knows about these things know enough to help me get close to what the plane would have looked like on that day?
cheers
Ross

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

The pilot's name was Heinz Schumann, born 29 November 1914, and he was the Staffelkapitän of 10.(Jabo)/Jagdgeschwader 2.

His FW 190 A-3 or FW 190 A-4 would have looked something like this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TKZg6r-Groc/V ... an0021.tif, but probably marked 'Blue 1 + <-'. The Staffel emblem can be seen here: https://davidjbsmith.weebly.com/uploads ... 1557945948

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[RossJ]

Thanks Andrew,
I've now managed to track down some Decals with the number, line and emblem you've mentioned, in blue (which saves me ruining it by hand painting the things) and I've got an Eduard Fw-190 A-4 to stick 'em on. Unfortunately it's now too late to show the thing to the Old Man to see if he recognises it.
This personal link to the happenings of the past has kindled an interest in the events of that day. In the sixties My brother went to the primary school my dad went to and the teachers there told the story of that day to the pupils. Windows in this school had been "shot out" as well, though as there was no other noticeable damage it's likely these were ejected shell cases and the plane was shooting at something a mile or two further on.
We've surmised that the planes which attacked Sandhurst Rd School and other bits of London had crossed the channel to Hastings and then followed the A21 main road. This would have taken them through Bromley and all the way to Catford.
I was thinking of stretching my skills and doing a small diorama of the plane about to take off with pilot. I'd presume it would have had a single 500kg bomb underneath and maybe be on a concrete runway if it was based at Caen-Carpiquet that day. Mind you I think my obsessive tendencies are taking over and maybe I'm trying too hard to get the details "correct"!! I'm now starting to wonder what version of ME-109 would have been around that day as well and type of markings they had, just in case the old man had seen a "Messerschmitt"!
Ross

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Ross,

Happy to be able to help a little. Judging by the Luftflotte 3 mission report translated and reproduced in the excellent book by Chris Goss, Luftwaffe Fighter-Bombers Over Britain, of the twenty Bf 109s taking part, ten flew a diversionary bombing attack on Tunbridge Wells, and ten provided a diversionary sweep in the Thames estuary area, before escorting the FW 190s home. So it seems that only the FW 190s were over London on that day. Of the 25 FW 190s to attack London, 20 carried SC 500s and five carried SC 250s.

Your assumption about Hastings is correct. From National Archives file AIR 41/49, the British noted that the London raiders crossed the coast between Rye and Beachy Head.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[RossJ]

Thanks again Andrew, that's helped a lot.
I find it very interesting that what people "perceive" they've seen is not always what actually happened. As my dad said "it must have been a Messerschmitt cos the nose was painted yellow". I'm not sure if a 13 year old at the time really knew what a Messerschmitt or a Fw-190 actually looked like, however I think he may have been correct in that he did see the plane which was involved in the Sandhurst Rd School incident. I've read a bit more of the events of that day on the internet and there seem to be a lot of other reports of individuals who "saw" that plane that day and there seems to be a fair few differences in "interpreting" these events. I've also found a picture of Heinz Schumman and it's eerie thinking I'm looking at the pilot who my dad saw about 77 years ago.
I've also ordered a copy of Chris Goss's book so you ought to contact him to get a pint on a "commision basis"!
regards
Ross