Focke-Wulf 190 Landings in Sweden during World War II

Thanks to a number of people sending in additional information, I can tell the story of FW 190 landings in Sweden much more comprehensively. Thanks to Thierry for allowing me to use his profile of one of the FW 190 A-8s which landed in Sweden in 1945.
Introduction
During 1945 seven German FW 190s landed in Sweden. The aircraft came from a variety of backgrounds, and they provide interesting details on the late-war Luftwaffe.

03.02.45 - FW 190 F-8/R1 W.Nr 638 01022 of 2./J.Gr. Ost [1]
This aircraft came from a small batch of FW 190 F-8s that carried eight-digit Werk Nummern. W.Nr 638 01022 carried no unit markings, but was painted in a late-war camouflage scheme of RLM 81/75 with 76 undersurfaces. The aircraft was flown by Fw. Hans-Josef Dietel, a ferry pilot and flight instructor who had served with 2./J.Gr. Ost. After arriving in Sweden intact, this FW 190 was test flown by Lt Cln Lambert-Meuller of the Swedish air force on 28 February 1945, but on landing the undercarriage did not extend, and the aircraft crash-landed. It was scrapped in 1947.

19.04.45 - FW 190 A-8 W.Nr 961 076 'Black 10 + -' of 6.(Sturm)/J.G. 4 [2]
Piloted by an Estonian, Obgefr. Aksel-Meinhard Kessler, this aircraft landed at Bulltofta at 10:50 on 19 April 1945. The FW 190 was scrapped in 1946. Aksel-Meinhard Kessler was not handed over to the Russians post-war, and is still alive today in the United States. Click the thumbnail below to view Thierry Dekker's profile of this aircraft.


30.04.45 - FW 190 A-8 W.Nr 739 136 'White 15 + -' of II.(Sturm.)/J.G. 4 [3]
'White 15 + -' took off from Parchim, north-west of Berlin, piloted by another Estonian, Oblt. Anatol Rebane. This FW 190 was scrapped in Sweden in 1946. Anatol Rebane lived in the West after the war, and after leaving the United States in 2002, now lives in Estonia again.

08.05.45 - FW 190 A-8 W.Nr 682 790 'Blue 11 + ' of 5./J.G. 54 [4]
'Blue 11 + ' crash-landed at Vallby at 11:15 with four men onboard. Those aboard included: Uffz. Walter Ständer, Uffz. Rudolf Vogel, Gefr. Heinz Tatenhorst and Gefr. Günther Herchet. After being scrapped, the FW 190's parts were turned over to the Soviet Union on 8 November 1945.

The two J.G. 54 FW 190 A-8s that landed in Sweden on 8 May 1945 were two of the 50+ FW 190s that evacuated from the Courland pocket on the final day of the war. Most of J.G. 54's FW 190s flew to British-held Flensburg or Kiel, but some flew to Sweden, just across the Baltic Ocean from Courland.

08.05.45 - FW 190 A-8 W.Nr 739 137 '<2 + ' of 1./J.G. 54 [5]
This aircraft, with markings of Blue or Black '<2 + ', landed at Fossie at 09:50, flown by Uffz. Ludwig Nitzsch of 1./J.G. 54. The aircraft had been damaged in a force-landing with II./J.G. 54 in early March 1945, and it probably did not belong to Nitzsch's Staffel, but was used out of necessity in the evacuation from Courland. This FW 190 A-8 was turned over to the Soviet Union on 8 November 1945.

08.05.45 - FW 190 F-8 W.Nr 584 205 'Black M + I' of III./S.G.3 [6]
This aircraft was an FW 190 F-8 from III./S.G.3, a ground-attack unit that served alongside J.G. 54 in the Courland Pocket during the last months of the war. Three Luftwaffe personnel made the flight to Sweden in this aircraft, including Stabsfeldwebel Werner Skirlo, Fw. Johann Gruber and Fw. Adolf Karnel. The aircraft belly-landed, but was not badly damaged. The aircraft carried what Ken Merrick describes as a "very interesting" scheme. It was RLM 75/83, but unusually, the 83 was applied in large blobs on the fuselage sides. The wingtips seem white, but were probably yellow. The spinner had a black/white spiral, and 'Black M + I' carried a late-war version of the Balkenkreuz. This FW 190 was scrapped and the parts were turned over to the Soviet Union in autumn 1945. Click on the thumbnail below to view a photograph of 'Black M + I'.

Photo via P. Landh

08.05.45 - FW 190 F-8 W.Nr 931 484 'Black C + I' of III./S.G.3 [7]
Like 'Black M + I', 'Black C + I' was an FW 190 F-8 of III./S.G.3. It carried a more conventional late-war camouflage scheme, either RLM 81/82 or 81/83 (probably the former). It had outdated Hakenkreuz and Balkenkreuz markings. Aboard were three men, Lt. Heinz Topfer, Gefr. Helmuth Bohm and Ofw. Hermann Goldenbohm. The aircraft crash-landed, and after being scrapped, the parts were turned over to the Soviet Union in autumn 1945. Click to enlarge a photograph of 'Black C + I':

Photo via P. Landh

Other Planned Flights to Sweden by Estonian FW 190 Pilots [8]
Lt. E. Martenson and Lt. J. Sepa both tried to fly FW 190s to Sweden, but due to bad weather and navigation errors, they landed in Norway and were captured by British forces.

Appendix I: Focke-Wulf 190 Landings in Sweden during World War II
Date Variant W.Nr Markings Units Pilot & Passengers
03.02.45 F-8/R1 638 01022 - 2./J.Gr.Ost Fw. Hans-Josef Dietel
19.04.45 A-8 961 076 'Black 10 + -' 6.(Sturm)/J.G. 4 Obgefr. Aksel-Meinhard Kessler *
30.04.45 A-8 739 136 'White 15 + -' II.(Sturm)/J.G. 4 Oblt. Anatol Rebane
08.05.45 A-8 682 790 'Blue 11 + ' 5./J.G. 54 Uffz. Walter Ständer, Uffz. Rudolf Vogel, Gefr. Heinz Tatenhorst, Gefr. Günther Herchet
08.05.45 A-8 739 137 '< 2 + ' 1./J.G. 54 Uffz. Ludwig Nitzsch
08.05.45 F-8 584 205 'Black M + I' III./S.G.3 Stabs-Fw. Werner Skirlo, Fw. Johann Gruber, Fw. Adolf Karnel
08.05.45 F-8 931 484 'Black C + I' III./S.G.3 Lt. Heinz Topfer, Gefr. Helmuth Bohm, Ofw. Hermann Goldenbohm
* Kessler's rank was possibly Oberfähnrich
Footnotes
[1] B. Widfeldt & R. Wegmann, Nödlandning, Air Historic Research, Nässjö, 1998 [hereafter Nödlandning]; B. Widfeldt, The Luftwaffe in Sweden 1939-1945, Monogram, Boylston, 1983 [hereafter Luftwaffe in Sweden]; S. Jarlevik, Luftwaffe Experten Mailing List Message, 26 January 2002
[2] Nödlandning; Luftwaffe in Sweden
[3] Nödlandning; Luftwaffe in Sweden; E. Mombeek, Sturmjäger: Zur Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 4, Volume 2, ASBL la Porte d'Hoves, Linkebeek, 2000; via Toivo Kitvel
[4] JG 54 Loss List; Luftwaffe in Sweden; Nödlandning; J. Weal, Focke-Wulf FW 190 Aces of the Eastern Front, Osprey Publishing, Botley, 1996
[5] Nödlandning; Luftwaffe in Sweden; G. Rosipal, JG 54 Loss List, http://www.jps.net/wartburg/LossList.htm [hereafter JG 54 Loss List]
[6] Nödlandning; Luftwaffe in Sweden; K. Merrick, Email 15 September 2002
[7] Nödlandning; Luftwaffe in Sweden; K. Merrick, Email 15 September 2002
[8] Mehis Helme, Email 01 February 2003

BibliographySources
Mehis Helme, Email 1 February 2003

Stig Jarlevik, Luftwaffe Experten Mailing List Message, 26 January 2002

Ken Merrick, Email 15 September 2002

Eric Mombeek, Sturmjäger: Zur Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 4, Volume 2, ASBL la Porte d'Hoves, Linkebeek, 2000

G. Rosipal, JG 54 Loss List, http://www.jps.net/wartburg/LossList.htm

John Weal, Focke-Wulf FW 190 Aces of the Eastern Front, Osprey Publishing, Botley, 1996

Bo Widfeldt, The Luftwaffe in Sweden 1939-1945, Monogram, Boylston, 1983

Bo Widfeldt & R. Wegmann, Nödlandning, Air Historic Research, Nässjö, 1998

Acknowledgements
- Mehis Helme
- P. Landh
- Ken Merrick
- T. Nilsson
- Mikael Olrog
- Dennis Peschier
- Olaf Sahlén
- Steve Sheflin
- Toivo Kitvel



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