A photo of this machine the Kommandeur III./JG 3, Major Wolfgang Ewald was seen sitting in the cockpit preparing for a sortie during the early April month of 1943.

The aircraft with the W.N.r. 14 859, and was marked "schwarzer Doppelwinkel Strich". It was a Gondelwaffen equipped G-4 "gunboat".

Shortly after, on 20 April this Messerschmitt was lost when Lt. Adolf von Gordon was shot down and killed in combat with Il 2s over Noworossijsk. During this time the Stab, II. and III./JG 3 bore the brunt of the fighting against 8 VA and 17 VA filing a total of 342 claims for 24 lown osses.

Wolfgang Ewald was a veteran of Spain where he claimed a single victory. He shot down a Spitfire on 2 September 1940 during the Battle of Britain for his first in WW II.

He achieved the first victories in Russia on 20 May 1942 and was appointed Kommandeur III./JG 3 on July 23, 1942. His "best" day came on 26 October 1942 when he claimed four II-2 Shturmoviks shot down for his victories 44 to 47.

Then followed the Ritterkreutz for a total of 53 confirmed victories on 9 December 1942. On 5 July 1943 he claimed three Pe-2-bombers for victories 65-67 but nine days later, on 14 July he was shot down by Russian flak near Belgorod and taken prisoner. He was not to be returned home until in late December 1949.

Please note that this profile would be included in my next Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft book, Profile Book No 16. Time to get going.