WALTER NOWOTNY

Walter Nowotny was a young and very impulsive pilot, he would go on to become the Luftwaffe's fifth ranking Ace. Nowotny was born in Gmund Austria on the 7th of December, 1920. Joining the Luftwaffe at the outbreak of War he was assigned to the Ersatzstaffel of JG 54 a training unit, on completion of his training he was assigned to 9/JG 54 (Teufelstaffel) or as it was more commonly known as 'The Devil's Squadron' their insignia was a grinning red Satan's head. Nowotny entered the War flying as a Rottenflieger (Wingman), but rarely stayed in this role, he couldn't resist attacking the enemy before the order's were given. This would lead to Nowotny being reprimanded many times. Nowotny scored his first victories on the 19th of July 1941 when he shot down three Soviet BI-Planes, during this engagement Nowotny's engine received a critical hit, causing him to lose altitude deep in Soviet held territory. Nowotny turned toward the Baltic, he would rather ditch into the Sea than crash-land and be taken POW by the Russians. After three days of paddling in his inflated raft Nowotny finally reached friendly shores.

Walter Nowotny's personal Focke Wulf FW-190

Nowotny was finally rescued, upon being spotted and picked up by car, Nowotny insisted he drove, for three days and nights he had been in a raft, Nowotny was so exhausted that he fainted at the wheel and crashed the car into a tree. This would earn Nowotny a stay in hospital as he recovered from his concussion. On the 1st of February 1943 Nowotny was promoted to Oberleutnant, he then started to bring together members of his Schwarm, a unit that was to became the most successful of it's kind. By the 18th of August 1943 Nowotny had reached the 150 mark, he reached 200 by the 18th of August and was award the Eichenlaub the very next day. 

By the 15th of October 1943 Nowotny had reached the 250 mark this made him the top scoring fighter pilot of the time, he was awarded the Brillanten to his Ritterkreuz shortly after. The strain of continuous combat was beginning to take it's toll, nightmares plagued Nowotny and this lead to him being rested towards the end of 1943. When he was ready again for combat he was placed in charge of a training unit based in France which was trying to produce more quality pilots in an effort to protect the Fatherland. In July of 1944 Nowotny was placed in charge of an elite Me 262 fighter unit named Kommando Nowotny. Walter had a green heart painted on his jet to remind him of his beloved unit (The Green Hearts). On the 8th of November 1944 on an intercept mission to take down B-17 Flying Fortress's Nowotny met his fate. After scoring three B-17's he got into a dogfight with escorting P-51 Mustangs, one of his engine's experienced a flameout, greatly reducing his speed and manoeuvrability Nowotny was forced to dive back into the clouds and head for home. As Nowotny began his descent to land, circling Mustangs jumped him. Nowotny was sent plummeting to his death. Walter Nowotny official score is 258, but many believe this to be as much as 281.

Nowotny showing a bullet hole that has pierced his flight suit

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