Eastern Front Greeks: Fw 56 A-1 Stosser

[comrade harps]

Focke-Wulf Fw 56 A-1 Stosser
a/c 2, Volunteer Army Cooperation Flight of the Greek Air Force, Northern Expeditionary Group (NEG)
"Somewhere in Russia" summer 1941



A strongly anti-Communist and decidedly Fascist government, the Greek regime of Ioannis Metaxas was quickly embraced by Hitler as the Nazis attempted to gain ascendancy over British and French influence in the Balkans. As a gesture of goodwill, Germany offered the Greek Air Force mates rates on the acquisition of 60 Focke-Wulf Fw 56 A-1 Stosser fighters. With the Greek Air Force rapidly expanding, the Fw 56 initially served as a fighter (pending the availability of PZL.24s) and later in the advanced trainer, liaison and army cooperation roles.




When the Greek government sent the Greek I Army Corps and the Greek Air Force's Northern Expeditionary Group (NEG) to fight the Moscow Pact nations in 1941, 6 Stossers were included in the force. 2 were assigned to NEG for liaison duties with the other 4 serving in army cooperation roles, providing battlefield visual reconnaissance, communications, artillery spotting and target marking (for PZL.24H fighters and PZL.23G bombers operating in the close air support role). The Greek Fw 56 pilots also engaged in close air support on occasion, using their pair of MG 17 machine guns for strafing and loadout of 3x10kg bombs for danger close bombing. Two 15kg smoke bombs were carried for target marking missions (as depicted here).




Operating over the frontline, the Stosser pilots of the Volunteer Army Cooperation Flight relied on tactics and the small size and nimble maneuverability of their mounts for survival. Camouflage was also an important survival feature, a distinguishing feature of the Flight's aircraft compared with those assigned to NEG liaison duties being the small size of their wing roundels.






By the time the NEG withdrew to regroup in late December 1941, attrition and combat damage had reduced the Flight's inventory to just a single airworthy Fw 56 A-1. When the Volunteer Army Cooperation Flight returned to the Eastern Front in 1942, the Stosser had been replaced by 6 Henschel Hs 126 B-1s, the first 16 of which had delivered to Greece in 1939.

[NARSES2]

I like that it's a perfect example of how a different camouflage scheme can make you not recognise the aircraft type at first glance. Then you look again and go "oh yes it's a ....." 

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! Reminds me of the Hs 126 recce aircraft that were operated by Greece.