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The Pilots of White 1
It is not known who
flew White 1 during the period September - early November
1944. What is known is that Werner Gayko was assigned White
1 when 9./JG 5 took over the Focke-Wulfs of IV./JG 5 in early
November 1944. The machine was then flown by him until it
was assigned to Uffz. Heinz Orlowski after he crash-landed
his Fw 190A-3, White 17, in Bodø on November 30th.
After the unit tranferred to Herdla it was flown in combat
by both Orlowski and Gayko, the latter using it on 12th, 14th
and 15th January before Orlowski took her up for the last
time on February 9th 1945.
Oberleutnant
Werner Gayko
Born on May 22nd 1923
in East Preussia, Werner Gayko (figure 25) was assigned to
III./JG5 in Petsamo in fall 1943 where he sometimes acted
as the Rottenflieger of Lt. Dörr. He scored his first
victory on 25th November 1943, a Curtiss P-40. On 15th May
1944 Gayko got in trouble when he had to abort an escort mission
for the Ju 52 carrying Luftflottechef Kammhuber due to lack
of fuel. Even if it was the General's fault as he strayed
from the intended route, Gayko was reprimanded for the incident.
However, on the next day, Gayko succeded in shooting down
one of the very few Spitfire Mk IVs operated by 118th ORAP
of the Soviet Northern Fleet Air Force and the incident from
the day before was quickly forgotten! Gayko also participated
in the chase on June 17th 1944 when Walter Schuck shot down
another of the Russian Spitfires.
Figure 25. Oberleutnant Werner Gayko.
In July 1944 Gayko took over leadership of the new 9./JG 5,
then unofficially nicknamed "Eismeerstaffel". During
October his Staffel, still flying Bf 109s, fought to protect
the retreating German ground forces. On the 23rd of the month
Gayko led the last rotte of III. Gruppe from Kirkenes to Kamaanen.
On November 1st the unit was at Banak where the aforementioned
conversion to Fw 190s took place and about a week later the
unit transferred to Bardufoss. Gayko flew White 1 extensively
during November, including the failed intercept of November
12th 1944. Gayko took off from Bardufoss at 09.30 and landed
at 10.38 after having attacked a Lancaster without result.
Gayko contined to lead 9. Staffel at Herdla after the Staffel
transferred there. On March 25th 1945 he had to ditch his
Fw 190 north of Herdla but was eventually brought back to
his unit. When the war ended, Gayko was credited with 13 victories
and had achieved the rank of Oberleutnant.
He later served in the post-war German army as a Colonel and
passed away on October 11th 1994.
Figure
26. Leutnant Werner Gayko with canine friend by an Fw
190A-3 of 9./JG 5. © WWII Fighter Aircraft Foundation
Unteroffizier
Heinz Orlowski
Heinz Orlowski (figure
26) was born in 1923 and enlisted in the Wehrmacht on December
1st 1942. He started his pilot training the same year, flying
such aircraft as the I-16 two-seat trainer and more regular
Luftwaffe trainers. During his time within a Jagdschule and
later an Ergänzungsjagdgruppe he flew a variety of trainer
types, including a captured two-seat I-16. He had also experience
on such disparate types as the Bü 131 "Jungmann"
and 181 "Bestmann", Caudron C 445, Junkers W 34,
Klemm Kl 35, Sarado Ar 66 and Ar 96, Fw 56 "Stösser"
and also North American NT 57 (ex-French machines, basically
an Harvard with fixed undercarriage). Orlowski was also proficient
on the Bf 109E, F and G and of course, the Fw 190.
Orlowski was posted to JG 5 in July 1944 and flew numerous
missions against the Russians during the harsh fighting in
north Norway in October and November 1944. His Lancaster kill
on 12th January 1945 was his first aerial victory while the
Mustang and Beufighter from February 9th was his 2 and 3rd.
He thus ended the war with three confirmed victories
Figure 276. Uffz. Heinz Orlowski. © WWII Fighter Aircraft Foundation
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