Eduard Bf 110G-4 of Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer in 1/72 Scale

Bf 110G-4 of Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, NJG4, Eggebek Germany, April 1945.  Eduard kit, ExtraTech decals, scratchbuilt FuG 218 Neptune radar.

Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer is the highest-scoring night fighter pilot with 121 victories, including 114 Royal Air Force four-engine bombers.  He was never shot down, although he was wounded once in the leg by defensive fire from an RAF Halifax.  His best night came on 21FEB45 when he claimed nine RAF bombers over two sorties, post-war analysis indicates he may have actually downed ten.  By the age of 22 Schnaufer was the Kommodore of NJG 4 and had been awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.  He survived the war but was killed in an automobile accident in France in 1950.  The tail fin of his last aircraft with his 121 victories is currently on display at the Imperial War Museum.