Hasegawa Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8 of Oberleutnant Gerhard Thyben in 1/72 Scale

Gerhard Thyben was one of the Luftwaffe’s highest scoring Experten, being credited with a total of 157 aerial victories.  He likely scored the last Fw 190 kill of the war, a Soviet Pe-2 over the Baltic Sea.

Thyben’s first combat was with 6./JG 3 flying Bf 109’s on the Eastern Front.  He got off to a slow start, downing a Soviet Boston on 26FEB43 for his first victory.  He was briefly transferred to the West at the beginning of 1944 where he scored five victories, including three P-38 Lightnings in one sortie.  Transferring back to the East in command of 7./JG 54 “Grünherz” , he achieved his 100^th victory when he outmaneuvered an attacking Il-2 at low altitude, the Sturmovik stalled and crashed.  Thyben survived the war, passing away in 2006 at the age of 84.

The model depicts Thyben’s Fw 190A-8 while commanding 7./JG 54 at Libau-Grobin, Latvia in January 1945.