x German _JETSof WARBIRDS ILLUSTRATED No S20 Back cover top: The Ar 234 V2 experimental aircrait, photographed just after leaving the runway for its first ig Alt-Lonnewitz in Lower Saxony with the aid of two 500k thrust Walter RI 202 rocket-assisted take-off units, 13, September 1943. This second prototype (DP-+AW, Werk Nr 130002) was destroyed on 10 October 1943 when one engine caught fire. The pilot, Flugkapitan Selle, on his sixth fight in the V2, was killed. Back cover bottom: The first comparative testing bewween, the He 280 V7 and VS was planned for October 10, but because it proved impossible to equip the latter with @ "vee" tail until the end of 194 lying was temporarily discontinued. ‘The ‘ultimate fates of these ‘high-speed gliders’ is unknown, but they were probably serapped during the summer of 1945. Th photograph shows the seventh He 280 with its special Calibration equipment, awaiting action ata snowy Ainring Bavaria) airtel.1,.On 7 January 1945 KG 51 staf flight had four Me 262 bombers, 30 others were operated by TGruppe, [I Gruppe owned ten and a further nine were supposedly on their way to the Geschasader, By mid-January about 49 Me 262 “Blirsbombers’ were actually on strength, and some jets were flown to Rhein-Main airfield to begin operations against advancing Allied ground forces i Strasbourg, which was liberated by French troops on 18 January. During February [ and TGruppe of KG 51 operated against enemy concentrations in Kleve and the Rhineland,Sf WARBIRDS ILLUSTRATED No S2 German World War Two MANFRED GRIEHLFirst published in Great Britain in 1988 by Arms & ‘Armour Press Ltd., Artillery House, Artillery Row, London SWIP IRT. Distributed in the USA by Sterling Publishing Co, Inc., 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016, Distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link (Australia) Pry. Ltd. P.O. Box 665, Lane Cove, ‘New South Wales 2066. @ Arms & Armour Press Lid., 1988 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording o vit. information Frorage and retrieval system, without permission in ‘writing from the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication data: Grichl, Manfred. German jets of World War Two. 1, Germany, Luftwaffe, Military aeroplanes: 193% 1945 L.Title TL. Series 623.74'6'0903 ISBN 0-85368-884-2 Felted and designed by Roger Chesneau. Printed and bound in Great Britain by ‘The Bath Press. 2 2. Leumant Branz Schall, the commander of 10,JG.7 “Noworny”, whose Me 262A-la was shot down by American fighters on 4 April 1945. He Survived this crash but a was killed few days later when his Me 262 rolled into a crater and exploded, He had achieved twenty victories and twas the third highest-scoring jet fighter pilet in the Lufreaffe after 1/Lt. Kurt Welter of 11/N7G 11 (formerly Kommando *Welter’) with 28 “kills” and 2/L1. Rudolf Rademacher of 17/90 7 with 25. chall's first victory in the Me 262 came on 8 November 1944, the day Major Nowotny was killed in action, Introduction This Warbirds Ilustrated volume contains many new photographs of the German jet-powered aircraft which, within a few short years, changed the face of aviation. ‘The book does not deal solely with the famous Me 262 (although more than 1,500 examples were built, under incredible conditions), since as well as this and the new *Vlksjager’ designs a lot of other interesting fighter projects were under development during the final six months of the Second World War: Focke-Wulf, Gotha, Heinkel, Henschel, Horten, Junkers and some smaller concerns all embarked on the project definition of high-speed interceptors to stop the Allied bomber fleets over the Reich, while advanced Messerschmitt designs, for example the P.1101 and 1112, were beginning to open the door for the supersonic fighter aircraft. Clearly, the days of the piston-engined fighter were numbered, despite powerful German types like Kurt Tank’s Ta 152 and the many fast, long range Allied fighter aircraft such as the P-51. Mustang. “Together with the Me 262 ‘Blitsbomber’, the Arado 234 and Junkers 287 appeared to herald new ways of promoting an Offensive air war. The Ar 234 entered service in October 1944 and went into action at the end of December that year as the fist true jet bomber, but, hampered by its troublesome engines and the chaotic fuel situation in Germany in 1944—45, it was unable to halt the Allied advance. After some desperate attacks, which Succeeded in hindering the Rhine crossing, the operational carcer Of the 254 was brought to a close in March 1945. For its part, the qu 287 proved to be nothing more than an interesting signpost along the road to the development of the modern bomber aircraft "Thhus although the new German jets flew numerous sorties, the cause was obviously lost by the time they had teached the Squadrons, and the ‘high-tech’ aircraft were too few in number to exercise an influence on the course of the war. ‘The new technology required refined materials and improved aerodynamic principles, which would take time to develop, and these factors, fogether with the innumerable small technical problems which rose, prevented the German aircraft industry from realizing its ambitious plans to ereate an entirely new generation of warplanes before the war enced: except for the Me 262 and the He 162, none of the fast turbine airerat realy got a chance T should like to express my sincere thanks to many good friends in Australia, Britain, Germany, Switzerland and the United States for their assistance in preparing this book. Special thanks go to Messrs. Creek, Dabrowski, Dierich, Dressel, Francella, Heck, Lutz Jr, Maesel, Martinez, Mohr, Muth, Nowarra, Pervesler, Radinger, Riedinger, Rohrbach, Schliepharke, Spencer, Sclinger, Stapfer, ‘Trenkle, Wegmann, Zucker and many others, and to the Forschungsgruppe, Lufifahrigeshichte e,V.» Heinkel GmbH, Dr. Hiller, Messrs Ebert and Roosenboom of MBB Bremen and Munich, and NASM. Without the help given by these individuals and organizations this volume would not have been possible Manfred Griehl3,4. Two photographs of the A: which flew for the first tim raft is sitting on its undercarriage trolley, and a mobile or is evident in ea 8 April 19445 th The BMW 003 troublesome. Both external engine st powerplant proved to be extreme! Photographs were taken at the Arado works at Alt-Lonnewitz fn mide March 1944 The sixth Ar 234 on its undercarriage trolley, showing the excellent forward visibility From the glazed cockpit. Note the ‘of skids under the main fuselage and the engines nacelles andling system was chosen alter several p Sa shown on project drawings of the Ar E 370 jet bomber with two carly Jumo TLs and the smaller BMW P 3302. The At 231 Vo logged only shes ISmins of fying time before it crashed fon 1 June 144, 6. The eighth Ar 234 prototype (GK + LY, 130008) was powered by four BMW 003 turbojets in paired nacelles. First flown on 4 February 1044, t was severely damaged in a crash ton 6 May 1944 after having been flown by Arado test pilot Janssen on about six occasions. The ultimate fate of the AL Vis unknowna7 7. The Ar 234 VO was the most widely tested military prototype among the early jet-engined Arados. PH + SQ (130000) was tasked with carrying different payloads, e.g. three 500kg GP bbombs or a heavy SC 1000 bomb under the centreline, The first fight took place on 12 March 1944, and in April the aircraft started bombing trials, carrying the SC 1000 and two additional Walter RI-202 rocket engines beneath each inner wing section, ‘The aircraft was last heard of in December 191, after successfully completing more than 120 test fights, 8. In mid-August 1944 the first Ar 234 trials were undertaken using {wo 300-litre auxiliary drop jaks, installed on the ninth prototype, which was flown by Frach and Eheim, two very experienced Arado pilots. ‘The tanks were fitted under the Jumo 004 turbojets and were equivalent in size to those fitted as a centerline store on the Fw 190 and BI 109. By the end of he war some Ar 234B-1s had seen action with this equipment vs9. Arado test pilots sC 500s were fitted to the Ar 234 V9 during trials with radio guidance systems involving the im and Kroeger. ‘The latter reached an altitude of more than 12,000ft on 29 ‘April 1944, the Ar 234 V9 then being brought into a glide and its parachute brake deployed These carly trials were interrupted when Allied bombers were reported over central Germany, and the next tests, were curtailed because of severe problems with the aircraft's engines. 10, The Ar 234 V13, rolled out at Sommer in 1944, and flying for the first ime on 6 September that year, was the third four-engined Arado prototype. Janssen was selected to pilot the aircraft on its maiden flight ~ a sortie which also proved to be its last. One of the BMW 003A-1 engines caught fire, and in the subsequent emergency landing the aircraft was badly damaged. The remains were transferred to the Lu/rteaffe's Technical School at Jaterborg for training purposes. 10¥ Bena Linn =aul Only two BMW 003 A-Is were fitted to the Ar 234 VIT PL+SY, Work Nr. 130027), which was first flown on 25 September 1914, ‘The aircraft was based at Kupper and Sorau until 10 October, later moving to Oranienburg and Larz aiffields, On 22 March it reached an altitude of 31,500ft. The following April, the V17 was transferred to Lechfeld in Bavaria and subsequently to Neubiberg near Munich, where it was estroyed by German forces a short time before the arrival of Allied ground troops, 12. The Ar 234 V20 (PL+ WY flown, by Janssen, on 5 November 1944 at Kupper aerodrome six days later it ran into an Fw 190 on the ground and Janssen was injured. After testing the bomber at Kupper airfield, Eheim flew the V20 from Alt-Lonnewite to Brandenburg: v2 Werk Nr. 130030) was first Briest, but by the end of the war it had been withdrawn t0 Rostock-Wamemunde. The ultimate fate of this aircraft is unknown, but there is some evidence that it was destroyed, ‘during further trials in. March 1045, 13, 14, Two views of the engine installation in the four-engined Ar 234 V10 (Werk Nr. 130029, P+ WX), one of four Arado jets still flying by the end of 1944, On 19 January 1945 the nircralt’s starboard undercarriage collapsed, and it proved difficult to complete repairs because of the many air raids taking place and the shortage of spare parts. On 7 February 1945, however, the aircraft arrived at Brandenburg-Bries where engine development trials continued until the end of, March. On 4 April 1045 the V19 was damaged for a second time and never flew again. The prototype for the Ar 23. 4V21 16. Another view of the Ar 234 V21, the sole C-series W2, Werk Nr. 130061), which started flight trials on 24 prototype to be equipped with two MG 151/20 in the rear ovember 1944 and was still in use in March 1945, Production fuselage section (one of the rearward-facing gun troughs can be the Ar 234-3 began in February 1945 at Alt-Lénnewitz, seen in this port-side view of the aircraft). Four further Ar 234s and a second line, at Brandenburg, was planned to open later. each with four BMW. 003A-Is were built, designated Ar 234 There were firm orders for more than 1,500 Ar 24C-3, V2 to V25, The V25 flew at Kupper for the first time and was bombers and 330 C1 reconnaissance aircraft, while a further brought to Briest on 2 February 1945; in April it was declared 1,400 two-seat bombers and 290 night-fighters (Ar 234C ‘operational at Warnemunde and on | May flown by Eheim to were projected. However, the C-1 and C-2 were abandoned in Kaltenkitchen, where [/7G 7 was standing by wour of the Ar 2340-1 and B-2 v16Versuch c mnmanelo der Luftecafe kL). Both flew reconnaissance missions with the Ar 2348-1 ‘converted from standard Ar 2MB-2 bombers t0 catty two cameras) from Rheine in November and December 1941 reparat Ferman Ardennes offensive. The aircraft of Komman i" (Sparrow), a part of the Versuchsverband, re the official code “T9 20. One of Oberleniant Horst Gite's few Arado Ar 2340-15, preparing for fight, in late 19414, Kommando Sperling? was in due course incorporated into 1/°) 123 and withdrawn from Rheine (in western Germany) to Rheinsehlen on 23 March, On 6 April the last surviving jet reconnaissance aircraft landed at Blankensee near Lubeck on the Reichsautobahn, moving to Rendsburg on 2 May. Some pilots few to Norway to continue reconnaissance duties up to the end of the war, the last jerviceable B-1s and B-2s being based at Stavanger 21. An Ar 234 re-deployed at Stavanger, ostensibly to continu. reconnaissance sorties but in reality as a means of safeguarding 20 jrcraft from the Allied advance. Together with some Ju 1886, about ten Ar 234B-1s and B-2s were captured at Stavanger by Norwegian and British forces at the end of the war, intact and quite airworthy, Other Ar 2348-15, for example 1140008, were stationed at Karup, and some of these were flown via Schleswig to No, 6 Maintenance Unit at Brize Norton by Lt. Car. EM. Brown, a British specialist pilot who flew a large number of captured German and Italian aircraft, 22. This photograph was taken at Manching at the end of April 1045. In the damaged hangar stand Ju 88G-6 night fighters 620313 and 620557, together with an Ar 2348-2, This Arado was one of the KG 76 aircraft which operated from south-west Germany in an attempt to delay the advance of the Allied ground forces, for example by making low-level attacks on, bridges and railway targets in Bad Munster and Bad Krouznach, Three ot four of the jet bombers were normally engaged on these sorties, and on 21 March 1945 hits were claimed by pilots from the remnants of 6 Staffel, KG 76423 v4 23, An Ar 2348-1 from Kommando “Sperling” photographed shortly afte take-off, carly 1945. The unit, part of the Aujkldrunesgruppe Of Lufrwaffentommando West, was tasked with exploring enemy ground concentrations, flying its aircraft from forward bases in France and Belgium. Some of the reconnaissance aircraft assigned to Komando ‘Sperling’ were equipped with ‘two 300-litre drop tanks; the JATO units were jettisoned After take-off 24, In addition to 140008, fine Ar 234B-1s and B-28 were flown by pilots of the RAB, most of the aircraft having bee northern Germany American forces found three ‘Ar 2348-25 on airfields neat Munich in bad condition, so they acquired two aircraft for Col, Watson's Operation “Seahorse? from the British These were flown by USAF pilots at Lechfeld in June 1945 and, together with an ‘Me 262A-1, A-1/U3, B-1 and B-1/UL, were subsequently transferred via Melun t0 Cherbourg and taken to the USA aboard the British carrier Reaper. 28. The He 178 V1 (which differed from the second prototype in having a fixed undercarriage) first took 10 the air on 27 August 1939 at the hands of Flugkapitan Erich Warsitz, who managed the twelve successful flights made by this well-known German jet aireraft at Rostock-Marienche. ‘The experimental He 178 VI was powered by the He S3A, developed by Dr. Hans von hain, who designed his frst gas turbine at Gottingen University in 1936. Von hain constructed the first eleven Heinkel jet engines, culminating in the He SITA The latter was being. manufactured, though in very Limited numbers, at Zuffenhausen near Stuttgart early in 1945, ic having been Secided to adopted this powerful engine for the Ar 234, the Me 262 and the He To2A-1A-2 “Volksiager’ 26, The second prototype He 178 had a fully retractable undercarriage and an increased wing span, but after the RLAT (Reichsluftfahreministerium) abandoned the He S6 jet fengine there was no more interest in the He 178 V2, dnd in fact it probably never flew27. First take-off for the He 280 V2 (GJ + CA), which was fighetested between 30 March 104i and 26 June 190 at Rostock: Marienche and Wien’ Schwechat. During the initial Evaluation of the second He 280 the sireraft was propelled by two prototype fe SA engines. The first run produced maximum thrust of only 200kg, although later. in 1943, 720g srould be attained, The engine cowlings were left off fr the tnaiden fght inorder to prevent overheating. The He 280 V2 tras lost on 26 June 1043 inan accident caused by an engine failure 38. "The He 280 V2 received two Jamo OM engines early in 1043 and completed is frst fight with the new installation om 16 March: The O04 was also fitted to the He 250 Vs INU EC), which was Rown for the fist ime on 19 July 1943 ‘After some ten flights the VA was used in 1944 a5 a second tinpowered prototype to evaluate the new "ve" tal for the Podejager’ propos. The photograph shows a Jurmo 0048-1 S88 The third He 280 prototype (GJ + CB) firs tok off on 5 July 1982 Irom Marienche afield near Rostock, with Fiugoparan Fritz Schater at the controls, The experimental jet Fighter was equipped with two Heinkel He SaAsy and by the tnd of 1042 had completed more than fifteen sucessful sorties, Staining a speed of €20kph during two fights each of 11 Y Vv } sF “ minutes’ duration, The photograph was taken after @ heavy landing near Lichtenhagen on 8 February 1043, Following & flame-out, Fritz Schafer was unable to control the aircraft and was forced 10 make an emergency landing. ‘The pilot was tunhurt, and the aircraft was repaired within a few days, 30. A close-up view of the Heinkel He S8A turbine shows the pacts Gt tay Quaint Gesigac tts engune Maca aanes Smaller and lighter than the Jumo 004 (109-004) shown before Only 32 of these powerplants were manufactured at the Heinkel works owing to a two-year delay in producing the promise thrust of 700kg, and then only two He 280s received the engine, ‘The proposed He 280 V1 and V5 were never flown ‘with Heinkel turbines. The He 280 V4 was completed in 1943, bbut did not fly: parts of this aircraft lay at Horsching near Linz in October 1944, too badly damaged to join the detailed test programme. BI. The second Heinkel He 280, seen shortly before a test flight during the early stages ofits development in 1941; there are Still no codes on the fuselage. Genzral Udet believed that the He 280 would become one of the Luftwafe's front-line fil alter visiting the Heinkel works at Marienehe to observe the second flight of the He 280 V2. Udet never flew the He 280, but he was very enthusiastic about the new engine technology. oe ¥ 4 aly ~