Der Adler 26 May 1942 (issue 11) - Blohm and Voss Bv 141 and Dornier Do 217 enter Luftwaffe service

" Two of the new Blohm and Voss Bv 141 aircraft, conceived to fulfill 'Sonderaufgaben' (special duties) for the Luftwaffe and which have already proved their value in numerous sorties over front-line areas.."



" While the enemy has sought to turn the world's attention away from its military defeats by publishing increasingly fantastical figures for armaments production in the United States, Germany has continued to strengthen its armed forces without fanfare. Our aeronautical industries have developed a range of new types, details of which - as has been the case with the new Fw 190 single seat fighter - are only brought to wider attention once series production is well underway and success in frontline service largely achieved. Alongside the world's fastest fighter aircraft the German Luftwaffe has achieved an important increase in its fighting capability with the introduction of the new Dornier Do 217 dive bomber and the Mehrzweckeflugzeug (multi-role aircraft) BV 141 .."



"..Seen here shortly after getting airborne and gear not yet retracted the world's first asymmetrical aircraft, the Bv 141 has been conceived to fulfil a variety of 'special' roles for the Luftwaffe. Powered by a BMW twin-row radial engine, the aircraft has exceptional performance in the climb, is extremely manoeuvrable and very fast..."

Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger

My review of the Forsyth/Creek Classic Pubs title devoted to the He162

The story of the so-called Volksjäger (the 'People's Fighter') project is told here in perhaps the most comprehensive work yet to appear on the type in English. The He 162 was a last throw of the dice by the Nazi leadership in mid-to-late 1944. Powered by a single BMW turbojet, the He 162 achieved notoriety by going from drawing board to prototype flight in just three months, often at considerable human cost. Robert Forsyth and Eddie J. Creek offer a unique insight into the workings of the Nazi production system in the late-war period through many rare photographs, facsimile documents, detailed text and colour artworks. Development and deployment of the He 162 were compressed into the most restricted time frame possible - with almost inevitable consequences. No aircraft can go from drawing board to combat service without a prolonged period of developmental testing - the fact that the He 162 did so, in no way attests to any inherent brillance in the design or conception of the type. There was virtually no factory flight testing - this was to be carried out at unit level and this book exploits author Erik Mombeeck's considerable research into the history of the only fighter unit to have flown the type in combat Jagdgeschwader 1. The discussion surrounding the He 162's supposed combat successes also relies heavily on research carried by Rick Chapman in 1989 and I have to say that I think the authors conclusions, based on pilot reports and a translation of some German text to be erroneous.
Of particular interest though is a detailed photographic overview of the famous JG 1 line-up at Leck, the text documenting the mix of resignation and relief felt by the men of the last Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader who had managed to fall back to Schleswig Holstein and who were able to surrender to the British. Much of this passage is drawn from my own translation of Eric Mombeek's forthcoming history of JG 4 (Vol II), e.g. this extract from the JG 4 War diary for Sunday 06 May 1945;


"Our aircraft, vehicles and other equipment is lined up as if for one last parade. The sight is an impressive one and will certainly give the British food for thought. We are proud to show off more than one hundred of our aircraft like this - from the ultra -modern Me262 and He162 that have flown only limited numbers of combat sorties - to the Bf109 and Fw190 fighters that have returned victories in thousands of successful air battles. All will pass into enemy hands. This afternoon several light tanks and trucks bring RAF ground forces onto the airfield. Oberst Nordmann then the Kommodore and Kommandeure have to go before the Colonel commanding the RAF forces. To our great surprise they receive a handshake by way of greeting! However we are airmen together - we remain sceptical as to what may follow the courtesies that our extended to us: what will happen when the other occupation forces arrive? The first orders are to draw up an inventory of all our matériel. All weapons must be handed in apart from the officers side-arms."

Was the type a 'dazzling success' as previous authors have referred to it. Hardly.. In my view the authors go too far here in referring to the He 162 as '"an unprecedented aeronautical achievement". Quoted in French aviation magazine 'Le Fana' in 1997, French He 162 test pilot Raphael Lombaert (briefly quoted in the Classic book) states that the He162 was 'anything but a success' & only 'dazzled' in the brevity of the conception process. The a/c itself as depicted by Lombaert was "pedestrian and dangerous". This was not a machine of sparkling performance by any stretch of the imagination. The most basic of fighter manoeuvres could in the He162 become "terribly vicious". Although not discussed in the Classic book, French He162s were never flown post-war for longer than 15 minutes due to concerns over the rate of fuel consumption and the horrendous noise from the jet engine right next to the pilot's head! Many died in crashes directly resulting from short-comings in the design. We can perhaps only agree with Lombaert when he states "whenever I see this a/c now preserved in museums I cannot help but spare a thought for all those that fell victim to this machine, truly a tool of desperation ..".

An essential reference work to all students of Luftwaffe World War II airpower and kudos to the authors & designer for putting it all together in this superb package.

Blohm and Voss BV 222

Trondheim, Norway, 27 August 1945. The war in Europe has ended after the suicide of Adolf Hitler in May, but in this photo, taken three months later, there are many interesting details. A German officer with service cap goes up the catwalk , perhaps it is the pilot of this Blohm und Voss BV 222. Behind him , head down, a German soldier also in uniform. In the background is another German military uniform , perhaps the Navy. Is this Bv 222 carrying a U.S. flag on the fuselage about to leave for the U.S? According to the Lela Presse 'Luftwaffe Seaplanes' book (Vol. 2) the Americans tested the BV 222 V-2 on 15 and 20 August 1945 after the British "loaned" it to them but testing was curtailed by technical problems with the engines. This magnificent aircraft was destroyed or rather 'scuttled' on 15 October 1945, still in Trondheim. Note that the caption indicates that this photo is "CONFIDENTIAL "and can not be used for publication.


BV 222 V-4 X4+DH Tripoli/Tobruk re-supply flights, September 1942

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/bv-222-v-4-x4dh-tobruktripoli-resupply.html

Heinkel He 45 Condor Legion colour

Screen grabs from a Spanish TV docu depicting refuelling and formation flight of a Condor Legion Heinkel He 45 ..






Thanks to TJ's hangar

the Battle of Britain - first raids on Channel convoys by KG 2

Adapted and extracted with permission from Ulf Balke's history of KG 2 "Der Luftkreig in Europa 1939- 41 "

Following the rapid end of the Westfeldzug - the campaign in the West - on 22 June 1940, there was a halt in operations that the Luftwaffe would put to use to make good losses in personnel and aircraft. It was widely believed on the German side that 'peace' negociations were on-going with the British. The OKW was at the same time considering how a continuation of the war against the British might be prosecuted - the campaign in the West contained no plans for the invasion of the British Isles, indeed, the Westfeldzug had been widely expected to require a much lengthier time frame than the six weeks actually necessary to over-run France. On 2 July the OKW issued a directive for the continued prosecution of the war against England, the "Kriegführung gegen England"; under certain conditions -of which the most important was "the securing of aerial superiority over England "- the preparation of "possible scenarios for a landing attempt in England may become necessary". The time frame for such considerations "is to remain open".
As a result of such deliberations the air units of Luftflotten 2 and 3 received their first orders for the preparation of attacks against British shipping in the English Channel. The first phase of what would become known as the Battle of Britain would thus comprise attacks on Channel convoys bringing much needed coal, raw materials, machinery and foodstuffs to Britain - the so-called Geleitzugbekämpfung. The bulk of the attacks were in the south in the Straits of Dover and in the outer Thames Estuary. Elsewhere German reconnaissance aircraft were sent out along the east coast while other nuisance raids took place in the north. During this phase, London remained untouched.

The attacks on Channel convoys would it was hoped, draw out the British fighters from their bases. This way the Luftwaffe could analyse the strength of the RAF and determine the speed and the efficiency with which the RAF could deploy its squadrons. A battlegroup consisting of KG 2, II./StG 1, IV(Stuka)./LG 1 and other units such as Rubensdörffer's Erpr.Gr.210 and the fighters of I. -III./ JG51 under Oberst Osterkamp were concentrated into a shipping strike force under the Geschwaderkommodore of KG 2, Oberst Johannes Fink, who was given the title Kanalkampfführer or Leader of the Channel Battle. Fink based his mobile Gefechtsstand in Wissant, a small village on the coast just south of Cap Griz Nez on the Channel coast between Calais and Boulogne opposite Dover and Folkestone. His first act was to order the Gruppen of KG2 to deploy nearer to the coast at the airfields of Signy le Petit, and Epinoy north-west of Cambrai.

The first mission against a Channel convoy off England was flown on the afternoon of Thursday 4 July 1940 by 18 Dornier Do 17s of II./KG2 escorted by some thirty Bf109s. The raid was countered by Hurricanes, apaprently of No. 79 Sq. Four KG 2 crewmen were wounded and two Do 17s damaged in the running battle that developed while a 2,000 GRT cargo ship was claimed 'probably sunk'. Ofw. Wolff of 6./KG 2 reported;

" This is it - we are flying the first sortie against England! Escorted by fighters we are to attack a convoy steaming off Dover close to the British coast. We are airborne at 14:30 after 4. and 5. Staffeln. We crossed the Channel at an altitude of 2,000 metres - the sky is partially covered which will hinder our bomb run and escape. We fly several passes but lose the formation when entering and flying through a cloud bank. I attach myself to the first Kette I sight. Suddenly three Hurricanes hove into view, diving down on us. The clatter of our guns is matched only by the crashing and banging of their shells as they slam into our cockpit and fuselage. I draw my neck into my shoulders and duck instinctively and close up tighter to the lead machine of our formation. The attack goes on relentlessly. Our Beobachter (observer) Oblt. Dörwaldt and Bordfunker (radio operator) Uffz. Krehl are wounded. They bleed heavily from gun shot wounds to the head and thigh. Our starboard engine is hit and oil pressure rapidly falls away. Luckily for us our escort then arrives on the scene, so there are no further attacks on us from the British fighters. I manage to nurse our shot-up Do 17 back to the nearest airfield and attempt a landing - it is St. Omer. The tail wheel has been shot away and it impossible to feather the starboard engine. Once safely down we count over one hundred bullet strikes on the airframe, including four the size of a fist that must have been caused by tracers. The rudder controls have been shot away, the radio operators position has taken four shells and the cockpit is awash with blood ( 'eine Blutlache' ). Although we had fired off red flares as we over-flew the field there was no-one there to meet us as we rolled to a stand at the end of the runway. When help eventually arrived I was in a blind rage, cursing and swearing at anyone in my way. I have never been so livid. Our two badly injured crewmen were taken to hospital and we went with them. In the end Krehl's wounds proved to be skin grazes. Later that evening a truck came for us. According to reports filed by our fighters two ships had been sunk and three enemy fighters shot down by our Me 109s.. "

Bf 109 aces in the West Fritz Karch Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 2 -Channel Front aces (2)

signed ace photo courtesy Lacy Sutton

Fritz Karch was born on 17th January 1920 in Munich.

In Sept 1942 he was a Feldwebel with 6./JG 2 on the Channel Front.

During the Tunisian Campaign he scored his first 3 victories beginning on 28th November 1942 with a Spitfire.

In January 1943 he was promoted Leutnant. He became Staffelführer of 6./JG 2. During July 1943 he claimed at least two B-17s shot down over France including B-17 42-29928 on 4 July 1943 near La Coulonche during a raid on Le Mans (381st BG, 533 BS)

OKL fighter claims
10.7.1943 - Ltn Fritz KARCH - 6 / JG 2 - B-17 -15 km N.W. Evreux - 2500 m. - 08.12 (heure) - Film : C/2027/1 Anek : Nr __"

On 17 August 1943 over Dieppe he achieved his 10th victory and his 15th on 31st December 1943.
In January 1944 he had raised his total to 20 and by August to 30. In March 1944 he was named Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 2. He shot down two P-47s in December 1944 and by January 1945 his total had increased to 40.

On 2 January 1945 he was promoted to Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 2. He achieved his final victory on 28th March 1945, a P-51.

Awarded the Knight's Cross on 20 April 1945, he ended the war with a total of 47 victories, 21 of which were four-engined bombers

This brief biography was taken from Ernst Obermaier's Die Ritterkreuzträger

Below; Karch at the controls of Hs 123 "S13+A46" in Gutenfeld 1940 where he served as a Fluglehrer or instructor Sch/FAR 53...

IV./(N)JG2 - Me 109 nightfighters

Night fighting with Bf109s was not the invention of Hajo Herrmann and JG300 in 1943. One early Bf 109 night fighting unit was IV.(N)/JG2 which was established in February 1940 and had its origins in the Ar68-equipped 10.(N)/JG 131. Its component Staffeln assumed responsibility for the defence of the German Bight coastline under the operational command of the Stab/JG1. Maj. Albert Blumensaat was Gruppenkommandeur of IV.(N)/ JG2 from February to June 1940 when the unit was incorporated into NJG 1. He was previously Staffelkapitän of 10.(N) /JG2 prior to being appointed Gkr. He was replaced in this command by Oblt. Erwin Bacsila who later achieved a degree of notoriety with Sturmstaffel 1. The Staffelkapitän of 11.(N)/ JG2 was a certain Johannes Steinhoff while the StaKa of 12(N)./JG2 was Oblt. Hans Baer. 'N+7' above was probably the a/c of Ofw. Hermann Förster of 11.(N)/JG2 who claimed his first victory on 22 Feb 1940 (a Wellington -note the two tail kill markings). His second victory on 26 April 1940 was a 49 Sq Hampden shot down on a mine-laying sortie near Hörnum. On 23 April 1940 12. and 11.(N)/JG2 Bf109D fighters had moved from Jever via Aalborg to Trondheim (Norway) to support other fighter units in that theatre. 11.(N)/JG2 Bf109 D machines usually display the unit's Eulenwappen (owl emblem) on the forward fuselage just above the exhaust as here..