new from Lela Presse - He 111 Zwillingsflugzeug and the Luftwaffe 'Blitz', Philippe Saintes study of Me 262 losses

Two new publications from Lela Presse

In addition to the second installment of their " Hs 126 in Spain " article the latest issue of  'Avions' magazine (No. 217) covers the He 111 Z in 24 pages in an article entitled 'Twilight of the giants -France 1943' and authored by Dan Gilberti and Jean-Louis Roba . The Zwilling (lit. 'Twin') was constructed in small numbers by the expedient of mating up two He 111 H-6 bombers, joining them at the outer wing section and adding a fifth Jumo 211 F engine at the wing join section. The resulting craft had a wingspan of 35 metres and was a thirty ton machine fully laden. Conceived for the task of hauling the largest glider in the history of aviation  - the Me 321 - the five Jumos each developed some 1350 hp and with supplementary tanks the aircraft could carry some 10,000 litres of fuel. Range in this configuration was 4,000 km. Interestingly the crew - usually of seven depending on the number of gunners - was divided between the two fuselages, with the principal controls in the port fuselage (left)  - although there was a pilot in each fuselage section. The authors have discovered that in addition to two prototypes - Z V1 and Z V2 - some fourteen Zwillingsflugzeuge were constructed  - not the ten usually quoted. The Zwillinge operated both on the Eastern Front and - more unusually - over France.

Below; Me 321 'W6+SW' of the GS-Kdo.2 (Grossraumsegler) seen in the Kuban at Sslawjanskaja just weeks after the fall of Stalingrad in mid-February 1943. He 111 Z-1 'TM+KI' is on the right of the image in the background. The two Bf 109 G-2s are 'white 3' of 4./JG 52 and the 'chevrons + bars' of the Kommodore Major Dietrich Hrabak. Low res image copy courtesy of Michel Ledet via J-L Roba.

The Zwillinge were subsequently assigned to I./LLG 2 and first deployed in early 1943 to the Crimea on glider towing duties. The huge machines arrived in France (Nancy) in April 1943 and from July to September operated out of Istres (south of France) flying troop transporter missions for the Italian front...a pdf extract of this issue can be viewed at the Lela Presse site here
 

The Luftwaffe's 'Blitz' against England is another richly illustrated monograph from Jean-Louis Roba, covering the period from 1 January 1941 to 31 March 1941. The title opens with a detailed over-view of the Luftwaffe's Kampfgeschwader assembled for this night assault on the British Isles. Not had a chance to read this one yet, but as usual with Jean-Louis, I would expect a pretty comprehensive look at the subject, with plenty of rare photos and Dekker profile artworks. French text. Do take a look at the pdf extract on the Lela Presse web site here

Also from Lela Presse and due soon is Philippe Saintes study of Me 262 losses - according to the publisher's blurb, a work not thus far undertaken in either English or German.  Over 250 photos, 25 artworks and a full list of losses and also featuring numerous pilot biographies. French text. Pre-order your copy here

Me 323 Gigant Trapani Sicily 1943, refuelling, taxying and takeoff - Ebay photo find 110

 Me 323 Gigant in Trapani, Sicily early 1943 and below, refuelling operations on-going. Note aircraft taxying with two engines shut down. On offer here

Currently on offer here

Dornier Do 17 Z, Ju 88 C Nachtjäger of 2./NJG 2 - Luftwaffe Ebay find #91

Ju 88 C-2 Nachtjäger of I./NJG 2 seen at Gilze-Rijen 1940/41

more scenes of I./NJG 2 Ju 88s at Gilze Rijen on this blog at the following links

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/more-scenes-from-gilze-rijen-ju-88s-of.html

http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/junkers-ju-88-c-6-of-3-njg-2-in-gilze.html

Below; Ju 88 C Nachtjäger of 2./NJG 2 in Bengasi-Berka Libya during 1942. See pic on page 74 of Volume 2 of the Stipdonk/Meyer Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände series. Note the aircraft is taxiing with the Bola still open ...

According to the seller the following image shows Ju 88 C Nachtjäger of 2./NJG 2 seen on convoy escort duties (beim Schiffsgeleitschutz) over the Med during 1942. Note the 'R4' code and the white theatre fuselage band and the wing stripe.

Do 17 Z-6 of 2./NJG 2 seen in Gilze-Rijen during September 1940. See pic on page 65 of Volume 1 of the Stipdonk/Meyer Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände series. Originally with 5./ NJG 1 this Staffel was re-designated 2./ NJG 2 in September 1940..

Below; Heinkel He 59 Seenot machines on the beach at Calais - or possibly Boulogne-sur-Mer according to one correspondent.. Note the landmark jetty left - photo taken during September 1940. Another Ebay win to be forwarded to Jean-Louis Roba for a planned "Luftwaffe Seaplanes" volume 4....

Me 323 D undergoing servicing in Rumania during 1944

Michael Meyer's current Ebay sales are here

Me 321 Lastensegler (transport gliders) + 1 Ju 90 in Rußland, JG 51 Friedrich JG 77 I./ NAG 12

Three Me 321 Lastensegler (transport gliders)  and what is presumably the towing aircraft in the background, a Junkers Ju 90. Photo taken in the East during 1942/43 and currently on offer via Michael Meyer..

Michael Meyer Ebay sales


Flugkapitänin Hanna Reitsch in Darmstadt-Griesheim, summer 1942

Stab I./JG 51 Friedrich

Me 109 F-2 Winkel Dreieck of the Stab I./JG 51 - a/c assigned to the Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Wilhelm "Wiilli" Hachfeld, RK am 20.9.1942, 11 Luftsiege. 

Bf 110 D WNr 2654 G9+GP Lt Helmut Niklas NJG 1, Deelen, May 1942

Bf 109 F-4, W.Nr.7073; "Gelbe 1" of Oblt. Kurt Lasse, Staka 9./JG 77, September 1941

JG 77 Emil

Above; 'new' image of Oblt. Heimo Emmerstorfer climbing into the cockpit of his ‘White 14’. Below; celebrating a combat flight milestone in 2./ NAG 12; these 'full size' images reproduced here courtesy of Jean-Louis Roba.

Eastern Front rarities Ar 232, He 177, Me 321 - daily Ebay photo find

click to view large and currently on offer here

He 177 of KG 1

Ar 232 A-02 W.Nr. 100004 "VD+YB" , Eastern Front, early 1943 (?). This aircraft later flew as "L5+AR", 7./Erg.TG 7. ID courtesy the German airplanes WW II group on Facebook

Rare four-engined Ar 232 B on this blog here 

Me 323 in the Kurland Kessel, Romanian Bf 109, JG 54, Hs 129

.. atmospheric images of a Me 323 taken in the Kurland Kessel  (Courland pocket) during early 1945. Note the Tankwagen and refuelling operations underway. The loading doors of the Me 323 are open (below) and a group of personnel is milling around the front of the aircraft, almost certainly evacuating the Kessel. The Fw 190 to the right is probably a JG 54 machine. 

Romanian 109 above and Ro 37 below. Note the Hs 129 to the left behind the horse-drawn cart.

Daily Luftwaffe Ebay.de photo find

Currently on offer at koelsch333 Ebay.de sales and shown here courtesy of proprietor Marco.

http://www.ebay.de/sch/m.html?item=360730626144&ssPageName=ADME%3AB%3ASS%3AGB%3A1120&_ssn=koelsch333&_pgn=2&_skc=50&rt=nc

Lastensegler - a rare Arado 232 B Transportflugzeug - Ebay Luftwaffe photo find

A rare four-engine Arado 232 B version Transportflugzeug in Lemberg 1944. Note the emblem of 7./Erg TG on the fuselage side just behind the cockpit. Only around ten examples of the B model were ever constructed, powered by four Bramo 323 R engines; this may be B-09 or B-010. B-07 WNr. 0110029 was assigned to 1./KG 200 and coded A3+RB and was captured by the British and flown to the UK to be exhibited at Farnborough in October 1945. B-010 (WNr. 0110032) was lost at Rechlin on 14 June 1944 with six crew on board. The previous day, 13 June, pilot Paul Bader (sic!) had demonstrated the aircraft to Milch and other high ranking Luftwaffe personalities, landing the aircraft on a 'test track' comprising ditches at least 1.5 metres in width and 'embankments' of sand and rubble at least 80 cms high. The B-09 coded GD+XP appears in the log-book of Hptm Walter Behrendt who succeeded Hptm Joseph Belz as CO of 7./Erg. TG and commanded the Ar 232 Kommando assigned to KG 200.