Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part ten. The Hawk in service with the Luftwaffe.

 

The Germans got some Hawks at the cheapest cost. They captured many of them in France after its surrender. For instance, in Bourges, ten aircraft were found in advanced state of assembly. They were completed by specialists from Arado, but they all were most likely lost during trials. Around 25 more Hawks were captured by the Germans in Chateauroux, and 20 or 21 more aircraft were found in French ports. Those aircraft were sent to Wuppertal plant, where their radio equipment was replaced with FuG-7a radios and their sights with Revi C-12s. A number of aircraft were captured at airfields, and some were later used for familiarization flights for selected German pilots.
In fact, between August and October 1940 one staffel, 7/JG.77 based in Brittany, flew at least twelve H75s. Some were also employed by the Jagdfliegerschule 4, near Nuremberg. 
In November 1942 Germany invaded Vichy France, putting an end to the "Free" French zone, seizing the Hawks still present there too, among many other war material. 
However, most Hawks were in such sorry state that were beyond repair. At least 13 and 19 at most were also captured in Norway, when Germany invaded in 1940.
Most of the Hawks were handed to Finland.


 

Sources:
1st AJ Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk (translated)
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-36_Hawk#Nazi_Germany

Messerschmitt Bf.110 in service with the Luftwaffe. Part three. Blitzkrieg on the North & the West.

 

During the first 6 months of 1940 the production of the Bf.110 rose to around one hundred aircraft per month on average, increasing this way the number of units employing the type to ten, as was originally intended. Furthermore, as the Bf.110 was available in larger numbers, it could adopt new roles. Thus, during the spring of 1940 a new unit, the Erprobungsgruppe 210 was created, mostly equipped with the Bf.110C-4 and some few C-6s and some Bf.109s, to develop new fighter-bombers methods and tactics. Four additional reconnaissance groups were also equipped  with the Bf.110C-5.

It was also during the invasion of Denmark and Norway when the Zerstörer squadrons were heavily employed, when Germany launched a blitz attack on Denmark and Norway in April 1940. After Denmark was occupied the I./ZG 76 with sixteen of its thirty aircraft available, was assigned to the invasion of Norway with the objective of clearing the skies over Oslo and Stavanger airfields in order to protect German paratroopers and Ju.52 transport planes as they landed. This was problematic as the planes' limited range meant that if they were engaged in combat, they would not be able to return to Germany or even Denmark.
In this campaign, the objective of I./ZG 76 was to help and secure Oslo Fornebu airport by escorting the Ju.52 transports. The Germans were engaged by Norwegian Gloster Gladiator fighters and anti-air fire and, during the ensuing battle, both sides lost two aircraft. The Germans pilots ignored that the first wave of transport planes bound for Fornebu were forced to turn back because of bad weather and the airport was not secured. 
A second wave was launched and this time the Ju.52 transport landed at Fornebu to deploy their troops (instead of paradropping them), resulting in the destruction of various transports due to the risky nature of this procedure. The remaining Bf.110s strafed the airfield and helped the ground troops to secure it. 
During the Norwegian Campaign the Zerstörerwaffe lost twenty machines, most of them over Narvik and also proved that it was an excellent anti-bomber airplane when, on 13th June 1940 a squadron of British Blackburn Skua dive bombers from the Fleet Air Arm was intercepted on their way trying to bomb the German Battleship Scharnhorst. One squadron of Bf.109s and another of Bf.110s shot down eight Skuas with the Bf.110s claiming four kills. Later, in July the Royal Air Force made many raids on Norway and, on 9th July seven Bristol Blenheim, out of a force of 12 were shot down by a mixed formation of both Bf.109s and Bf.110s from ZG.76 ang JG.77, when bombing Stavanger.
The Bf.110D, a extended-range variant, was also used very effectively on this battle, with one staffel (squadron) of ZG.76 equipping it and operating from Trondheim.

On 10th May 1940 Germany launched the offensive over Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg to invade France. By that date the Bf.110 fully equipped every Zerstörergruppe, so they did not have to employ the Bf.109 as an interim. On the first day of the campaign only two Bf.110 were lost, with five British Bristol Blenheim lost. However, as the campaign developed, loss rate was also increasing against stiffening opposition. On the second day, 11th May, four Zerstörers were shot down by French Dewoitine D.520s and on 15th May nine more, with Maj. Walther Grabmann, a veteran of the Condor Legion, being shot down at the controls of his Bf.110 on 18th May.
As the Germans advanced towards the Channel and the North Sea, things got tougher; by day the British increasingly fought them, specially over Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo (the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force) and they had to cope against the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire, a much tougher enemy than anything they had fought until that date. 
To fight the British fighters, the Zerstörer units invented the so-called 'Defensive circle' tactic, where the planes under attack started to fly in line astern, forming a circle to protect each other with their fuselage guns, enabling this way to avoid the worst. 
It was during this time that the Bf.110 also encountered opposition over... Swiss skies as several German raids violated Swiss airspace, with around five Bf.110 being shot down by Swiss Bf.109s. 
In total, during the Western Campaign sixty Bf.110 were lost, 32 percent of the Zerstörerwaffe's initial strength, with at least 174 enemy aircraft claimed by Bf.110s alone.
However, this campaign showed that the Bf.110 was vulnerable in hostile skies, especially when confronted with the Hurricane or the Spitfire, as the type had to perform a role it was never designed for, close-range bomber escort. In this type of missions the Bf.110 could not take advantage of its superior altitude performance and speed, so it was forced to wait for the enemy to attack, instead of roaming around to find and destroy enemy aircraft, as the initial concept of the Zerstörer had intended. 

Sources:
1st Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 11 - Messerschmitt Bf.110 & Me.210-410 1939 -1945

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_110_operational_history

Messerschmitt Bf.110 in service with the Luftwaffe. Part two. The Invasion of Poland and late 1939.

 

The Messerschmitt Bf.110C was the first major production variant of the Bf.110. It was powered by two Daimler Benz DB 601 engines and was employed first at the very beginning of World War 2, when Germany invaded Poland.
When in late 1938 the DB 601 engine, which used fuel injection system and not the usual carburetor, became available the Bf.110C was put into production, so in early 1939 the first pre-production version, designated as Bf.110C-0 was supplied to some units of the Luftwaffe. Of that C-0 variant only ten machines were built but were followed by the C-1, with almost 160 machines manufactured by 1st September 1939.
The DB 601 engines changed the external appearance of the aircraft, especially the engine nacelles, which were now faired due to the main radiator. 
Wing tips were changed too, as they were no longer rounded, but square. This change was kept on every later Bf.110 until the end of the war, as it reduced the wingspan and wing surface, making it more manoeuvrable.
When the war broke out in September 1939 less than one hundred Bf.100C-1s were operational. Of those, eighty were equipping three units: I.(Zerstörer)/LG 1 , which was an operational development unit, I./ZG 1 and I./ZG 76. There seven additional Zerstörer squadrons, but they were still equipped with Messerschmitt Bf.109E fighters due to the lack of Bf.110s.
As the Bf.110 appeared too late to take part in the Spanish Civil War, it was employed first during the Polish Campaign. During this time only I.(Z)/LG 1, based at Greifswald, was fully equipped with the Bf.110C, since the two other groups were still operating the Jumo-powered Bf.110B. The aforementioned three units were immediately put into action by escorting bombers or strafing ground targets, tasks which they carried out with great efficiency with a total of 12 machines lost, reinforcing Luftwaffe's reputation of being invincible. 
The success of the Polish Campaign and the good operational numbers shown by the Bf.110, prompted further development of the Bf.110C. 
This way the Bf.110C-2 was identical to C-1 but had better radio equipment, the Bf.110C-3 was equipped with MG FF/M cannons, which became standard on the following variants, the Bf.110C-4 incorporated every mentioned previous improvement and featured also extra armour, making it heavier. The C-4 was also equipped with bomb racks allowing it to carry two 250 kg (550 lb) bombs and new engines were fitted in order to make it more powerful; the DB 601Ns rated at 1,270 hp. 
The Bf.110C-5 was a reconnaissance variant which got the ventral cannon replaced by a photographic camera, the C-6 was a semi-experimental version of which only twelve machines were made and was equipped with a ventral-mounted 30 mm Mk 101 cannon replacing the original 20 mm one. The C-6 was put into service in the spring of 1940.
The Bf.110C-7 was a Jabo (Jagdbomber - Fighter-Bomber) variant with reinforced undercarriage to carry two 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs placed side by side under the fuselage. This variant was manufactured in limited numbers as the C-4 was the main production version.

After the end of the Polish Campaign, the during the period of the Phoney War the Zerstörer activity was limited, although they were redeployed to the Western frontier of Germany. 
The first aerial claim of the Bf.110 took place on 23rd November 1939 when various Bf.110s of LG 1 engaged and shot down a French Morane-Saulnier Ms.406 over Verdun. Three week later, on 18th December, one the first major engagements of the war took place, when the British Royal Air Force (RAF) sent 22 Vickers Wellington bombers to attack the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven. The British bombers could not find their targets and turned back... to be intercepted by a formation of sixteen Bf.110Cs belonging to I./ZG 76 and thirty-four Bf.109s. In spite of the help given by the Bf.109s, it was the Bf.110 which showed its great capacity as a bomber destroyer and, by the end of the fight, official Luftwaffe reports counted 38 British bombers shot down, a number clearly exaggerated as actual losses were 11 Wellingtons shot down and six damaged, with some sources claiming a 12th Wellington as destroyed. This disastrous raid convinced the RAF's Bomber Command to abandon day bombing in favour of night raids. 

Sources:
1st Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 11 - Messerschmitt Bf.110 & Me.210-410 1939 -1945
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_110_operational_history
3rd https://www.armedconflicts.com/prehled-verzi-t15722

Messerschmitt Bf.110 in service with the Luftwaffe. Part one. The Bf.110 before the war.

 

The Messerschmitt Bf.110 was a German twin-engined Zerstörer (German word for 'destroyer' or heavy fighter) designed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke and produced by its successor company, Messerschmitt. It was mainly operated by the Luftwaffe throughout the whole World War 2.
Its inception traces back to the early 1930s when the main air forces of the world were transitioning from biplanes to monoplanes. Most of the theorists concentrated on single-engined fighters, but, back then, the range was quite a problem. The Reichluftfahrtministerium (German Ministry of Aviation - RLM for short), encouraged by Hermann Göring issued a request for a new multipurpose fighter known provisionally as Kampfzerstörer (battle destroyer) with long range and internal bomb bay. This order called for a twin-engined, three-seat, all-metal monoplane armed with cannon and a bomb bay. Seven German companies were requested, but eventually only three, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Messerschmitt), Focke-Wulf and Henschel responded the request.
Focke-Wulf submitted the Focke-Wulf Fw.57, Henschel the Henschel Hs.124 and Messerschmitt submitted the Messerschmitt Bf.110, which skipped the internal bomb load request of the specification to increase the armament of the type. Thanks to this, the Bf.110 proved far superior to its rivals in speed, range and firepower and Messerschmitt was granted funds to to build several prototypes. By the end of 1935 the Bf.110 concept had evolved into an all-metal, low-wing cantilever monoplane of semimonocoque design with vertical stabilizers, powered by two Daimler-Benz DB-600A engines and featuring Handley-Page wing slots. 

Construction of the prototype, called Bf.110 V1, began in the summer of 1935 and took off for the first time on 12th May 1936 at Augsburg-Haunstetten airfield with test pilot Rudolf Öpitz at the controls. It was powered by two Daimler-Benz DB.600As engines rated at 986 hp each. Those engines were the fastest ones available for the, back then, clandestine Luftwaffe and the aircraft turned to be slightly faster than RLM's request, faster even than the Messerschmitt Bf.109B. The next two prototypes, Bf.110 V2 and V3 flew for the first time on 24th October and 24th December 1936 respectively, with official trials being conducted at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin (Evaluation unit Rechlin) in January 1937. Those trials showed two serious flaws of the type. It was too slow accelerating and it was not very manoeuvrable, however, both the RLM and Hermann Göring did not consider those handicaps important compared to the potential of the new aircraft and decided to go ahead by building four pre-production examples, designated A-0, rejecting this way the other competitor's designs. 

The four pre-production series Bf.110 A-0 were built between August 1937 and March 1938. Although they were initially going to be powered by the Daimler-Benz DB.601A engines, they were not available, so they were fitted with Junker Jumo 210 engines, rated at 610 hp, way too underpowered. In spite of the lack of power, those machines were employed for testing purposes.
While awaiting for the DB engines, it was decided to put the Bf.110 into mass production, so the first production version, Bf.110B-0 was launched, powered by the Junkers Jumo 210G engines, with some aerodynamic changes applied in order to fit the armament. This armament, which was only fitted from the B-1 version onwards, consisted on four 7,92 mm MG 17 machine guns in the nose plus two 20 mm Oerlikon MG FF cannons placed in the lower part of the nose. Those cannons could be reloaded in flight by the radio operator/gunners. It was equipped also with a defensive flexible 7,92 mm MG 15 machine gun at the back of the cockpit. 

The Bf.110B were assigned first to the newly created Schwere Jagdgruppen (heavy fighter groups), which were created ad hoc in July 1938 by Hermann Göring himself who wanted to form an elite corps. Accordingly many of the best fighter pilots of the time were put in command of these units causing tensions with the German fighter units, as they were cut of a large number of their pilots and resources. In fact, at the time there were not enough Bf.110 manufactured and many Zerstörergeschwadern (destroyer wings meant to be equipped entirely by Bf.110s) were equipped with the Bf.109C and D. 

The last Bf.110B variants were the B-2 and B-3, which were employed for reconnaissance and training respectively. 
In total 45 examples of the Bf.110B were manufactured, although some sources rise that number to 88. Anyway as the B variant was already outdated at the beginning of the war, many B-1s and B-2s were converted into B-3 trainers and remained in service with various Zerstörer schools until 1941.

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_110#Early_variants
2nd Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 11 - Messerschmitt Bf.110 & Me.210-410 1939 -1945
3rd https://www.armedconflicts.com/prehled-verzi-t15722

Bristol Beaufighter, part ten. Bristol Beaufighter in German, Italian and Portuguese service.

 

The Bristol Beaufighter was also employed, albeit in small numbers by the following countries:

• Germany: There is one photograph suggesting that at least one Bristol Beaufighter Mk. IC was captured by the Germans and put to flight in Luftwaffe markings. However, as the picture we had access does not enjoy the highest quality available, the drawing we made below should be taken with a grain of salt.
  
  
• Italy: On 7th January 1942 a Beaufighter Mk. IC registered as T4887 was on an Overseas Air Despatch Unit flight from Gibraltar to Malta when landed by mistake at Magnisi airfield, close to Augusta and was captured intact by the Italian personnel. This happened because the Italians were jamming the Malta radio-beacon with a jammer truck placed for that purpose at Porto Palo. Both the pilot, Flt. Sgt. Jones and the navigator, Flt. Sgt. Bold were taken prisoners.
  The aircraft was quickly taken to Guidonia, the testing centre of the Regia Aeronautica (the Royal Italian Air Force) and was repainted with Italian markings and colours and even received an Italian registration: MM4887. 
  At Guidonia the Beaufighter spent almost one year, where it was flew tested by many pilots, who praised the excellent avionics and the power of the Bristol Hercules engines. 
  Oddly enough, the Italian engineers did not consider necessary to reverse engineer the British throttle lever action, which was totally abnormal for Italian pilots. 
  After testing was completed, the Beaufighter was assigned to 235ª Squadriglia of Comando Intercettori Leone (235th Flight of Leone Interceptor Command) in mid-December 1942 but it did not last long as it was lost to a take-off accident at Venegono airfield, close to Milan, on 29th January 1943. The most probable cause for the accident was an erroneous throttle control input by the pilot, Tte. Ercole Norace Zedda, who died in the accident, while Flight engineer Sgt. Mg. Motorista Sacchi was severely injured.
  
  
• Portugal: A total of sixteen Beaufighters TF. Mk. Xs were bought by the Forças Aéreas da Armada (literally 'Navy's Air Forces') and were shipped between March and April 1945. 
  All those aircraft were based at Portela de Sacavem airfield, close to Lisbon by Esquadrao 'B' ('B' Squadron) of the Forças Aéreas da Armada. Those Beaus received Portuguese serials ranging from BF.1 to BF.16 and the squadron also operated from Averio airfield under command of Centro de Aviaçao Naval de S. Jacinto (S. Jacinto Naval Aviation Centre).
  On 22nd October 1945 one Beau, BF.4 crashed at Ovar beach, close to S. Jacinto, killing the pilot, 1st Lt. Felix F. Lobo and Sgt. Antunes Nogueira and the wireless operator, Luis Pacheco, dying from the burns he got while trying to rescue his partners from the burning plane. The crash was caused by a broken drive shaft on one of the engine oil pumps, so Bristol sent mechanics to Portugal to repair and modify the remaining airframes to prevent this from happening. 
  A replacement Beaufighter TF. Mk. X (ex RD862) was supplied by Bristol and received the Portuguese registration of BF.17. 
  The Beau was kept in service with Forças Aéreas da Armada until 1950 when Esquadrao 'B' was disbanded and two of the remaining Beaus were assigned to the Instituto Superior Técnico (Technical High School) at Lisbon to serve as instructional airframes, while another airframe was passed to the South African Air Force in exchange for a Spitfire Mk. IX registered as ML255. 
  Those two airframes remained at the Instituto Superior Técnico until 1965 when one of them, BF.10 was sent to Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronáutico (General Aeronautical Material Workshops) at Alverca, Lisbon, where the national aeronautical museum was founded on 1st July 1969 and BF.10 was restored for display. 
  The other airframe, BF.13 (ex-RD253) was shipped back to the United Kingdom as a gift from the Portuguese government to the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was later restored at RAF St. Athan (Glamorgan, Wales) before being placed on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon on 15th March 1971 where it can be seen nowadays.

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Beaufighter
2nd Bancarella Aeronautica - Ali Straniere In Italia 6 - Prede di Guerra
3rd Scale Aircraft Modellers Datafile 6 - Bristol Beaufighter

Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part seven. Spitfires captured by Germany.

 

Germany's Luftwaffe also employed the Supermarine Spitfire, albeit in small numbers as they had just some captured aircraft. 
One of those captured machines was Spitfire Mk. I N3277 which was piloted by P/O Richard Hardy of No. 234 Squadron. 
On one of the hardest days of the Battle of Britain, 15th August 1940, Hardy had to force-land on Cherbourg, France after being attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf.109 E fighters from III/JG. 53, apparently piloted by Oblt. Georg Claus over the English channel. The Germans reported some damaged gear inside the cockpit. This could be the result of Hardy destroying some secret equipment before being captured or just flak damage caused by a 20 mm anti-air gun. 
Ultimate fate of N3277 is unknown. Some claim it became the famous 'Messerspit', however, that's unlikely as the 'Messerspit' was a Spitfire Mk. V. It is possible, however, that the machine was repainted in Luftwaffe colours for exhibition purposes and it is also possible that is one of the Spitfires that appears in the 'Kampfgeschwader Lützow' propaganda movie. 

As it is obvious, Germany never acquired the Spitfire through purchase but, during World War 2 German forces managed to capture a large number of Spitfires by either occupying Allied airfields or shooting them down over German-controlled territory forcing them to crash land and remain in usable state.

The largest capture of Spitfires by the Germans took place in October 1943 when the Germans retook the Greek islands of Kos, Leros and Samos, in the Aegean Sea. On the island of Kos, the Antimachia airfield was captured, used by No. 74 Squadron RAF and No. 7 SAAF, with approximately a dozen Spitfires. Of those, at least six fighters were in flying condition.

Spitfires are known to have been flown with the following Luftwaffe units:

• Deustche Luft-und Versuchanstalt (DLV) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Bavaria, which was a state research and flight testing facility.
• Erprobungstelle Rechlin: The Luftwaffe testing facility where prototypes and such were tested.
• 2. Staffel Versuchsverband Oberbefehleshaber der Luftwaffe, AKA Zirkus Rosarius, a unit whose purpose was to perform demonstrations of captured Allied aircraft to Luftwaffe personnel.
• Jagdfliegerschule 6 and Jagdleherer Überprüfungstaffel, which were Luftwaffe training units.

However, the most interesting usage of the Spitfire in Germany took place at the Daimler-Benz' experimental plant in Stuttgart, more precisely at the attached Echterdingen airfield. In 1943 a captured Spitfire, registered as EN830, was modified there by fitting a Daimler Benz 605a engine, taken from a Messerschmitt Bf.110G but with a lateral air intake from another Messerschmitt Bf. 109. The armament was removed and German equipment was installed, with the electronical gear being also replaced by a 24V system, which was the standard for the Luftwaffe.

The fighter was repainted in German colours and received the registration of CJ+ZY. Test pilot Flugkapitan Willy Ellenreider conducted some testing flights, which showed very promising results. The modified Spitfire was way superior to the Soviet Yak fighters and even to the Messerschmitt Bf. 109G which was powered by the same engine. 

During 1944 the Messerspit served an engine testbed at Echterdingen until August 1944 when it was destroyed by an American air raid.

Sources:

1st AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 40 - Supermarine Spitfire Part 3 (translated)

2nd https://captured-wings.fandom.com/wiki/N3277

3rd https://aircrewremembered.com/hardy-richard.html

4th https://www.nevingtonwarmuseum.com/germany-messerspit.html

Lavochkin La-5, Various users

 

The Lavochkin La-5 was a Soviet fighter aircraft from the World War 2 which was a development of the earlier LaGG-3. It was one of the most capable Soviet designs of the time and as such, it was used also by the following users:

• Germany: One La-5 was captured by the Germans on 30th July 1942 when Lt. Col. Nikolai Vlasov flew made an emergency landing at Larisov airfield, near Ostrov in Pskov, while a second La-5, belonging to the famous Valery Chkalov squadron was also captured and tested at the Rechlin Test Centre.  As we couldn't find graphical evidence about any of these, the profile shown below should be considered as speculative. 
  The Luftwaffe managed to capture a La-5F somewhere in Ukraine in 1943, and at least two La-5FN at the Gross-Schimanen airfield in East Prusia. One of those FN was captured in September 1944 and was tested extensively at Rechlin Test Centre. Despite showing inferior performance due to a long service record on the Eastern Front of the captured machines, (they were generally slower than the ones tested at the USSR by the Soviet Air Force -VVS-) the Germans felt that the aircraft showed good flying characteristics in every stage of flight with some exception at the diving phase, when the controls showed some stiffness. 
  Additional testing also showed that it was an excellent lo-to-medium dogfighter, particularly at the style of combat present at the Eastern Front and, furthermore, it had a better climb rate than the majority of German fighters up to 3.000 m (9842 ft). 
  The previous model, the La-5F, was captured, as stated previously, in 1943 in Ukraine, after a Soviet pilot made a forced landing on a German airfield and was tested by one of Luftwaffe's test pilots, Hans-Werner Lerche. 
• Poland: Poland got a single La-5FN in 1945 after the war when the Air Force of the Polish Army considered for a brief period of time about equipping some fighter aviation regiments with the La-5FN, so they received a single La-5FN to be flight tested, painted in Polish markings. However, the proposal was discarded soon as the Yakovlev Yak-9P was picked as the backbone for the Polish fighter aviation and, therefore, no flight testing were carried out with the single La-5FN, which is believed to be have been scrapped in 1949.
  

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin_La-5
2nd Signal Squadron - Aircraft In Action 169 - La5-7 Fighters in Action
3rd https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/La-5/pages/Lavochkin-La-5F-captured-by-German-Forces-01.html

Avia B-71 in use with Germany

 

When occupied Czechoslovakia on 15th March 1939, they seized a total of 59 serviceable B-71, all of them from Soviet production, stationed on various Czech airfields. 

The Germans hastily applied their markings on the bombers, disarmed them and deleted a circular window on both sides of the rear fuselage. Most B-71s were flown to Merseburg (Saxony-Anhalt), to be put in storage. During these flights, some Czechoslovak pilots assisted German ones carrying out ferry flights. Bohuslav Sikmund and Josef Navesnik were part of one of those flights. They flew from Hradec Králové but, instead of following the course to Merseburg, they defected to the USSR on 26th April 1939. 

One B-71 was sent to Rechlin Test Centre in April, where it was employed for various engine flight tests until June. 

As we've already covered in this post thirty-two B-71s were sold to Bulgaria in September 1939, for which they received civilian German codes in order to ferry them to Sofia. The Slovak Air Arm also received three B-71, as we already saw here.

Avia had already many plans for the B-71 in March 1939, however, the Germans found the B-71 ideal for the target-tug role, so they ordered 76 Avia B-71A (a target-tug variant) to Avia and Aero. 

A total of 41 B-71As were completed at Avia's factory in Cakovice, close to Prague, with the first machine taking off on 21st July 1939. In September that first machine was assigned to Erprobungstelle (Test Centre) at Tamewitz. The last Avia-built B-71A rolled out from the factory on 27th August 1940. 

Aero manufactured a total of 35 B-71As, however, it wasn't until 22nd May 1940 when the first Aero-built B-71A left the assembly line at Prague-Vysocany. It was assigned to Luftdienst Kommando 1/7 (1/7 Air Service Command) at Lechfeld airfield, in Bavaria. 

The B-71A differed in many ways from the Soviet-built B-71. They lacked armament and the central section of the nose glazing was covered by a metal sheet. The V-shaped step below the emergency roof hatch on starboard was also removed. It was also equipped with a fixed radio antenna placed on top of the fuselage and aft of the cockpit, replacing this way the retractable one on the lower part of the fuselage. A rear-view mirror was also installed on top of the canopy frame. As we've said, most of the B-71s had their rear circular small windows deleted and the B-71A was not an exception. On the left, a crew entry step was placed, just aft of the rear wing.
Both lower gun position and bomb bay were replaced with the target-towing equipment, which consisted of a winch, a drum with the 2,5 mm diameter cable and a 3 m  (9ft 10 in) long canvas target sleeve. The winch varied in length, ranging from 6 m (19 ft 8 in) to 9 m (29 ft 6 in). This equipment shifted aircraft's centre of gravity, so, in order to compensate, 240 Kg (529 pounds) of ballast were added to the navigator's compartment in the nose. 

Both production runs received Luftwaffe's colours, markings and insignias and most of them were assigned to Luftdienst Kommando 6 (Air Service Commando 6). They were employed both for target towing and meteorological flights. Some were also flown by the Ausbildungsgruppe 104 (Training Group 104), Jagdfliegerschule 4 (Fighter Pilot Training Unit 4) and even by the secret bomber wing Kampfgeschwader 200. 

The B-71A was widely used by the Luftwaffe thanks to its well-built all-metal structure and good performance. By March 31st 1944 there were still 57 B-71A in service with the Luftwaffe. That number was, however, reduced to just nine by September 30 1944 due to shortage of spare parts.

The B-71B was an improved variant of the B-71A that came out in late 1940. The target-towing cable was lengthened to 1.000 m (3281 ft). The tow-cable operator's canopy was moved forward to allow the additional space needed for the improved target-towing device. This new device was 70 kg (154 pounds) heavier than that of the B-71A. The rear cockpit's canopy was also moved forward.

The B-71B differed in many ways from its predecessor. Two triangular-shaped windows aft of the nose-glazing were deleted and a t-shaped boom was added on top of the antenna mast. A step was installed on top the port wing's rear extension and a holding boom was also mounted behind the rear canopy. Bomb bay doors were welded and the nose compartment exit hatch was relocated aft. Some late production machines were fitted with a windshield in front of the rear-aft sliding canopy. Winch compartment was replaced forward and the two stabilization booms on the housing's rear were deleted. The oval rear fuselage windows were also removed. Three additional pylons were installed under each wing. 

A total of 35 B-71Bs were built by both Aero and Avia. Aero built ten at Prague-Vysocany, the first of which left the assembly line on 18th October 1940 and was assigned to Luftwaffe's main test and evaluation centre at Rechlin. The last Aero-built B-71B was accepted by the Luftwaffe on 26th November 1940. 
Avia's factory at Cakovice manufactured 25 B-71B to the Luftwaffe, with the last aircraft being completed on 30th April 1941. Between July 1939 and April 1941 a total of 111 Avia B-71A and B-71Bs were manufactured by Avia and Aero for the Luftwaffe.

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 194 - Tupolev SB in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_SB

3rd https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/sb/tapani/b-71/german/german.htm

Focke-Wulf Fw.200. Part nine. The Condor during 1944 and 1945.

 

Kampfgeschwader 40 continued using the Hs.239 flying bomb on an irregular basis with a total of 19 Fw.200C-8 which was produced as a special sub-variant able of carrying the Hs.239. This was the last variant of the Condor to see service with the Luftwaffe as by late spring 1944, operations were radically reduced due to lack of fuel, spare parts and Allied aerial superiority. 

The staffeln of KG.40 which were still equipped with Condors were rebased to Norway and northern Germany and by late August 1944 KG.40 existed only on paper. In October it was resurrected for a brief period of time, but it wasn't equipped with Condors and was disbanded definitely in February 1945. From that date until the end of the war, the Condor was employed more as a transport than a patrol aircraft/bomber. 

Transportflieger Staffel Condor was an unit formed in October 1944 in Norway. This unit was, actually, 8./KG.40. Transportflieger Staffel 200, based at Hörsching, Austria, also employed some Condors which were surplus to first-line requirements. Adolf Hitler's personal transport unit, Fliegerstaffel des Führer kept operating the Condor until the end of the war. Anyway, little use was made of them during the last six months of the war. 

Some Fw.200 were found intact by the Allied at Flensburg, northern Germany at the end of the war, among them the personal machine of Heinrich Himmler. This city was the main base of Admiral Karl Dönitz who took over German government after Hitler's death in May 1945. 

Many were used by the Soviets and the British in the post-war period, but that's already been covered in previous posts.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 13 - Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Focke-Wulf Fw.200. Part eight. Radar-equipped Condors over the Atlantic.

 

In autumn 1943 the Condors of KG.40 were supported by aircraft of 1./FAGr.5 with base in Mont-de-Marsan. These airplanes consisted on various Junkers Ju.290A which had a range of 6.148 km (3.820 miles). The Ju.290 was initially conceived as a replacement of the Condor, however, just a handful of aircraft were completed and given to the FAGr.5, which helped KG.40 at shadowing their targets. 

The Henschel Hs.293 was world's first air-to-surface missile, and it was designed to be launched from a large aircraft like the Condor. One of the first unit which tested the missile was II./KG.40 in the Mediterranean using Dornier Do.217. Condors employed the Hs.293 for the first time on 28th December 1942 when four Condors, one of them equipped with missiles, attacked Royal Navy's ships in the Atlantic. The attack was unsuccessful as the missile-equipped Condor was forced to ditch after running across a Short Sunderland of the Coastal Command. As a matter of fact, very few ships were sunk during the war from a direct impact of a Hs.293 fired from a Condor. 

The Condor was kept in production with the Fw.200C-5, of which there were a total of 19 machines plus two C-5/U1 and one C-5/U2 before production was switched to the C-6. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 13 - Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Focke-Wulf Fw.200. Part Seven. The Fw.200 in the Eastern Front.

 

When the Wehrmacht's 6. Armee was surrounded in Stalingrad, Hermann Göring boasted Luftwaffe's transport force hoping to carry the necessary supplies to break the perimeter. This idea, however, was soon proved to be erroneous. 

That was on of the two reasons why part of the KG.40 was sent to Pitomnik airfield, in the USSR, the other one was the shortage of small - and large- transport aircraft. Bombers were pressed into transports, albeit temporarily, with the four-engined ones having to make their part, even if they were not designed to lift significative loads. It is known that the airlift of the whole 6. Armee was impossible. 

A total of 18 Fw.200 belonging to 1. and 3./KG.40 operated from the airfield at Stalino, with the unit flying its first operation on 9th January 1943, although there were already some previous flights in the area during 1942. Under the temporal designation of Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 200 (KGr.zb V.200), this force flew 36 tons of supplies into Stalingrad pocket and evacuated 156 wounded soldiers. However, as the Soviet encirclement advanced, the unit quickly switched to aerial supply drops by parachute, with each Condor carrying four containers under the wings. 

After the surrender of Stalingrad, KGr.zb V.200 was rebased to Zaparozhe airfield to keep doing whatever they could and, eventually a total of 41 supply drop missions were carried out to try and resupply the 6. Armee before the collapse. They also flew 35 additional sorties over the Crimea before being sent back to Berlin-Staaken in February 1943. 

When KGr.zb V.200 returned to Berlin, they had lost 9 Fw.200s and the unit was disbanded to be merged into a new one, 8./KG.40 which was sent to Bordeaux-Merignac under the command of Luftflotte 3. 

In the anti-shipping role, KG.40 was greatly helped by reports from Spain which alerted Fliegerführer Atlantik about sailing dates and times of Allied convoys out of Gibraltar. 

By December 1943 KG.40's crews were busy testing operationally the Heinkel He.177 with the Condors being assigned to Stab and all Staffeln of III. Gruppe, which was based at Cognac with approximately 26 aircraft. Additionally, 3. Staffel, attached to III./KG.40 operated their Condors off the Trondheim-Vaernes area, in Norway. Losses during the second half of 1943 were moderated, although new instructions were given to the crews to not execute attacks lower than 2.750 m (9.000 ft) due to the anti-aircraft fire that Allied ships could put up. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 13 - Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Focke-Wulf Fw.200. Part Seven. The Fw.200 in 1942.

 

The Fw.200 was also employed in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (MTO) since summer 1941 when Kommando Petersen (an ad-hoc unit formed from I./KG.40) was formed to fly anti-shipping missions over the Gulf of Suez, Suez Canal and the Northern part of the Red Sea. This Kommando was assigned to X. Fliegerkorps and was composed of just six Condors which operated from Greece since August 1941, attached to KG.26. 

Kommando Petersen flew approximately six sorties a night to the Suez and the Red Sea area for a very limited period of time, probably during 2 to 10th September, after which, the Fw.200s returned to France. 

During that short period of time, the unit didn't see any success and even suffered a loss due to a landing accident.

The year 1942 saw successes for the Condors as they were responsible for calling a combined aerial and submarine attack on four convoys between March and April. Later, on 27th June, the convoy PQ-17 suffered greater losses when they were ordered to scatter. The Condors were direct responsible for the sinking of 23 out of 34 ships that composed PQ-17. Given that the Condor could remain airborne for up to 14 hours, the Luftwaffe could shadow the individual ships for destruction. However, for the PQ-18 convoy, as it was better protected, they managed to sink only 13 out of 40 ships. During the last months of 1942 KG.40 was dispersed and expanded with one unit, 9. Staffel, being sent to Lecce, south-eastern Italy, to perform transport duties, while a new group, V. Gruppe, was formed for long-range fighter duties. 

The Condor was, however, intended to be replaced by the Heinkel He.177. In fact, I.KG.40 was already testing the He.177 operationally, however, due to the increasing problems in the type, they soon reverted back to the Condor. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 13 - Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor. Part Six. The Fw.200 in 1941

 

The amount of shipping losses attributed to the KG.40 and its Fw.200s was so high that British Intelligence was concerned that the Germans were using Air-to-Surface-Vessel (ASV) radars to find British ships. In order to confirm or not this fact, some pics of Fw.200 taking off were smuggled into Britain by Portuguese fishermen and an Irish WAAF. The results were that, by the time the photos were taken, the Condors had not yet, any on-board radar. However, in November 1941 the Germans managed to fit a captured ASV radar set, taken from a shot-down British airplane, in a Condor, months before the first German-made ASV radar became fully operational. 

The KG.40, however, had problems of their own as they lacked specialized aircraft which could outstand the strains of low-flights over the sea and the one that could, was only available in small numbers. That's why a Geschwader Stab was formed in late 1940 equipped initially with the Junkers Ju.88A-17 and later, in the winter of 1940-1941, with Heinkel He.111H-6 too. The Fw.200 was so precious that it was collected by the crews of the KG.40 as soon as they rolled out the factories. In spite of those problems, the KG.40 scored a total of 147.500 tons sunk between January and February 1941. 

From March 1941, the KG.40 was put under a new command, Fliegerführer Atlantik with base at Lorient, Brittany, France. This force was composed by German aircraft of every type, totalling 115 of them. 

The Allied introduced new counter-measures to defend against the Condor. Their merchant ships were armed with extra anti-air guns. These measures proved to be effective enough as the Condor could not withstand much combat damage or many stress-inducing maneuvers at low-level flight over the sea. By the summer 1941 the Allied had also introduced more threatening measures, like Hawker Hurricane fighters that could be catapulted from merchant ships. In fact, on 3rd August one Condor was shot down by a Hurricane that was launched from a Catapult Aircraft Merchantmen (CAM) ship. These counter-measures rose the amount of lost Condors during the late summer. Therefore, the KG.40 went from actively attacking convoys to radio their positions to the U-Boats. 

During 1941 the Fw.200C-2 and C-3 was developed with many improvements and sub-variants, among them revised engine nacelles, new engines and improvements to the fuselage that allowed the type to carry a bigger payload. It was also equipped with a new dorsal turret placed just aft the cockpit. 

Thanks to the increased output of Focke-Wulf's factory at Cottbus, a second Gruppe of KG.40 could be deployed as a Condor unit in December 1941. This was III./KG.40, as the II./KG.40 was reformed to operate other type of aircraft. Being fully equipped with Condors took until early 1942, but meanwhile, before the end of 1941, the KG.40 enjoyed, and suffered, notably successes and failures.

For instance, on 16th December, some Condors radioed the position of convoy HG-76 bound to Britain from Gibraltar. This convoy was attacked by U-Boats and the Condors were attacked by Grumman Wildcat fighters from the HMS Audacity escort carrier. Several Condors were lost this way, as it posed the biggest threat for future operations of the Fw.200, as the Allied looked upon closing the Atlantic Gap to both U-Boats and Fw.200s.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 13 - Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor. Part Five. The Fw.200 in 1940.

 

In order to adapt the Fw.200 for the Luftwaffe, a series of changes were made to the fuselage. Hardpoints were added to the wings, fuselage was extended and enlarged to create more space, fore and aft dorsal gun positions were added, a 'Bola' ventral gondola was included (which was very typical of the German bombers of the time) and a central bomb bay was incorporated in lieu of the additional long-range fuel tanks that the civilian version had. The extra weight of the military equipment made some Fw.200 to broke up on landing, problem that was never fully solved. 

In service with the Luftwaffe, the Fw.200 was initially used to support the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) under Fernaufklärungstaffel, an unit create for long-range patrols over the North Sea in November 1939. This unit was expanded on 18th April 1940 to form I. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 40, in order to undertake patrols over Norway when Germany launched Operation Weserübung Nord, the invasion of Denmark and Norway. 

During this campaign the Condor was used in the transport role too, additional role that would, virtually, perform during the whole war. The I./KG.40 was initially based at Cottbus, then at Aalborg and then Copenhagen from where they attacked Royal Navy ships off the coast of Namsos, in Norway and helped resupply the garrison at Narvik when the British forces counter-attacked. 

Given the small amount of Fw.200 available, it was decided to concentrate them almost entirely in the KG.40, and, despite Focke-Wulf's production efforts, only two Gruppen (Squadrons) of the KG.40 could be fully equipped with the type.

In June 1940, with the introduction of the new Fw.200C variant, the Fw.200 came into its own as an attack on the British Isles was highly possible. That month, however, the KG.40 was withdrawn from the frontlines to upgrade to the Fw.200C of which, only 10 examples were completed. 

Resuming operations, the KG.40 was assigned to Luftflotte.2 for operations against England. It was based at Lorient, France, for U-Boat support operations, which became the Condor's main role. Flying from Bordeaux-Merignac air base, it could sweep the whole Bay of Biscay and an arc ranging from the west of Ireland to Norway where they could be rebased to the air bases of Stavangar-Sola or Trondheim-Vaernes. 

During the Battle of Britain in August 1940 the Fw.200s of KG.40 were used as a conventional bomber, the only time during its career. They were employed, together with other Heinkel He.111 and Dornier Do.17s against night raids on Liverpool-Birkenhead area during 28th to 31st August. 

It was, however in the anti-shipping role where the Fw.200 shined. During the early war, the Fw.200 was responsible for the sink of thousand of tons of Allied shipping. In August 1940, the I./KG.40 alone, sank 90.000 tons. The Fw.200 did usually work in conjunction with the U-Boats. An example of this is the sinking of the Empress of Britain ship, which was lost off the north-eastern cost of Ireland after two bombs made impact on the ship disabling her and the U-38 sinking the ship with torpedoes. 

By November the Condor scored 18 ships making a total of 66.438 tons sunk, being the  British freighter MV Apapa the first to be sunk on 15th November entirely by Condors while on Convoy. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 13 - Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor. Part Four. Pre-war and early-war German users.

 

The Focke-Wulf Fw.200 came from a proposal made by Kurt Tank, of Focke-Wulf to Dr. Rudolf Stüssel of Deutsche Lufthansa to design a completely land-based passenger plane capable of flying from Europe to the United States across the Atlantic Ocean. This was quite a revolutionary concept at the time as airlines employed seaplanes to cover long-range sea distances. In order to cover long distances in an economic fashion, the Fw.200 was designed to cruise at an altitude of over 3.000 m (9,800 ft), which was the highest possible attainable altitude without a pressurized cabin. Back then, airliners cruised at an altitude of 1.500 m (4,900 ft). When it was completed, the Fw.200 was, for a brief period of time, the most advanced airliner of the world, until more modern passenger planes appeared on the scene like the Boeing 307 Stratoliner in 1940 or the Douglas DC-4 in 1942. It received the denomination of "Condor" because, due to its large wingspan, it resembled a condor bird.

Deutsche Lufthansa issued a specification in June 1936 and, later, the aircraft was designed by Ludwig Mittlehuber and Wilhelm Bansemir. The first prototype, labelled as Fw.200 V-1 flew for the first time on 27th July 1937 and was flown by Kurt Tank himself. This first prototype was entirely made out of metal and was powered by four American Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines rated at 875 hp each. It could carry up to 26 passengers divided in two cabins and had a range of up to 3.000 km (1.900 milles). Two additional prototypes, V-2 and V-3 were powered by four BMW 132G-1 radial engines. 

In civilian service it was used mainly by Deutsche Lufthansa and some other airlines around the world. On 14th April 1945, Lufthansa flew the last scheduled flight before the of the World War 2, from Barcelona, in Spain to Berlin. 

The first prototype was upgraded with extra fuel tanks and had its engines replaced. It was redesignated as Fw.200 S-1 and made several record flights. The V-1 became the first heavier-than-air aircraft to fly nonstop from Berlin to New York, covering a distance of around 6.400 km (4.000 milles) on 10th to 11th August 1938 in 24 hours and 56 minutes. The return trip was shorter and took 19 hours and 47 minutes. Later, on 28th November, it flew from Berlin to Tokyo via Basra (Iraq), Karachi (British Raj - nowadays Pakistan) and Hanoi (French Indochina - nowadays Vietnam).

Outside Lufthansa, the Luftwaffe operated the type too (more on that in the next posts), with one unit, Fliegerstaffel des Führers, having the type as its major aircraft during pre-war and the whole world war 2. It was used to fly high-ranking political and military figures of Germany, from Hitler downwards. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_200_Condor

2. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 115 - Fw 200 Condor Units of World War II

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 13 - Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor