Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1511

39. At 08:00 hours on 5 May 1945, the German capitulation of all Wehrmacht forces in Germany and Denmark went into effect. Elements of the RAF Regiment in jeeps and light trucks raced ahead of British ground forces to secure airfields that had been identified as holding the latest German aircraft innovations. The most distant was Grove-Karup, Denmark, whose units surrendered on 7 May. This photo shows the kit bags of exhausted, but armed, British soldiers piled in front of an Arado Ar 234 B-2b in a hangar at Grove. My Google interpreter says the "No Smoking" warnings in this picture are in German and Swedish.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1517

40. In all, six Arado Ar 234 Bs were captured intact at Grove, all of them recce B-2bs, five of them from 1.(F)/33. According to the Luftwaffe Wiki website, these had been transferred from Schleswig-Land [Jagel], Germany by 5 May 1945.
In this photo, three of the Arados (W.Nr. 140466, 140467 and 140486) can be seen lined up in their original markings. Because of unauthorized flights in Germany, surrendered aircraft were to be disabled. It was relatively easy to remove propellers from piston-engined aircraft. Removing rudders from jets took longer.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

That is an odd sign, certainly not made by a Danish citizen, who should have written 'Rygning forbudt'
or possibly 'rögning forbudt' (the Ö is in Denmark written as an O with a slash)

The word Rökning is clearly Swedish while forbudt is in Danish.

A small fascinating detail.....thanks Jim :)

Cheers
Stig

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Hi Jim, this photo of soldiers in a hanger has previously been captioned as in Stavanger-Sola, regards, Chris

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Hi Chris,

The sign is definitely not in Norwegian and note the Jeep.

best regards,

Jim

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Jim
See my post above
Cheers
Stig

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1518

41. In June 1945, the British allocated three recce Arados from Grove-Karup, Denmark, to be handed over to American forces for evaluation. They were designated "USA 5", "USA 6" and "USA 7". According to Samuel, American Raiders, (2004) pp. 291-292, Col. Hal Watson flew "USA 5" and Karl Baur flew "USA 6" out of Grove. Phil Butler, in War Prizes, (Crecy, 2022), p. 215, identifies Arado Ar 234 B-2b W.Nr. 140489 "8H+EH" as "USA 5" and the other two as W.Nr. 140486 "8H+FH" and W.Nr. 140467 "8H+BH". Photographic evidence will show that Watson, indeed, flew "EH" and Baur flew "BH". This photo shows W.Nr. 140489 in its original markings at Grove.


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42. On 24 June 145, Col. Harold E. Watson of Watson's Whizzers flew "USA 5" from Grove to Melun-Villaroche in France via Beauvechain-Le Culot, Belgium, accompanied by Messerschmitt test pilot, Karl Baur, in "USA 6" (leaving "USA 7" behind). At Melun, both recce Arados got a quick make-over in preparation for an inspection by General Carl "Tooey" Spaatz on 27 June 1945, including a coat of olive drab. American markings and Whizzer id's can be seen in this photo. W.Nr. 140489 "USA 5" became "Jane I"/"202" and W.Nr. 140467 "USA 6" became "Snafu I"/"303".

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1520

43. In this poor photograph of "Jane I", the black "E" of 1.(F)/33 on the nose wheel bracket can just be made out. On 29 June 1945, Hal Watson flew "Jane I" from Melun to Cherboug-Querqueville where it was cocooned in Plastiphane and placed on board HMS Reaper for shipment by sea to the USA as article "11".


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44. On 1 August 1945, HMS Reaper arrived at Newark, New Jersey, where "Jane I" was de-cocooned and allocated to the U.S. Navy's Flight Test Division at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, as BuAer.No. 121445. It was probably flown from Newark to Patuxent River by the Division's chief test pilot Lt. Najeeb Halaby. The white "FT" was added by the Americans over the olive drab, possibly "Foreign Turbo".


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45. According to Smith & Creek, Arado Ar 234 Blitz,, (Classic, 2022), p. 311, the U.S. Navy did not test fly their Arados due to a lack of spare parts, especially tyres, missing in this photograph. Both of the Arados given to the U.S. Navy were "struck off charge on Jan. 31, 1946 and scrapped", according to Joe Baugher.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Jim
Looking at what you say here and below Karl Baur must have flown USA 6 out of Grove and not USA 7
Otherwise things just don't fit
Cheers
Stig

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Stig,

You are absolutely right. Somehow in transcribing the information I got it wrong. First, the proper reference in American Raiders is pp. 291-292, and indeed it says Baur flew "USA 6"!

Thank you for the catch, Stig!

All the best,

Jim

p.s. I have corrected my blurb in #41.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Hi Jim,

Regarding your post #41:
This photo is actually taken in Sola-Stavanger.
https://digitaltmuseum.no/0210188672...-inne-i-hangar

And "Rökning forbudt" is Norwegian. I asked around, and got an answer from a language expert (thanks Ephraim). He says it is Norwegian, in their most common written language, "bokmål". And he gives two other examples of "Rökning forbudt":
https://skanfil.no/auksjon/reklame-og-l
https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/441/_021017517684

Cheers Hans

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Hi Hans,

Thank you for this post. I presumed that the "o" would have had a stroke through it as the translator had and was dead wrong to use the word "definitely". Your information is most welcome and appreciated.

Jim

Chris,

I owe you an apology. You were correct and I should have checked further.

I am sorry,

Jim

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Hi Jim, no need to apologise, we are all here to learn. I would recommend the book "We started the jet age in Norway" by Cato Guhnfeldt, the story of the German Arado jet piolts at Sola 1945. Very interesting read. I was also able to visit the archives at the RAF Museum, Hendon, where photographs confirm the DR code of 140312 and also of her being prepared for transfer with Bauer.
Keep up this thread! Regards, Chris

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Interesting Hans
Unfortunately none of your https work. No language expert what so ever myself, but a modern translation
of the Swedish word 'Rökning' into Norwegian gives Royking (the o with a slash right through.
As you know 'Bokmål' and 'Nynorsk' are written languages and they are after all very close.
What surprises me is that in 1945 the Norwegians were still using the letter ö and not the o with a slash inside.
Perhaps there was still a strong influence of Swedish spelling post Union break up in 1905?
Perhaps your friend knows?
Cheers
Stig

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Hi Stig,

A bit OT, but if you goggle ”rökning forbudt”, you'll get two older Norwegian examples, spelled with "ö" instead of "ø".

Also, Stig, you'll get a PM.

Cheers Hans

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Thanks Hans

I switch to PM (just read that and the page you refer to)

Cheers
Stig

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Thank you, Chris. I have just ordered Guhnfeldt's book.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1523

46. It is likely that Arado Ar 234 B-2b W.Nr. 140467 "8H+BH" (black "B") of 1.(F)/33 [Smith & Creek, (2022), p. 310] was among those of that unit flown to Grove-Karup, Denmark, in early May 1945 and captured intact there by the British. In this poor photo, the Arado may be "8H+BH" still in its original markings with its fairings and racks visible beneath the engine nacelle.


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47. This is a good view of how the hose from the fairing under the engine nacelle hooked into the auxiliary fuel tank on recce Arados. Note what appears to be a black "B" on the nose wheel bracket, the worn footholds, and scratches from tarp ropes in the camouflage of the port nacelle. This was likely the Arado designated "USA 6".


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48. On 24 June 1945, Karl Baur flew "USA 6" from Grove to Le Culot, 09:15-10:55 hrs., and from Le Culot to Melun-Villaroche, 14:30-15:14 hrs., [Samuel, American Raiders, pp. 291-292]. At the stopover at Le Culot, Belgium, this photo was taken of GI's examining Baur's Arado , mistaking him as British.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1526

49. At Melun, "USA 6" was transformed into "Snafu I"/"303" of Watson's Whizzers and the original upper camo was covered with a coat of olive drab. On 29 June 1945, Baur transferred "Snafu I" to Cherbourg-Querqueville, 10:55-11:55 hrs, where it was cocooned and placed aboard HMS Reaper as article "13". Note that the black "B" of 1.(F)/33 on the nose wheel bracket appears to be the same as in #47.


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50. When HMS Reaper docked at Newark, New Jersey, on 1 August 1945, "Snafu I" was de-cocooned and assigned to the U.S. Navy. This picture was probably taken at NAS Patuxent River where the Arado was designated BuAer. No. 121446 [Butler, p. 221]. Like "Jane I", it was not tested due to a lack of spares. The pilot who transferred it from Newark was likely Lt. Najeeb E. Halaby who had just set an American transcontinental record in a P-80 jet in late June, from Muroc to Patuxent in 5 hrs. and 40 minutes.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1528

51.This picture shows one of the Arados derelict at Patuxent River in the 1950's, likely "Snafu I" with its nosewheel intact.


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52. By 1976 when this picture was taken, an Arado had been bulldozed into the bank of the Patuxent River. The opening on the top of the rear fuselage to access the cameras is visible.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Thanks, interesting pictures.
Did you mean to type 140467 when describing # 46? - all the actual photos are captioned as such, as I thought this was the correct WNr?

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Thanks, Andy! I'll correct it.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1530

53. It is probable that recce Arado Ar 234 B-2b W,Nr. 140486 was likely the one designated "USA 7" and left behind by Watson on 24 June 1945. In this picture the werknummer "486" can just be made out and you can see on the furthest (rudderless) Arado how "008" could be mistaken for the "608".
On page 310 of their 2022 Classic edition of Arado Ar 234 Blitz,Smith & Creek give:
"140486 B-2 8H+FH First flew 8 Jan 1945, found by the RAF at Grove at the end of the war, fate unknown."

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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54. On that afternoon of 24 June 1945, Lt. Cdr, (RN), Eric Brown and S/Ldr. "Tony" Martindale of RAE Farnborough arrived at Grove-Karup, Denmark, to ferry two Arado recces back to England. "Winkel" Brown, on page 17 of his Wings of the Luftwaffe, (Hirori, 2010), described his first test flight that evening.

"...My Blitz was the first ready to fly so I taxiied out to the end of the runway and ran up the engines to full power. All seemed well and I was just about to release the brakes for take-off when the starboard engine almost blew itself out of the airframe, spewing compression blades out of the back and onto the runway. I shut down the port engine and vacated the cockpit like a scalded cat!"

Brown claimed that it was the result of sabotage by a member of the German ground crew.

In this photo, note the tarp covering a jettisoned canopy hatch cover, the lack of a periscope and the height of the vegetation growing around the neglected Arado.
Smith & Creek, on page 213 of their 1992 Monogram edition of Arado Ar 234 Blitz, captioned this photo as:
"Royal Danish Air Force officers examine an Arado Ar 234 B-2 of 1.(F)/33 at Karup-Grove airfield during the summer of 1945."

It is likely that this aircraft was scrapped at Grove and that it was W.Nr. 140486.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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55. At Grove-Karup, Denmark, British Air Ministry numbers were carefully painted by German ground crew using stencils on captured aircraft to be flown to England. Here, Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4/R3 W.Nr. 730037 "D5+DK" became "AIR MINISTRY 30". Similarly, Arado Ar 234 B-2b W.Nr 140466 became "AIR MINISTRY 24", W.Nr. 140608 became "25" and W.Nr. 140476 became "26", Phil Butler, War Prizes, (Crecy, 2022), pp. 103-104.


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56. "On 4 April 1945 ... it was the turn of "DH" which tried to cover Ipswich and Harwich from 14:58 - 15:54 hrs. but was ordered to turn back after the pilot tried to switch between fuel tanks only to find the transfer pump had failed ...", cf. Nick Beale, https://ghostbombers.com/recon/234/Denmark/norway3.html.
This was probably Arado recce Ar 234 B-2b W.Nr. 140476 "8H_DH" (black "D") of 1.(F)/33 that was captured intact by British forces at Grove.
The British had German personnel carefully stencil on "AIR MINISTRY 26" and, on 25 June 1945, it was flown by S/Ldr. "Tony" Martindale in formation with Lt. Cdr. (RN) Eric Brown in "AIR MINISTRY 25" from Grove to Schleswig, Germany. That same day, they both flew from Schleswig in a 1 hr and 55 min. dog-leg flight over Gilze-Rijen, Holland,to RAE Farnborough, England.
Note the outer ring of yellow on the roundels, as well as the different shade of the nacelle cowl.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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57. On 3 July 1945, "AIR MINISTRY 26" was transferred to No. 6 Maintenance Unit at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, where it was assigned the RAF serial "VK877". On 7 October it was ferried back to Farnborough for trials. From 29 October to 9 November it was displayed statically in the RAE German Aircraft Exhibition. The RAF serial and the yellow outer ring of the roundel can be seen in this photo.


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58. This is another view of "VK877" at the Farnborough Exhibition. Note the distictive nacelle cowl. Smith & Creek, Arado Ar 234 Blitz, (Classic, 2022), on page 310 say that it was "eventually scrapped, presumably at Farnborough".

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1536

59. It is likely that in early May 1945 Arado Ar 234 B-2b W.Nr. 140466 "8H+HH" (black "H") of 1.(F)/33 was transferred from Wittmundhaven, Germany, to Grove-Karup, Denmark and it was captured there intact by elements of the RAF Regiment. In the 1992 Monogram edition of Smith & Creek's Arado 234 Blitz, on page 255, they wrote:
"140466
First flew December 29, 1944, to 1.(F)/33 as 8H+HH, captured by the RAF at Grove, flown to the UK as AM 24, arrived at the RAE on August 27, 1945 ...".
This photo shows "8H+HH" in its Luftwaffe markings at Grove with its werknummer visible.


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60. This poor resolution copy of one of Phil Butler's photographs found on page 102 of the 2020 Crecy edition of War Prizes is captioned:
"Arado Ar 234 B-2, W.Nr. 140466, alongside a pair of Messerschmitt Me 262s, possibly at Schleswig, prior to transfer to Farnborough ...".

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1538

61. Note the position of the nose wheel of "AIR MINISTRY 24" in these photographs as well as the outer yellow ring on the RAF roundel.


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62. This is a picture of "AIR MINISTRY 24", also taken at Schleswig. The racks under the nacelles are prominent as are the Me 262s. They are W.Nr. 500443 "yellow 5" and W.Nr. 110635 "red 10" of 10./NJG11.


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63. In this photo there is a good view of the rack's attachment to the fairing with its hose tucked in. Butler on page 103 reports:
"Ferried Grove - Schleswig - Farnborough on 27th August 1945, by S/Ldr. J. C. S. Turner. While the aircraft was landing at Farnborough, its port main undercarriage collapsed due to mis alignment of the undercarriage locks and the aircraft was written off.
The tail section served as a static display ant Farnborough's German Aircraft Ehibition 29 October - 9 November, but on 15 November it was formally SOC [struck off charge]."

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1541

64. Jan Horn, on page 290 of Die Augen des OKW ... Teil 1, (2021), identifies this two-seater Arado W.Nr. 140355 (captured by the Soviets at the Bachmann repair facility at Fl.Pl. Putnitz near Rostok on 2 May 1945), not as a night fighter but as a horchflugzeug, probably an early form of sigint aircraft. He ascribes it on page 332 as an Ar 234 B-2/H. Like the two-seat Arado night fighter conversions of 3./NJG 10 (also on p. 332), the space for the second crewman was made possible by the removal of the cameras. In this photo, the werknummer can be seen as well as the very small circular window marring the balkenkreuz.


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65. Like the Me 262 B-1a/U1s, to increase range and time aloft, the two-seater Arado night fighters and "listeners" had fairings and racks under the engine nacelles for auxiliary fuel tanks. This is another view of W.Nr. 140355.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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66. To convert Oblt. Josef Putzkuhl and Oblt. Gustav Francsi (both from NJG 100) to the Ar 234 for night time missions, a single seat Ar 234 B-2b W.Nr. 140608 "T9+GL" was used in daylight hours, training that would have included the use of the oversized auxiliary fuel tanks seen here.
Francsi's last flight was on 10 April 1945, the day that Fl. Pl. Oranienburg was bombed. W.Nr. 140608 was then evacuated to Rechlin-Lärz. Oblt. Günter Korn of 1./FAGr 5, seconded as a test pilot for Arado at Alt-Lonnewitz, transferred a "T1+GL" from Rechlin-Lärz to Lübeck-Blankensee on 19 April and to Grove-Karup on 22 April, flying a platzflug there on the 25th. It was then captured by the British at Grove.


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67. In this cropping of the previous photo, the unit letters and werknummer are excruciatingly obscure, but the yellow in the middle of the "G" can be seen.
In his Wings of the Luftwaffe, page 17, Lt./Cdr. (RN) Eric Brown related how he flew Ar 234 W.Nr. 140008 from Grove, via Schleswig, to Farnborough on 25 June 1945. Curiously, the British FO 1062/66, "German Aircraft ferried to Farnborough up to 3/7/45" lists it as TI+GL, W.Nr. 140008 (Steve Coates, TOCH archives, 18 Feb 2018). In his note on "Air Ministry 25", Phil Butler in War Prizes, (Crecy, 2022), p. 103 relates:

"... AM 25 was ferried Grove-Schleswig-Farnborough on 25th June 1945 and onwards, To No. 6 MU, Brize Norton, on 30th June. The RAF serial number VK880 was allocated on 26th July... AM 25 was at the No. 6 MU in the Census of Aircraft on 21st March 1946 and was SOC there on 1st October 1948."

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

An Ar 234 B-2 was allocated for »Funkhorschumbau« (radio-monitoring conversion) on 17 March 1945. Source: Bundesarchiv RL 2-III/620.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Thanks for the tip, Nick. Both RL 2-III/619 and RL 2-III/620 are now on line and the allocations of 17 March 1945 can be found on page 0237 of RL 2-III/620.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

I just want to thank for this great thread. Please keep it flowing

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Thanks, Egbert. There's more to come.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1545

The Arado Ar 234 was designed at Theodore Rowehl's behest by an Arado team in 1941 to be a recce high-wing monoplane replacement for the Ju 86 R using two Daimler Benz ZTI 5000 or Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines. This photo shows Ar 234 V1 W.Nr. 130001 "TG+KB" with two Jumo 004 A-0 engines in July 1943. Note the radical concept for take-off and landing using a trolley and skid. The first flight took place on 30 July 1943 at Münster-Rhein, the pilot being Arado's flugkapitän Heinz Selle.


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69. Upon lift-off. from the level, concrete runway, the trolley was jettisoned from the undercarriage, deploying a drogue chute to bring it to a quick halt. However, the long take-off roll on the awkward trolley caused Arado to find a starthilfe (booster) to get its A-series "Antons" into the air more quickly.


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70. Upon landing, the skid was extended as were the outriders under the engine nacelles in order to land on the grass beside the concrete runway.


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71. This poor screenshot show how the V1 was lifted by three tubular jacks in order to place the trolley under the skid again.


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72. This photo shows a frontal view of V1 revealing the inadequacy of the bare-bones structure of the trolley's attachments with no stabilization under the outriders at all.
The Ar 234 V1 was seriously damaged on landing on 29 August 1943 and was then broken up for parts.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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73. This frontal view of Arado Ar 234 V4 W.Nr. 130004 "DP+AY" shows the solution for the problems that the Arado designers came up with. Under the wings, outside of the engine nacelles, are two kraft-ei (power-eggs) to assist with lift-off. As well, the new trolley is less flimsy with supports for the outriders.


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74. The starthilfe power-eggs were a pair of reuseable Walter 109-500 rocket boosters built by Heinkel using T-Stoff and Z-Stoff to create a sustained thrust of 500 kg. each for thirty seconds. Note the parachute pack attached to the front of the "egg". In documents these "eggs" are referred to as R-Geräte (Rauchgeräte).


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75. This poor screen shot perhaps shows best the effectiveness of these "power eggs" easily cutting the take off run to one-third and boosting the Arado to 150 metres.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1553

76. Here, the boosters are being jettisoned after burnout, with their parachutes deploying. It should be obvious that, due to this design, the Arado Ar 234 Antons would require a great deal of equipment and ground support if they were to be deployed operationally to a forward base.


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77. Another innovation of the Ar 234 A was the concept of a braking parachute in the rear fuselage to greatly reduce the landing roll especially in an emergency. Here, the Ar 234 V3 W.Nr. 130003 "DP+AX" deploys the open-lattice type chute. This feature became standard on all Ar 234 B aircraft.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Great posts, thanx

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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78. In this picture taken in early spring 1944, Arado's chief test pilot, Flugkapitän Walter Krüger, needed a step ladder to reach the cockpit of the Ar 234 V5 (W.Nr. 130005; "GK+IV). Note the "5" by his boot.
The 6 June 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy triggered an emergency program to create an operational reconnaissance unit capable of covering the invasion beach head as well as the southern English ports without being intercepted. The Versuchsverband der OKL assigned Oblt. Horst Götz and Oblt. Erich Sommer to transfer Arados V5 and V7, modified to carry cameras, to Flugplatz Juvincourt in France. V5 was recoded "T9+LH" and V7 became "T9+MH" [white "9"; black "L" and "M"] of 1./Vers.Verb.d.OKL (changed from d.Ob.d.L in July 1944). Note how large the entry hatches are on the Antons and the nose skid under the cockpit.


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79. From 07:05 to 07:36 hrs. on 8 July 1944, Sommer transferred V7 from Alt Lonnewitz to Oranienburg to be fitted with cameras. Then on 17 July, he took off from Oranienburg at 15:10 hrs, and landed at Juvincourt at 16:41 hrs., (Jan Horn, Die Augen des OKW, Teil 1, (2021), p. 41). Here, a tubular jack raises the rear fuselage of Sommer's "T9+MH".

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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80. On page 76 of his Hitler's Spyplane over Normandy, (2013) Philippe Bauduin gives this caption:
"The Junkers Ju 352 A1 "T9+AB" of the Versuchsverband, just landed at Juvincourt. The ground staff unload the Arado 234's enormous cargo of spare part and various other equipment, using a special ramp, Trapoklappe. On the right of the photograph is Oberleutnant Erich Sommer, in his black leather jacket and filming apparatus, perhaps an 8 mm camera."


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81. This view of "T9+AB" at Juvincourt sows two spare trolleys and two tubular jacks to the left. Sommer is at the right filming the work.


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82. This is a good view of the collapsed tubular jacks and spare tires for the trolleys. Sommer is again seen in the picture.
As well, in UK National Archives, DEFE3, CX/MSS/T260/116, XL4028, we learn that fuel bowsers with "TARE STOFF" and ZEBRA STOFF" were to be sent "BY THIRTY FIRST JULY AT LATEST TO CHATEAUDUN [sic]."

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1560

83. ACCORDING (STRONG INDICATIONS EXPERIMENTAL UNIT OBDL £ OBDL) ON SECOND SUCCESSFUL RECCE)) OF THE BEACHHEAD CARRIED OUT ONE THREE THREE TWO TO ONE FIVE ONE FIVE HOURS SECOND. NO £ NO OPS £ OPS ON FIRST OWING BAD WEATHER. ON SAME DAY THIS UNIT REPORTED ONLY TWO ASSISTED TAKE-OFF DEVICES USABLE ..., cf. UK's National Archives, DEFE 3, Ref. CX/MSS/T276/73 (R274/11/22), XL6272.
On 2 August 1944, Oblt. Erich Sommer probably used R-Geräte, like those in this screenshot, to lift enough fuel in Ar 234 V7 (W.Nr. 130007; "T9+MH") from Juvincourt to cover not only the beachhead, but to make wide loops to cover areas further inland from 15:32 to 17:15 hours local time.

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84. This aerial photograph, one of 380 taken, was developed and analyzed by the facilities under 1.(F)/121. In this photo we can see that their analysts documented and annotated their photographs. From this picture we learn that the "Beob." (Beobachter = observer) was "Oblt. Sommer", date "2.8.44", time "16.32", altitude "11000m" and place "Asnelles-sur-Mer". Note the clock as part of the photo in the right bottom corner.

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85. On his return to Juvincourt on 2 August, Somer used his personal camera to film Oblt. Horst Götz sitting on the top of his Ar 234 V5 (W.Nr. 130005; "T9+LH") as it was being towed off the field after its flight from Oranienburg.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

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86. By 28 August 1944, the Allies had not only broken out of the beachhead and captured Paris, but had crossed the Seine, causing a bug-out of German aircraft from Juvincourt. Götz and Sommer were ordered to fly to Chievres, Belgium, but on approach the V5 was fired upon by German flak. Damaged, Götz decided to fly the V5 to Oranienburg where it could be more quickly repaired. On landing, Götz was injured when two stones flew into the cockpit when he was hit from behind by Fw. Ernst Brandt of Fl.Ü.G. 1 (Mitte) in a taxiing Fw 190 F8, killing Brandt. This photo shows the severed rear of the V5, a total write-off.
In all Sommer and Götz had flown ten sorties over France while at Juvincourt, giving the German High Command a good view of unfolding events. Götz's report on the operation can be found on pages 287-289 of Karl Pawlas, Arado Ar 234 der erst Strahlbomber der Welt, Band 1, (Luftfahrt, 1956) which includes a compendium of Arado company documents on the Ar 234.


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87. This is a still from one of Sommer's films with his V7 behind the trolley. Sommer continued to fly recce missions from Rheine in V7 until 2 October 1944, including cover of the English ports and London. On 1 November, Fj Fw. Walter Wendt attempted an einsatz in V7 from Rheine:
"Beim Start zum Einsatz an 1.11.44 ist das Fleugzeug vom linken Auslager gefallen, wo bei die Rumpfunter seite und Seiten ruder beschädigt wurden, Personensch den ist nicht eingetreten," Pawlas p. 382. Although repaired, it was retired from service on 18 November 1944, Smith & Creek, (Classic, 2022) p. 305.

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Just a small correction about National Archives file references:

CX/MSS/T276/73 isn't on the DEFE 3 series, it's in file HW 5/561
XL 6272 is on file DEFE 3/165
CX/MSS/R274A,22 is on HW 5/559

Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
 

Trivial, but Smith and Creek actually say it was retired from service on 19 November 1944.