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

Thank you, Nick.

Andy, you are correct. They added "probably following its 18th flight," which addled my brain.

Thank you both for getting it accurate.

Jim

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

Jim, keep them coming please

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

Hi Egbert,

I suspect I will run out of material around mid-September.


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88. By late 1943, with Hitler insisting on a fast blitz bomber to crush, as at Dieppe, the expected invasion at a French port, Arado redesigned the Ar 234 to have a conventional tricycle undercarriage and to carry bombs ... the Berta.
The first Ar 234 B was the V9 (W.Nr. 130009; "PH+SQ") here seen unmarked, probably in RLM 70/71 splinter camouflage (Creek & Forsyth, p. 28) upon delivery. Note the proposed bomb rack under the engine nacelle and the cable under the rear fuselage leading to the hatch containing the brake-chute. The V9 is readily identifiable in photographs as it lacks the cockpit periscope that Sommer found was needed operationally to see if the Jumo turbojets were leaving a tell-tale contrail. With the V10, the periscope became standard in every Berta.


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89. For the Arado B-2 bomber variant, Arado designed a recessed rack under the centre of the fuselage, between the main wheels, to carry a bomb upto 1000 kg.


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90. Also proposed was a configuration to carry three 250 kg. bombs, although I have never seen this type of nacelle rack on KG 76 Arados.

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

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As well, the V9 tested the concept for nacelle racks to carry auxiliary fuel tanks as Rowehl was asking that the Berta also be used as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft. Like the V5, but not the V7, the V9 seems originally to have been equipped with an ejection-seat: "Diese Flugzeuge werden mit Katapultsitzen ausgerüstet," as annotated in a 28.8.1944 document in Pawlas, pp. 4-5.


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92. Although Anton's like the V5 had these climbing features, a step ladder was easier to get to the cockpit. The Berta, however, lower to the ground, had the same handholds and footholds (including the extendable step seen here) that would allow the pilot to climb up the port side and "haul himself onto the top of the fuselage immediately aft of the cockpit," Creek & Forsyth, Blitz Bombers, (Chandos, 2020), p.29, Also note the forked tow-bar that could more quickly hook up a Berta and tow it to the safely of a revement.


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93. "Cette vue de la moite arriere de l'Ar 234 V9 nous expose clairement la disposition du cable du parachute-frein de l'avion. En arriere-plan le queue de l'Ar 234 V1, W.Nr. 130010 Skz. PH+SR," Jean-Claude Mermet, Arado Ar 234 Blitz, (AeroJournal, 2016), p.18.
Ar 234 V9 first flew on 12 March 1944 piloted by Arado's Flugkapitän Ubbo Janssen. After serving as a test aircraft at Alt Lonnewitz and Rechlin, according to Smith & Creek, (Classic, 2022) p. 305 its last known flight was its 110th on 5 September 1944 (14:58-16:09 hrs. by Arado's new test pilot Otto Frach). However, on pp. 110-111 of the same source, Ludwig Dambach of BMW recounts how he damaged the V9 on landing when the main wheels did not deploy.

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

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94. Because the General der Aufklärungflieger required a variant of the Berta that did not need all the ground equipment of the Anton, the Arado designers made simple modifications to the B-2 eliminating the recess in the fuselage for the bomb and installing two slightly oblique cameras in the rear fuselage. As long-range missions would require extra fuel in auxiliary tanks, fairings and racks were installed under the engine nacelles. This recce variant, according to Jan Horn, was designated Ar 234 B-2b.


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95. This picture and the one above are captioned on p. 117 of Smith & Creek, Ar 234 Blitz, (Classic, 2022) as:
"Above and below: After being completed as a bomber, it was proposed that the Ar 234 S12, GM+BL, would be transferred to Sagos Gm.b.H. (at Sagan-Küpper) on 21st August 1944 for conversion to a reconnaissance variant. After this was completed, the aircraft was handed over to Horst Gotz of Kommando Sperling on 22 September 1944 and this became the first B-series aircraft to be flown operationally. It was then remarked T9+GH."
Oblt. Horst Gotz was staffelkapitän of 1./Versuchsverband der OKL and the aircraft code "T9+GH" (white "9", black "G") was of that unit which was based at Oranienburg. On 27 September, 15:08 - 16:10 hrs., Gotz flew "T9+GH" to Kommando Sperling's operational base at Rheine, making the first op in a Berta the next day covering Paris-Riems-St. Quentin-Albert Canal, (Horn, Des Augen des OKW, Teil 1, (2020), p. 58-59. On 1 October 1944, Gotz was promoted to Hauptmann.


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96. From 2 to 7 October, Gotz personally flew four more ops in "T9+GH". From the leaves still visible on the deciduous trees, it is likely this photograph was taken in late September or early October 1944. The black "G" can be seen behind the balkenkreuz. Technicians are removing a film cassette from the aft camera compartment access hatch on top of the rear fuselage.

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

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97. This accompanying photo shows the technician about to set the cassette onto a wheeled trolley, while another reaches into the forward camera compartment.


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98. This poor photo may be of Gotz's "T9+GH" landing at its base at Rheine. Kommando Sperling operated from there from 1 October 1944 to 7 February 1945 when it was absorbed by 1.(F)/123. With the death of that unit's staffelkapitän, Hptm. Hans Felde, on 11 February, Gotz replaced him on the 19th. However, in spite of the teletype order of 7 February for the aircraft of Kommando Sperling to adopt the verbandskennzeichen of 1.(F)/123, (Horn, Teil 1, p. 102), that unit continued to give in its strength reports the "T9" unit codes of the aircraft of Gotz, Muffey and Ziese.
Gotz's last feindflug in "T9+GH" took place on 6 April 1944, taking off from Reinsehlen at 13:16 hrs., covering Antwerp and landing at Lübeck-Blankensee. On 5 May, Gotz attempted to transfer "T9+GH" from Leck to Stavanger, Norway, but Horn, Teil 2, p. 92 reports it as "Bruch Bugrades beim Start." Therefore, at 08:00 hrs., it was blown up by German troops at Leck, (Horn, Teil 2, p. 82).

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

To clarify that point, when the Allies examined Ltn. Günther Gniesmer's T9+DH, W.Nr. 140142, in April 1945 they found that the ventral recess was faired over with plywood.

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

Thank you, Nick, for this information.

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This picture can be found on p. 193 of Smith & Creek Arado 234 Blitz, (Monogram, 1992) and is captioned:
"The wreckage of Lt. Günther Gniesmer's aircraft, T9+DH, photographed by the Field Intelligence Party from the Mediterranean Air Force, south west of Bologna in Italy in April 1945."

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This picture is found on p. 194 and is captioned:
"Another view of Gniesmer's aircraft after it had been shot down by Mustangs from the US 52nd Fighter Group. The square aperture beneath the rear fuselage was the opening for one of the aircraft's Rb 75/30 cameras."

As can be seen, Gniesmer's Arado crashed inverted and broke into sections including the fuselage belly exposed intact above the wing in the first photo. The British would have been able to compare it to the B-2 bomber W.Nr. 140173 "F1+MT" already at Farnborough and noted the modifications.

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

The Arado was encountered in the air SW of Bologna but the wreck lay east of the city. It was found about 16 km NW of Alfonsine in the province of Ravenna. Some years ago the Romagna Air Finders were able to explore the site. I had supplied the map reference from the original report and they sent me a few of the small pieces of aluminium they discovered.

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

That's a great correction! Thanks, Nick.

Jim

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

The Romagna Air Finders included the Ar 234 in a book 'Aerei Perduti Romagna 1942–1945' by E. Lanconelli, A. Raccagni and F. Raccagni (Società Editrice «Il Ponte Vecchio», 2008). This says they visited the crash site on 5 March 2005 and gives the co-ordinates as 44º 35.30' N, 11º 56.67' E.

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

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99. The second recce Ar 234 Berta to become operational was W.Nr. 140153 "T9+HH" of Kommando Sperling that Ltn. Wolfgang Ziese used on 13 October 1944 13:23-15:26 hrs. to cover Antwerp and Ostend, (Horn, Die Augen des OKW, Teil 1, p. 62). The rear camera hatch did not close properly and the "3" stencil was inverted.

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100. These are stills from a film showing "T9+HH" being taken out of a hangar to be fitted with Walter R-Geräte. Like Gotz, Ziese was transferred to 1.(F)/123 in February 1945 taking "T9+HH" with him.

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101. To my suspicious eye, this seems to be a staged photo op, with crewmen pushing the Arado out of the hangar.

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102. Even pilots seem to be helping lift the RATO booster into place.

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

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103. The werknummer can be seen in this picture.


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104. And finally it gets pushed back inside. The rear camera hatch still seems to be loose.


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105. Wolfgang Ziese climbs up the side of his Berta.


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106. "Lt. Wolfgang Ziese beim Einstieg in Seine Ar 234 B-2b. Auf den Rumpfrüchen lingt Ogfr. Willi Mensching, sein I Wart. Hier in Rheine, noch beim Kdo. Sperling," (Jan Horn, Die Augen des OKW, Teil 2, (2023) p. 36.
On 14 April 1945, Hptm. Horst Gotz, staffelkapitän of 1.(F)/123, flew his last feindflug in "T9+HH", 08:35 - 10:15 hrs., from Lübeck-Blankensee, (Horn, Teil 2, p. 69. Although "T9+HH" was present at Leck on 5 May 1945, Ziese flew "4U+FH" to Stavanger. At 08:00 hrs., "T9+HH+ was blown up by German troops at Leck, p. 82.

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

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107. The third recce Ar 234 B-2b (W.Nr. 140151; "T9+KH") first appears on the strength reports of Kommando Sperling on 24 October 1944, (Horn, Die Augen des OKW, Teil 1, (2021), p.67). Its first operation was flown on 1 November 1944 by Oblt. Werner Muffey, 14:32 to 15:25 hrs., when he aborted a sortie to SE England due to bad weather. This photo can be found on p. 200 of Smith & Creek, Ar 234 Blitz, (Classic, 2022) and is captioned:
"Werner Muffey's T9+KH being towed in the approved manner by a Kettenkrad tracked motorcycle. His aircraft is carrying two drop tanks, one under each engine nacelle."
This picture may have been taken after an op was aborted due to rain.


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108. This view of "T9+KH", W.Nr. 140151, shows the wappen of Kommando Sperling [Sparrow], a white silouette of a stylized sparrow carrying a camera being propelled by a jet. As far as I know, this was the only Arado to carry this wappen.


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109. "Not a KG 76 aircraft, but very represntative of a typical pre-take-off scene foe all the Ar 234 units. Here the B-2 of Oblt. Werner Muffey, W.Nr. 140151, T9+KH of Kommando Sperling, is readied for flight at Rheine in the autumn of 1944. This reconnaissance aircraft has Walter RATO units fitted and a generator provides auxiliary power for preflight checks," (Creek & Forsyth, Blitz Bombers, (Chandos, 2020), p. 64).


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110. From another angle, the wappen can be seen, as well as the technician in white pants.

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

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111. At some point in December or January, W.Nr. 140151 was relaced by a new "T9+KH", W.Nr. 140349. In this photo, taken shortly after sunrise, Muffey's "T9+KH" is being towed to the startbahn. At this hour it was too early for Allied day fighters to get to Rheine to begin their cover, hoping to shoot down jets taking off or landing, which they called "rat catching".


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112. This is another view of the above scene and Muffey's Arado is being towed by a fuel bowser. As the earliest time that Muffey took off on an op while using "T9+KH" was at 08:48 hrs. on 25 December 1944, these pictures may show preparations that day.


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113. On 22 January 1945, despite constant Allied day fighter cover over Rheine that day, Muffey attempted to take off in W.Nr 140349 at 12:40 hours. He was quickly attacked by Allied fighters and hit in the fuselage and engines, making a quick landing at Rheine and leaving the badly damaged Arado on the field, (Horn, Teil 1, p. 97 and p. 332). Curiously, even Jan Horn cannot find an Allied claim for this incident. Note the brightness of the white of the hakenkreuz and the "T9" while the balkenkreuz and "KH" are almost invisible.


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114. The next day, 23 January, W.Nr. 140349 was strafed by Flt. Lt. Dick Audet of 411 RCAF Squadron in Spitfire LF Mk. IXE (RR201), hitting the forward fuel tank and burning out the front of the Arado. The Rheine ground crew then removed the engines and set the wreak up as a decoy. In these pictures, it is seen after Rheine was captured on 8 April 1945.
Muffey was also transferred to 1.(F)/123 in February 1945 becoming its Technical Officer. Curiously a "T9+KH" was listed on strength but only on 5 February, (Horn, Teil 2, p.10). However the British ULTRA report BT 8070 has Muffey using "AN AIRCRAFT WITH ONE FOX ONE TWO THREE MARKINGS" on 22 March 1945 when he covered ports along the South-east coast of England.