Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

Does anyone have data on Arado 234 losses in the greater Muenster, Haltern, Duelmen area?

Eyewitnesses mistook it as a Ju-88 and say the bomb load blew up in the crash.

I am wondering if it was just the fuel load and possibly one of the recon versions.

Thanks in advance, Danny

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

Can you narrow down the time period a little?

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

Nick I wish I could...the eyewitness was asked 20 years ago by a fellow researcher and I do not know if he forgot, or the witness could not remember, but no date given, yet!!

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

I just have a brief note for 1 and 2 of the following:-
1/ Ar.234B-1 4U+DH 140149 I(F)/123 fell to Tempests of 274Sqd. in Rheine area on 11-02-45 Hpt Hans Felden St.Kap +.
2/ Arado 234 III/KG76 fell to Mustangs 82FS on 19-3-45 in Osnabruck area crashed into a farmhouse Oblt.Jager +
3/ Arado 234 B-2 F1+ET 140598 9/KG76 crashed Osterbeck by Westerkappeln on 21-03-1945 Hpt Josef Regler St.Kap + ( I have an NVM for this one).

Brian Bines

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

I will try to narrow the area a bit.
The site is between Duelmen in the east, Borken in the west, Coesfeld in the north and Schermbeck in the south.
I do not want to reveal more to protect the site from looters and other so called aviation archaeologists that do little to no research and just dig for numbers.
The magnetometer has identified large signals and I am looking for a museum to sponsor/show interest in recovering one of the rarest of WW2 aircraft.

Danny

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

I wonder if this incident was in fact the loss of two Arados instead of two Me262:

Shoot-down of two Me 262 bei members of 439 Sqdn. RCNAF, 14.02.1945

The first sortie at 0730 hours set the pace. Led by Lyal Shaver, Chuck Jackson, Hugh Fraser and Adam Saunders set out on an armed recce into Germany. Near Legden, north of Coesfeld, they found a passenger train which Shaver and Jackson hit on the second attack, damaging the engine and one coach. After hunting for other targets in the area (and finding only flak), the section set course for base, passing north west of Ahaus. Let Lyal Shaver take up the story here:
"While flying west at 7000 feet, approximately 20 miles from Coesfeld, I observed two Me.262s in line abreast flying wets at 3000 feet. I informed the other pilots and dove to attack. I came in line astern slightly below the enemy aircraft and opened fire with a short two second burst at 100 yards. No strikes were observed. I raised my sights slightly, closed to 50 yards, and again opened fire with a two second burst. The enemy aircraft exploded in mid air. I flew through the blast and saw the other Me.262 break off to port. I fired two bursts from quarter position but did not observe any strikes. I then saw Red 3 (F/O Fraser) attacking from above and to the rear. After both the enemy aircraft and Red 3 disappeared below cloud, I observed a plume of black smoke bulging above the cloud. The enemy aircraft appeared to be very clean or brand new. The underside was pale blue green, and the top was light mottled camouflage. Approximate cruising speed was 400 m.p.h. Hugh Fraser saw Shaver's jet explode.
"I then attacked the port enemy from quarter position and broke down to port. I opened fire with a three second burst at 400 yards, closing to 50 just as the enemy aircraft disappeared into cloud. At that time I saw the port engine fall off the Me.262. I pulled up to 1500 feet under cloud and saw the enemy aircraft hit the ground and burst into flames. I climbed to 8000 feet and during the climb passed an open parachute which had something burning at the end; but I don't think it was the pilot."

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

Hallo ssg keay

may be I can help

I have two looses this day of 5./ KG 51, both shot down by 439.Sqnd. near Osterwieck

Me 262 A-2a 9K + BN 170 068 Georg Richter Oltn. 28.07.1917 KIA
Me 262 A-2a 9K + HN 110 574 Witzmann Werner Fw. KIA

Rüdiger

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

Hi Danny,

are you in contact with Mr. Hagedorn?

Matthias Hundt
http://www.strahljäger.de/

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

Karsten, thanks for your reply, alas, both of those losses do not fit this particular crash. Very interesting nonetheless!

Matthias, yes, Horst and I are trying to ID this aircraft together. Danny

Re: Need Help! Arado 234 losses over North-Rhine Westphalia
 

Hello Brian,

1/ Ar.234B-1 4U+DH 140149 I(F)/123 fell to Tempests of 274Sqd. in Rheine area on 11-02-45 Hpt Hans Felden St.Kap +.

Wn hv to be 140459, 140149 was still in inventory of F 100, in march !

2/ Arado 234 III/KG76 fell to Mustangs 82FS on 19-3-45 in Osnabruck area crashed into a farmhouse Oblt.Jager +

Jäger seem to hv survived

Rémi