Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

Good evening,

I found the following picture on Pintrest this afternoon:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....&pictureid=648

It is from flickr.com account of the San Diego Air and Space Museum:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasarchives/46649063821

The caption reads "Heinkel He 280 V7 D-IEXM at R-45 near Anspach Germany Aug. 45". I am interested in the identity of the Ar 234 seen behind it. Does anyone have thoughts as to what unit this Ar 234 comes from?

Best regards,

Jim

p.s. my apologies, the flickr link does not seem to work.

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

I think I can make out an AH behind the fuselage cross indicating a 1st staffel aircraft, therefore unlikely to be a KG76 plane.

Only AH I know of is 140341 9V+AH, 1.(F)/5 which was captured at Sola, so maybe another recon unit

Only my thoughts, not fact, regards

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

I agree with "AH" (it looks like the A and the Balkenkreuz are faded/overpainted and I couldn't get them any clearer with Photoshop). If the location is actually Ansbach (with a "b") in Bavaria, I'd suggest T5+AH of 1.(F)/100.

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

Thank you Chrisyates and Nick. R-45 is indeed Ansbach airfield.

Jim

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

The 42nd Air Depot Group was stationed at Ansbach. This ADG was one of 3 that received items of interest for shipping to the US for testing. I therefore assume that the He 280 and Ar 234 were not found at Ansbach but shipped from other locations. Hence, the location may not be used to narrow down possible units.

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

The He 280 V7 was found at Ainring.

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

1.(F)/100 aircraft might have been at Lechfeld, Riem and Hörsching which were the unit's final bases — but aircraft can move about …

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

Indeed, aircraft were moved to either scrapping or shipping locations.

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

Thank you, everyone, for your contributions to this discussion.

The only other thing I can add is that to my eye the individual aircraft letter on the Ar 234 in my first post is a white "A". However, from the meager number of photos I have seen of the individual aircraft letters of Ar 234s of Kommando Sperling, 1.(F)/123, and 1.(F)/33, they are all black. I have never seen a photo that shows the individual aircraft letter of an Ar 234 from 1.(F)/100.

thank you again,

Jim

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

I have never seen a photo that shows the individual aircraft letter of an Ar 234 from 1.(F)/100.

There are two in print that I know of:

+GH (white G) at München-Riem at the war’s end (Robert Forsyth "JV 44, The Galland Circus", p. 204)

The wrecked fuselage of +HH (white H) “in southern Germany” (J. R. Smith & E.J. Creek, ("Arado 234 Blitz", p. 189)

Their camouflage looks to be standard, by the way.

Re: Ar 234 fuselage found near Anspach Aug. 45
 

Thanks, Nick.

I think that nails it down.