Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

April 16th, 1942 Fliegerschule der Luftwaffe (S) 1 a Gloster G.5 was damaged 45% when force-landing after engine failure at Lichtenfeld. Does anybody have info about this particular type and the incident? TIA

Regards
RolandF

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

The construction number was 45829. Clearly a Gloster Gladiator captured from Russian stocks via ex Baltic States

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

There was an article very long ago about these Gladiators. As far was I remember it was by Rick Chapman in Scale Models magazine and included a few photos. Also I think they carried four-character codes.

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

This was an ex Latvian machine I believe, NJ+BO

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

So G.5 was the Gloster designation for the Gladiator. Thank you for the clarification. Those designations are hard to find in the net. Could somebody give me a hint for a synopsis?
Those Gladiators were ex-Latvian and ex-Lithuanian fighters captured by the Soviet Airforce and again captured by the Luftwaffe at Siauliai(Schaulen) and Jekabpils(Jakobstadt) airfield during Barbarossa.

Regards
RolandF

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

No, this was not the Gloster designation for the Gladiator. It presumably was the individual code in one of its previous air forces.

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Not sure if this muddies the waters:
https://www.magzter.com/stories/Flyi...-Gladiator-Pt2

So G.5 appears to be connected to Belgian Gladiators.

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

G5 was not an official Gloster designation but given by the Luftwaffe Intelligence officer who first compiled the loss report and this Type G5 stuck. A bit like references to captured MiG 3s were given the Type No I-61. I cannot confirm that the G5 reference meant anything to do with the Belgian production of Gladiators just one Lw Officer's idea of a Gloster Type who did not know that they had the collective name of Gladiator. The Germans relied on up-dated Intelligence Reports of Foreign Types and perhaps one did refer to the Gloster Gladiator as a Type G5.

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Re my earlier post, the article was by Karl Kössler in the June 1982 issue of Scale Models, Rick Chapman was the translator. Scans of the two pages are attached, hoping that, 39 years on, this is acceptable as fair use for scholarly purposes.

(Note:the original article was in monochrome but the paper had discoloured with age so I've cleaned it up in Photoshop)

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Thank you for this info

Regards
RolandF

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

NB. On 13 June 1942 a Ofw. Karl Fecher made a crashlanding (80%) after engine failure with "Gloster 9" number 45710 of Fl.Sch.d.Lw. (S) 1 near Zellhausen, having taken off from Langendiebach. (Source: RL 2 III/773, 17 via Michael Balss)

This and the "G.5" above are the only recorded Gladiator losses I'm aware of.

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Just noticed this thread and discussion regarding the G-5 designation.


The Gloster Aircraft B class test registrations were G-7 while DeHavilland used G-5 so not related to test regos.


However, for what it is worth, and to muddy the waters further, there are two photographs of a Gladiator marked G5 on page 54 of the old (1964) monograph on the Gladiator by Francis Mason. -This aircraft carried Portuguese insignia and was said to be under test at Martlesham prior to delivery.


The 1971 Putnam volume on Gloster Aircraft has a photo of G5 on page 224 and says on page 223 "G5 was test flown at A and AEE Martlesham in July 1939." Apparently this was the first of a proposed follow-on order for 30 Mk II's which probably were never delivered.



If this is correct, then this aircraft was probably delivered to someone else - If not RAF then to any of the Air Forces which operated Mk II's. Take your pick!!



Hope all have a happy festive season,

Maurice Perry

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Just noticed this thread and discussion regarding the G-5 designation.


The Gloster Aircraft B class test registrations were G-7 while DeHavilland used G-5 so not related to test regos.


However, for what it is worth, and to muddy the waters further, there are two photographs of a Gladiator marked G5 on page 54 of the old (1964) monograph on the Gladiator by Francis Mason. -This aircraft carried Portuguese insignia and was said to be under test at Martlesham prior to delivery.


The 1971 Putnam volume on Gloster Aircraft has a photo of G5 on page 224 and says on page 223 "G5 was test flown at A and AEE Martlesham in July 1939." Apparently this was the first of a proposed follow-on order for 30 Mk II's which probably were never delivered.



If this is correct, then this aircraft was probably delivered to someone else - If not RAF then to any of the Air Forces which operated Mk II's. Take your pick!!



Hope all have a happy festive season,

Maurice Perry

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Maurice
The G-5 and G-7 class B condition markings you mention above were both issued post war (1 Jan 1948) when all such registrations had to begin with a G regardless of company. Each company was then assigned a digit (from -1 and up) where de Havilland received 5 and Gloster -7.

Pre-war the British industry was assigned a letter prefix, sometimes corresponding to the companies initials, such as Gloster getting G and Fairey getting F.

There is as far as I know only one verified such marking used by Gloster, and that is G37 used by the Gladiator prototype.
I am aware that Gloster seems to have assigned G5-1 to G5-15 to their Belgian order, but I have yet to see that info verified.

The photo of aircraft G5 on page 224 in the Putnam book is a Portuguese s/n and not a B-condition marking!

Cheers
Stig

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Attached a pair of Belgian Gladiators with their original markings; G5-6 and G5-13 respectively.http://digitalaviationart.com/forums...Gladiators.jpg

Re: Gloster G.5 with Luftwaffe
 

Thanks

Very good of you. It seems to me that Gloster must have mis-understood the Belgian marking instructions.

Don't believe this is any B condition markings.
If they really are, then Gloster must have been totally incapable of understanding their own Govt rules.... :)

Cheers
Stig