List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Gentlemen - does such a thing exist? Trying to research some KG 76 Arados (F1+AP, F1+DP, F1+GP, F1+PP) but generally interested in all....

I'm also interested in a particular individual in KG 76, Oberfeldwebel Helmut Luther, mentioned in our 'Blitz Bombers' book, any further info on his earlier flying career, or a photo, service record etc

my thanks!
Rich

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Hi Rich,

Smith & Creek, Arado Ar 234 Blitz: The World's First Jet Bomber, (Classic, 2022), pp. 305-312 lists all known werknummern and, where known, their callsigns and unit codes.

Regarding your interest in specific aircraft of 6./KG 76:

On page 289 of Jan Horn's KG 76: Die Chronik des Kampfgeschwaders 76 im Zeitraum 01.01.1944 bis 08.05.1946, (2019), Luther was flying "F1+DP (Werk-Nr. 140476?)" on 15 April 1945. As far as I Know, W.Nr. 140476 was a recce B-2b of 1.(F)/33 with the unit code 8H+DH which was captured intact at Grove-Karup, Denmark on 6 May 1945.

Horn, on page 205, has Luther delivering F1+GP Werk-Nr. 140313 from Alt-Lonnewitz to Munster-Handorf on 13 January 1945 where it was recoded as F1+KT.

As for Luther, Horn has fifteen entries for him including the exact times for his flights. This suggests that Luther's flugbuch survived. Perhaps a member of this community has a copy?

Best regards,

Jim

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

This is excellent Jim, thank you!

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

just revisiting this guys....

I'm a little confused - the codes listed by Luther in his Flugbuch are F1+AP, F1+DP, F1+GP, F1+PP
Horn also gives F1+DP as the code carried by the Ar 234 that Luther was flying when shot down on 15 April 1945

I am assuming in all cases that these codes are Stammkennzeichen and not Verbandskennzeichen?

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Hi Rich, (I am being restricted to 5 lines to reply!)

The short answer is no, these are unit codes or Verbandskennzeichen that could be changed if the aircraft was transferred to another unit. The "F1" was KG 76's identifying letters and the "P" indicated the 6th staffel.

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

thanks Jim
well that's thrown up more questions...
is it possible to match up werknummern with these four aircraft? Why are they not mentioned in the appendices of the Smith/Creek list of known Ar 234 call signs/werknummern/unit codes in the book published as recently as 2022?
You did hint that F1+DP was WNr. 140476 captured by the British at Grove (as does Jan Horn), but how can that be when Luther's FLugbch has it as 95% destroyed?? (Horn says 60% but still, how could the Germans have possibly repaired it? It crashed in flames after the attack by No.56 Sqn Tempests).

Confusing.....

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Could be a replacement for F1+DP lost 15 Apr 45. Don’t forget Wk Nrs were unique while codes were not and with the war about to end in 3 weeks, record keeping was the last thing on the Luftwaffe’s mind.

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

It gets better.

On 14 March 1945, 1.(F)/100 reported its strength, deciphered in ULTRA CX/MSS/R492(C),14. This included:

T5+AH, W.Nr. 140149 (the same W.Nr. reported for 4U+DH of 1.(F)/123, shot down 11 February)

T5+CH, W.Nr. 140(digit missing)76 (so 140176, if 140476 was elsewhere?)

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

I think the 4U+DH of 1.(F)/123 shot down 11 February was WNr.140459

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Conversely, CX/MSS/R509(A)/17:

No. 20320 from GEDNA ((Lfl. Reich))/((Chief QM)) Engineer 3 to ((Chief QM))/Chief Engineer 3, on 30/3 [1945]:
Following for information:
There have been installed in a/c 8/234 W.Nr. 140317 to 140459 by firm Arado, owing to lack of height-compensating AS 1 FL 22241, AS 1 FL 22234. These equipments will now be exchanged against height-compensating AS 1 FL 22241. Indents for the equipment will be made to firm Arado a/c Works Abt. Altimeters, Technical Branch, Potsdam.

And (from my website):

NOTE: Felde’s Arado was 4U+DH and its Werk Nummer is generally given as 140149 (possibly an error since 1.(F)/100 attributed the same number to its T5+AH a month later). To confuse matters further, Quartermaster General listed the loss of W.Nr. 140459 on 10 February, linking this to Felde’s loss, supposedly the same day. Whether 140459 was also lost is unclear although it was mentioned in a signal on 3 March about a batch of Ar 234s with a non-standard altimeter installed.

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

many thanks Nick.....

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Given the small number of manufactured Arados, I guess a proper database should help to solve those questions.
Franek

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

I have spent the best part of 40 years trying to match codes with W.Nr. for the Arado Ar 234 and my database is still substantially incomplete. The fact of the matter is that there is not sufficient information available and where it does exist it is not always reliable. Additionally, previous errors are still promoted as fact, I am thinking in particular of F1+AA which has been proved to be W.Nr. 140600 but is still published to this day as 140113. I wish I could be more positive, regards, Chris

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Trying to rid off old errors might be a futile exercise. They used to bounce back.
As for database, usually there is a critical point, which must be passed through to start to make sense out of it. Out of my experience, there are just few areas, where one hits the wall, for example No 307 Sqn Defiants, where serials were consistently filed in all records sans individual code.
Of course, it is much harder with Luftwaffe, but I bet there are still plenty of documents to be reviewed.
Franek

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

thanks guys

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

You should really enjoy this from April 1945 then:

CX/MSS/R534(A)
1. From PNOPI ((III./KG)) 76 HEBJI ((C% Abt.)) (Roman)I – T signed Burgart Obltn. and Technical Officer to QMG. Director of Supply Berlin – (smudge), dated 19/4:
(Smudge) communication of FOBEZ ((OKL)) QMG (Dep. III) dated TEFOF ((15/4)) ((45)).
1) 5 ZINN ((Ar 234)) ZAHOD ((C% 140)) ZIHRA+
ZAHOD ((C% 140)) ZELVE+
ZAHOD ((C% 140)) ZEVIA+
ZAHOD ((C% 140)) ZAINS+
ZAHOD ((C% 140)) ZEELY+
2A) 1 ((Ar 234)) ZAHOD ((C% 140)) ZEICA+ on TEDIK ((10/4)) ((45)), burned out as result of bombing attack, damage ZABAL ((100))%.
2B) 1 ((Ar 234)) ZAHOD ((C% 140)) ZEVEL ((C% 476)) shot up by fighter, belly landed and sustained 60% damaged.
A) 16 ((Ar 234)) B-2.
NOTE: 1) + These Nos. not known exactly, evidently Werk Nummern.
2) Possible interpolations of above pro-forma:
1) To strength.
2) A) [and] B) Off strength.
A) Total aircraft.

I don’t know of a full list of these Z codes. Bletchley didn’t have enough examples to crack the whole system before the war ended but the letter groups do run alphabetically. Some of the identified ones still carry a question mark. Based on the list I’ve compiled:
ZAINS is between 144 and 150
ZEICA is between 326 and 330
ZEELY is between 300 and 324
ZELVE is between 375 and 380
ZEVIA is between 460 and 500
ZEVEL probably isn’t 476 because 140476 was 8H+DH of 1.(F)/33, captured intact; it’s somewhere between 460 and 500
ZIHRA is somewhere between 575 and 600

Re: List of known Ar 234 Stammkennzeichen and Werknummern?
 

Thanks Nick, I have not come across this before, regards Chris