Me 262 Aufklärer & tactical numbers (NAG 1 & 6, III/EJG 2)
 

Hello!

I just finished reading the reconnaissance Me 262 part of the new JaPo book "Messerschmitt Me 262 Production & Arado Ar 234 Final Operations". What a great book again!

The immediate next point of stop was to reread what Nick Beale has written about Me 262 and NAG 1 and NAG 6 at his excellent site Ghostbombers ( http://www.ghostbombers.com/index.html ).

From the JaPo book I understood that in 1944 only three reconnaissance Me 262 were converted? And the series conversion production (final assembly) at Flugzeugwerke Eger was not in speed until February 1945 when 13 were produced and then 20 more in March. 33 planes in total.

It seems from Beale's text that NAG 1 and NAG never had more than handful of the recce Me 262 versions on strength.

Yet the recce Me 262 tactical numbers on the JaPo book are from "25" to "34" save the sole "white 2" from 1./NAG 1. The high numbered ones were on III/EJG 2 strength according the book.

Now my question is if the high tactical numbers could have been painted already at the factory? From "1" to "33 (34)"? 33 recce Me 262 were produced, after all. That would make sense also as such high numbers of Me 262s were in no Luftwaffe unit? Or am I wrong?

Luftwaffe (RLM) accepted (at least) 33 reconnaissance Me 262 from FWE. Reconnaissance conversion manufacturing was stopped by the Allied bombing in March 25th, 1945.

The "white 34" was found different place than the other high-number recce Me 262s and was fitted with fighter nose. Perhaps the explanation is that the plane was a nonfinalized conversion survivin the FWE factory bombing and it was just cobbled together what remained at hand?

Of course the fly in oinment of my theory is the two-seater Me 262 "35".

I guess there is no information how NAG 6 recce Me 262s looked like as the JaPo book has no such info. Is there any photos of the early (1944) conversions?


Anyway I can recommend the JaPo book wholeheartedly.


Cheers,
Kari

Re: Me 262 Aufklärer & tactical numbers (NAG 1 & 6, III/EJG 2)
 

The new Robert Forsyth book from Osprey, "Me-262 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units" has a pretty detailed account of recon operations. In fact, it is a pretty interesting book overall. I am still working on it, but I think it is very much worth the money.

Re: Me 262 Aufklärer & tactical numbers (NAG 1 & 6, III/EJG 2)
 

I've never been convinced that those white outlined numbers were tactical unit markings rather than ones applied by a factory, depot or ferry unit.

Also, if you look at the (excellent) JaPo book from page 66 onward, the reasoning is so full of "must have", "presumably", "may possibly have been" that I would at least be cautious in finally attributing these aircraft to III./EJG 2. The authors acknowledge that the outline marking would be at variance with other known aircraft of the Gruppe. I do think they've identified a good possibility but that we can't be certain.

If the operational Staffeln had very few reconnaissance variants on strength, it would be insane (even by Luftwaffe standards) to hand those over to a training unit as the JaPo book suggests was the case, unless they were no longer fit for operations or something better was available.

Re: Me 262 Aufklärer & tactical numbers (NAG 1 & 6, III/EJG 2)
 

Hello!

Sound very interesting book and I had not heard of it earlier. Do I understand right that it is yet to be published?

Cheers,
Kari

PS. Thanks to Nick also for your thoughts about the recce Me 262 code numbers.

Re: Me 262 Aufklärer & tactical numbers (NAG 1 & 6, III/EJG 2)
 

It's been out for about two weeks.

Re: Me 262 Aufklärer & tactical numbers (NAG 1 & 6, III/EJG 2)
 

It is my belief such high tactical numbers had some relationship to command or staff aircraft. Usually these comprised four consecutive numbers starting within blocks of "20", "30", "40" or "50." The He 162s at leck were a good example. Such numbers were in place of chevrons or other well-known symbols. I'm not sure color had that much to do with it, but maybe. Similarily, repacement a/c often carried numbers in the "60" block. It is possible even higher numbers had some specal siqnificance, but what? Of course, many unit commands continued to use traditional identifying symbols, so it appears the two systems existed simultaneously.