Help on Arado 234 Bombing Missions April 1945
 

Dear all

I would appreciate help from anyone with information on bombing missions carried out in April 1945 using the Arado 234 jet bomber flying out of Lübeck-Blankensee.

I have recently acquired a Flugbuch with entries for 'Bombenwurf' 17th (x2), 18th, and 20th (x2) April 1945 in the Ar234. Although prior to this all aircraft flown by the pilot concerned are recorded with full unit and aircraft codes, for these aircraft only 'CR', 'DR', 'AR' and 'BR' are recorded.

Any details or leads would be gratefully received.

Best wishes
Tim O.

Re: Help on Arado 234 Bombing Missions April 1945
 

As the only Ar 234 bomber units known to have become operational were 6., 7., 8. and 9./KG 76 then the four machines you mention should have come from 7./KG 76. In that case their full codes would have been F1+BR etc.

Just one point: "Bombenwurf" was also the term used for bombing practice flights. If operational, the final column ("Bemerkungen") will usually describe the target and sometimes any defence encountered.

This book has an appendix listing all the KG 76 missions at the end of the war.

Re: Help on Arado 234 Bombing Missions April 1945
 

Thanks Nick

The comments beside the missions are mostly written in post-war by (I believe) the pilot concerned. His writing is very tough to read but here is a copy of that page….

I have posted the comments elsewhere for translation but any help will be gratefully received.

Best wishes
Tim O.

Re: Help on Arado 234 Bombing Missions April 1945
 

He is flying operative

299 Feindflug Ziel 12 km ### Lauenburg
300 Batteriestellung 1,5 km ### Lauenburg

301 Something about Rotenburg

Who is the pilot ??

Re: Help on Arado 234 Bombing Missions April 1945
 

Thank you Delmenhorst.

I think the beginning of the note against 301 is 'Tiefangriff Flugplatz' - low-level attack on airfield.

The pilot is Oscar Müller. He was awarded the Ehrenpokal (which is in my collection) and DKiG. He ended the war as an Oberleutnant but rejoined the Luftwaffe in 1957 and retired as an Oberstleutnant in 1975.

Further entries in the Flugbuch relate to operational flights in the Junkers Ju 88P-1, which carried a 7.5cm cannon. Another rare aircraft.

Müller flew with 5./KG 1 from 1940 to 1943 and moved to III./KG 1 as Ia until it was disbanded in April 1944.

Best wishes
Tim O.

Re: Help on Arado 234 Bombing Missions April 1945
 

Here's a translation of the essentials of the page you posted. You're right that some comments look to be postwar, written in ballpoint. The red numbers denote operational flights, although your pilot seems to have carried these out in amongst training sorties.

It's not obvious what the point of the "ferry flight" round trip to Magdeburg, Neuburg and Munich was — was he in the same aircraft throughout or did he return in a different one?

Re: Help on Arado 234 Bombing Missions April 1945
 

Thank you very much Nick.

The ferry flights you mention were all in Ar234 'FN'.

Best wishes
Tim O.