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Old 24th February 2010, 12:31
RolandF RolandF is offline
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Re: Arado Ar234 at Neubiberg?

Quote:
The coloured or outlined "G" (as I read it) is not characteristic of Kdo. Sperling which used black third and fourth code letters.
The only known photo (at least for me) of T9 + GH is with a small white Geschwader code "T9" and black individual and Staffel code "GH".
A photo of a wrecked Ar234 from 1.(F)100 is depicted in Smith + Creeks´s Ar234 book (?) without Geschwader code, white individual letter and black "H" the same size.
The Riem Arado shows a not legible small white Geschwader code, a Balkenkreuz with blackened white portions, a blackened individual letter white "G" obviously without outlines and a black Staffel letter most probably "H".
IMO this recce jet shows features of both units. Given the fact that "Kommando Sperling" was absorbed by 1.(F)/100 and the similar Geschwader codes of both units it seems quite probable to me that T9 + GH W.Nr. 1401112 might have become T5 + GH. (OTOH, during these days jets of 1.KG 51 flew with JV 44 without their codes being changed.)

My opinion is, the Riem Arado flew most probably with 1.(F)/100. Without a photo in better resolution and without the W.Nr. it cannot be verified if this particular jet has any Kommando Sperling, Hecht, Sommer, Götz history.

The obvious mistaking and confusion regarding the naming of airfields is not so important IMO. Riem and Neubiberg are 7km apart; Brunnthal further 8km. Reading the story about the JV44 surrender you see the Luftwaffe pilots changing airfields like rooms in an apartment. The airfields in "Rest-Deutschland" in May 1945 - including Austria - are only flight minutes apart. For piston-engined planes and especially for jets.

The background of the above-mentioned photo is most interesting, too. The Ar234B stand 2nd row behind the famous line-up of Luftwaffe a/c along the destroyed hangars of München-Riem.
To the left the tail of Platzschutzstaffel JV 44´s Fw 190D-11 "Red 4" ("Papageienschwarm") is visible, parked beside a Siebel204D also used by JV 44.

Btw, did anybody make a list of the Riem inventory? Beside the above-mentioned Ar234C-3 such gems like the Do335 "105", Me262 "Yellow 5", two He162 prototypes, NSGr 9 StukaDs, Ju290s etcetc. crowded this airfield at the end of the war.

Regards

Roland

(I´m quoting from memory, I´ll add the code of the Bavarian 1.(F)/100 Ar234 when I´m home having access to my reference material)
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