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Ar 196A-2 Captured by Norwegians 1940
Hi all,
I may be 'raking over old coals' here, but I am trying to unearth the Luftwaffe markings for an Arado Ar 196A-2 captured by the Norwegians in 1940.
Briefly, Oblt. Techam and observer Lt. Polzin were launched in their Arado from the Admiral Hipper late on 8.4.1940. At 19.30 the same day, due to lack of sufficient fuel, the aircraft was forced to 'land' on a fjord near to Lyngstad where it was commandeered by the Norwegians and the German crew captured.
The Arado Ar 196A-2 was W.No.0044 Unit: 1/BFGr 196. The Luftwaffe markings were later overpainted with Norwegian National colours and the aircraft flown to the Shetland Islands on 18.4.1940.
(The above information came courtesy of the Norway Air Museum archives at Bodo.)
Enquiries at another archive has revealed that Arado Ar 196A-2 W.No.0044 may have been CU+AF (with white '43' on the tail) before being transferred to 1/BFGr.196 and the codings changed to T3+H.
As the saying goes, "The truth is out there", but can anyone throw any further light on this incident and in particular, is T3+H the correct code of this aircraft?
I have one (not very clear) photograph of the Arado on it's arrival at Shetland and also an artists colour profile of how the aircraft might have looked in Norwegian colours.
Peter
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