http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1555
78. In this picture taken in early spring 1944, Arado's chief test pilot, Flugkapitän Walter Krüger, needed a step ladder to reach the cockpit of the Ar 234 V5 (W.Nr. 130005; "GK+IV). Note the "5" by his boot.
The 6 June 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy triggered an emergency program to create an operational reconnaissance unit capable of covering the invasion beach head as well as the southern English ports without being intercepted. The
Versuchsverband der OKL assigned
Oblt. Horst Götz and
Oblt. Erich Sommer to transfer Arados V5 and V7, modified to carry cameras, to
Flugplatz Juvincourt in France. V5 was recoded "T9+LH" and V7 became "T9+MH" [white "9"; black "L" and "M"] of
1./Vers.Verb.d.OKL (changed from
d.Ob.d.L in July 1944). Note how large the entry hatches are on the Antons and the nose skid under the cockpit.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1556
79. From 07:05 to 07:36 hrs. on 8 July 1944, Sommer transferred V7 from Alt Lonnewitz to Oranienburg to be fitted with cameras. Then on 17 July, he took off from Oranienburg at 15:10 hrs, and landed at Juvincourt at 16:41 hrs., (Jan Horn,
Die Augen des OKW, Teil 1, (2021), p. 41). Here, a tubular jack raises the rear fuselage of Sommer's "T9+MH".