[ArtieBob]

Dear Ed,

A few additional comments. Trying to place the dates of succeeding individual W.Nr. aircraft is pretty tricky. AFAIK it is the BAL acceptance date stamped on the main tags, not final assembly. Examples of day by day production data lists for other types indicate BAL acceptance did not occur in numeric sequence. If an aircraft was a real “lemon” the BAL acceptance date could be weeks or even months after final assembly. I suspect this is why different sources of monthly production data most often do not agree exactly. Also have a feeling the tarmac at Bernberg at times was filled with aircraft awaiting rework and BAL acceptance.

As a cross check to the BAL data on Umbau for early Ju 88 Cs, looked at the JFM factory reports. The total listed for JFM A-1s, A-5s and D-2s (NO “C”s listed) was 876 (plus two A-5 fuselages for Dornier). That total checks very closely to the totals in my data base for W.Nr. xxx Ju 88s including all “C”s (-1 through -5, plus -7). IMHO, this pretty well confirms from a separate primary source, all early Ju 88 Cs were converted after final assembly, i.e.,Umbau.

There were at least 3 allied teams that evaluated the Bernberg facility after capture, and before the pullback. These were the CIOS, USAAF and USSBS. The first two resulted in summary reports. The USSBS did not publish a report, but the data gathered is still in the USSBS files. It definitely appears there were repair and Umbau activities associated with Bernberg, although FZB included facilities off the airfield complex, as well as Langanaslza and Fritzlar.

Best Regards,

Artie Bob