[Richard T. Eger]

Dear All,

The subject of how to employ the Me 262 as a bomber was discussed at quite some length at the famous Göring conference of late May 1944. Notes of this conference reveal to me rather surprisingly just how much Göring delved into the technical weeds of this issue. I can't possibly imagine an Air Marshall or Secretary of the Air Force being so involved with the nuts and bolts of a particular problem, let alone having sufficient technical background to do so.

That said, they really wrestled with the issue of how to practically utilize the Me 262 in the bomber role. It was readily recognized that the Me 262 could not be held in a dive nor dove at particular steep angles for very long at all before exceeding its operational speed limitations. The question of what gunsight to use was discussed, the current gunsight being proposed, accepted essentially without discussion, and the subject moved on, seemingly because no one had a better idea and not because it was an effective solution.

Eventually, as most know, the 2 Lotfe bomber test vehicles were developed to get around the shortcomings of a simply modified fighter. Tests with these proved quite successful. However, by this time in the war, it was really too late to move forward with their deployment. It should further be noted that these were, short of bombs, unarmed, and thus were purely bombers without fighter capability.

Regards,
Richard