[edNorth]

Almost 290 !

4919 Ju 90 V7 [Prototype S Military Transport, BMW 801 engines, new 14/12% thick wing, stretched fuselage w. oval tail unit and windows] D-APFH RLM ff by Flugkapitán Pancherz at Dessau 06.09.41 - code GF+GH painted at Dessau soon afterwards (in works for modification 16.09.41 to 15.10.41) - Type testing at E-Stelle Larz from 20.10.41 - possibly rep in error as Ju 190 V1 ? [4 x BMW 801 C engines, but actually was the prototype Ju 290 V3 ? in 10.41] - Test towing the Me 321 “Gigant” cargo gliders (code W8+SC and W8+SE) at Regensburg on 27. to 30.10.41 - Seen in Greece 10.11.41 - First “tank-fuel” transport flight from Elesus, Sardinia to Benghazi/Benina 22.11.41 - ret Dessau for engine overhaul but returned on operations 29.11.41 - Eastern Front - LTS 290 (Germany) 15.02.43 - Grosseto (Italy) - code J4+CH (04.1943) - (current 15.07.43) - Had replacement engine delivered to Múhldorf/Inn Airfield base 11.09.43 (by Ju 252 V2 BH+DC) - renamed Transportfliegerstaffel 5 (Germany) 09.43 (on transport operations to Greece) - Used in moving one “Elektra-Sonne” (FuS An 700) Navigational Radio Beacon to Riga/Spilve, Latvia, 02.44 - served on the northern flank of the Eastern-Front until 04.44 - was at Zilistea on the southern flank from 02.04.44 - Based in Norway on 21./25.05.44 (for proposed flight to Greenland; but that was not flown, was replaced here by Ju 290 A-7 W.Nr. 110190 9V+MK 29.05.44) - recoded J4+AH from 07.06.44 - transport of Torpedoes from Ghedi Airfield to Laon 10.06.44 (was the ´flagship´ of unit until 08.44) - unit redesignated - code G6+AY of 14./TG 4 (Greece) 10.09.44 - Damaged one main tyre at Iraklion Airfield, Crete 29.09.44 - and was stranded there for three days/nights until replacement was brought in by Ju 52/3m but another tyre burst on takeoff, prompting an fixed on the spot temporary repair! - Crashed on landing when another tyre burst on the same side and the undercarriage collapsed at Athens/Tatoi, Greece, on its return there in night of 05./06.10.44 (Staffelkaptain Oblt. Wasserkampf and crew uninj.; but machine was set on fire as further repair was not possible on site and the airfield was abandoned soon afterwards, the crew leaving in two trips by Luftwaffe Ju 188 of FAGr 33)