Part #7 of 7: IN SUMMARY
SUMMARY #1: KEY DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE LATER Fw 200 SUB-TYPES
Fw 200 C-5 (34 built and assigned to KG 40 as Neufertigung C-5 aircraft: of these four were actually plated and documented in the aircraft's papers as Neufertigung Muster C-6)
- Introduced the new version of the D-Stand with MG 131 (with 800 rounds) and Rumpfwanne (gondola) nose with an integral Lotfe D bombsight
- MG 131s now also standardized in the C-Stand and F-Stände positions - i.e. every single gun position in the aircraft except for the 20-mm MG 151/20 in the D-Stand was now fitted with a 13-mm MG 131 heavy machine gun
- FoWu factory-fitted with FuG 200.
Fuller details in Part #4 above.
Fw 200 C-5/U1 (1 built as W.Nr. 0221 and assigned to KG 40 as a Neufertigung C-5/U1 example, although this was reported in the Bewegungsmeldungen simply as a C-5.)
Short description in the ‘Baumuster-Übersicht Fw 200 C, Stand vom 20.II.1943’ is: Verstärkte Bewaffnung B-Stand geändert = Reinforced armament B-stand changed. So as C-5 but with a rotating DL15/131 turret with 1,000 rounds as the B-Stand.
This aircraft was photographed immediately after crash-landing in Spain from the Liberator that shot it down. A couple of those photographs clearly show a hole in the top of the rear fuselage where the B-Stand would be, but there is absolutely no sign whatsoever on this aircraft of the long He 111-type faired transparency characteristic of the B-Stand in all previous Fw 200 Cs. However, the strangest feature of W.Nr. 0221 in these photos is there is no sign either of any armament at all fitted in the B-Stand. Instead the hole seems to have been fitted with a circular cover panel which has popped out by the crash-landing and now lies on the ground by the aircraft on a line between the B-Stand and the inward end of the starboard aileron. (See especially the photo at Salgado p.90(mid), with a rather less clear view in Goss Classic at p.184(mid) & Goss Air Archive p.137. None of the captions mention this point.) It is essential to examine good prints of these photographs for corroboration but this photographic evidence seems to suggest that in reality no DL15/131 turret was fitted to W.Nr. 0221 when lost in service with KG 40. Rather than the C-5/U1 being better armed it was in fact more weakly armed being without any defensive armament in the B-Stand. Surprise!
If the loss record in Goss is accurate, the designation C-7 seems to have been associated with W.Nr. 0221 it this sans-B-Stand iteration.
Fw 200 C-5/U2 (No variant was ever built with this designation)
Roundup of ‘Genuine’ Fw 200 C-5s: Nominally, 35 Fw 200 C-5s in all were reported delivered to KG 40, but this total actually included the singleton Fw 200 C-5/U1, and four aircraft that were designated in their airframe documentation as Fw 200 C-6s. Final real total: just 30 genuine C-5s were delivered.
Fw 200 C-7 See last sentence of C-5/U1 section above.
Fw 200 C-8 (only 11 assigned to KG 40 as Neufertigung C-8 examples direct from FoWu, including one which had actually been converted by FoWu Cottbus into a C-5/FK: so just 10 genuine C-8s employable in the LR maritime recce role were delivered. These came from two well-separated batches: W.Nr. 0223 to 0225 & W.Nr. 0256 to 0263, from which W.Nr. 0259 was converted by FoWu Cottbus into a C-5/FK.)
A second 540-litre fuel tank was added to the after bomb bay of the Rumpfwanne (gondola). (See statement of Günther Ott regarding a second such tank in the C-8 in 12OCH thread 6918 post of 11th December 2006.)
In addition, there is also evidence to suggest that the necessary fuel lines and pumps to feed fuel inwards from jettisonable underwing drop tanks were also incorporated as standard in this sub-type. It was therefore now possible to carry a pair of drop tanks on the outermost wing racks. This would seem to explain the mention in a 03-Dec-43 report from Stab Fliegerführer Atlantik of a 'Maximum Range' reconnaissance variant of the Condor with a radius of action of 2,200 km using two drop tanks to supplement the internal fuel (which specifically included fuselage auxiliary tanks = i.e. the Rumpfwanne tanks).
The varied fuel loads through the evolution of the Condor is a story that deserves detailing in its own right. Suffice to say here that original German documentation evidences that a 900-litre jettisonable drop tank could be fitted to the C-5/FK for long-range missions when just one Hs 293 was carried. It is unlikely that two different sizes of drop tank would have been used by KG 40 at the same time by this point in the war, and the 900-litre tank had been in service use since at least 1941. Hence, the probability is that the Maximum Range Condor was fitted with two such standard 900-litre drop tanks. Those tanks were too big to mount on the recessed racks of the outer engine nacelles (as had been trialled with much smaller 530-litre tanks on the Fw 200 C-3/U2), so the outer wing racks were the only option. Given that by end-1943 the Ju 290 was now in limited service for long-range maritime reconnaissance over the Atlantic this Maximum Range Condor capability may have been almost theoretical i.e. available but never actually used in practice.
Fw 200 C-5/FK (apart from the three machines converted by FoWu Cottbus - W.Nr. 0226 & 0227 for initial trials from C-5s and W.Nr. 0259 subsequently from a C-8 - all conversions to C-5/FK configuration were performed by Dornier Friedrichshafen in their Kehl IV conversion centre at Schwäbish Hall. 100 of these were ordered from DW F, all to be conversions of aircraft delivered as Fw 200 C-4 and C-5 subtypes (information from Günther Ott). Günther Ott gives a total of 87 completed in all in 12OCH thread 6918 post of 12th December 2006. Adding the three conversions performed by FoWu Cottbus there would seem to have been a nice round total figure of 90 C-5/FK Umbau in all.)
[Per the Umbau section of the C-Amts-Monatsmeldung, 86 had been delivered by end-Apr-44. I've not found any figures for Umbau deliveries in May-44. By Jun-44 all Umbau programms have been terminated excepting those for the Bf 109 and Me 210.]
There are NO mentions of Fw 200 C-5/FKs in the KG 40 Bewegungsmeldungen: units appear to have tracked these aircraft under the sub-type designation recorded when the individual W.Nr. was first assigned to a Gruppe of KG 40, at least until aircraft were returned redesignated as the C-6 (1944 variant).
Distinguishing characteristics of a /FK conversion were:
- the Rumpfwanne was significantly deepened and extended further forward beneath the cockpit. The added depth and space was sufficient to allow the W.Nr. to now be painted on the front fairing lip of the gondola above the D-Stand. The extra volume was required in part to accommodate the Kehl guidance equipment, and partly also to allow the fitting of larger fuel tanks in the two Rumpfwanne bays originally used as bomb bays. (Estimated capacity of these C-5/FK tanks in the deepened gondola is 700 litres each, compared to the standard-sized 540-litre gondola tanks fitted to the C-4/-5/-6/-8. My reasoning for that figure is NOT documented in this series of posts.)
- if necessary, the D-Stand was changed to the MG 131 version introduced with the Fw 200 C-5, but the bombsight fairing was much reduced for self-evident reasons
- there were major changes in the arrangement of the windows on the starboard side of the D-Stand and gondola nose, with a faired bulge being added just behind the D-Stand and another just below on this side. (Not often photographed these bulges can be clearly seen in the colour Foto 31 of Lw im Focus Edition 7/2005, at p.22 (tp); it also seems to be the same F8+CT aircraft at Braunschweig in the photographs at Scutts pp.189(tp+btm) & 191(tp), plus there is a starboard view of W.Nr. 0247 at Goss Classic p.221(tp).)
- the port side windows in the D-Stand remained as before the conversion but now an additional pair of rectangular windows was added behind, showing precisely how much further forward the D-Stand had been extended
- the outer underwing racks were deleted
- rear nacelles of the outer engines (Nos 1 & 4) were built out and the racks to carry a Hs 293s horizontally under each wing were fitted beneath these much-deepened nacelles
- one of these nacelles was also fitted with the fuel lines and pumps necessary to feed fuel inboard from a 900-litre jettisonable drop tank when fitted to that rack
- arrangements were added to feed heated air to the Hs 293s whilst attached to the launch aircraft
- a data sheet for the Fw 200 with the Hs 293 confirms MG 131’s were fitted in all gun positions including the F-Stände, apart from the A-Stand.
A C-4 converted to a C-5/FK retained the retractable tailwheel (see the photo at Goss Classic p.217(tp) & the bigger reproduction at Goss Air War Archive p.156 – erroneously captioned as a C-6 in both places)
What is uncertain then is whether the Fensterstände armour was retained in conversions from a C-5 or C-8. (Why would one need all that weight near the tail in a strike aircraft?)
Fw 200 C-6 - 1942 variant: first 'hard-metal' use of this designation (applied to 4 FoWu Neufertigung examples only: two possibilities identified by Werk-Nummer)
No other data available. This variant is the only one to be EXcluded from the full reconstruction for the Fw 200 tabled in SUMMARY #2 below.
Fw 200 C-6 - 1943 variant: second 'hard-metal' use of this designation (applied to FoWu Neufertigung examples only: 4 identified by Werk-Nummer and one other definitely know: probably no others)
Precursor of the Fw 200 C-8: definitely fitted with two 540-litre fuel tanks in the Rumpfwanne (gondola), and with at least one other special characteristic yet to be definitively determined. As set out above, absent further evidence on this point, my working hypothesis is that this other distinction was the trial fitting of Goodrich-type deicing boots on the outer mainplanes.
Fw 200 C-6 - 1944 variant: third 'hard-metal' use of this designation (by application of the 'original' 1943 planned C-6 specification but only utilized much later for rebuilt aircraft) (15 for certain: 14 of these were conversions of aircraft under repair, and the last, transferred from another unit to III./KG 40 in Jul-44, was without a doubt also the conversion of an aircraft that had first been delivered as a different sub-type.)
As C-5/U1 specification but with HD 151/1 turret in the A-Stand instead of the HD 151: gunner could now change the ammo belt of the MG 151/20 during flight, a second 500-round reserve belt being carried.
[In the first half of 1943, Fw 200 C-6 had merely been the designation of a 'paper plane' proposal. It took over a year to turn this into something real. Why the delay? Well, the HD 151/1 turret was a new and special piece of equipment that was not readily available. Indeed, in the document 'Focke Wulf Fw 200 F Fernaufklärer mit erhöhter Reichweite, 11 Mai 1943' it is described on Blatt 8 as "serienmäßig nicht vorhanden (= "not available off-the-shelf"). I suggest the delay of a year in fitting this turret to the Condor was because the first batch of HD 151/1 turrets had been diverted for priority use in the Ju 290 A-2 (3 examples completed, each with two HD 151/1 turrets) and Ju 290 A-3 (five completed, each with one HD 151/1 & one HD 151/2 turret = total requirement, eleven HD 151/1 turrets.]
Both of the last two C-6 variants had the same upgraded armour arrangements as those introduced with the Fw 200 C-5. (Well, that's the statement in the FoWu constructed Ladeplan for the C-6, but it seems the HD 151/1 was actually classed as an armoured turret whilst the HD 151 was unarmoured. So the C-6 1944 variant would in practice have carried slightly more armouring than the C-5.)
AFAIK there are no surviving photographs of the Fw 200 C-6 configured as a 1944 variant. I would like to be proved wrong on this.
Another point for future follow-up:
What records survive in Spain regarding the study of C-5/U1 during disassembly and storage in the air depot at León? What armament was found to be fitted?
SUMMARY #2: INM RECONSTRUCTION OF FULL FW 200 SEQUENCE from W.Nr. 0001 to W.Nr. 0268, INCLUDING THE FULL IMPACT OF THE 'TWIST'.
1 W.Nr. 0001, 1 x Fw 200 Versuchsmaschine, Fw 200 V10 "Rowehl" (Bildaufklärer)
2 W.Nr. 0002, 1 x Fw 200 Versuchsmaschine, Fw 200 V11 C-1 Musterflugzeug (but never counted as a C-1)
3 W.Nr. 0003 to 0008, 6 x Fw 200 C-1, first batch.
4 W.Nr. 0009 to 0010, 2 x Fw 200 D-1, sole batch (ex-KB-1)
5 W.Nr. 0011 to 0014, 4 x Fw 200 C-1, second & final batch.
6 W.Nr. 0015, 1 x Fw 200 Versuchsmaschine, Fw 200 V12 C-2 Musterflugzeug (counted as a C-2)
7 W.Nr. 0016 to 0018, 3 x Fw 200 C-2, first batch.
8 W.Nr. 0019 to 0021, 3 x Fw 200 D-2, sole batch (ex-KC-1)
9 W.Nr. 0022 to 0024, 3 x Fw 200 C-2, second & final batch.
10 W.Nr. 0025, 1 x Fw 200 Versuchsmaschine, Fw 200 V13 C-3 Musterflugzeug (counted as a C-3)
11 W.Nr. 0026 to 0054, 29 x Fw 200 C-3, first batch.
12 W.Nr. 0055, 1 x Fw 200 C-3/U2, singleton example. Langstrecken-Aufklärer
13 W.Nr. 0056 to 0063, 29 x Fw 200 C-3, second batch.
14 W.Nr. 0064, 1 x Fw 200 C-3/U3, singleton example.
15 W.Nr. 0065 to 0069, 5 x Fw 200 C-3, third & final batch.
16 W.Nr. 0070 to 0094, 25 x Fw 200 C-3/U4, sole batch.
17 W.Nr. 0095, 1 x Fw 200 C-3/U5, singleton example. C-4 Musterflugzeug (but NOT counted as a C-4)
18 W.Nr. 0096 to 0098, 3 x Fw 200 C-4, first batch.
19 W.Nr. 0099, 1 x Fw 200 C-3/U9, singleton example. Bewaffnetes Führerflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Reiseflugzeug für Regierung)
20 W.Nr. 0100 to 0129, 30 x Fw 200 C-4, second batch.
21 W.Nr. 0130, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U3, first example. Einbau FuG "Rostock" ASV search radar.
22 W.Nr. 0131 to 0136, 6 x Fw 200 C-4, third batch.
23 W.Nr. 0137, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U1, first example. Bewaffnetes Führerflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Reiseflugzeug für Regierung is FoWu description)
24 W.Nr. 0138, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U2, first example. Bewaffnetes Führerbegleitflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Begleiterreiseflugzeug für Regierung is FoWu description)
25 W.Nr. 0139 to 0171, 33 x Fw 200 C-4, fourth batch.
26 W.Nr. 0172, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U3, second example. Einbau FuG "Rostock" ASV search radar.
27 W.Nr. 0173, 1 x Fw 200 C-4, singleton example. (In the event also Einbau FuG "Rostock" ASV search radar just not by FoWu.)
28 W.Nr. 0174 to 0175, 2 x Fw 200 C-4/U3, third & fourth examples. Einbau FuG "Rostock" ASV search radar.
29 W.Nr. 0176, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U1, second example. Bewaffnetes Führerflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Reiseflugzeug für Regierung)
30 W.Nr. 0177 to 0178, 2 x Fw 200 C-4/U3, fifth & sixth examples. Einbau FuG "Rostock" ASV search radar.
31 W.Nr. 0179, 1 x Fw 200 C-4, singleton example.
32 W.Nr. 0180, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U3, seventh and final example. Einbau FuG "Rostock" ASV search radar.
33 W.Nr. 0181, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U2, second example. Bewaffnetes Führerbegleitflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Begleiterreiseflugzeug für Regierung)
34 W.Nr. 0182 to 0197, 16 x Fw 200 C-4, fifth batch.
35 W.Nr. 0198, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U2, third example. Bewaffnetes Führerbegleitflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Begleiterreiseflugzeug für Regierung)
36 W.Nr. 0199 to 0200, 2 x Fw 200 C-4, sixth and final batch.
37 W.Nr. 0201 to 0213, 13 x Fw 200 C-5, first batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
38 W.Nr. 0214, 1 x Fw 200 C-6 (1943 variant), first known example
39 W.Nr. 0215, 1 x Fw 200 C-5, singleton. (Confirmed by Lw Loss data)
40 W.Nr. 0216, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U2, fourth example. Bewaffnetes Führerbegleitflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Begleiterreiseflugzeug für Regierung)
41 W.Nr. 0217 to 0218, 2 x Fw 200 C-5, second batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
42 W.Nr. 0219 to 0220, 2 x Fw 200 C-6 (1943 variant), sole batch. W.Nr. 0219 as a C-6 is an
INM RECONSTRUCTION
43 W.Nr. 0221, 1 x Fw 200 C-5/U1, singleton example.
44 W.Nr. 0222, 1 x Fw 200 C-5, singleton example. (Confirmed by Lw Loss data)
45 W.Nr. 0223 to 0225, 3 x Fw 200 C-8, first FoWu Neufertigung batch. W.Nr. 0225 is an
INM RECONSTRUCTION
46 W.Nr. 0226 to 0227, 2 x Fw 200 C-5/FK Trials machines FoWu Umbau from FoWu Neufertigung C-5
47 W.Nr. 0228 to 0229, 2 x Fw 200 C-5, third batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
48 W.Nr. 0230, 1 x Fw 200 C-6/U2 (C-6 1943 variant), singleton /U2 example. Bewaffnetes Führerbegleitflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Begleiterreiseflugzeug für Regierung)
49 W.Nr. 0231 to 0236, 6 x Fw 200 C-5, fourth batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
50 W.Nr. 0237, 1 x Fw 200 C-6 (1943 variant), fourth known example (Sub-type confirmed by RAF Intelligence study)
51 W.Nr. 0238 to 0239, 2 x Fw 200 C-5, fifth batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
52 W.Nr. 0240, 1 x Fw 200 C-4/U1, third example. Bewaffnetes Führerflugzeug (Bewaffnetes Reiseflugzeug für Regierung)
53 W.Nr. 0241 to 0243, 3 x Fw 200 C-5, sixth and final batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
54 W.Nr. 0244 to 0255, 12 x Fw 200 C-5 as C-8(C-5/FK).
INM RECONSTRUCTION: Umbau from C-5 to C-8(C-5/FK) in first non-FoWu conversion batch (performed by DW F.)
55 W.Nr. 0256 to 0258, 3 x Fw 200 C-8, second FoWu Neufertigung batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
56 W.Nr. 0259, 1 x Fw 200 C-5/FK, third example from FoWu. Sole FoWu C-5/FK Umbau from a FoWu Neufertigung C-8
57 W.Nr. 0260 to 0263, 4 x Fw 200 C-8, third & final FoWu Neufertigung batch.
INM RECONSTRUCTION
58 W.Nr. 0264 to 0268, 5 x Fw 200 C-5 as C-8(C-5/FK).
INM RECONSTRUCTION: Umbau from C-5 to C-8(C-5/FK) in second and final non-FoWu conversion batch (performed by DW F).
Clearly no simple picture will adequately explain the final sixty-eight examples of the Fw 200.
This reconstruction has to be tentative, but it does at least correct the excision by some writers of the sub-type that comprised nearly a quarter of all Fw 200 Cs built.
There may be other credible ways of interpreting the same data and this overview will need adjusting as valid additional snippets appear in the future. Until then I offer this reconstruction for peer review as the best possible picture for the present of the Fw 200 production series life story.
Note: Loss records cited in these posts are almost exclusively as extracted from Goss Classic Appendix 4.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
I acknowledge most gratefully Michael Holm's sharing on the
www.ww2.dk website of his careful extracts from the Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen report series data held by the Bundesarchiv. (Aircraft inventory and movement reports, referred to here for convenience simply as the Bewegungsmeldungen.) These data tables were absolutely invaluable for this study. Without them this exploration would have been infinitely harder to perform and taken far more time and money.
The specific URLs I used from Michael Holm's website are listed in one of the supporting attachments under the sub-heading 'Specific sources for the Bewegungsmeldungen data'.