Some enlarged and 'tweaked' photos of He 162s

[Karoband]

Hi Stig,

I upload pictures from my files to an album provided by TOCH which has room for about 35 pictures. I therefore have to delete some weekly to make room for new ones. This method works for me.

Hopefully, Leon Venter's archives will have the old ones.

If someone can provide an alternative method which includes a clear step-by-step explanation for an 82-year old senior, I'd be willing to try.

All the best,

Jim

[Stig Jarlevik]

Oh-oh Jim

Didn't know that. Sorry about the hassle....

Cheers
Stig

[leonventer]

I hope Jim won't mind me mentioning this a bit prematurely, but I have been in touch with him about preserving the photo studies he's been publishing on TOCH.

Like many others, I greatly appreciate the extra details and context Jim has been able to glean from the photos he has posted. The limit on the number of photos that can be uploaded to TOCH by each user means that most of Jim's photos are no longer viewable. I was dismayed by the loss of such a valuable resource.

The TOCH archive that I created has no such limitation, so I contacted Jim about this, and he kindly sent me all of the photos featured in his Me 262 and Ar 234 threads. I'm now busy adding those photos to the archive, so that his posts will be restored to their full usefulness. One small enhancement is that, in the archived version of TOCH, the photos will be displayed directly in their associated posts, instead of as links that need to be clicked.

With Jim's permission, I will do the same for the He 162 thread as well.

Regards,
Leon Venter

[Faenor]

Hi Stig, please check your e-mail, I have already sent to you all of these photos.

BR

Faenor

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Jaro

Got everything!! Excellent help!!!

Cheers
Stig

[gilles collaveri]

Here is the end of Wnr 120223

https://aerocherche.fr/une-salamandre-dans-les-landes

Best regards
Gilles

[egbert]

Originally Posted by gilles collaveri

Here is the end of Wnr 120223

https://aerocherche.fr/une-salamandre-dans-les-landes

Best regards
Gilles

A very nice tribute to the He 162 in France and to test pilot Schlienger.

[Karoband]

Thank you, Leon for all the work you are putting into this.

Thank you, Gilles, for the link with all its documentation.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1832

53. Wollenweber, p. 138, identifies the ninth and endmost He 162 in the line-up along the left side of the taxiway at Leck as an A-2, W.Nr. 120227, "Red 2". Franks, p. 21, concurs that W.Nr. 120227 was "Red 2" and says it was allotted Air Ministry number "65", arriving by surface transport at RAE Farnborough on 31 July 1945. I have found no photograph of it at Leck.
All He 162s receiving Air Ministry numbers had their German national markings painted over at Leck as well as their numerical identities and wappen using appropriate German RLM paints. RAF roundels and fin flashes were added there as well.
In this photo of the side of W.Nr. 120227, the "Red 2" can be made out in its proper position just behind and below the perplex canopy.. As well, there was a wappen on the fuselage below the windscreen. Probably in England, the flare-port was faired over and a generous coat of mismatched paint applied over the dark camo below the canopy.
Note that the nose, with its red arrow, lacks the fake nose rings later applied to "Red 2".


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1834

54. W.Nr. 120227 was allocated RAF serial VN679 on 26 November 1945 but it was never applied and no test flights were made. It was in the scrap compount at Farnborough on 15 December 1946 but was retrieved as a travelling exhibit. It was on display at the Blackpool Air Pageant in July 1947. Seen here, it was a museum piece at RAF Colerne from 1961 to its closure in 1975.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1833

55.It was restored for exhibition at the Historic Aircraft Collection at RAF Athan. Looking more authentic, it is seen here in 1979 but with fake nose rings.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1838

56 This poor photo shows the same aircraft but includes a view of the upper wings with their simple dark balkenkreuze.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1836

57. This is another poor view of "Red 2" at St. Athan with its engine nacelle doors open.



http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1837

58. This view from above shows the assymetrical camo pattern of the camouflage on the upper tail and the air of authenticity. The problem for me is that in the few photos of the upper surfaces of the wings of the 120xxx series He 162s, they show only white balkenkreuze.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1835

59. On 22 November 1989, W.Nr. 120227, "Red 2", was transferred to The RAF Museum at RAF Hendon in London, England. This is what it looks like today.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1839

60. The tenth He 162 and the first one at the far end of the right side line-up is "Yellow 11", W.Nr. 120074. Note the puddles under the aircraft and that most of the aircraft, including "Yellow 11", in this picture have tarps covering both the canopies and engine nacelles, undoubtedly due to recent rain. Also the colours of the nose rings on "Yellow 11" are reversed from those of the Geschwaderstab, this one having a red nose cap rather than black. This may indicate the personal aircraft of the Gruppenkommandeur.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1841

61. In this photo, groundcrew have begun to remove the tarps and the one from the rear of the engine nacelle is neatly folded on the ground.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1840

62. He 162 A-2 "Yellow 11", W.Nr. 120074 was the personal aircraft of Oblt. Emil Demuth who, in this photograph, is seen standing beside its tail. At the time of the surrender, Demuth was merely the Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 1 and, by custom, was entitled to the use of "Yellow 1". However, deZeng and Stankey give this for Demuth: "... 15.01.45 Oblt. appt Kdr. I./JG 1 (to 12.04.45). 12.04.45 Oblt., appt Staka 3./JG 1 (to 05.05.45). Credited with 16 victories.
As Kommandeur, Demuth had chosen the "Devil in the Clouds" as the Gruppenwappen.
Note the neatly folded tarps on the ground.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1842

63. As Gruppenkommandeur, Demuth had his sixteen victories [achieved in piston-engined aircraft] painted on the tail of W.Nr 120074. Major Werner Zober, appointed the new Gruppenkommandeur of I/JG 1 on 1 May 1945, did not have time to claim his aircraft.
Franks, p. 18, says that W.Nr. 120074 was allocated Air Ministry number "60" and arrived at RAE Farnborough by surface transport on 10 August 1945. It was sent on to No. 6 Maintenance Unit that day for storage at Brize Norton. It was still there there on 21 March 1946 for the Home Census of Aircraft but was struck off charge on 14 August 1947 by No. 6 MU and is presumed to have been scrapped.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1839

64. Wollenweber, p. 138, identifies the eleventh He 162 and second one at the far end of the right side as an A-2, W.Nr. 120077, "Red 1". Franks, p. 26, says, "W.Nr. 120077: Allocated to 2./JG 1 at Leck as 'Red 1' (some sources state 'Red 2'), captured there by the British in May 1945 ...". Note the "Red 1", the black surround to the gunport and the "wolf's head" wappen.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1843

65. This very poor photo shows a "Red 1" over a painted out "2" parked at the edge of a forest. Note the cut pine tree beneath the wing and more lying behind the He 162 probably placed on the wings as camouflage. This "Red 1" has the "wolf's head" wappen of 2./JG 1 and there is gunpowder residue in front of the gunport with black surround. Even with the rain tarp on the engine nacelle, it is apparent that the entire nacelles of JG 1 were painted entirely in dark camo and that there was no RLM 76 blue/white on the nacelle.
The pro-tem Staffelfuhrer of 2./JG 1 up to 1 May 1945 had been Ltn. Gerhard Hanf. His previous unit had been in III/JG 77 from which he had adopted the "wolf's head" as his Staffelwappen. As Staffelfuhrer, Hanf would have had "Red 1" as his personal aircraft, but on 1 May 1945 he was replaced by Hptm. Wolfgang Ludewig as Staffelkapitän.
Both this photo and the one above are the only ones I have seen in original markings and both are of the starboard side.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1844

66. W.Nr. 120077, "Red 1", was one of five He 162s that were selected by Col. Harold E. Watson for Operation Lusty and one of the four crated and shipped by train to Cherbourg, France. Placed aboard the Liberty ship Richard J. Gatling, it sailed on 12 July 1945 and arrived in New Jersey about 1 August. "Red 1" was then shipped overland to Freeman Field, Seymour, Indiana, where it was re-assembled and coded FE489.
W.Nr. 120077 must have been repainted at Freeman Field. Note the fake RLM 76 on the engine nacelle and lack of black surround on the gunport. Franks, p. 74, says this about Hanf's "Nervenklau" motto on the port side, "There is no wartime photographic or documentary proof that this marking was ever applied whilst in service. It was certainly added when it was repainted in the USA though...".


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1845

67. I apologize for not making a note of the source of this photo when I downloaded it. If it is true, then Hanf himself explained why "Nervenklau" would have been found on the port side of his "Red 1" at Leck.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1846

68. On 24 July 1946, W.Nr. 120077, re-coded as T2-489, was transferred from Freeman Field to Roger's Lake, Muroc, CA, [later Edwards AFB], where Lt. Bob Hoover, seen here, flew it once. Note the spurious markings and camouflage.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1847

69. "By 1947 this airframe was at the University of Kansas. In 1948 sold to Mr. Eddie Fisher and taken to Kansas City; Found there by Ed Maloney in the 1960's and purchased for his new museum at Claremont, California; Moved to Maloney's Planes of Fame Museum at Chino, California; Extant", Franks, p. 26.