Ju88A-6 balloon cable-cutter

[obdl3945]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me which units used this version of the Ju88, please?

I know KG30 did, but would be interested to know of any others. Unit codes and colour schemes would be a bonus, too, if anyone can help.

Thanks,

Paul

[chuckschmitz]

Junkers Ju 88 in Action, Part 1 shows a Ju 88 A-6 of 8/KG 76 (F1+GS) with the brackets for the balloon fender.

Chuck

[obdl3945]

Hi, Chuck...


Thanks for that... I have the publication but missed the photo!

The problem I have I suppose, is that even if this aircraft could be viewed close up, it would not necessarily mean that it was ever fitted with a cable cutting fender. I only have one image I can clearly attribute to 1./KG30 with a fender, and can confirm by way of the unit insignia.

In addition, I have a great image of what I take to be an A-6 converted back to A-5 configuration as a standard bomber without the fender, in the markings of 2./KG54. It has the faired-over attachment points at the nose as well, but like the example above, I have no way of confirming if that particular aircraft ever had a fender in the first place, or what its colour scheme may have been at that time.

So, I have three possible units, KG30, KG54 and KG76, but virtually no information on markings and/or appearance. I live in hope, though... .

Regards,

Paul

[chuckschmitz]

No telling. I have a WWII report on the A-6, the balloon cutter capability was mentioned at the end. No diagram unfortunately.

Chuck

[obdl3945]

Further to my original query, I would firstly like to thank Chuck (and Rudi via PM) for their input. I now have information that Ju88A-6s of KG 54 operated over Britain. On 3 May 1941, Ju88A-6 W.Nr. 3381, B3+EC of Gruppenstab, II./KG54 was lost at Lostock Green. It was destroyed in the crash.

Might anyone have any idea whether or not this aircraft was fitted with a cable-cutter? I imagine it's a long shot to hope that a photo exists of the aircraft prior to its destruction, but is there perhaps any German documentation highlighting that this aircraft was so equipped, for example, in documentation detailing the intended raid and possibly the types of aircraft to be used? Is there perhaps a British Intelligence report on the incident? I appreciate, having been destroyed, it would have been difficult to determine such detail at the time for the latter, but it's always worth asking.

I attach some old e-bay images for your perusal - comments/information on any would be most helpful. The aircraft carrying the early 'Britain in a gunsight' II./KG54 insignia has attachments for the fender on the nose. Does anyone have information on this aircraft (location/codes - ever used operationally with a fender)?

Thanks in advance to anyone who may be in a position to assist, and my thanks again to those who already have. Lastly, if anybody has other images of this variant of '88', I'd be interested to see them if you are willing to oblige me.

Kindest regards,

Paul

[RudiS]

Originally Posted by obdl3945

The aircraft carrying the early 'Britain in a gunsight' II./KG54 insignia has attachments for the fender on the nose. Does anyone have information on this aircraft (location/codes - ever used operationally with a fender)?

Hi Paul,

This a/c belonged to 4./KG54 and this picture was taken on the eastern front, most likely in june 1941.

Regards,
Rudi.

[edNorth]

In crash report (TNA AIR 22 / 267) does not state aircraft was ballon fender equipped or not, and it is not indentified by W.Nr. either, only first time of A-6 traced, but it also had Henschel A-5 plate.
- I do not recall any Ju 88 A-6 fender found in crashes in UK.
Some may or may not have noticed that KG 30 aircraft on attached photo has the Light Blue bottom, suggesting its newly delivered and not yet on ops. They were on "Blitz" (Night) missions and likely painted black under, as other aircraft pictured have.

In Actual Delivered 30.11.41 (Lieferplan 21/U) we find Henschel delivered 122 A-6 aircraft and Arado delivered 131 A-6 aircraft. These (253) had fuselages built by Henschel. I have noticed that once the Ballon fender attachment points were installed they usually were retained, with or without the special fairings designed around them. I have the parts catalog for the attachments but not the fenders themselves.
- Add to these some Ju 88 A-8 (Jumo 211 J) were also finished.

Further to that 9 or 10 by Junkers (Lieferplan 19 (Version 2) Actual delivered 01.03.1941), and finally there was "A6 Leistungen” testing at Rechlin 07.03.41 and the HFW/AFW A-5/6 production was over by summer, so the usage was very brief, in spring 1941.

In GQM losses there are A-6 from other makers, some appear as typos (and I believe most are) as I have yet not been able trace any confirmed of these.

-ed

[obdl3945]

Ed...

Thank you for your post. I agree with you that the 1./KG30 aircraft was most likely newly delivered, because of the pale blue undersides. I was surprised to note so many of the sub-type were produced, given that very few were apparently fitted with the fender.

In the old Squadron/Signal publication, Junkers Ju88 in action - Part 1, page 32, at the very end of the paragraph headed Ju88A-6, mention is made of Ju88A-6, W.Nr.3457, coded 4D+DL which had crash-landed in England on 27/07/1941 and was described in British Intelligence report as being "...like the Ju88A-5 but with balloon fenders...". This so far is the only indication I have of anyone reporting an operational aircraft so equipped.

I take it your reference to crash report (TNA AIR 22 / 267) is in relation to another aircraft. Might I ask, is there any indication of the report's date, and any mention of what unit?

Sadly, I think the colour scheme and markings on my soon-to-be-completed model of this type may have to incorporate some artistic licence!

Anyway, thanks again for your time and effort... much appreciated.

Regards,

Paul

[edNorth]

The crash report I described from TNA AIR 22/267 was about A-6 3381, it was so smashed, the examiners were not able find out W.Nr., code or unit.
I think that when 3457 4D+DL was captured, it had no fender installed.
Also (I think) the reason why so few photos exist of A-6s with fenders installed, be because there were so few used. Perhaps just some trial flights, but otherwise I have very few referances, except technical ones. Basically it was an operational failure.

[obdl3945]

I have been trawling through the pics on my pc and found an interesting photo, attached below.

In my collection, I have attached details provided by another contributor that the 'umbrella' emblem was not now considered to be solely a 1.Staffel emblem, but rather an emblem used by all three of the I.Gruppe's Staffeln.

This appears to be confirmed in the attached image from an expired e-bay auction in 2012, where the last letter is clearly a 'K', denoting 2.Staffel. This likely explains why there is no white applied to the propellor spinner on the pic in post #5, as I now think that aircraft is in fact a 2.Staffel aircraft, with red (partially or completely) applied to its spinner, which would probably show as a dark shade in a black/white photo.

My apologies for the omission of this detail first time around.

Regards,

Paul