Ar-196 with (fake) russian markings

[Jan vd Heuvel]

I have this photo

http://www.nederlandseluchtvaart.nl/forums/f36-buitenlandse-luchtvaart-foreign-aviation/onder-valse-vlag-16476/

of an Ar-196 with Russian markings.

I don't believe this is an aircraft captured by the Russians but a German aircraft with false Russian markings to fool the Russian ships.

Has anyone information about this ?

Jan

[Jan vd Heuvel]

Sorry, but I mistakenly posted this twice.

Can one of the moderators remove one of the postings ?

Jan

[Seaplanes]

The Ar 196 in Soviet markings you enclosed could be one of two possibilities:
1. In February 1940 the German cruiser "Lützow" was sold to the Soviet Union. In this connection 3 Ar 196A-1 aircraft were reserved for delivery with the ship. "Lützow" had one catapult and a single hangar and could accommodate three Ar 196's. Unfortunately, I have not found any evidence if these aircraft were actually delivered. The ship was towed to Leningrad and re-named "Pertopavlovsk" and later "Tallin" but never completed. In March 1953 the ship was again re-named "Dnepr" and used as a training ship for a few years before being scrapped.

2. After the German surrender the Soviet Union was given the cruiser "Nürnberg" as war prize. The ship was transferred in January 1946 at Libau and named "Admiral Makarov". It was broken up in the 1960's.
Soviet forces must have taken several Ar 196 aircraft stationed on the Baltic coast as well as any aircraft on board "Nürnberg" at the time of surrender. The ship had one catapult and could accommodate two Ar 196 aircraft.

[Mikael Olrog]

Guest and Petrov writes in their book Red stars 2 that Soviet union operated several Ar 196 after the war even as late as 1951. Both for border guard operations in the pacifics but also other tasks. A number of modifications were made including fitting M-62IR engines!

[Hans Mcilveen]

Jan,

thank you for posting this image. I remember seeing it as part of a photo group on eBay a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I did not save the images at the time. Do you perhaps have the other images of the group as well? According to this post http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpo...92&postcount=7 it depicts the Arado of Admiral Scheer during Unternehmen Wunderland in 1942 in the Kara Sea.

Seaplanes,

regarding your possiblity 1: I agree, as a matter of fact the KTB Gen.d.Lw.b.Ob.d.M-O.Qu. specifically mentions on 28.6.1941 at 9:30 that no Arado Ar 196 seaplanes had been delivered to Russia. This was six days after the start of Operation Barbarossa. Also, the Arado in the picture resembles an A-3 or later model to me.

Mikael,

I did a tiny write-up on Ar 196 seaplanes in post war Russian service a while ago here http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=21881. Perhaps it is of interest.

Hans

[Mikael Olrog]

Thanks Hans for the link! Good summary.