Short video clip of luftwaffe taking off from waterlogged airfield, nearly leading to prop strike

[Mysticpuma]

Digging through a cupboard of my old abandoned hard drives I found this clip of video which still amazes me!

This shows a group of Luftwaffe aircraft scrambling to take-off from a heavily waterlogged airfield. How the pilot saves his aircraft is incredible as it hits a huge amount of standing water and nearly noses over.

https://youtu.be/fqjnxrRaUh4

[Adriano Baumgartner]

And they had to go, once, twice or up to 10 or more times per day!
In the case depicted here, I guess this was more luck than airmanship, since you can not do anything else than pull the stick back...and pray.
Those who have flown taildraggers will remember their times with a good nostalgia...

[VtwinVince]

Cool clip which I've seen a few times over the years. I especially like the Dora, so pretty late-war footage. The guy was lucky he didn't produce a 'Fliegerdenkmal' or, worse, a 'Damenlandung'.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Vince,
I know you are related to a former JG 54 airman, if memory does not fail me.
Although I have read previously (on Luftwaffe "War Diaries" and some biographies and other co-related books - with images) what is a a "Fliegerdenkmal" (nose over or piloning); am not familiar with that "Damenlandung" term, which is roughly translated as "a Lady Landing" (correct)? In what kind of situation this last term or "joke" (or argot en Français) could be used? Would it be if the airplane ducked, nosed over and did the full 180 degrees turn (staying on its "belly" or showing the "belly") - with canopy buried in the mud?
This is really the first time I saw this term and am just curious if you do know or can suggest me some books where it appeared to read (biographies, war diaries, etc.) or where one could find it??
Thank you for adding that one and congratulations for preserving the memory of your relative.
Adriano

[Chris Goss]

JG 3 not JG 54! Hptm Albrecht Ochs 9./JG 3 then 2.Erg.St./JG 3

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Bad memory of mine....Thanks Chris!

[VtwinVince]

Hi Adriano, sorry to use German terms without explanation, but you get the gist of it, a 'Fliegerdenkmal', or pilot's memorial, was when you wound up sitting on your prop, whereas a 'Damenlandung' was going right over on to the canopy, with the undercarriage lowered, so these represented the legs of the lady. And thanks for the encouragement with my relative, he actually served in many units, including Erg. Jagdgruppe 51 as CO.

[Leo Etgen]

Hello

Isn't it thought that these are aircraft of JG 6 on the Eastern Front in early 1945? I could be very well wrong, though ...

Horrido!

Leo

[John Manrho]

Correct, this Wochenschau video was discussed before. Either here or LRG.

John