Luftwaffe aircraft on HMS Reaper

[richdlc]

Hi guys - a bit of a strange question.
On board HMS Reaper en-route to NYC in 1945, the German aircraft captured in Europe (and secured on deck) were cocooned in what appears to be black shrink-wrap plastic. Does anyone know for certain what this mysterious substance actually was?

thanks
Rich

[Chris Goss]

I have looked as the Do 17 being offloaded and it looks more like protective paint.

[richdlc]

*edit*
I think I solved this - most probably Saran Wrap:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saran_(plastic)

[edwest2]

It was some type of "shrink wrap." Such material is usually made to conform tightly by brief heating.

http://www.indianamilitary.org/Freem...S%20Reaper.htm

[richdlc]

thanks guys

[Graham Boak]

Similar if not identical material was used to protect US fighters carried as deck cargo to the UK during the Battle of the Atlantic.

[Karoband]

For what it's worth, from Smith & Creek, Me 262 Volume Four, (2000), p. 853:

"Left: A series of 'Rhino' barges ferried the German aircraft captured by Watson's group from the port of Cherbourg to the waiting aircraft carrier HMS 'Reaper'. Prior to this they had been 'shrink wrapped' in plastic sheeting, not covered with the greasy petroleum-based small arms preservative known as Cosmoline, as has been widely stated previously..."

Is the name of this plastic sheeting known?

[richdlc]

very interesting! Thank you..

[Buckeye30]

Cosmoline ( the heavy Petroleum/ grease compound) was replaced for deck deliveries in 1943 by Par-al-ketone a petroleum derivative useful for the Atlantic but hard to remove;
replaced in 1944 by a plastic coating called Plastiphane, easy to peel off. Transport on deck was much more economical than dis-assembling and crating.
I think the latter was also called Eronol. Crated aircraft parts were covered with plastic sheeting called Pliofilm.
P-47s on deck had props, tail assemblies and wing tips removed before Plastiphane applied.
Nick

[Karoband]

Thank you, Nick