Oberleutnant Korn of FAGr 5: Arado Ar 234 question

[Thijs Lepstra]

In Robert Forsyth’s excellent book “Shadow over the Atlantic” about Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5 it is stated that after 6 September 1944 Oberleutnant Günther/ Günter Korn was transferred from KG200 to the Arado firm to test-fly the Arado Ar 234.
Before flying several mission for KG 200 with the Ju 290 Korn was a member of 1./FAGr. 5. Forsyth states that very late in the war 1./FAGr 5 operated a small number of Arado Ar 234.
I have a document written by Korn in which he states that he was in Denmark at the time of the capitulation and that he was the only one who was still “eisatzbereit” with the Ar 234 and that the others in his unit were transferred to anti-tank units. In the same document Korn notes that he had about 50 hours on the Ar 234.

Is it known whether Korn ever flew a operational sorties on the Ar 234?

[Chrisyates]

I have some poor scans of Korn's Flugbuch, pages 24 and 27 although pg 27 is very unclear.
Page 24 has 11 entries with the Ar 234, the first flight nr 1570, a Platzflug with 140326 at Alt Lonnewitz, the Arado assembly plant, on 8th November?. This airframe to KG 76 on 22/11/44.
Pg 27, 20 flights, probably Jan 45 as can make out record for (140)495 which is noted as first flew 20/1/45.
By extrapolation, assuming 20 records per page would give 71 flights to end Jan at average 20 minutes equates to 24 hrs flight time on type. So 50 hrs at end of hostilities could be correct.
Also noted is transfer of 140608 from Rechlin to Lubeck Blankensee by Korn on 19/4/45 as a replacement for KG 76 losses. This airframe ended up captured at Grove, Denmark in May 45 but I have no notes regarding this transfer.
1./FAGr 5 did operate Ar 234's from Stavanger/Sola from Feb 45 but Korn was not part of this deployment to Norway.
Jan Horn has no record of Korn in any of his books regarding the Ar 234 Units so I think it reasonable to conclude that he did not fly the type operationally.
Regards, Chris Yates

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Chris Yeates,
Just for curiosity, since this is not my field of interest; of those total 50 hours (71 flights), could you inform us HOW MANY were operational, I mean either recorded as a Feindflug or Einsatz onto the Flugbuch?
I comprehend that, from those 71 flights onto the Arado 234, quite a few must have been "familiarization", transfer flights, etc....
Quite interesting threat. Thank you both for learning a bit more about the Air War in Europe.
Adriano

[ju55dk]

Korn had 85 flights on different Ar 234, none of these were operationel flights.
Junker

[Thijs Lepstra]

Thank you for the information! Very interesting for sure.

Thijs

[Adriano Baumgartner]

JUNKER,
Thank you very very much for this piece of information.
Adriano