Horses and Oxen on the Luftwaffe Flightline

[Broncazonk]

When did teams of horses and oxen begin pulling aircraft around the Luftwaffe flightline? And what is the operational history of these furry prime movers?

Teams of horses and oxen had to be essential equipment in the East from almost Day 1, no? (Nothing better to move aircraft and fuel bowsers around in the mud and snow.)

I have an image of a team of oxen pulling a (rare) two-seat Fw-190 in late 1944, (I think,) but I can't find any more.

Bronc

[Nick Beale]

There was a photo (in a Holger Nauroth book I sed to have) of oxen towing an Me 163.

[Chris Goss]

I have such photos. Commonplace at the end of the war

[Rolfeb]

At the airfield Donaueschingen Süd (south) IV. JG 53 was based from October to early December.
20 years ago many eye withnesses told me the Me 109 were pulled by oxen at that time because of fuel save reason.
Regards
Rolf

[Leendert]

Just to remind us that the use of animals to tow aircraft was not limited to the Luftwaffe.
Be it not for lack of fuel but more for practical reasons, the web has numerous pictures with (e.g.) elephants towing Allied a/c in India and Ceylon.
And for political reasons, the British pulled American-made airplanes across the US-Canadian border with horses to circumvent the American neutrality laws (see https://www.history.nd.gov/publicati...neutrality.pdf)

Leendert

[Broncazonk]

I saw a brief three-second clip today (in a Russian Front documentary) of horses pulling a wooden sled loaded with a bomb with a He 111 in the background. Snowy scene. It looked cold, very, very cold.

Bronc

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by Broncazonk

I have an image of a team of oxen pulling a (rare) two-seat Fw-190 in late 1944, (I think,) but I can't find any more.

Bronc

I'm having trouble believing that .. Jüterbog (near Berlin) late summer 1944

[Leendert]

Reference to a Fw-190 being towed by bulls/oxen probably this one:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3990...8935012040137/

If a/c is in motion, left wing threatens to bump into airmen..

Leendert

[Broncazonk]

Originally Posted by Leendert

Reference to a Fw-190 being towed by bulls/oxen probably this one:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3990...8935012040137/

If a/c is in motion, left wing threatens to bump into airmen..

Leendert

Yep. That's the one.

Bronc

[richdlc]

On 3 May 1942 Göring ordered stringent measures to reduce the flying activities of the Luftwaffe in order to save machines and materials for the planned summer offensive in the east. These measures placed a limitation on the use of fuel, with strict rules for such things as taxiing, conversion flights, ferry flights and transport flights.