Luftwaffe Ju 88 in Italy, July 1940

[veltro]

Thanks Gianandrea for remembering the article (I should have, but it was a bit "off" among the researches done and 20 years are not a short time...).

It was one of those occasions when material found has to be enshrined in an article to avoid it being wasted...

Mr. Giliberti (who later operated as a gunner on Italian Ju 87 Stukas) was the father of a schoolmate of secondary schools and the material was somehow perceived as very interesting even in those early years.

Thanks also to Chr. Regel, for finally supporting that old study with images and very good ones indeed!

I can add, extracted from the article, the entry in Giliberti's diary relative to the accident occurred to the Ju 88 NE+TX:

"23 August - In the morning test flights until 11.00 hrs. Temperature at 8.000 m = -20°C, on the ground 65°C in the sun and 44°C in the shadow.
During the afternoon the Ju 88 makes a test dive flight and comes to land at 17.00 hrs. I notice that it passes the field boundary at about 250 km/h and touches the ground in the middle and, bouncing three times, soon reaches the other boundary, hitting a jutting rock and bouncing over 10 mt high, bouncing another time and then leaning on starboard, turning around in a cloud of dust and smoke.
We all run there, being worried to see a fire starting out (there are over 600 l of fuel aboard), but nothing happens.
The engineer tells us that neither the undercarriage system nor the flaps worked properly. The latters are extended though, as well ast the port airbrake. the starboard landing gear is fully retracted, while the port one, due to the hits and stress received while stopping, is bent towards the center of the fuselage.
The engines are intact, but the airscrew blades are bent.
The engineer tells us that he should have landed at Castelbenito, because they were flying with the landing gear extended from 15 minutes and there was a longer landing strip there.
Upon examination of the hydraulic pump it has been determined that it is damaged and the oil pipe is broken."

Hope it helps.