Messerschmitt Me 262 jet operations on the Eastern front - what is known?

[Dan History]

Dear members,

I am currently finishing an article about Luftwaffe operations on the Eastern front in 1945 for Flugzeug Classic Jahrbuch, the German aviation magazine. A particularly obscure topic which I would like to mention is the use of the Messerschmitt Me 262 against Soviet forces. May I ask what is the current state of knowledge on the subject?

I am aware of only very limited mentions of operations against Soviet forces by Me 262s based in the Prague area in late April and early May 1945, frequently repeated in the literature, but with very few details given. Has anything more detailed been published recently?

Everyone is welcome to either reply here, or contact me by private message.

Regards,

Dan

[barkas]

Hallo Dan,

look at the books published by Japo:
Messerschmitt Me 262s of KG and KG(J) units
Messerschmitt Me 262 production - Arado Ar 234´s final operations

there are details,
Jan

[Nick Beale]

Try these from the Bundesarchiv (downloadable)

RL 2-II/389: Morgen-, Abendmeldungen, Nachträge, Nachträge zu Schadensmeldungen (Lw. FüSt. Ic Meldewesen). Bd 5: Reichsgebiet (April 1945))

RL 2-II/393: Morgen- und Abendmeldungen Ost.- Feindtätigkeit und eigener Einsatz Bd. 3 (April 1945)

RL 2-II/840: Morgen- und Abendmeldungen Reichsgebiet.- Feindeinflüge und Schadensmeldungen, Bd. 3 (1.–13. März 1945)

RL 2-II/841: Morgen- und Abendmeldungen Reichsgebiet.- Feindeinflüge und Schadensmeldungen, Bd. 4 (16.–31. März 1945)

There were a few strafing sorties against vehicle convoys in the Cottbus area in April 1945, flown by elements of JG 7 and KG(J) 54. That and the ops from Prague were about it in the east as far as I know.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,I know there were air to air kills made against the Soviet air force by Luftwaffe Me-262 jet fighters.

Edward L. Hsiao

[Nick Beale]

From the Bundesarchiv: RL 2-II/393. Morgen-, Abendmeldungen, Nachträge, Nachträge zu Schadensmeldungen (Lw. FüSt. Ic Meldewesen). Bd 11: Ost, 5–29 April 1945.

25.4.45

IX. Flg.Korps: 21 Me 262 committed to support of the Army in the Dresden area.

26.4.45

IX. Flg.Korps: 4 Me 262 attack on vehicle columns in the area Cottbus - Jüterbog - Berlin. Good effects observed.

Supplementary for 26.4.45

IX. Flg.Korps: total effort 31 Me 262 against vehicle traffic and airfields in the area Cottbus - Bautzen - Dresden.

Results: 2 aircraft destroyed on the ground, 6 lorries destroyed, several vehicle columns effectively shot up.

Losses: personnel 1 dead, 1 missing; material 1 lost, 1 missing, 2 damaged

27.4.45

VIII. Flg.Korps: 8 Me 262 the Forst area.

And from ULTRA message CX/MSS/T535/10:

From Ic, No. 15055, to KONSUL ((Fliegerkorps IX)) Neubiberg late on 29/4:

Ic evening report 29/4

18 Silber recce, met recce, a/f occupation, engagement of ground targets Cottbus - Bautzen - Forst.

Results: 1 Yak-9 shot down, lorries thoroughly shot up including 74 with troops. 18 lorries destroyed including 6 with fuel.

Losses: 1 aircraft damaged.

[Carl-Fredrik Geust]

In my book Under the Red Star (Airlife 1993) I referred to a number of Soviet AF fights with Me 262 (mentioned in Soviet literature), see pages 106-109.

[Franek Grabowski]

Mind you accounts of Soviet period must be always corroborated with documents. They tended to show a fictious reality.