Do 335 flight by Schnaufer on 1st March 1945

[Wim]

Hello Adriano,

Hptm Krause's logbook states that on the 1st March 1945 he was in Vechta were he arrived on the 28th February. Only on the evening (1843 hours) of the 1st March he came back to Gütersloh. No doubt that David P. Williams can confirm this.
It is well possible that Krause remembered the flight of Schnaufer in the Do 335 of the 25th February. Krause took off that morning in Gütersloh at 0745 hours, for testing Ju 88 3C+BC, but by that time Schnaufer was already back on the ground as he landed the Do 335 at 0742 hours that same morning.
Fritz Rumpelhardt never stated that Schnaufer crashed a Do 335, perhaps this was lost somewhere in the translation.
All the best,

Wim

[Stig Jarlevik]

Peter
Lovely! The same authors deny their own story 10 years later...

Wim
No idea what Fritz said or did not say. All I did was quoting from the book stated. The way the authors wrote it, it sounded like they had interviewed Rumpelhardt at the time. But since they could not spell his name right in 1997 and not 10 years later, their reliabillity is a bit dubious. If it is a translation it must be a very bad one if a translator interpret things totally the opposite way. And why would Rumpelhardt say that Schanufer did NOT crash any Do 335 at all, unless it was talked about?

Would be interesting to know who damaged the 335 in question? Maybe the one who started the rumours...

Cheers
Stig

[Peter D Evans]

Hey there Stig...

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

Lovely! The same authors deny their own story 10 years later... All I did was quoting from the book stated. The way the authors wrote it, it sounded like they had interviewed Rumpelhardt at the time. But since they could not spell his name right in 1997 and not 10 years later, their reliabillity is a bit dubious.

Of course, the latest Classic book would usually give the authors the chance to update info and amend mistakes. However, from a conversation with one of the authors of the Monogram work, he told me that they had very little to do with the work even though his name appeared on the cover and that his name was used without his permission! He also advised me that the Classic work was a "completely new book on the Do 335 that will destroy much of what has gone before" (his words not mine)

Great discussion anyway... and thanks to Wim for his excellent input too...


Cheers

Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[NoNo01]

Hello all,

in his book "Meine Geschichte und die meiner Familie", published in 2002, Rumpelhardt mentions this flight. He clearly states that the english authors must have misinterpreted him.
"Soon after this flight another pilot flew the plane to I./NJG 3 in the hamburg area where he allegedly bellylanded it."
He gives no clear date - only speaks of a Sunday morning.
Also he says that they (Schnaufer and Rumpelhardt) only intended to fly the Do 335 together but this never happend.

Have a nice evening

NoNo

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Hello Stig, Nono and Peter.
I heard about Do 335 V-10 being flown by Luftwaffe night-fighter pilots ( werknummer 230010, factory number CP+UK ), but WHEN the airplane still was a single-seater at Diepensee on 24th January 1945 (?! Did this information matches? I, however, do not know the names of pilots involved ).
From Krause´s account ( It is a pity that my other computer is down, otherwise I would have scanned his own account in German ), it really seems HE FLEW the Dornier 335 for around 30 minutes - After Schnaufer.
I was afraid, and WIM correctly checked, that after more than 50 years ( we all knows how memory play tricks on us, so we can imagine that after so many combat missions and stress, it is fair common to misjudge dates and facts for a former Luftwaffe pilot ) HE could have made a mistake on the date of his flight.
WIM, do you have access to Krause´s logbooks? Could you check IF there is an entry for a Do 335 flight?
The book "Ace of Diamonds" by Hinschlife, mentions the "landing accident" that you already reported here, remembered by Rumplehardt. However, Hans Krause did not mention it on his account. If any kind of misfortune should have happened, and he mentions that there were Dornier engineers and test pilots around - it would be easier to remember than the actual date of his flight on the PFEIL ( IF he ever flew it ).
I also read on Gebhard Aders classic "The history of the German night-fighter force 1917-45" that there was a Special Commission ( whose name I cannot remember by heart now ) detailed to check the most interesting night-fighters, those who had to have absolute priority. I remember reading that the Ju 388 was discarded in favour of the Ar-234 and Do-335. ( Had to check on the book, otherwise I will be writing wrong things here. ). Well, my main doubt: Have KRAUSE flown the Do 335?
The other good question was already asked by NoNo: Who damaged the 240113 machine, as mentioned?

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi All,
Do 335 240113 had a collision with a Bf 109 that damaged the rear tail, airfield unknown. The pilot was Karl-Heinz Appel and he was unhurt. The aircraft was found by US troops at Bindlach in a hangar. How it got there is unclear. Source: Do 335 by Classic Pub.

Regards,

Norbert