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Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies. |
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#101
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Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
Thanks for the clarification Jim.
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#102
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Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1600
120. At the same time as the bomber pilots of Einsatzstaffel 234 were training at Burg, the ground crew of 3. Flughaffenbetriebskompanie (FBK)/76 were learning to service the Arados. One of their most difficult tasks was switching out the Junkers Jumo 004B engines, which weighed 745 kg. (1642 lb.) each. First the access panels of the engine nacelle had to be removed, the side panels dropped down for access to the securing bolts and, in this case, a special gantry with block and tackle wheeled above the wing. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1601 121. An angled lifting bracket was brought under the wing to attach to the engine's centre of gravity on both sides. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1602 122. The J2 hose connection had to be uncoupled as well as the bundle of wires coming from inside the wing. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1603 123. After the securing bolts were removed, the engine could be carefully manouvered away from the wing. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1604 124. This photo shows clearly where the lifting bracket hooked at the centre of gravity of the engine. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1605 125. This is a view of a crane with a motorized winch being used with a different shaped lifting bracket. Again the Arado has the yellow ring of the Einsatzstaffel. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1606 126. In this case, the bracket is C-shaped but also hooks into points of the centre of gravity.The bundle of wires can be seen. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1607 127. Once the securing bolts were back in place, the wiring and plumbing could be easily re-connected, and the nacelle panels re-attached. |
#103
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Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1609
128. On page 99 of Creek & Forsyth, Blitz Bombers, (Chandos, 2020), they caption this photo as: "The Ar 234 B-2, F1+BT, of Hptm. Diether Lukesch is made ready for another mission. The mobile generator cart is plugged in to provide auxiliary power and the aircraft has been fitted with Walter RATO units. Bombs have not yet been attached. Note the yellow-coloured rings around the turbojets denoting an aircraft of 9. Staffel." On 24 December 1944 at 10:14 hours, Lukesch, the staffelkapitän of the Einsatzstaffel, 9./KG 76, took off from their forward, operational base at Münster-Handorf, leading the first bombing mission in Ar 234 B-2 W.Nr. 140143 "F1+BT". Because it was carrying a single SC-500 blast bomb (with 1100 lbs. of trialen), R-geräte were fitted and used by Lukesch and eight others to boost their Arados off the runway. On page 108 of Jan Horn's KG 76, (2019), he writes: "Auf Befehl von Hptm. Lukesch werden ab 16. September 1944 in der Werft Burg in die F1+BT (Werk-Nr. 140 143) zwei Machinengewehre des Typs Rheinmetall MG 131 auf der Rumpf oberseite nach vorn schiessend eingebaut. Dieser Waffeneinbau zient sich bis zum 07.10.1944 hin ..." forum.12oclockhigh.net/album.php?albumid=73&pictureid=1610 129. This photo is found on page 180 of Smith & Creeks' 1992 Monogram edition of Arado 234 Blitz. It is captioned: "A Kettenkraftrad tracked motorcycle tows Diether Lukesch's Ar 234 B2, F1+BT, along the runway at Münster-Handorf in December 1944. Lukesch, who led the Einsatzstaffel of KG 76 between December 17, 1944 and January 26, 1945, can be seen standing in the cockpit." Note that the person directly behind Lukesch seems to be sitting on a dark object attached to the top of the fuselage. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1611 130. "An Ar 234 B-2 of III./KG 76 makes its landing approach at Münster-Handorf," Creek & Forsyth, p.91. However, on p. 121 of Horn's KG 76, this photo is inversed and captioned: "Mit ausgefahrenen Landeklappe nähert sich die Ar 234 dem Platz Burg." http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1612 131. "Armourers hitch a ride on a trailer laden with an SC 500 bomb. Behind can be seen an Ar 234 that already appears to be bombed up and ready for its next sortie. The cockpit entrance hatch is open and a packed parachute lies just behind it," Forsyth & Beale, Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units, (Osprey, 2020). p. 86. Note the winter camouflage and what appears to be a yellow cowl ring. For the most part, the SC 500 was mainly used by the Einsatzstaffel in its first month of operations. A pair of Walter R-Geräte were needed to lift it off the runway as can be seen here. The picture actually show it cradled on a jack as part of the trailer which will lift it into place in the belly of the fuselage. |
#104
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Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1613
132. Major Hans-Georg Bätcher was Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 76 from 6 December 1944 to 25 February 1945 after which he was transferred to lead KG (J) 54 as Kommodore. In this photo, his rank as Major is sewn onto the sleeve of his pilot's jumpsuit, as he waits for his Arado "F1+AD" to be towed to the runway. Note the lack of a bomb under the fuselage. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1614 133. In this photograph, Bätcher's Arado is hitched to a Kettenkrad tracked motorcycle. The officer standing at attention is Oblt. Herbert Kolm, the staffelkapitan of 8./KG 76, (Kolm was the one who led the last Arados to Stavanger on 5 May 1945). "Being the commander's aircraft of III. Gruppe, in theory the aircraft letter "A" and engine nacelle intake rings would have been green," Creek & Forsyth, Blitz Bombers, (Chandos, 2020), p. 116. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1615 134. Bätcher "is seen here about to enter the cockpit of Ar 234 B-2 "A" ... in the winter of 1944-45. Note the large riveting of the cockpit framework and clear vision panel at the left," Forsyth & Beale, Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance units, (Osprey, 2020). p. 44. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1616 135. "F1+AD" is being towed to the startbahn, again without a bomb under the fuselage, possibly for Bätcher's uberfuhrungsflug from Burg to Achmer on 23. January 1945 at 11:07 hours. According to Batcher's leistungbuch, his other four flights in "F1+AD" were operations (feindfluge) from Achmer, presumably using bombs. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1617 136. Kolm's "F1+AS" with red rings and a red "A" was readied as well, "Die Triebwerke der F1+AS, der Maschine von Oblt. Kolm, Staffelkapitän der 8./KG 76 werden angelassen," Jan Horn, KG 76, (2019), p. 127. Curiously Horn has Kolm flying "F1+NS" that day. Horn attributes these photographs to "Archiv Walter Brieke". Uffz. Walter Brieke was "Ltr. Bildstelle" in Stab/KG 76, (Horn, p 411) and may have been doing a "photo Op" on the day of the transfer of 8./KG 76 to its operational base. Last edited by Karoband; 23rd July 2024 at 16:52. |