JU-88 C-6 without gondola

[John Beaman]

Peter:

So, I guess you are saying your work labeled the a/c as a C-7.

It obviously has nose cannon/guns. How was it used? Do I see the flame damping exhaust shrouds on the a/c? Does this indicate it was used as a night intruder?

[falcon04]

Peter - is that issue still available from the publisher?

I understand you also wrote an article on the D-5 / D-6 in the same magazine. Would sure like to see some new pics of those !

Regarding the bulge - may be a tank or early-style MG-17 gunpack - the resolution of Steve's posting is too poor to respond to digital enhancement. Except for the bomber nose, it visually could be a C-5.

Very interesting aircraft.

The other aircraft is most likely a C-2 or C-4 with the early Jumo's and metal VDM props - and I do see a gondola.

Regarding the original topic pic, a high-res scan shows a slant to the barely visible portion of the final black letter which is more consistant with "A" or "X" than with "N" or "R" - hard to say.

The upper camo is similar to some schemes applied to JU-88 T's - colors have to be a guess - my guess is 70 over 76 but who knows.

[edNorth]

Hi Peter & others,

Re- off topic Ju 88 C-7. Thanks for your input 0648 (ex-A-5 F / Stkz. GE+YL or GE+YM ?) Your article in Flugzeug Classic magazine has escaped my attention - Sorry - Yes I took the fuel tank as ´an bulge´. The large letter on cockpit side is an large ´8´ or did they have an V.. (designation) as well.

But getting on-topic again, do you have possible i.d. on the topic starters C-6 picture. This seems also an very interesting machine. Did they remove the Gondolas from other C-6 machines to increase their speed or range (just like they did with the D-5´s 1726 and 430087)?

cheers
ed

[Reiner]

Hi,

Here an another photo of a Ju88 C-6 with "Bola", flown by the III./K.G.51 on the Eastern Front in 1943.

Rene'

[Peter Achs]

Hi falcon,

>>Peter - is that issue still available from the publisher?<<
I don’t know. But I can send you scans of the five pages (appr. 5 MB) via e-mail.

Yes, in this article is also mentioned the Ju 88 D-7/430130. But the article mainly deals with the Ju 88’s with BMW 801 I/TI.
The bulge is an MG 17 backwards firing gun-pack.
The C-7/0648 was an ex C-4 (not A-5/F) like all other manufactured C-7’s. Finally the 0648 was equipped with Jumo 213...
The C-7 was an „Behelfs-Fernerkunder“ (recce aircraft) used by the „Versuchsstelle für Höhenflüge“ at Oranienburg (Rowehl). Knemeyer often flew this aircraft.

Regards Peter

[falcon04]

Backwards-firing gun pack !

The Luftwaffe seems never to have abandoned the idea that backwards-firing fixed small caliber MG's were anything but a waste of fuel, but it does explain the periscope.

The image of a Ju-88 pilot trying to evade a heavily armed fighter on his tail with one eye stuck on the periscope sight is not a pretty one.

[piero]

Hi Mr. Achs,

check your private messages box, please!

thank you

piero

[falcon04]

That KG 51 aircraft might be a C-2 or C-4 - note the metal narrow-bladed props.

[falcon04]

here's a 2nd pic of the same aircraft, from Squadron "JU 88 In Action Part 2 .

It's such a lousy print, I didn't recognize it as the same acft - the nose camo is identical.

The partial caption:

" believed to be F1 + KR of 7./KG 76 --- camouflage is reportedly a Light Blue mottle over the standard factory applied camouflage ( although Sand Brown was also a possibility )"

This is opinion masquerading as fact - I think the other photo clearly establishes that the darker upper color was sprayed over the lighter.

I'm also not convinced it's KR, as earlier stated.

[edNorth]

Hi all;

''There are known a few ´specials´ such as the ´C-6 like´ machine coded F1+KR and used in the Mediterranean''

This is exactly the machine I was referring to in earlier post - simply had not noted where I had found it exactly - it has also appeard elsewhere. If there are two shots of same machine, then there might even be more lurking out there.

cheers
ed