Re: Some enlarged and "tweaked" known photos of Ar 234s

[Chrisyates]

Hi Jim, this picture has also been captioned as 140493, 9V+CH by Smith & Creek, first in the original Monogram Monarch book, but also the recent updated version published by Classic. Second time around they also include a colour profile.
There were 2 A/C in Norway with the identifier "C", 140493 as above, and 140581, 8H+CH and the picture could be either as both reece versions and both have standard camouflage. Is there any way to distinguish either?

[Karoband]

Hi Chris,

Smith & Creek's profile of "9V+CH", found on p. 279 of their Classic 2022 edition, is quite interesting as it is inconsistent with the photographic evidence of the markings of "9V+BH", which has a white "B" and white rings on the engine cowls. To me, it would be logical that "9V+CH" should have a white "C" as the aircraft letter and a white "C" on the nosewheel bracket, as well as white cowl rings. Therefore I suspect that W.Nr. 140493 belongs to a fifth recce at Stavanger.

best regards,

Jim

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1504

32. This is the only picture I have seen that is of an identifiable Arado in the makings of 1.(F)/123. It is W.Nr. 140454 "4U+EH" (black "H") that Oblt. Fritz Worscheck was shot down in near Flugplatz Hohn on 2 May 1945, cf. Horn, Die Augen des OKW, Teil 2, (2023), pp. 78-79. Note what appears to be the top of a small RLM 21 white "E" on the nose, whose bottom is blocked from view by the rear of a detached engine nacelle. There are better resolution copies of this picture in Horn's book and on p. 193 of Smith & Creek, Ar 234 Blitz, (Classic, 2022).

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1505

33. Smith & Creek on page 278 caption this photograph as, "This Ar 234 undergoing an engine test was almost certainly W.Nr. 140141, 4U+FH of 1.(F)/123 which was captured at Stavanger and had RAF markings applied as seen."
On 9 February 1945, Oblt. Ulrich Planck, who was originally with 1.(F)/123, flew Ar 234 B-2b (SM+SA; Werk-Nr. 140141) from Burg to Rheine where it was coded "4U+FH", (Horn, p. 12). By 5 May, when Ltn. Wolfgang Ziese flew it from Leck to Stavanger (Horn, p. 92), it was a well-worn veteran with paint peeling from the engine cowls. W.Nr. 140141 also wore a small RLM 21 white "F" on the front of its port fuselage but the fairing and rack under the nacelle in this photo indicates that it is a recce Arado. There is also a white "F" on the nosewheel bracket, likely the standard for 1.(F)/123 aircraft.
Götz, Krüper and Jackstedt of 1.(F)/123 on the morning of 5 May 1945 also attempted to fly from Leck to Stavanger but were unable to reach it, (Horn, p. 92).


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1506

34. "4U+FH" was also stored at Forus and is recognizable to the right by its worn cowl and the rack under its engine nacelle. On 25 September 1945, Hptm. Helmut Miersch of 1./FAGr 1 in W.Nr. 140141 "4U+FH", accompanied by Lt. Cdr. (RN) Eric Brown in W.Nr, 140581 "8H+CH", flew from Stavanger via Grove to Schleswig-Jagel, Germany. After Miersch's mishap at Eelde in W.Nr. 140596, S/Ldr. "Tony" Martindale was sent to Schleswig. On 8 October 1945 he flew 140141 from there via Melsbroek to RAE Farnborough. However, it was no longer needed and on 15 October Eric Brown flew it to No. 6 MU at Brize Norton for storage. It was listed as scrapped and struck off charge on 6 October 1948.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1507

35. The fifth recce Arado Ar 234 captured in Norway is "somewhat of a mystery". This poor photo shows a recce Arado "TH" (black "T") with fairings but no racks. On page 219 of their 1992 Monogram edition of Arado 234 Blitz, Smith & Creek give this caption:
"Taken at Stavanger Sola in Norway, this photo shows an unusually camouflaged Ar 234 with the code ??+TH which may have belonged to 1.(F)/33."
As far as I know, neither 1.(F)/33 nor 1./FAGr 1 reported an Arado "TH". However, according to Jan Horn, Die Augen des OKW, Teil 2, (2023), Oblt. Otto Merk transferred a newly delivered 4U+TH, "probably 140495", from Lübeck-Blankensee to Hohn, 11:59 - 12:22 hrs on 2 May 1945, (p.79). But this same "TH" was blown up at 08:00 hrs on 5 May at Leck, (p.82). There is even a photograph of a burning Arado on p.83 labelled:
"Das Ende der Ar 234 B-2b (4U+TH; Werk-Nr. vermutlich 140495) auf dem Flugplatz in Leck."
Moreover, in all the pictures of "TH" at Stavanger, there is no small RLM 21 white "T" on the nose, and the size and placing of the black "TH" on the rear fuselage match those of Arados "8H+EH" and "8H+HH" that were photographed at Grove-Karup, Denmark.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1508

36. This photo is found on page 174 of Creek & Forsyth, Blitz Bombers, (Chandos, 2020) and is captioned:
"Flanked by three Fw 190s apparently in a hangar at Sola in May 1945. The last two code letters on this aircraft are 'TH" which makes it somewhat of a mystery. Note the faired rack under the turbojet."


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1509

37. The third recce jet known to have been flown out of Stavanger to England was W.Nr. 140493 whose werknummer is visible in this picture.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1510

38. This photo, taken at the same time as the above (note the puddle), shows W.Nr. 140493 to be a newly minted Arado with a barely worn engine nacelle. To me, the lack of white rings on the engine cowls and no signs of them being painted over, precludes it from being "9V+BH" or "9V+CH".
On 9 July 1945, S/Ldr. Anthony F. "Tony" Martindale of RAE Farnborough flew W. Nr. 140493 from Stavanger to Schleswig-Jagel, Germany. Then on 13 July, he flew it from Schleswig to Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands; on the 14th to Melsbroek, Belgium; RAF Manston; and finally to Farnborough. According to Smith & Creek's 2022 Classic edition, p. 311, W.Nr. 140493 made "twelve test flights at the RAE totalling 9hrs. 25 mins." On 27 November, it was transferred to No. 6 Maintenance Unit at Brize Norton and eventually scrapped. While the test flights are all listed on page 134 of Phil Bultler's 2022 Crecy edition of War Prizes, neither source mention it receiving a RAF serial.

[Nick Beale]

Regarding Werk Nummer 140495, it featured in this deciphered message of 1 March 1945:

CX/MSS/R479(C),46

On 1/3, Workshop Detachment 4/XI Hesepe Technical Admin. requested of GAF unit 606 Dept/ A2 Diepholz replacement parts for engines ORKAN ((Jumo 109004)) W.Nr. 140494, 140495, and 140587 in a/c Ar 234 of KEGIA ((6./KG)) 76 which were needed for operations.

[Karoband]

Thank you Nick. Horn was careful to use the word "vermutlich", but he was obviously wrong. However, he states categorically that 4U+TH was blown up at Leck. The photo accompanying this is attributed to "Archiv Pdeter Petrick".

[Chrisyates]

Hi Jim, regarding "TH", post 35 & 36, these photos have to my mind always been published alongside others post war in Norway. However, no evidence of a "TH" has been found of it being "Captured" In Norway. Re-reading my copy of Profiles in Norway, page 7, the author refers: "On 10th April, another unit, 1.(F)/33, performed a sortie via Sola. This was a flight to the Orkneys, to Scapa Flow and southwards to the Firth of Tay, then back to Sola."
I have no other information regarding this flight. Could it be that "TH" was photographed whilst "visiting" Sola? Thoughts anyone?

[Karoband]

Hi Chris,

Indeed, there was a successful recce of the Scottish coast on 10 April 1945 by one Ar 234 (RL 2-II/391, p. 0103). Nick Beale in "The Arado Ar 234 in Norway and Denmark: 1945" research found on his Ghostbombers site gives this:

"9 April ... Next day, warning was given to friendly units that an Ar 234 of 1.(F)/1 was due to take off from Stavanger around 14:00 hrs, and an aircraft was duly plotted of Rattray Head from 15:18 - 15:43 hrs. ..."

best regards,
Jim