Bodenwöhr Waldwerk - Mtt Bf 109 K-4 assembly lines 1944 - 1945

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Hallo Fliegerhorst,

Thanks for all your fresh inputs. Your knowledge as an inhabitant of Wertheim is of course invaluable, and we all would greatly appreciate if you could find new documentation regarding the repair activities on Bf 109's carried out by Flugzeugwerke Mannheim “Flumann GmbH” since 1942 as pointed out by Carl (post #49).

The later stage Bf 109K-4's assembly activity along the "Eichelsteige" is of special interest as it illustrates the the flurry of makeshift solutions in order to keep front-line units provided with new airframes even under those extreme circumstances. Would it be possible to have some more nowadays pictures of all the places shown in the 1945 photos? That would be great!

Thanks again for your offer and looking forward for new informations. Especially new historical pictures would be highly cheered for as they more often disclose lots of new information elements.

Cheers
Marc

[Fliegerhorst]

Go on the Stadtplan/map to Northern side if the river .
there is "Im Gänsrein", new houses. there is still a tunnel 300m long parallel to Bahnhofstrasse. Kreuzwertheim railway station is eytremely outside the village itself.
A Unique area. Two railway tunnels in 300 m distance at both sides of the river. Ideal for protection.

[Fliegerhorst]

Hello Marc

yes , I will take some pictures.
in our wertheim history there is a lack of information about these days.
My parents arrived by train in 1946 as displaced persons from CSSR via Vienna. They were sent to the former Luftwaffe barracks at Wertheim Reinhardshof. A lot of damaged airplanes still being there. The people made pots for cooking of airplane material. Made pullovers of cable insulations etc.
I was reported that a company I worked for, recycled the airplanes, reused screws etc. .
There are still hangars.
One hangar was removed in 1948 from the hill where the airfield was located by contractor company Noell to Wertheim railway station, now used as storage room and fitness center.
I will take pics of all.
Here in the village Vockenrot, 1 km to the former airfield I know an old man who I can ask. And I know that one man here worked in aircraft repair.

[masmar]

Hi Fliegerhorst,

from me also many thanks for the new input. Your potential information sources have promise I guess. It would be great if you could check them by time. Like Marc said, pictures showing that places nowadays for example are very welcome. Many thanks for your offer!

Marc, are you still planning to visit bavaria? I think I can get a day off within the next weeks and could have a look on the documentation provided in Cham. I can give you some feedback on the quality of that library before you shoulder the long drive.

Greez

Matthias

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Servus Matthias,

Yes I still intend to do the trip to see the places. After all, there are only 759 kilometers from where I live to Cham ;-)))

Your feedback will be in any case highly appreciated!

Cheers
Marc

[Fliegerhorst]

whereas I am in an early stage of research I think of doing a summary of it.

The "Historische Verein" publishes "Jahrbücher" annual reports of each year since a long time.
I visit the "Historisches Museum" tomorrow, know the director.

I took many pics today.

I also will visit Fotoshop whose owner is the late seventies.
They own many old pictures.

Wertheim had 45 only a few , I think 2 important, industry companies.
One was "Herdfabrik" left side of Tauber, a foundry for ovens.
One was Präzisonstechnik, removed from bombed Aschaffenburg.
But in Hasloch there was a "Pulvermühle", producing ammunition.
Kurtz metal works.

Quite interesting, there is the "Turm" , an impressive concrete Tower,
which was a flak platform. In the fifties a brewery added one level and it became a cafe.
The last years it was known as a Night Club/Cabaret.
At the airport there was an anti aircraft gun, also on Hasselberg.
From Turm the flak could protect the air above Wertheim Castle.
Eichelsteige is behind that.

I could organize a visit in the flak tower, since I know the owner.

[RolandF]

Hallo Fliegerhorst,

yes, the small road where the DB 605s were stored is called "Eichelsteige" leading east from the northern mouth of "Schlossberg" tunnel. The eastern part is yet too steep to be used for storage purposes.
I´ve identified "Kaffelstein" tunnel as potential 2nd tunnel in post #19. One question, though, Fliegerhorst. The DB 605 trolleys - especially the iron wheels - look like they are meant for use on iron tracks and not on the bare ground. Was the railway bridge connecting Schlossberg and Kaffelstein tunnel damaged or destroyed during the final war months? This might explain the use of "Eichelsteige" for engine storage and the absence of assembly activity for Kaffelstein tunnel in March/April 1945. Before this, engine storage might have taken place there with the trolleys being pushed across the bridge for final assembly in "Schlossberg" tunnel.
Is or was there some kind of railway connection between Wertheim railroad and Wetheim airfield plateau? There´s always the possibility of truck transportation but Mtt e.g. preferred railway tracks when available.

Marc, go for "Mainschleife Urphar" east of Wertheim - might be of some archeological interest...

Regards

Roland

[ouidjat]

Originally Posted by RolandF

Marc, go for "Mainschleife Urphar" east of Wertheim - might be of some archeological interest...

Regards

Roland

Hello Marc,

Absolutly! Go here http://www.opus-bayern.de/uni-wuerzb...xte/2006/1735/ before looking in live. . Start on Later Neolithic.
Cheers,
Franck.

[Fliegerhorst]

Today it was a "great" day for me, since as "Wertheimer" I am a newbee
in this topic.

Let me explain.
Today I visited the owner of the photoshop. He is around 80+ .
And I asked him all the questions.
There are in deed only this two pictures available at present, since someone somewhen was able to make a copy. all the others would be taken to the USA by the US. I will research.

So, now the interesting aspects:
Kaffelstein tunnel was never used for storage, but Wertheim Schlossberg tunnel and the "Tauber Bahn" tunnel in Waldenhausen, ca. 3km from Wertheim. Wings and aircraft bodies were so thin that they did not
disturb trains using the tunnels. The kids played with aircraft parts these days after the war. Obviously aircraft parts were simply stored there.
He does not know about assemly in the woods. BUT, and now we are lucky, I know where Flumann was located. It was in Kreuzwertheim, Bavaria, the other side of the river. Nowadays there is a "Stuhlfabrik"
which is named Hofmann. I will research in our Bavarian neighbourhood.
We should not forget the wood aspect, Spessart is known for oak,
best quality of wood except "Buche". We know about replacement of
metal parts by wood as substitute.
There was never a railroad to Reinhardshof, impossible.
But Wertheim and Kreuzwertheim, two railway stations.
I will research whether Flumann was the beginning of the furniture company after WW2 or not. The photographer told me that the old buildings do not exist any more.
There shall also have been an "electronics" repair shop of Flumann
in these buildings. At the moment I only know about wing, body, electronics repair and body and wings storage.

I will get a copy of a bill, dated in November 44, where Flumann has to pay for pictures of 60 French POWs or workers, since they received
ID papers.

[Fliegerhorst]

the bridge between Wertheim and Kreuzwertheim was blown up
by us Germans the US being very close. thus a damaged bridge was
no influence on aircraft production.

Another aspect: At Walldürn there was a fake airport, wooden dummies.
A collegue told me about one also at "Steinfurt", he will ask his mother.
Aircraft dummies were an important factor, dunno who made them.

The photographer does not know about aircraft production beside Eichelsteige.
Flumann in Kreuzwertheim was fact, storage of bodies and wings in Schlossberg tunnel and tunnel in Waldenhausen, storage of motors
beside Eichelsteige.
2 Pictures are authentic Wertheim ones, the GI with wings at Schlossberg entrance and motors beside Eichelsteige.