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Old 15th February 2018, 20:09
Steve Coates Steve Coates is offline
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Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Does anyone know anything more about a Ju 188 which was flown from Munich (not clear which airfield) to Portela Airport Lisbon in Portugal on 6/4/45?

There are a few brief documents on this episode in the FO (Foreign Office) files at Kew (Reference FO371/49525) enabling part of the story to be pieced together. The Ju 188’s markings are given as ‘V63/1’ . It was crewed by Alfred Funke (Pilot), Hans Schwender (Wireless Operator) and a mechanic with the surname of Raithel. The crew were taken into custody by the Portugese Police.

Funke had emigrated to Canada in 1929 where he worked as a civilian pilot and was granted Canadian nationality in 1938. During the early part of the war he worked for Junkers as a flight test engineer and more latterly worked at Munich flying tests for de-icing equipment. Funke and his crew had apparently been planning their desertion for approximately six weeks. Schwender was apparently an Austrian whose parents were in Switzerland and Raithel had spent considerable time in South America.

The Ju 188 took off at 08.57GMT and landed at 13.47GMT. Portugal had been chosen as their destination rather than Spain as it was considered this would only have resulted in early repatriation.

Funke offered to place his services at the disposal of the Allies. This offer was ultimately declined as it appeared following further investigation that Funke had been dismissed from his position with Canadian Airways on the outbreak of war for ‘behaviour suspected to be detrimental to the defence of Canada and passing pro-Nazi remarks to plane passengers.’ Funke’s Certificate of Naturalisation was revoked following his request to return to the Allied side ‘for disloyalty and dissatisfaction to his Majesty’. Funke appealed this decision, seemingly unsuccessfully and would appear to have been subsequently returned to Germany.

Can anyone add anything to this story? Do any photos of the Ju 188 exist? What ultimately happened to it?

The same file also contains a couple of very brief documents on the landing of a twin engined German machine from Norway at approximately 09.00GMT 29/4/45 at Pedras Rubras airport in Porto / Oprto. This machine had a crew of two and the ‘usual GAF markings and letters IR’. No other details can be found in the file. Again, can anyone provide additional detail?
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Old 15th February 2018, 20:32
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Nick Beale Nick Beale is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

I knew nothing of this before your post but a bit of Googling yielded a page in French: http://paras.forumsactifs.net/t21271...uerre-mondiale You need to scroll down practially to the end but there are pictures of both it and a Ju 88 G-6, W.Nr. 621800, with FuG 220 which arrived on 2 May 1945 (it's described as "GR+LR" but the first two characters are too small to see, so I can't help suspecting it's an operational code — G9+LR?).

The caption translates as:
Junkers Ju 188 V63/1 N° 140669, fuselage code CE+XA landed at Portela de Sacavem on 6 Avril 1945, It took off from a runway near Munich and landed after 14 hours in the air thanks to an additional fuel tank in the bomb bay. This Junkers was a machine allocated for experimentation, its crew was composed of civilians, its skipper had dual German/Canadian nationality and, according to what he said, could not serve in the military. These elements were confirmed in a written note from the German embassy in Lisbon demanding the aircraft's return.
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Old 15th February 2018, 22:41
edNorth edNorth is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Confirmed is the Ju 188 V63/1 and W.Nr. (0880)140699 (not 669) CE+XA, which was an converted Ju 88 A-4/trop airframe to Ju 88 E-3 (!)
but later converted to Ju 188 A-2 (hence V63/1 in designation). Note Jumo 213 engines.

Never flew as A-4 but made in about May 1942 (it has reference that period in my files). So was old aircraft.
This is same A-4 production series converted to Ju 88 E / Ju 188 Mr. Beale found hard to belive some time ago
(and featured in Ghostbombers webpages) on 6./FAGr 123

Then redesignated Ju 188 as so many of the test airframes suffered from.

Last details were this: - At Dessau 03.1945 - “Junkers Flugabteilung” Munchen-Riem Airfield (Icing/de-icing research department) -
Departed Munchen-Riem at 09:45 hrs and landing 14:47 hrs at Portela de Sacavém (Lisboa Airfield), Portugal 06.04.1945
(F Alfred Funke 27, BF Hans Schwendter 28 and BM Berthold Raitel interned)
They were civil but not defecting per se, just deserting ...

A liittle googling and no need for post here ;-)
(same as Mr. Beale links) just not same server.
-Scroll to bottom for pictures of both Ju´s.
http://groupeaeronefs.free.fr/hist20.htm

And if somene uses this info, please credit me and Peter Achs.

Last edited by edNorth; 17th February 2018 at 02:12. Reason: add, typos
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Old 15th February 2018, 23:25
Steve Coates Steve Coates is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Before posting up here as this was an interesting little tale, I did a quick Google search, clearly not very successfully so thanks Nick and Ed.
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Old 15th February 2018, 23:37
edNorth edNorth is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Intersting if that Norway machine really went to Portugal 02.05.45 (one came here to Iceland that date). Other was ...

621800 Ju 88 G-6 4R+LR 7./NJG 2 (Luftwaffe)
Flown by three surrendering aircrew from Leck Airfield, Germany (t/o 03:20 hrs) to Pedro Rubas (Porto Airfield), Portugal, in night of 02.05.1945 (F Oblt. Walter Briegleb (?), Klaus Möller & Joseph Allram)
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Old 16th February 2018, 11:41
Stig Jarlevik Stig Jarlevik is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Ed

One problem. In your post 3 you say Ju 188V61/1, but at least one photo shows an aircraft with V63/1 on its nose.

I take it it is one and the same aircraft but V63/1 is correct?

Cheers
Stig
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Old 16th February 2018, 13:07
hanshauprich hanshauprich is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Helll,
photos are also in an book about british Fighters with Portugal Airforce.
h.
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Old 17th February 2018, 02:30
edNorth edNorth is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Testing if you noticed, typo of course, yes, sorry.
Ju 88 V61 and V63 were both involved in Ju 188 testing.
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Old 17th February 2018, 11:42
Stig Jarlevik Stig Jarlevik is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

Thanks Ed

Cheers
Stig
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  #10  
Old 23rd February 2018, 01:16
Martin388 Martin388 is offline
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Re: Ju 188 – Desertion to Portugal April 1945

This is a very interesting story Steve to a rare Ju88V-Muster that was discussed elsewhere too.

As far as I recall P.Achs confirmed the plane when 2 photographs revealed on flugzeugforum.de, some of relevant dates from several sources (to be confirmed),
- 1st flight in Dec. 42 with Jumo211J,
- converted to Jumo213A in April 43,
- 2.10.43 'Musterflugzeug mit serienmäßigen HD 151/2 im B-2-Stand und Walzenlaffettte 131 im C-Stand',
- 'in Dessau besichtigt, keine neuen Beanstandungen' acc. E2-Monatsbericht 10.43,
- 6.10.43 „V63/1“ mentioned by Preuschen, chief of flight testing in Dessau,
- Enteisungsversuche at München-Riem
- still mentioned at end of 44/45 in an oversight of Versuchsmuster

Looking again at these 2 published photographs (probably an old eBay auction commented on flugzeugforum.de) and knowing the final fate of the plane now, it seems to me that they could have been taken at disposal aera in Portugal when considering the landscape (hangar and trees).
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