Some enlarged and 'tweaked' known photos of Me 262s

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1267

382. Radtke, p. 238, captions this photograph as "März 1945, Neuburg/Donau. Flugbetrie der III./KG (J) 54: Links: Oblt. Heinz Rall...". Rall was the staffelkapitän of 8./K.G. (J) 54 and these scenes show the preparations for a sortie. Note the muddy conditions of the airfield and the presence of a portable generator.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1268

383. In this very poor photo, the Jumo 004 jet engines of Rall's aircraft are to be started by a ground crew using the portable generator to activate the Riedel starter. Rall is standing at the right.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1269

384. Radtke, p. 239: "März 1945, Neuburg/Donau. Flugzeugführer und 1. Warte der III. KG (J) 54 vor dem Start..." Pilots and senior ground crew are seen having an intense discussion before take-off. Note the addition of wellens of white camo spray for winter camouflage.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1270

385. Another poor photo shows that the Me 262s have been previously been towed and lined up on the edge of a rollbahn (taxiway) leading to the startbahn (runway) in anticipation of a sortie. A karoband of blue and white checkers can be seen on the rear fuselage of the far aircraft and its hakenkreuz may be obscured by camouflage netting.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1271

386. Radtke, p. 238: "März 1945, Neuburg/Donau. Me 262-A1a der III./54 auf der Rollbahn bzw.vor dem Start." Under strict orders, an Me 262 is being towed to its final position on the startbahn by at kettenkrad in order to conserve the kerosin J2 fuel. Taxiing for just five minutes used up 200 litres.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1276

387. The tire tracks in the mud show that the kettenkrad had to swing wide in order to avoid clipping the nose of the nearest Me 262 with the wing tip. Note the unusual camouflage and apparent lack of a hakenkreuz and a karoband, perhaps due to camouflage netting.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1277

388. What seem to be civilian technicians assist in the preparations. Note the camo netting and tow bar.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1278

389. Radtke, p. 239: "März 1945/Neuburg/Donau. Me 262-A1a, B3+GR der 7. Staffell". Note that the hakenkreuz has been censored and the werknummer, 111620, is obscured in this copy of the photo. However, the better resolution of this copy shows the KG(J) 54 usage of a large black "R" to indicate the staffel, differing from KG 51's usage of a final very small dark letter. Final preparations near the startbahn were done with the aircraft lined up in a row without towbars.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1279

390. This poor view of W.Nr. 111620 "B3+GR" shows a member of the ground crew assisting a pilot already in the cockpit, while, in the background, an Me 262 takes to the air. Curiously, O'Connell, p. 129, has Ofw. Friedrich Gentzsch "of I./KG(J) 54" flying this machine on 8 February 1945 and "it was 100 % destroyed by an air raid at Neuburg on 23 February...."


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1280

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1281

391. Off Topic: A list compiled of Jet airfields as of 24 January 1945 and the type and number of flak emplacements.

[AndyMa]

More nice photos, thanks.
I'm being thick, but what is curious about the O'Connell statement regarding WNr.111620?

[Karoband]

Originally Posted by AndyMa

More nice photos, thanks.
I'm being thick, but what is curious about the O'Connell statement regarding WNr.111620?

Hi Andy,

I have referenced the photos that Radtke captioned in his 1990 book and this photo like the others dates it "März 1945" (March), however, Dan, with up-to-date info in 2005, has 111620 destroyed in February. Which leads me to ask, are all of the dates of these pictures captioned by Ratke also wrong? Were they taken in February? Just curious.

Jim

[AndyMa]

Aha, I had not noticed the clash of dates.
Thanks for the explanation.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1283

392. The damage to this Me 262 A-4 appears to be the result of a nose wheel collapse sustained during a an emergency landing. This is one of four coloured photographs that I know of, taken during the recovery operation. The unique wellens of the camouflage pattern on the starboard fuselage identify this aircraft as W.Nr. 500251 that had a later white-surround "26" on its nose and was captured at Lechfeld. Higher resolution copies of these photos found on p. 74 of Brown etal., Messerschmitt Me 262 Production & Arado Ar 234 Final Operations, (JaPo, 2012) show a red "S" on the rear fuselage in the shadow under the tailplane.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1284

393. This cropping of the above photo shows that the entire joined access hatches to the cameras is missing and that the film cannisters have been removed. The upper starboard wing has much of its green camouflage rubbed off exposing the lighter under coat. This is undoubted due to the wear and tear by pilots and ground crew accessing the cockpit from the starboard side. Note the torn off lower joint tape where the nose component connects with the fuselage.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1285

394. Due to the proficiency of Luftwaffe pilots in making emergency landings with only 10-30 % damage, recovery teams needed a mobile crane capable of lifting a dismantled Me 262 onto a flatbed trailer. In this photo, the unplowed field with green stubble grass, as well as the clothing of the ground crew, suggests this photo was not taken in December 1944 but in early Spring 1945.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1286

395. This cropping of the above photo shows the recovery team operating the controls of the crane under the watchful eye of an officer, possibly the T.O. Note that the joined access hatches to the cameras and film cannisters lies on the ground to the right.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1287

396. Here the crane operator lowers a cable to attach to the nose. To the right, what appears to be a pilot climbs onto the wing.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1288

397. Brown, etal., on p. 76 associate these pictures with "a nosewheel collapse at Brandis airfield on 1st April 1945." According to Andreas Zapf, in his online Mosquitos und Schwaben (2014), p. 145, in RL 2-III/624 (not yet posted), there is a table of strengths of Me 262 units for 10 April 1945 including "N.A.Gr. 1 u. 6" that has the notation "14 Flzge. zur Abgabe an III./EJG 2 befohlen". It is possible, even likely considering the time needed for repairs at Brandis, that the white-surround "26" on W.Nr. 500251 seen at Lechfeld was added by III./EJG 2.

[Choco1961]

Karoband, thanks for sharing this U3 with analysis details, really interesting.
Harry

[Karoband]

My pleasure, Harry.