Junkers 88 wreck part

[zlatanmola]

Hi guys,

I found this piece of wreck on Italian beaches, precisely near Bari. From the research carried out I am almost sure it is a Junkers 88 but I would like to be able to understand exactly which part of the plane it is.
As you can see there is a code shown on the piece:
R8-88.113-12036

Can any of you help me understand which part of the plane it is?

Thank you!

[gilles collaveri]

Definitely JU88

Same Part number here attached was found on a JU88 C6 crash site

GC

[edNorth]

zlatanmola

88.113 says upper-half (part) of fuselage (Rumpf Oberschale), apples to Ju 88 A-1 (older) and onwards, from serial no 0880008. This small part stayed unchanged from 1939, as it was just a part but not a larger component.

Many part numbers in the Ju 88 airframe stayed the same despite fuselage halves design changed. A-1/5 had this 88.115 and on A-4 upper-fuselage half was basic 88.119 but this Pressteil stayed the same.

R8- is Roh (but this here be Pressteil) part, 8- means aircraft, 88. is of course the Ju 88. I think part number is R8-88.1203 and there be many (more of same part) used in each plane and this be located in many places (possibly on Bulkhead 8a to 14a). Curve of larger part (Photo #4) thus possibly be top of fuselage, but I am far from shure finding exact place.
Explanation applies to 88.113-1203 as R8- does not appear in the A-4 parts list (1941) or I just can not find it.
Number 3115 is the Metal in it (aluminum) and part is made by VDM.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Welcome new Italian Member of the Board.

Some possible candidates for you (all lost at Bari Harbour)

Ju 88A-4 Werk # 550404 "L1 + CS" (lost 13/12/1943) – 8./LG 1
Ju 88A-5 Werk # 300267 "B3 + EH" (lost 2/12/1943) – 1./KG 54
Ju 88A-4 Werk # 142162 "4D + IL" (lost 2/12/1943) – 5./KG 30
Ju 88A-4 Werk # 800926 "L1 + BT" (lost 13/12/1943) – 9./LG 1

A.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

You can find some helpful Luftwaffe and Junkers 88 manuals here:

https://www.deutscheluftwaffe.com/ar.../Dokumente.htm

A.

[zlatanmola]

Really thank you guys. Thanks also for the welcome. You have been very helpful. Now it remains to be seen whether the piece actually belongs to one of the four wrecks indicated or if it is part of an aircraft which there is no news.

I take this opportunity again to thank you!

Greetings from South Italy!

[Adriano Baumgartner]

zlatanmola,

I guess that ED answered your querry...this part seems NOT to be related to Ju 88 A-4...so it may be Ju 88A-5 Werk # 300267 "B3 + EH" (lost 2/12/1943) – 1./KG 54.

Of course, other losses on the area may have been reported too...I do not have the full list of losses over Bari and my knowledge of airframe part numbers is nil (zero).

You will find onto this Board a huge "Family" of brothers with the same interest, some real experts on their fields of knowledge (such Ed North), a lot of well known writers, sprog writers, modelists, novelists....all branches you can imagine. Someone surely will try to match your query. It has been 13 years I have been here and one of the most gratifying experiences, I assure you...a real pleasure to be here almost every day...do learn quite a lot!

Cheerio and maybe you do find more pieces of the wreckage...some of the new ones can bring the clue to the identity of the machine and its fate, crews, etc...

A.

[Nick Beale]

Those losses on 2 December 1943 were aircraft that failed to return from the raid on Bari, they were not necessarily lost there (neither night fighters nor AA guns made any claims over the target) and were reported as missing.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Therefore, Nick, I do estimate it might have been a night raid (2 December)...is there a possibility of a collision in flight (at night)?

IF this is a possibility, more pieces of wreck might be around the area where this probable Italian diver found this one...maybe he find another clue to the positive identity..

A.

[Nick Beale]

My research on the 2 December 1943 raid is published here: http://www.ghostbombers.com/kf4/South/bari_01.html