Ar 196s Captured on Prinz Eugen

[Hans Mcilveen]

Hi Tony,

Thank you. Yes that is the one. I have added an image that shows the location of the Werknummer on the frame, just behind the rear wing spar attachment.
I hope it makes sense to you.

Colour photographs courtesy of Jaeger on Forum Marinearchiv.

Regards

Hans

[Petrusja]

An old NASM description of '623167' says that it has 'only 14 hours of operational flying time and U. S. Navy pilots added just four more hours during testing and evaluation at the Naval Air Materiel Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.' Any idea where this information comes from if the c/n is unknown?

I am wondering about the fake Germans markings painted on during the capatult tests, even with a swastika added on the catapult. Just for fun? Were these public events? Wasn't flying without US markings highly unusual?

Is it known who the pilots were and what they had to say about it?

[Nick Beale]

An ULTRA message giving the code of Admiral Scheer's Ar 196 in March 1945.

[Nick Beale]

A deciphered message with the code and W.Nr. of Lützow's Ar 196:

[Nick Beale]

Some more codes for heavy ships' aircraft, from 15 October 1944. Prinz Eugen was at sea about 140 km from Pillau that day, off Memel (Klaipėda, Lithuania). She collided with Leipzig during the evening.

[edwest2]

Originally Posted by Petrusja

An old NASM description of '623167' says that it has 'only 14 hours of operational flying time and U. S. Navy pilots added just four more hours during testing and evaluation at the Naval Air Materiel Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.' Any idea where this information comes from if the c/n is unknown?
I am wondering about the fake Germans markings painted on during the capatult tests, even with a swastika added on the catapult. Just for fun? Were these public events? Wasn't flying without US markings highly unusual?
Is it known who the pilots were and what they had to say about it?

The quote appears in this book: RCAF War Prize Flights, German and Japanese Warbird Survivors by Harold A. Skaarup. The aircraft is identified as an Ar 196A-5 (Werk Nummer 623167). It was repainted, for unknown reasons, with the code GA+DX which was taken from a different aircraft. Also mentioned is the Werk Nummer 68967. The NASM retained the incorrect markings.

Best,
Ed