Ar 234 C-3 W.Nr. 250003 at Altenburg?

[Karoband]

Good evening,

While browsing www.modelforum.cz under 'Ar 234', I saw the picture from the source below: (click on photo to enlarge)

http://goskatalog.ru/portal/#/collections?id=7137494

A sharp-eyed contributor to the above forum spotted the '003' on the landing gear door. Another, able to read the Russian caption, added "Ar 234 C-3 W.Nr. 250003, Altenburg".

Any ideas as how an Ar 234 C-3 ended up in Altenberg?

Best regards,

Jim

[S Sheflin]

Hi Jim,
For what it's worth, I have Ar 234C-3 (WNr. 250003) as being abandoned at Alt-Lönnewitz.
Respectfully,
Steve Sheflin

[Karoband]

Thanks, Steve.

That makes more sense! According to Larry deZeng's Airfields of the Luftwaffe, "14 Apr 45: Altenburg taken by U.S. 6th Armored Div."

Jim

[Maciej Góralczyk]

For those who would like to save the photo but don't know how:

[Matolion]

But, Altenburg eventually fell to the Soviet zone (July 1945)

Second photo
https://i.imgur.com/0QYkXvj.jpg

https://goskatalog.ru/portal/#/collections?id=7137543

[Karoband]

Thank you, Maciej and Matolion.

If the tail in the second photo is that of the aircraft in the first picture (and the soldiers seem to be the same persons with the same decorations), then 250003 had the same large white-surround swastika that 250001 had.

[Matolion]

Yes, the soldiers are the same. More precisely - St. lieutenant Pusev is in both photos

[Matolion]

The swastikas are the same

W.Nr.250001, Prague-Ruzyne
https://i.imgur.com/Pkz6KOJ.jpg

[EduardosNormalos]

Hi!

So,the serially produced Ar234C's identifiable from photos so far are:

Ar 234C-3 (WNr. 250001) Prague-Ruzyne (large swastika in the tail)
Ar 234C-3 (WNr. 250003) Alt-Lönnewitz (large swastika)
Ar 234C-3 (WNr. 250006) Munchen-Riem (small swastika)
Ar 234C-3 (WNr. 250012) Prague-Ruzyne (small swastika)

Any idea of the XX and ZZ below:

Ar 234C-3 (WNr. 2500XX) Lechfeld (small swastika)
Ar 234C-3 (WNr. 2500ZZ) Prague-Ruzyne (only wing visible in photo)

Best Regards,
Juha