Me 262 assigned to "Schnellaktion Prof. Gladenback"

[FRANCESCO M LENTINI]

In Dan O' Connell's book "Me 262 production log 1941-1945" on page 190 there is a pic with this caption. " the only me 262 assigned to the so-called Schnellaktion Prof. Gladenbeck at Brandis in early 1945. The unit was involved in testing high-frequency radio equipment and accoustics."

I would like to known a little more about this ,especially about acoustic research (another mythical wonder waffe ?)

thanks

Francesco Maria Lentini

PS: thanks Dan for your book and for your work at the state of the art: it's a pleasure now that we can read a book about me 262 and immediately check the w.n. or the code and discover the full history.

[Dan O'Connell]

I'd like to know more also :-) I've been able to discover very little about him. I'm glad you enjoy the book and fine it useful :-)

[George Hopp]

There's more on the unit and on that Me 262 -- the one with the tuning fork-like thingie on its nose? -- on pages 397 and 398 of the 4-volume set on the Me 262. (OK, I found Dan's book. It's actually page 198. The same photo and others are on page 397 of the Me 262 book set, with the tuning fork sucker on page 398.)

I would like to known a little more about this ,especially about acoustic research (another mythical wonder waffe ?)

You need to remember where the Germans were coming from. They didn't have centimetric radar in any quantity, and they certainly didn't have the proximity fuse package. So, on one side they were using acoustic research in an attempt to create a proximity fuse for their AA; and on the other, with the Me 262, as, I assume, a decimetric radar substitute that couldn't be jammed. According to the narrative with the photos, they were able to get a 750m range on the set, with good DF at 350m, on a/c sounds, so long as the target sounds were on a different frequency spectrum than the fighter's. These ranges they were trying to increase "through evaluation of perfect frequency spectra."

In addition to the Me 262, this unit apparently had 3 Me 163s, 1 He 111, 1 Ju 88, and one high-performance glider of unknown type.

[Dan O'Connell]

Thanks George, I really didn't know much about it.