Me 321 variants - Lieferprogramm from May, 14th 1941

[RolandF]

In a letter dating from May 14th 1941 - "Lieferprogramm für Segler 1941" - Messerschmitt Augsburg differentiates between two Me 321 variants:

Segler mit 1-sitziger Kabine (single-seat cockpit) for April-June 1941
Mtt Leipheim 50 gliders (8/16/26 p/m)
Mtt Obertraubling 50 gliders (4/15/31 p/m)

Segler mit 2-sitziger Kabine (two-seat cockpit) for June-August 1941
Mtt Leipheim 50 gliders (8/36/6 p/m)
Mtt Obertraubling 50 gliders (2/36/12 p/m)

Altogether 200 gliders like ordered by RLM.

Do we know more about this sub-variants? Werknummern? Designations?
What about A-1 or A-2 variants? Me 321B would be the 4-engined motorized project. Thanks for additional insights.

Regards
RolandF

[RolandF]

The Me 321 seems to be terra incognita in many respects.
Do we know which WNr were fabricated in the respective time frames?

Regards
Roland F

[Stig Jarlevik]

Roland

I admit, a puzzle indeed
So far I have not seen mentioned a single WNr for the Me 321.

Cheers
Stig

[Matti Salonen]

From the NVMs I have found 32 WNrs starting from 452 and ending to 646. That gives an impression that as a starting point for future research we could use WNr range 451-650. That would make 200 ea.

Matti

[Stig Jarlevik]

Aha

Matti to the rescue

Seems to account pretty much for the 200 aircraft batch given by Roland.
Do we have any accurate production figure, or was 200 the final total?

Cheers
Stig

[Tom Willis]

I can concur with this W/Nr range for the Me 321s - W/Nr 456 was given over to Me 323 program and became the Me323 V1

[Stig Jarlevik]

Spot on Tom

I do have that info as well, just didn't see it....

Cheers
Stig

[Steve Coates]

452 was the machine in which two of the leading lights of pre-war German gliding, Otto Braeutigam and Bernhard Flinsch lost their lives on 28/5/41.

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

This is what I have:
Me 321 A-1 WNr. 0451 to WNr. 0480 built from May 1941 to July 1941 as single seater with exchangeable armor protected two person cockpit.
Me 321 B-1 WNr. 0481 to WNr. 650 built from July 1941 to May 1942 as two seaters with armor protected cockpit. Production ended 30-Jun-1942.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Norbert

The data you list is not quite compatible
On one hand you say 'built to May 1942' and on the other 'production ended 30 June 1942'

To me, built vs production ended is basically the same thing.
Both cannot be correct unless more than 200 aircraft were built.

Cheers
Stig