Me 410 B-2/U4 at Autobahn --> where exactly?

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello,

Does anybody know where exactly the Me 410 was found? Possible candidates could be:

1) Near Brunnthal at the Munich-Salzburg Autobahn or
2) Near Augsburg along the Munich-Augsburg Autobahn

But I have not been able to find a proof for neither of these two options.

The best lead I have is a photo of a Me 262 wreck. Another photo of the same wreck was part of a series from the same GI who also photographed the Me 410. Hence, the likelihood that they were close is high (although there is a possibility of course that he found the two aircraft at two different spots).

[Karoband]

Hi Roger,

Unfortunately, I can only offer a possible negative. In Norbert Loy's opus, Der Feldflugplatz Brunnthal, (2016), he identifies fifty-nine aircraft at the Brunnthal dump. Of those, five are Me 410's. However, none are identified as the B-2/U4 model with the conspicuous cannon.

best regards,

Jim

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi Jim,

Thank you. I own a copy of that book. I believe not all aircraft found near Brunnthal were brought to the scrapyard or not all are documented yet. For example, on page 224 there is a photo of a (most likely 8./NJG 6) Bf 110 G-4 next to a He 111. The He 111 ended up at the scrap yard, but the Bf 110 G-4 is - as far as I am aware - not (yet) documented at the scrap yard.

Best regards,
Roger

[Matolion]

You can see the church in the photo Me 262, maybe according to him you could determine the place

https://collections.ushmm.org/search...%2C1943%2C1272

[Matolion]

This Me 410 had W.Nr.710458. Unfortunately, the location of the find is uncertain

[Roger Gaemperle]

Thank you for the link. That’s a new photo to me. The building looks more like a factory with a stack to me. However, I went through my original photos and found one of the same aircraft. The original caption states that it was found at Augsburg. I then went through the other photos from the link you provided and also checked the unit history. They indeed approached Munich from the west and must have used the Autobahn from Augsburg to Munich. They stayed at Munich (at least battery C). Hence, I assume the Me 410 was most likely also found along the Autobahn near Augsburg.

[Matolion]

You are welcome. Is W.Nr. known? I only have one photo this Me 262 where it is partially visible, but I can't read it

https://i.imgur.com/rJPpcC4.jpg

[Karoband]

Hello Matolion,

Thank you for your latest photograph. To my eye it reads "11179x". In referencing O'Connell, Production Log, (2005), p. 139, I found a possible candidate:

111792 Me 262 A JV 44 aircraft found badly damaged on the Autobahn near Ulm at the end of the war by British [sic] forces. Possibly confused with W.Nr. 111752.

Ulm is about 30 km. west of Augsburg and the A8 autobahn runs past each on its way to Munich.

best regards,

Jim

[Matolion]

Thank you. It is a very likely candidate

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Thanks for all those indications, Mato Lion and Karoband;

The landscape features visible - the hilly wooded area - do point towards the stretch of Autobahn immediately east of Dornstadt, at the A8 exit for Ulm.

Cheers
Marc