Some enlarged and 'tweaked' known photos of Me 262s

[Nick Beale]

Regarding post #248, III./EJG 2 reported having 7 “Me 262 A-4 reconnaissance” on strength on 6 April 1945.

All the reconnaissance units seem to have called them A-4 rather than A-1a/U3.

[Karoband]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Regarding post #248, III./EJG 2 reported having 7 “Me 262 A-4 reconnaissance” on strength on 6 April 1945.

All the reconnaissance units seem to have called them A-4 rather than A-1a/U3.

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the catch. I have corrected post #392. In the future I will try to use A-4 as the proper muster. It may be difficult to get used to.

Jim

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Karoband

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the catch. I have corrected post #392. In the future I will try to use A-4 as the proper muster. It may be difficult to get used to.

Jim

I’m not saying they were correct but it’s what they thought they were flying!

[Karoband]

Addendum: A better copy of the picture in my #385 was recently posted on the modelforum.cz site, To my eye there is an ETC 501 bomb rack and only one gunport visible on the nearest Me 262.


Today's post:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1289

396. Uffz Eduard Schallmoser, on the right, walks away from his Me 262 A-1a, W.Nr. 111745, "white 5" of JV 44. According to Robert Forsyth's account in Jagdverband 44 Squadron of Experten, (2008), pp. 52-53, Schallmoser accidently clipped the tail of a P-38J and was able to land safely in this aircraft on 4 April 1945.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1290

397. The angle of this photo of "white 5" shows the uneven results of an overcoat of RLM 83 dunkelgrun that was added to many of the Me 262s of JV 44. Unlike all the other Me 262 fighter units in 1945, JV 44 carried no RVT bands on its rear fuselages. However, all of its kennzeichen numerals ahead of the balkenkreuz were neatly applied to a standard width of one half of that of the balkenkreuz and uniformly positioned beside it as seen here.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1291

398. This photo shows the canopy has been left slightly ajar by the exiting pilot. The camouflage was applied when the flaps were fully retracted.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1292

399. In this photo of W.Nr. 111745, the hakenkreuz has been digitally removed. According to Dan O'Connell's Production Log, p.137, "Flown in combat against P-47s on the 9th [April 1945] by Uffz. Johann Karl Müller of JV 44 between from [sic] 17:20 and 18:03. On the next day, between 10:32 and 11:38, Müller shot down a P-47. It was not listed in the JV 44 inventory of 26 April 1945 ...".


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1293

400. This view shows the typical demarcation between the dark upper camo and under coat of RLM 76 weiss-blau extending even under the nose cone. The wavy demarcations on the engine nacelles are also typical. The camouflage netting seen in the first photo is now lying on the ground.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1298

401. From Dan O'Connell, Production Log, (Classic, 2005), p. 182: "This 3./JG 7 (or 11./JG7) aircraft was lost on 21 April 1945 while strafing Allied troops. It was shot down by Pfc. Ralph V. Caputo of C Battery, of the 559th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, 19th Anti-Aircraft Group, near Klötze (Gardelegen/Stendal), Germany with a MG 51 machine gun."


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1299

402. Caputo and his unit being posed for a congratulatory gift with a senior officer.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1300

403. In this photo, the missing upper tail is part of the souvenirs taken by GIs. The extensive damage in the crash landing includes both engine nacelles being ripped off, wings crumpled and the entire nose component detached. It is unlikely the pilot walked away uninjured or escaped.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1301

404 This photo shows a good view of the RVT bands of red/blue signifying that this Me 262 belonged to JG 7. I had previously been mistaken when identifying "yellow 3" as an aircraft of 11/JG 7 due to what appeared to be a white vertical bar in the middle of the RVT bands. However, the white band is far too long compared to other examples and, compared to the crisp demarcation of the white edges of the balkenkreuz, the edges of the 'bar' are too ragged. This was a caulking tape that was torn off in flight. This aircraft is from I. Gruppe.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1302

405. In this photo, the Me 262 clearly shows the "3" to be yellow, not white, making this W.Nr. 501221 "yellow 3" of 3./JG 7 which on 21 April 1945 was based at Prag-Rusin. The derelict has been placed on even keel by placing the nose cone? under a wing.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1303

406. This photograph was probably one of the earliest taken of Me 262 A-1a "white 7" of III./EJG 2 as GIs captured Neubiberg in the mud and chilly rain of 1 May 1945.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1304

407. That this aircraft is from III/EJG 2 can be deduced by the position of the "white 7" on the nose, and the thin yellow band behind the cockpit that in 1945 was used only by EJG 2 to signify an operational training unit.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1308

408. This Me 262, like others used by III./EJG 2, has a kaulquappe (tadpole) camouflage on its vertical tail and rudder signifying that this component was an experimental wooden tail. On this forum, David E. Brown revealed that this example was unique in that the werknummer was located above the horizontal stabilizer and photos with better resolution reveal it to be 110376. If you look closely, you can almost make it out on this photo.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1306

409. W.Nr. 110376 was one of the earliest Me 262s of the 110xxx series, probably first tested in early October 1944. Dan O'Connell, on p. 73 of his Production Log says "After possible service with Kommando Nowotny, this aircraft was assigned to III/EJG 2 at Lechfeld ... This aircraft featured an unique stencilled, spotted rudder which was part of an experimental wooden tailplane. Inspected at Lechfeld on 1 April [1945], the tail was found to be in good condition after 20 flight hours. It was found at Neubiberg at the end of the war, and eventually scrapped.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1307

410. At the base of the tailfin, you can just make out where a cable has bit in while "white 7" was being dragged backwards to this scrapyard. The growth of vegetation suggests it has been exposed to the elements for months resulting in the residue from the gunports bleeding down the side of the nose. The replacement nacelle cowling may have come from Eger.

[Dan O'Connell]

Great choice of photos!