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

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Dan O'Connell

Thanks for the photo Jim!

When I first got interested in planes every photo of the 262 seemed to be either Hans Fay’s natural metal job or a postwar one in fake (and very wrong) German markings, so my thanks also for bringing all these different shots together and for drawing attention to the many intriguing details they contain.

[Karoband]

You're welcome, Dan and Nick. Obviously I enjoy doing this. I think there's a detective in all of us.

Jim

[Dan O'Connell]

I can confirm 110950 is a REAL confirmed WN after I had a chance to see it for myself. Jim, please keep doing it!

[David E. Brown]

You’re welcome Dan!

Great to chat with you last night.

Best,

David

[Dan O'Connell]

Certainly great to talk to you Dave! And because of that interaction we were able to confirm a new one, and they are sure getting harder to find and confirm!

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1020

184. On page 184 of American Raiders, (2004), Wolfgang Samuel captions an almost identical photograph of white-surround "33" as, "Master Sergeant Freiburger and his men attached a rope to the nose gear of this photo-reconnaissance Me 262, intending to pull it into the nearby aircraft hanger. The gear promptly collapsed." MSgt. Eugene Freiburger of the 54th Air Disarmament Squadron and his team had reached Lechfeld on 4 May 1945 only to find that GIs had shot up many of the fifty Me 262s left there by the retreating Germans and soon learned he had been assigned to recover and make airworthy fifteen intact jets by a Colonel Harold Watson. He soon found the proper way to tow intact Me 262s and how to throw a cable over the tail plane of disabled ones and haul them backwards.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1021

185. Brown etal., Messerschmitt Me 262 Production & Arado Ar 234 Final Operations, (JaPo, 2012), pp. 100-106 has an in-depth article on this aircraft. It is identified as "Me 262 A-1a/U3, W.Nr. 500539, "White 33" ...". On pages 31-32, it is revealed that the designation of this Behelfsaufklärer [interim recce aircraft] was changed by January 1945 from "A4" to "A-1a/U3". From p. 100, "on 22nd March it was flown by Alfred Brück (Fl.Ü.G. 1) from Cheb to Lechfeld, the flight lasted from 16.20 to 16.42. Considering the date, the aircraft was most likely directly assigned to III./EJG 2 and served only for training...".
In this photo, the three-part modified bulge fairings to accommodate the bulk of film canisters atop the Rb 50/30 cameras can clearly be seen. On p. 58 there is an excellent photo of the hangar used by Freiburger's crew at Lechfeld. White-surround "33" had first been dragged to the front left of this hangar still sitting on its nose.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1022

186. The modifications to Behelfsaufklärer to install cameras were done at Flufgzeugwerk Eger G.m.b.H. at Cheb, Czechoslovakia and the aircraft were then camouflaged there with individual distinctive patterns of "snaky mottles of RLM 83 in rather complex patterns". As well, the werknummer was placed in black numerals on the tailfin below the tail plane on both sides and a black hakenkreuz with a thin white surround replaced the standard simple black one of the 500xxx series. "33" is seen here after the Whizzers had left Lechfeld and the remaining Me 262s had been dragged behind the hangar. Immediately behind "33" can be seen the noseless WNr. 170078 recognizable by its lack of camouflage. Behind it is W.Nr. 500251? "26" and to the right is W.Nr. 130004 V9 "VI+AD".

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1026

187. This poor photo shows Me 262 C-2b W.Nr. 170074 "V074", a Messerschmitt company test aircraft, in a hangar at Lechfeld undergoing a static test of its BMW 003 TLR hybrid turbo/rocket engines. If you look closely, you can see the rocket exhaust nozzle sticking out above the rear of the engine nacelle. The concept was that the rocket was to provide boost both on take-off and in combat. O'Connell, Production Log, p. 51, recounts the dismal results of the trials. Note the balkenkreuz on the wing.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1027

188. This photo shows American GIs, shortly after capturing Lechfeld on 27 April 1945, examining "V074". Note that the aircraft was found without engines and covered in camouflage nets. It is distinguishable by its white werknummer.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1028

189. Gathered by MSgt. Freiburger in the field on the left side of the front of the Whizzer's hangar at Lechfeld, possibly Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 113363 and "V074" are seen with their tracks in the mud of early May 1945.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1029

190. Here Me 262 W.Nrs. 130005 "VI+AE", 500539 "33" and 170074 "V074" are seen in their resting places to the left of the hangar. "V074" is still upright without its engines. W.Nr. 110956 white "17" and W.Nr. 113363 are out of camera range to the right.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1030

191. Towed behind the hangar after the Whizzers left on 10 June 1945, "V074" and "VI+AE" are among the Me 262s left as derelicts. In photos, "V074" can also be recognized by its emergency rocket-fuel dumping pipe below the fuselage. Note the unpainted wing and missing parts.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1031

192. Me 262 V10 W.Nr. 130005 "VI+AE" was another Messerschmitt test aircraft at Lechfeld. Here it is being piloted by Gerd Linder in October or November 1944 in a mis-guided concept of towing a 1000 kg bomb, (O'Connell, p.22). It was used as a test frame for other ideas including a modification of the nose to heat the gun compartment.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1032

193. Seen at Lechfeld in June 1945 tipped on its nose nearest the camera, V10 "VI+AE" has had its engines removed. In this colour photo, it is in the vicinity of V9 W.Nr. 130004 "VI+AD" and W.Nr. 110526 white "15" in the field at the left front of the Whizzers' hangar.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1030

194. This is the same picture seen in #191. Towed behind the hangar and showing major damage to the tailfin, V10 "VI+AE" lies derelict next to Me 262 C-2a "V074". Note its replaced nose unit.
On 6 July 1945, the Whizzers' two-seater Me 262 B-1a W.Nr. 110639, now named "Willie" and numbered "555" piloted by Lt. Robert A. Anspach, on landing at Cherbourg-Querquerville, suffered a nosewheel failure to deploy and touched down on its nose and forward engine cowls. Replacements were quickly flown in from Lechfeld and 110639 was repaired before being cocooned and shipped to the USA. In an article about this aircraft, David E. Brown wrote: "In 1993 the Navy agreed to allow "555" to be used as a pattern for the new build machines being constructed by the "Me 262 Project" on condition that it be restored in return. During restoration it was discovered that the replacement nose that had been installed at Cherbourg was equipped with a unique gun area heating system. The only 262 that had an experimental gun compartment heating installed was the tenth prototype "V10", wk. nr. 130 005."

[Dan O'Connell]

Actually it was Richard Eger who discovered that gun heating while it was being restored in Seattle.