Photo help request - C.445s at Berlin-Gatow dump

[ChristianK]

Gentlemen,

I know this is probably a long shot, but worth a try: In the background of the photograph you can see two Caudron C.445 Goeland training aircraft. The picture was taken at the scrapyard in Berlin-Gatow just after the war. Both aircraft might have belonged to LKS 2 before they were abandoned.

Now, as there are apparently quite a lot of photos which were taken at this dump, is there anyone showing these two wrecked trainers to a good extent (so the markings are readable etc.)? Any help would be appreciated!

Cheers,
Christian

Photo source: http://www.thescale.info/news/publis...n-Eagles.shtml

[Rabe Anton]

Salut Christian!

Thank you for posting the nice photographs of derelict aircraft in German airfield "cemeteries" in 1945-1946.

Unfortunately, I can tell you nothing about the two Caudron C.445s in your photos. We have, however, a bit of a mystery with the Fw 190F-8 WNr. 932 569 that appears in one image. The problem is this: A.I.2(g) Cr. En. A/C Rept. Serial No. 269, 12.05.45, p. 6, states that Fw 190F-8 WNr. 932 569 was found and inspected by Allied air technical personnel at Fl.Pl. Wunstorf in early 1945. The report says that the airplane was in good condition and bore <<II + markings.

There is no mistaking the WNr. 932 569, markings, or place given in the A.I.2(g) report. But against this, there also is no doubting the WNr. 932 569 displayed on the Fw 190F-8 in your photograph! Nor can I see any trace of Stab markings on the machine in your picture.

If any reader can offer any better information or corrections, I for one would surely like to see them.

RA

[ChristianK]

The photo in the link I posted and that shows 932569 may have been very well taken at Wunstorf. Not all those images are from the Gatow dump. So your report might be pretty much correct when stating that this a/c was found at Wunstorf.

These "<<II" markings the reports mentions are another thing, though. In the recently published "LO+ST" photo book by Hideki Noro there is another photograph of what seems to be the 932569, showing the starboard side (page 33). But no staff markings are visible here either.

MAYBE this photo also shows 932569 (the Fw190 to the right of the Ju88G):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2304475...25961/sizes/l/
IF that's true, then I still can't see any markings. So either the report is wrong here, or those staff markings were applied in any non-standard way (very small? yellow on light gray?) or in some place not visible in those images (engine cowling?)

In volume two of Jerry Crandalls book on the Fw190D the wrecked Dora visible to the right in the large photo will be featured. So maybe we will also get a peek at this Fw190F standing next to it..

Hope that helped a little, maybe others can tell you more.

Cheers,
Christian

[ChristianK]

In the meantime I managed to receive one close-up photo of those C.445s in Gatow. It was printed in Aeroplane Monthly July 2007 and shows a letter "J" as the only visible marking. However, the airframe had been heavily looted at the time the photo was taken. I post it here, so maybe it reminds someone of having seen a similar photo somewhere. Still, any further help with these birds and their markings would be very appreciated!

Cheers,
Christian