Aufklarung 1945 over UK

[James Bone]

I was interested to find on another website a reference to a Spitfire
intercepting a Ju 388L at 44000 feet over the UK in early 1945 and
successfully shooting it down. I had never heard of this before.
Is it true and can anyone provide details of the aircraft involved and
where it happened.
I am also interested in the aufklarung flights over the UK by Ar 234s
the last of which was as late as10 April 1945.
Beyond looking at Scapa Flow what purpose did these flights serve
at that stage of the conflict?
James Bone

[kaki3152]

Several reconnaissance missions were flown by operational Ju 388's, generally believed to be "L" models, in the final days of the war in Europe. Most were flights over England, and were similiar to the reconnaissance missions being flown by the jet powered Ar 234 at the same time period, though at higher altitudes.
In early 1945 a Ju 388 was intercepted while flying at approximately 44,000 ft over the English Channel by a Supermarine Spitfire. The Spitfire, operating above its service ceiling, was not able to reach the altitude of the Ju 388 but was able to fire upon it from below and bring it down. It is believed that this was the highest altitude shoot down of WWII.

[Brian]

Hi guys

Most interesting. Any idea as to whom the pilot/unit was that shot down the Ju388, and the actual date?

Cheers
Brian

[Nick Beale]

Does the website in question give an actual wartime source for the claim that the Ju 388 operated over the British Isles?

There is excellent contemporary evidence for such missions by Ar 234s, which were available in far greater numbers than the 388.

[James Bone]

Hi Nick,
No ,it does not and that is why I was enquiring whether
anyone had any concrete information about the action.
In the absence of more detail I regard the claim as suspect.
I wonder if Christoph the author of the Ju 388 book posts here,
and if so what does he think?
Do you have any thoughts on the purpose of the Ar 234 flights over the
UK in 1945?
Regards, James

[Brian Bines]

The William Green book Warplanes of the Third Reich states that several Ju 388L's were operated by 3/Versuch.Ob.d.L from late 1944. Has anybody got the late war losses for the unit which might help with this query.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by James Bone

Hi Nick,
Do you have any thoughts on the purpose of the Ar 234 flights over the
UK in 1945?
Regards, James

These flights come up from time to time in ULTRA. From memory, these usually refer to flights down the East Coast (Hull being about the northernmost point), taking in East Anglia, the Thames Estuary and maybe East Kent.

I have never seen any mention of a Ju 388.

[Graham Boak]

The authors of the new Schiffer book on the Ju388 did not come across any information on operational flights of Ju.388s over the UK.

This is reported on the Luftwaffe Experten Message Board.

[James Bone]

Thanks for that Graham.
Were the Ar 234 flights made from Norway, perhaps Stavanger- Sola?Certainly the last recorded on 10 April 1945 took in Scotland
from orkney to The River Tay much further north than the flights mentioned by Nick.
I am still puzzled as to why the flights were made when it was by this time beyond Germany`s military capability to make use of any information
gained with the possible exception of the odd attack by u boats.
James

[Brian Bines]

Was there not concerns in Germany about another possible Allied invasion of Norway,were the Arado's looking for any shipping build up ?