Junkers 88 G-6 at München-Brunnthal

In an attempt to reduce the impact of allied fighters strafing its airfields and destroying parked aircraft, the Luftwaffe started to build satellite landing fields and associated aircraft shelters in near-by woods. To add to the existing Munich area airfields München Riem, Neubiberg and Oberschleissheim, in May 1944 a stretch of autobahn as well as a flat agricultural area near Brunnthal south of München was turned into landing strips with adjacent repair facilities, accommodations and aircraft boxes cut into wooded areas, Loy (2010), p.41-43.

In 1945, V./NJG2 used Brunnthal and by the end of the hostilities, quite a number of its aircraft were located there (V./NJG2 originated from crews of III./KG 2 and was formed in December 1944). Other aircraft from this unit are known from photos to have ended up at Neubiberg on the southwestern outskirts of München and north of Brunnthal. After the war, a US disarmament unit commenced to gather all aircraft in the vicinity of Brunnthal at a single collection point. This site, adjacent to the autobahn, became a very attractive magnet to US soldiers and locals alike, providing us today with numerous photographs showing a great number of aircraft. Of particular interest and value is an aerial photograph covering the complete scrap yard. Originally published in Norbert Loy’s 2010 Jet & Prop article, I have added numbers to identify the individual aircraft.

source: Loy (2010), p.43

This article concerns itself only with Ju88G-6 found at Brunnthal. Examining available published and internet photographs, it appears that 14 Ju88G-6 were dispersed across the field, and at least 15 destroyed or burnt-out Ju88G wrecks were strewn across the scrap heap of at the west corner of the collection point.

The list below is my attempt to correctly identify the Ju88G-6 night fighters at Brunnthal using photographic evidence. However, in several instances, information shown by photographs is ambiguous. In those instances, I call out under comments the results of my interpretation. There will be misinterpretations, and there are gaps; any corrections, additions and differing views are very welcome.

I would like to express my gratitude and to acknowledge once more David E. Brown's valuable review and contribution to this article.

NO.	W.NR.	UNIT MARKING	MAIN SOURCE	COMMENTS
3	621353	Number “5” on tail plane; likely V./NJG2	Jet & Prop (1996) p.35	Werknummer confirmed, association with #3 almost certain. Unit not confirmed, but usage of numbers on tail plane consistent with other V./NJG2 aircraft
8	622345	U5+OT V./NJG2	Green (2006) p.29 Internet photos	Werknummer almost certain, discernible from photograph
11	621650	n/a		Werknummer confirmed
12	620154	n/a	Gaemperle (2011) p.13 Internet photos	Werknummer confirmed
15	622901	U5+GT V./NJG2	Internet photos	Werknummer confirmed. Clearly identified through Bf110 next to it.
21	621602	number “9” on tail plane V./NJG2		V./NJG2 Flugbuch entries confirm usage of aircraft marked “9”
22	62- - - -	n/a		Possibly 620154, Werknummer confirmed at Brunnthal, association with #22 uncertain
23	62- - - -	n/a	Gaemperle (2011) p.53
24	62- - - -	n/a
29	622322	U5+NT V./NJG2	Gaemperle (2011) p.54 Internet photos	Werknummer confirmed
30	62- - - -	U5+FT V./NJG2	Green (2006) p.29
38	621591	number “24” on tail plane Likely V./NJG2	Green (2006) p.29	Werknummer confirmed. Unit not confirmed, but usage of numbers on tail plane in line with other V./NJG2 aircraft
41	62295-	U5+AT V./NJG2	http://www.508pir.org/album_barger/index.htm	According to Steve Sheflin, Werknummer is 622951.
48	622990	U5+DT V./NJG2	Loy (2010), p.46 Internet photos.	It seems that on this aircraft, the Werknummer was changed to 623998 (Gaemperle (2011), p.52 and 53) and photographs show the original number with the peeled away newer number.

Viewed from the south-west corner of the scrap heap (see below), eight Ju88G-6 tail planes are discernible and the following can be identified:

Aircraft No.	Werknummer	Comments
10	none	No Werknummer, washed out Hakenkreuz (Number partially illegible, could also be “19”)
--	621328	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only with SN2 tail marking – “VI”.
--	620426	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only with SN2 tail marking – “V/DR”.
--	621439	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only.
4	62- - - -	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only with Werknummer burnt-off.
--	622314	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only.

Viewed from the north-east corner - close to the Ju290 - at least another seven Ju88G-6 tail planes can been seen. The following Werknummern have been identified by Crandall (2011) p.7:

Aircraft No.	Werknummer	Comments
--	622124	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only.
--	622958	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only.
--	623213	Burnt-out or destroyed wreck, tail plane only.

source: expired ebay auction

SOURCES:

Brown, David E., Poruba, Tomas, & Vladar, Jan, 2012

Messerschmitt Me 262 Production & Arado Ar 234 Final Operations – Luftwaffe Over Czech Territory 1945 IV.

JaPo, Prague, 158p.

Crandall, Jerry, 2011

Wings of the Black Cross - Number 7.

Eagle Editions, Hamilton, 36p.

Gaemperle, Roger S., 2011

Captured Eagles: German WWII Aircraft Captured by the Allies - Volume 1

Vintage Eagle, Zurich, 70p.

Green, Brett, 2006

Götterdämmerung: Luftwaffe Wrecks and Relics Number 1.

Ian Allen, Hersham, 96p.

Janowicz, Krzysztof, 2006

Monograph 15: Junkers Ju 88 Volume III.

Kagero, Lublin, 140p.

Jet & Prop, 1996

Foto-Archiv Band 6 – Spezial-Ausgabe: Mai 1945 Die Luftwaffe Kapituliert.

VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrucken, 98p.

Loy, Norbert, 2010

Feldflugplatz Brunnthal: Ausweich und Schattenplatz im Landkreis München 1944-1945.

Jet & Prop, 04/2010, p.41-47.

Proulx, Mark, 2007

Wings of the Black Cross - Number Four.

Eagle Editions, Hamilton, 36p.

Messerschmitt 262 B-1a at Schleswig-Jagel - Part 2

 Since publishing the first part of my observations of the line-up of Messerschmitt 262 at Schleswig-Jagel, I have been privileged to receive the generous support from expert David E. Brown who provided missing information as well as providing insights and comments on my original conclusions. Further information has come from discussions on Peter A. Evans´ excellent forum, the “Luftwaffe Experten Message Board”, in short "LEMB” www.luftwaffe-experten.org.

Zapf (2009, p.16) refers to a RAF Disarmament Wing document listing eight Messerschmitt 262s handed over to the British at the end of the hostilities at Schleswig-Jagel. From two photographs, we can identify the complete Messerschmitt 262 aircraft line-up. From right to left, respectively front to back, these were:

·         Me262 B-1a/U1, W.Nr. 110305, Red 8 of 10./NJG11. This aircraft made its way to South Africa and is currently on display at the Ditsong National Museum of Military History in Saxonwold, Johannesburg.

·         Me262 B-1a/U1, W.Nr. 111980, Red 12 of 10./NJG11. According to Lt. Herbert Altner´s memories, he flew this aircraft on May 6, 1945 to Schleswig (see Williams, 2005, p.187)

·         Me262 B-1a/U1, W.Nr. Red 10 of 10./NJG11. The often published photograph of Red 12 with German marking shows another Me262 on its left. Closer examination reveals that the rear canopy cover is equipped with sun shades, a feature which only Red 10 has displayed in various photographs. This determines the order of the line-up: Red 8, Red 12, Red 10.

·         Me262 B-1a/U1, W.Nr. 110306, of 10./NJG11. This plane has been identified as Red 6 (Dan O´Connell, 2005, p.70) or Red 9 (Smith & Creek, 2003, p.455), but as Brown pointed out to me, no clear photographic evidence exists as to an individual aircraft number on W.Nr. 110306. After reviewing all existing photographs, I have to concur with David.

·         Me262 B-1a, W.Nr. 110165, uncoded. The unit association of this aircraft is not confirmed, but it may have been with 10./NJG11 (see O´Connell, 2005, p.184). Equally, the Werknummer is not confirmed but rather an educated assumption as the aircraft did not carry a number on its tail plane (see photograph in Samuel, 2010, p.142; Brown et al., 2011, p.165). The photograph of "165" reproduced in Brown et al. is the only one I know of where this aircraft still wears its German markings and where the aircraft to its right can clearly be seen; the latter is a Me262 A-1a with the individual number “1” just visible.

·         Me262 A-1a, W.Nr.11????, Red 1 of 10./NJG11. According to Brown (2010), photographs of the aircraft in Toronto reveal an over-painted white “2” and fuselage band that are interpreted to identify it as a former aircraft of 1./JG7. The JG7 crest on both sides has been painted over and within it painted the number “1”. The Werknummer is unknown though its camouflage pattern is the same as that applied to other aircraft in the 111xxx or 112xxx blocks (Brown, ibid).

·         Me262 A-1a, W.Nr. 112372, Red 2 of 10./NJG11. Photos confirm this aircraft to be a former JG7 aircraft with the individual number 2 or 7 being painted over and the red-blue band of JG7 still discernible (O´Connell, 2005, p.149). This aircraft has been restored and is on display at the RAF Museum Hendon, see below.

·         Me262 A-1a, W.Nr. 500443, Yellow 5 of 7./JG7. Photographs show it as Yellow 6 due to slight corrections by RAF personnel in order to avoid confusion with the other aircraft coded “5” surrendered at Fassberg. O´Connell (2005, p.173; based on conversations with D.E. Brown) attributes this aircraft most likely to Maj. Erich Ruhdorfer of JG7.

As background to the line-up of these aircraft at Schleswig-Jagel, it is worthwhile to attempt to retrace the journeys of 10./NJG11 during the final month of the war. The unit’s base at Burg near Magdeburg was bombed by the US Air Force on April 10, 1945, which rendered it practically un-usable for further operations. The Staffel was relocated and its operations were resumed a few days later with the jets operating from a stretch of autobahn near Reinfeld-Lübeck (Czypionka in Cleaver, 2011 in chapter “Jorg Czypionka: Kommando Welter”) or from Lübeck-Blankensee airfield (Altner in Williams, 2005, p.187). The autobahn was not used for night landing; the pilots landed at Lübeck-Blankensee and the aircraft were flown back to the autobahn to safe shelters during daylight. Between May 4th and 6th, the remaining operational aircraft were transferred by their pilots to Schleswig-Jagel to be surrendered to the British.

References

Brown, David E., 2010. AM52 Messerschmitt Me262A-2a, post of June 21 2010, Luftwaffe Experten Message Board, www.luftwaffe-experten.org

Brown, David E., Janda, Ales, Poruba, Tomas & Vladař, Jan, 2011. Messerschmitt Me 262s of KG & KG(J) Units. JaPo Publishing, Prague

Cleaver, Thomas McKelvey, 2011. Combat Air Annals, kindle edition

Foreman, John & Harvey, S.E., 1995. The Messerschmitt Me 262 Combat Diary, Air Research Publications, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

Jurleit, Manfred, 1995. Strahljäger Me 262 im Einsatz. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart

O`Connell, Dan, 2005. Messerschmitt Me 262 The Production Log, Classic Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Surrey

Samuel, Wolfgang W.E., 2010. Watson´s Whizzer´s: Operation Lusty and the Race for Nazi Aviation Technology, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.,

Smith, J. Richard & Creek, Eddie, 2003. Messerschmitt Me 262, Volume 3, Classic Publications, Crowborough

Williams, David P. , 2005. Luftwaffe Colours - Nachtjäger Volume 2, Classic Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, Surrey

Zapf, Jürgen, 2009. Fliegerhorst Schleswig-Land (Jagel), in Jet&Prop 1/09, p.14-16, VDM Verlag Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken