1945: Schrägwaffen effectiveness

yes guys he is more than willing to help when needed, much more so once Boitens giant work is published. Rod has really done his best, yes mark from N.Z. incorporating a great wealth of materials from many of the worlds archiv's and of course at a great cost to himself, with some trading of documentation from leading research historians

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I particulary appreciate the information because I'll know I'll be looking for a 2cm and not a3cm when looking for a Schräge Waffen. I know at least three potential finding places near my home. One has a house built on it, so I can forget about it, but one is on farmland and the third is in a swamp, so if one day I'll find the exact spots...

 

Skipper am going to try and find my small schematic of the all illusive Ju 88G Schrag set-up and post this week or next. A rarity really which sounds strange but it has not been posted in any books/magazines as far as I am aware

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That is correct. I have seen many pictures, but I have always wondered how the system was connected to the cockpit and the pilot (trigger, pedal , handle ? ) A schema would be very welcome Erich.

 

well what I have is a photo-drawing in black of the inside of the Ju 88G fuselage showing the slanted 2cm weapons and the canon feeds and wiring, not sure as it is not in front of me whether it shows the connectors into the cockpit nor the overhead SM sight attachment. I'll post that after the 1st of the year when I can get friends to scan the pic as well as a shots of other "interesting" materials for 08, also Skipper I have a lower belly shot of the four 2cm weapons with open maintenance bay if interested ?

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Wanted to ask you Erich, were nocturnal jets ever active anywhere but the Berlin area? In particular, did they ever fly in the dark over the Benelux countries?

Cheers,

Mark

 

hey Mark the Kommando Welter was built around the express purpose of defending Berlin from all angles used by the RAF Mossie LSNF, only toward the spring of 45 due to having it's base blown into cyberpsace by B-17's did it move from Burg to Reinsfeld and right off the Autobahn in northern Germany, so with this the Mossie flights even in the spring of 45 was a definate threat the Me 262's.......... and this is secret till right now...... flew on day missions against the RAF fighter force and were successful. We have several accts we are goaing to enter in our book that have never seen light of day, and in fact a very famous French Tempest ace lost his wingman to 3cm rounds and he nearly was evaporated as well. His remark after the mission shaking like a leaf was that the destruction was caused by ground based 20mm's, he and his wingman were totally taken by surprise .......this was in May of 45 the last week of the war.

 

You know how to make my day Erich. The belly shot of the Schräge Musik would be a welcome adding.Nice signature Btw. Is that Sylt?

 

ok good please wait for a Neu Jahres present 08.. via the SM weapons and belly arms.

ah my signature let me blow it up for you then for a closer look, I have two of them different poses but this one is the best in my thought process and there is a story behind this ~~



the US 6th Armored came and captured the factory field at Bad Langesalza, some 30 plus Ju 88G-6's were outside and in the hangers and I have many fotos from the events in spring of 45, later a 9th AF P-61 squadron came to the field - one side of it the 422nd nfs and the other side was occupied later by the US 8th AF 474th fg. Ju 88's were still lying about the field at wars end although many were lined up end to end as photos exist in my collection of this and then destroyed-scrapped and hauled off. 6th armored personell took some of the cleanest and best in my opinion fotos of Ju 88G-6's intact during the war.

 

A factory with strategical material for study. This is why it was not bombed. What a rare picture! I was surprised all these aircrafts had not been destroyed. They must have been stranded there during there testing or transist phase due to lack of fuel. It's a great shot with the Fug radars which can clearly been noted. 474th fg: One of my favourites. Several of their pilots who fell during the Battle of Normandy are honored on monuments in France.

 

Skipper I am curious as I have a pic of a lineup of 474fg personell for the lunch line and a Ju 88G-6 parked in the background, could you check your "new" book of just when the 474th fg came to this field and any supplemental notes you could attach as would like more data if possible.

yes a complete breakdown of the typical late war LW conditions due to lack of fuel, everyone heading elsewhere in a hurry. Every photo of the Ju 's at the field have the twin installation of the SM weapons fitted as a standard factory fit.

one of the well documented Ju's on field , note the twin tail P-61 in the background, I use this pic as a siggie at times

 

hey looks what's inside ?

 

Your pictures are gorgeous. They look like press photographies. It's the first time I see a JU-88 G6 with an open hatch. Thanks for sharing this. I like the little details too such as the G.I. with the gun (probably posing because their was no immediate threat) and the other one with the puppie.


The book I have is about the 479th Erich not the 474th, but I know the 474th quite well and several of my friends on both sides of the Atlantic are specialists. I'm more into the 1944 period though because in August the area I concentrate on was liberated and no more combats took place here. but I can certainly put get you in touch with a couple of friends who could recognize faces on pictures.

 

sorry for the confusion and yes I did a double check on the back of the photo it is the 9th AF 474th. have a book on one of the squads so will check for dates. I note the Ju 88G-6's were still intact through the summer of 45 before they were demolished

will add more in awhile

 

Wow, great stuff, Erich. Thanks for sharing these photos and the story along with them. Would have liked to have been in that hangar with the GI's examining those vintage aircraft! It's a shame so many of them were hauled off and scrapped.

 

here is another pic but a different NJG and area, from NJG 102 the Schule unit though at least the instructors were able to get out on missions and even score victories. After war a captured example of the units Ju 88G-6 with the slanted aerials of the FuG 220d set and the FuG 350ZC Naxos over the canopy and due to the jamming the prime radar the Naxos became a necessity to converge on the BC bomber streams. The SM installation is in the usuall spot of midway along the fuselage spine twin 2cm side by side.

location is probably in Denmark after NJG 102 was disbanded at March 1945's end.

 

I also believe this is a Denmark picture from 1945. BTW If you need info about the 474th for 1944 period let me know. I know a few monuments where some of their pilots are honored.

 

appreciate that Skipper.........was just now reading through the 428th sq memory the Geyser Gang, the 428th fs moved into Langensalza ( R-2) at the end of April 1945 and although plenty of cleanup of German LW craft and junk was there they gladly moved their P-38's within the hangers on the field. when they arrived besides the many Ju 88G-6's abandoned but at least 6 Shermans from the 6th armored were also left shot up and tracks blown off as the photos suggest. I know mqany P-61's from the 422nd nfs were also here in April of 45 and do not know if they were able to acquite hangers for their mounts or not.

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hopeful the pic will be large enough and clear enough to see as this is P. Spoden's first Ju 88G-6 which was later shot down, note the side mount of the SM installation here based at Schwäbisch Hall A/F.



dang well in the larger original the two 2cm are off to the right side by side .......

 

You realy got a few jewels here. A nice shot of the terrible last winter of the war too.