MESSERSCHMITT Me262 WW2 GERMAN
LUFTWAFFE DEVELOPMENT TESTING PRODUCTION
SCHIFFER HARDBOUND BOOK with DUSTJACKET in ENGLISH by WILLY RADINGER &
WALTHER SCHICK
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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia
The Messerschmitt
Me 262 Schwalbe
(English: "Swallow") was the world's first operational jet-powered
fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine
problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. Compared with
Allied fighters of its day, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor,
it was much faster and better armed. One of the most advanced aviation designs
in operational use during World War II, the Me 262 was used in a variety of
roles, including light bomber, reconnaissance and even experimental night
fighter versions.
Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied kills
(although higher claims are sometimes made). The Allies countered its potential
effectiveness in the air by attacking the aircraft on the ground and while
taking off or landing. Engine reliability problems and attacks by Allied forces
on fuel supplies during the deteriorating late-war situation also reduced the
effectiveness of the aircraft as a fighting force. In the end, the Me 262 had a
negligible impact on the course of the war as a result of its late introduction
and the consequently small numbers that were deployed in operational service.
Me 262 A-0: Pre-production aircraft fitted with two Jumo
004B turbojet engines, 23 built.
Me 262 A-1a "Schwalbe":
Primary production version, usable as both fighter (interceptor) and
fighter-bomber.
Me 262 A-1a/R1: Equipped with provisions for R4M
air-to-air rockets
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Additional Information from Internet
Encyclopedia
Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7) Nowotny was a
Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II and the first operational jet
fighter unit in the world. It was created late in 1944 and served until the end
of the war in May 1945.
JG 7 was formed under the command of
Oberst Johannes Steinhoff, with Kommando Nowotny (the initial Me 262 test wing
) renumbered III./JG 7. Under the command of Major Erich Hohagen III./JG 7 was
the only element of JG 7 ready to operate against the Allies. Throughout its
existence JG 7 suffered from an irregular supply of new aircraft, fuel and
spares. With such a radically new aircraft, training accidents were also
common, with 10 Me 262s being lost in six weeks. Additionally, JG 7 operated
Bf-109Gs. These Bf-109Gs likely operated as top cover for the Me-262s during
takeoff and landing, as was common practice for other Luftwaffe jet units, such
as Jagdverband 44. However, the numbers and exact usage of JG 7's Bf-109Gs are
unknown, as there is no Luftwaffe documentation regarding these BF-109Gs. The
allies captured Bf-109Gs with the same markings as JG 7's Me-262s, the blue and
red tail band, but this does not confirm the Bf-109Gs purpose.
The technical troubles and material
shortages meant initial tentative sorties were only in flight strength, usually
no more than 4 or 6 aircraft. Flying from Brandenburg-Briest, Oranienburg and
Parchim, the Geschwader flew intermittently against the USAAF bomber
formations. On 3 February JG 7 intercepted USAAF bomber formations and 5
bombers were claimed shot down.
By the end of February 1945 JG 7 had
claimed around 45 four-engined bombers and 15 fighters, but at this stage of
war this success rate had no effect whatsoever on the Allied air offensive.
During March JG 7 began to deliver
larger scale attacks against the Allied bombers. 3 March saw 29 sorties for 8
kills claimed (one jet was lost). On 18 March III./JG 7 conducted their biggest
attack numerically thus far, some 37 Me 262s engaging a force of 1,200 American
bombers and 600 fighters. This action also marked the first use of the new, unguided
R4M rockets. 12 bombers and 1 fighter were claimed for the loss of 3 Me 262s.
The total numbers of aircraft shot down
by JG 7 is difficult to quantify due to the loss of Luftwaffe records; between
136 and 420 Allied aircraft may have been claimed shot down.
March 1945
Sunday, 18 March 1945: Some 37 Me 262s
engaged some 1,330 U.S. heavy bombers and over 700 fighters of the USAAF 8th
Air Force destined for Berlin, known as "Mission 894" by the
Americans, with some bombing undertaken using H2X radar due to inclement
weather over the target area.[1] The Me 262s were equipped for the first time
with 24 of the new R4M air-to-air rockets. JG 7 claimed 12 bombers and one
fighter though U.S. records indicate only eight heavy bombers lost. III./JG 7
lost three jet fighters in return. I./JG 7 was forced to takeoff in bad weather
and lost Hans Waldmann in a mid-air collision with Hans-Dieter Weihs, and
Günter Schrey following combat with U.S. fighters.
21 March 1945: JG 7 claimed 13 B-17s
shot down (6 8th Air Force heavy bombers were lost to all causes).4 Me 262s
were lost.
22 March 1945: 27 Me 262's of II./JG 7,
led by Major Theodor Weissenberger, attacked B-17s over Leipzig. Weissenberger
and Obfw Heinz Arnold each claimed a B-17 downed of the 12 bombers claimed shot
down by the unit (10 were lost by the 15th Air Force formation).
23 March 1945: Heavy bombers of the
USAAF 15th Air Force attacked refineries at Ruhland, where fuel production
ceased completely after the attack. The Luftwaffe countered this attack with 14
jet fighters claiming two confirmed and one probable victories during the
course of 11 aerial combat over Chemnitz. Major Heinrich Ehrler was credited
with two B-24s destroyed and Oberfeldwebel Reinhold a B-17 probably destroyed.
American sources confirm these claims to attacking Me 262s in the area of
operations.
24 March 1945: JG 7 intercepted a
bomber formation of the 15th Air force and claimed 10 four-engined bombers.(US
archives record only one of the 15th AF bombers was lost). JG 7 lost 4 Me 262s in
return, to the escort fighters( who in turn claimed 8 Me 262s)
25 March 1945: JG 7 accurately claimed
five B-24s shot down, although 5 Me 262s were lost from 25 sorties despatched.
31 March 1945: 19 four-engined bombers
and two fighters and the probable destruction of another bomber recorded a
level of success which was never to be exceeded.
About 20 Me 262s of I. Gruppe and 7 of
III. Gruppe took off during the early morning to intercept 460 RAF and RCAF Lancasters
and Halifaxes bombing Hamburg, (including the RCAF units of No. 419 Squadron
(Moose), No. 434 Squadron (Bluenose), No. 408 Squadron (Goose), No. 415
Squadron (Swordfish) and No. 425 Squadron (Alouette)).
Oberleutnant Sturm, Oberleutnant Hans
Grünberg (2), Leutnant Todt (2), Leutnant Schenk (2), Oberleutnant Franz Schall
(2), Fähnrich Ehrig (2), Leutnant Hans-Dieter Weihs (1 probable) and Flieger
Gerhard Reiher had achieved 13 aerial victories without loss.
The days victory total was raised by at
least six during the afternoon when Oberleutnant Stehle led a formation against
one of the numerous Lancaster formations. The Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 7 Fritz
Stehle shot down a Lancaster near Osnabrück. 11. Staffel and the Stabsschwarm
engaged the 8th Air Force in the Zeitz, Brandenburg and Braunschweig areas.
American records show the loss of 3 B-17s, 2 B-24s and 4 P-51s mostly to Me
262s. It is believed that Major Weissenberger, Oberfähnrich Windisch and
Oberfeldwebel Pritzl each destroyed a B-17. Major Ehrler and Leutnant Rudolf
Rademacher probably accounted for a Mustang each.
April 1945
On 7 April JG 7 flew 59 sorties, the
largest number in one day, though most failed to engage the Allies. The jets
claimed five Allied aircraft destroyed for the loss of two of their own.
On 7 April 1945 elements of III./JG 7
and I.(J)/KG 54 (totaling some 60 Me 262s) were sent to intercept the fighter
escorts accompanying 1,261 bombers over Northern Germany, while the 180-strong
fighter formation of Sonderkommando Elbe attacked the bomber forces. The jets
claimed some 18 victories but over 60 of the Bf 109 force was destroyed along
with 27 Me 262s almost half of those committed. Some 19 pilots were killed or
missing, while five were wounded. U.S. losses from all causes were 19 bombers
and 8 escort fighters.
May 1945
At 16:00 on 8 May 1945 fighters of the
JG 7 fought the last aerial battle of World War II in Europe. At about 15:20
Oberleutnant Fritz Stehle and his wingman took off on Me 262 to intercept
Soviet Yak-9 fighters and came upon the surprised enemy over Freiberg. Stehle
claimed a Yak-9 but the plane shot down was probably an Airacobra. Actually
Soviet records show that two P-39 - piloted by M.Lt Sergey Stepanov of 129 GIAP
and Aleksey Ivanyuk of 152 GIAP - had been lost. Stehle's victory was anyway
the last aerial victory by a German fighter pilot in World War II.
Commanding officers
Oberstleutnant Johannes Steinhoff, 1
December 1944
Major Theodor Weissenberger, 1 January
1945
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Me 262 A-1a/U1:
Single prototype with a total of six nose mounted guns, two 20 mm MG
151/20 cannons, two 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 103 cannons, and two 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannons
Me 262 A-1a/U2: Single prototype with FuG 220
Lichtenstein SN-2 90 MHz radar transceiver and Hirschgeweih antenna array, for trials as a night-fighter.
Me 262 A-1a/U3: Reconnaissance version modified in small
numbers, with Reihenbilder RB
20/30 cameras mounted in the nose (sometimes one RB 20/20 and one RB 75/30).
Some retained one 30 mm (1.18 in) cannon, but most were unarmed
Me 262 A-1a/U4: Bomber destroyer version, two prototypes
with an adapted 50 mm (2 in) MK 214 (or BK-5) anti-tank gun in nose.
Me 262 A-1a/U5: Heavy jet fighter with six 30 mm
(1.18 in) MK 108s in the nose
Me 262 A-1b: As A-1a but powered with BMW 003 engines.
Few were built, two are known to have existed at experimental establishments;
maximum speed of 800 km/h (500 mph).
Me 262 A-2a "Sturmvogel": Definitive bomber
version retaining only the two lower 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108s.
Me 262 A-2a/U1: Single prototype with advanced bombsight
Me 262 A-2a/U2: Two prototypes with glazed nose for
accommodating a bombardier.
Me 262 A-3a: Proposed ground-attack version.
Me 262 A-4a: Reconnaissance version.
Me 262 A-5a: Definitive reconnaissance version used in
small numbers at end of the war.
Me 262 B-1a: Two-seat trainer.
Me 262 B-1a/U1: Me 262 B-1a trainers converted into provisional
night fighters, FuG 218 Neptun
radar with Hirschgeweih antenna
array.
Me 262 B-2: Proposed night fighter version with stretched
fuselage.
Me 262 C-1a: Single prototype [made from Me 262A Werknummer 130 186] of rocket-boosted
interceptor (Heimatschützer I)
with Walter HWK 109-509 rocket in tail, first flown with combined jet/rocket
power on 27 February 1945.
Me 262 C-2b: Single prototype [made from Me 262A Werknummer 170 074] of rocket-boosted
interceptor (Heimatschützer II)
with two BMW 003R "combined" powerplants (BMW 003 jet, with a single
1000 kg thrust BMW 718 rocket engine mounted atop the rear of each jet
exhaust) for boosted thrust, only flown once with combined jet/rocket power on
26 March 1945.
Me 262 C-3a: Never-completed concept design for a Heimatschützer III prototype of
rocket-boosted interceptor with Walter rocket motor in belly pack.
Me 262 D-1: Proposed variant to carry Jagdfaust mortars.
Me 262 E-1: Proposed variant based on A-1a/U4 with a Mk
114 cannon.
Me 262 E-2: Proposed rocket-armed variant carrying up to
48 × R4M rockets.
Me 262 S: Zero-series model for Me 262 A-1a
Me 262 W: Provisional designation for Me 262 with pulse
jet engines
Avia S-92: Czech-built Me 262 A-1a
(fighter)
Avia CS-92: Czech-built Me 262 B-1a (fighter trainer, two
seats)