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Additional Information from
Internet Encyclopedia
The Junkers Ju 290 was a large
German, four-engine long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and heavy
bomber used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II that had been developed from
an earlier airliner.
Design and development
The Junkers 290 was developed
directly from the Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for
military purposes, and was intended to replace the relatively slow Focke-Wulf
Fw 200 Condor which by 1942 was proving increasingly vulnerable when confronted
by Royal Air Force aircraft; the Fw 200's airframe lacked sufficient strength for
the role in any case. The Ju 290 was also intended to meet the need for large
transport aircraft. A bomber version, the A-8, was planned, but never built.[3]
Design was headed by Konrad Eicholtz.
The development programme
resulted in the Ju 290 V1 prototype BD+TX, which first flew on 16 July 1942. It
featured a lengthened fuselage, more powerful engines, and a Trapoklappe
hydraulic rear loading ramp. Both the V1 and the first eight A-1 production
aircraft were unarmed transports. The need for heavy transports saw the A-1s
pressed into service as soon as they were completed. Several were lost in early
1943, including one taking part in the Stalingrad Airlift, and two flying
supplies to German forces in Tunisia, and arming them became a priority.
The urgent need for Ju 290s in
the long-range maritime reconnaissance role was now also high priority, and
resulted in the Ju 290A-2. Three A-1 aircraft were converted to A-2
specification on the assembly line. Production was slow due to the modifications
necessary and the installation of strong defensive armament. The A-2 was fitted
with FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band search radar and a dorsal turret fitted
with a 20 mm MG 151 cannon. The Hohentwiel radar was successfully used to
locate Allied convoys at ranges of up to 80 km (50 mi) from an altitude of 500
m (1,600 ft) or 100 km (62 mi) from an altitude of 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It
allowed the Ju 290 to track convoys while remaining out of range of
anti-aircraft fire.[citation needed]
The A-3 version followed shortly
after with additional navigational equipment and a heavier defensive armament.
It was fitted with two hydraulically powered HDL 151 dorsal turrets armed with
20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, with a further 20 mm MG 151/20 and a 13 mm (.51 in) MG
131 machine gun fitted in a typically German Bola gondola (a fitment for almost
all German WW II bomber aircraft) directly underneath the forward dorsal gun
turret, and a 20 mm MG 151/20 fitted in the tail operated by a gunner in a
prone position. Two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131s were also fitted in waist positions
(Fensterlafetten). The A-3, along with the A-2, also featured large fuselage
auxiliary fuel tanks. Both retained the rear loading ramp so that they could be
used as transports if required.[citation needed] The A-5 variant was fitted
with increased armour protection, dual 13mm MG 131 in a rear-facing position in
the gondola.[4] and had two dorsal turrets, operating either a 20mm MG 151/20
or a MG 151/15. The two waist MG 131 were also sometimes switched out for 20mm
MG 151. The A-5 had the capability of launching Fritz X and other guided
munitions.
The improved A-7 version
appeared in spring 1944; 13 were completed, and 10 served with the long-range
reconnaissance group, Fernaufklärungsgruppe (FAGr) 5. Some A-7s and some A-4s
were fitted with a detachable nose turret armed with a 20 mm MG 151/20 for
added defense against frontal attack. No bombs were carried, as it was intended
that the A-5 and A-7 would be fitted with the FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance
system to launch MCLOS-guided Fritz X and Hs 293 anti-ship missiles.
Production lines were set up at
the Letov aircraft factory in Prague for combat versions of the aircraft,
commencing with the Ju 290 A-2, which carried the aforementioned Hohentwiel
maritime search radar for its patrol role. Minor changes in armament
distinguished the A-3 and A-4, leading to the definitive A-5 variant. The A-6
was a 50-passenger transport aircraft.
The B-1 was a high-altitude
heavy bomber that was the last variant to be built; a B-2 version was also
under development.
Operational history
A special long-range
reconnaissance group, FAGr 5 (Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5), had been formed on 1
July 1943 and during the late summer of 1943 three of the new Ju 290 A-2s were
delivered to its 1 Staffel, which became operational at Mont-de-Marsan near
Bordeaux on 15 October of that year. They flew their first operational missions
in November 1943, shadowing Allied convoys in cooperation with U-boats, often
remaining airborne for up to 18 hours.
Five Ju 290 A-3 aircraft with
more powerful BMW 801D engines in unitized mounts followed, as did five Ju 290
A-4 aircraft with improved dorsal turrets mounting 20 mm MG 151/20s. The Ju
290s were well suited to their patrol role and began replacing the Fw 200
Condors. An A-4, Works no. 0165, was experimentally equipped with attachments
for FX 1400 PGM, and either the Henschel Hs 293 or Hs 294 anti-ship missiles,
and fitted with the FuG 203e Kehl MCLOS radio control transmitter system for
controlling any of them after release; it was surrendered to the US after the
war and flown across the Atlantic to the USA.
In November 1943, a second
Staffel was activated and, with a range of over 6,100 km (3,790 mi) the Ju 290s
ranged far out over the Atlantic, relaying sightings of Allied convoys to
U-boats. 11 Ju 290 A-5s with increased armour, heavier armament and
self-sealing fuel tanks were delivered to FAGr 5 early in 1944, as were around
12 of the Ju 290 A-7 version; the A-7 could carry three Hs 293 glide bombs or
Fritz X armoured, anti-warship precision-guided munitions when fitted with the
FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance system for them, and featured a redesigned nose
section which combined a 20 mm cannon installation with the FuG 200 radar
aerial array.
Towards the end of 1943, Admiral
Dönitz demanded that the entire output of Ju 290s be made available for U-boat
warfare. However, only 20 were assigned for this purpose. Even though both
Hitler and Dönitz demanded an increase, the Luftwaffe General Staff declared it
was unable to assign any more for naval reconnaissance purposes. The General
Staff argued that there could be no increase in output so long as the Luftwaffe
was not conceded "precedence in overall armaments".
In the spring of 1944, after
Albert Speer had taken over the direction of air armaments, the Luftwaffe High
Command boldly announced that production of the Ju 290 was to be suspended
despite it being urgently needed for maritime reconnaissance; suspending
production meant that resources could instead be diverted to building fighters.
At that point in time, Speer's position was weak and Hermann Göring was trying
to find allies to help him strip Speer of his power, and the Luftwaffe was not
prepared to offer the Navy more than "goodwill".
On 26 May 1944, shortly after
daybreak, a Sea Hurricane piloted by Sub Lieutenant Burgham from the escort
carrier HMS Nairana shot down Ju 290 9V+FK of FAGr 5[7] over the Bay of Biscay.
The afternoon of the same day, Sub Lieutenants Mearns and Wallis attacked two
more Ju 290s. Mearns shot down 9V+GK piloted by Kurt Nonneberg, which ditched
in the sea. The other Ju 290 disappeared on fire into cloud and was assumed to
have crashed.
As the Battle of the Atlantic
swung irrevocably in favour of the Allies with the loss by the Germans of
French bases in August 1944, FAGr 5 withdrew eastwards and the remaining Ju
290s were reassigned to transport duties, including service with KG 200, where
they were used to drop agents behind enemy lines and other special missions.
Ju 290 A-5, works number 0178,
D-AITR, Bayern of Luft Hansa flew to Barcelona on 5 April 1945, piloted by
Captain Sluzalek. The aircraft suffered damage to its landing gear on landing
and was repaired with parts brought from Germany by a Lufthansa Fw 200. It
remained in Spain because the Spanish Government ordered that regular Luft
Hansa flights on route K22 be terminated from 21 April and was turned over to
the Spanish authorities.
Flights to Japan
Following the invasion of the
Soviet Union in June 1941, plans were made to connect Germany and Japan by air
using Luftwaffe aircraft modified for very long range flights. Commercial
flights to the Far East by Lufthansa were no longer possible, and it had become
too dangerous for ships or U-boats to make the trip by sea. Field Marshal
Erhard Milch authorised a study into the feasibility of such direct flights.
Various routes were considered, including departing from German-occupied Russia
and Bulgaria. Nautsi, near Lake Inari in the north of Finland, was finally
selected as the optimum starting point for a great circle route along the
Arctic Ocean then across eastern Siberia, to refuel in Manchuria before
completing the flight to Japan.
In 1943, the Ju 290 was selected
for the flights and tests began in February 1944 of a Ju 290 A-5 (works number
0170, Stammkennzeichen factory code of KR+LA) loaded with 41 tonnes (45 tons)
of fuel and cargo. Three Ju 290 A-9s (works numbers 0182, 0183 and 0185) were
modified for long-range work at the Junkers factory in March 1943. The plan was
eventually put on indefinite hold after the Japanese failed to agree on a
route, as they did not want to provoke the Soviet Union by an overflight of
Siberia, and the three aircraft were eventually transferred to KG 200 without
any attempt at a long-range flight to Japan.
The idea for a flight to Japan
was revived again in December 1944 to transport Luftwaffe General Ulrich
Kessler to Japan as a replacement for the German air attaché in Tokyo. Ju 290
A-3, no. 0163, was flown to Travemünde for the necessary modifications, but the
work was delayed and it was decided to send Kessler aboard the submarine U-234
instead. The aircraft was destroyed on 3 May 1945 as British troops
arrived.[12] Some sources claim that the trip to Japan took place, departing
from Odessa and Mielec and landing in Manchuria.
KG 200
The Luftwaffe Special Operations
squadron, KG 200 used the Ju 290 amongst its various aircraft types. Their
best-known Ju 290 mission was flown on the night of 27 November 1944. KG 200
pilots Braun and Pohl flew a Ju 290 from Vienna to a position just south of
Mosul, Iraq, where they successfully air-dropped five Iraqi parachutists.
Staging through the island of Rhodes, which was still under German occupation,
they evacuated some thirty casualties from there to Vienna.
Variants
Hitler's personal transport
On 26 November 1943, Ju 290 A-5,
no. 0170, along with many other new aircraft and prototypes, was shown to Adolf
Hitler at Insterburg, East Prussia. Hitler was impressed by its potential and
told Göring that he wanted a Ju 290 for his personal use.[15] A Ju 290 was not
however assigned to the Fliegerstaffel des Fuehrers (FdF) until late 1944, when
an A-7 was supplied, works number 0192, which had formerly been assigned to
FAGr 5. Modifications were completed by February 1945 at the FdF's base at
Pocking, Bavaria, a Stammkennzeichen alphabetic designation code of KR+LW being
applied. Hitler's pilot, Hans Baur, tested the aircraft, but Hitler never flew
in it.
The aircraft was fitted with a
special passenger compartment in the front of the aircraft for Hitler, which
was protected by 12 mm (.5 in) armour plate and 50 mm (2 in) bulletproof glass.
A special escape hatch was fitted in the floor and a parachute was built into
Hitler's seat; in an emergency it was intended that he would put on the
parachute, pull a lever to open the hatch, and roll out through the opening.
This arrangement was tested using life-size mannequins.
Hans Baur flew the aircraft to
Munich-Riem airport on 24 March 1945, landing just as an air-raid alert was
sounded. He went home after parking it in a hangar but on returning to the
airport, he discovered that both hangar and aircraft had been destroyed by
American bombers.
Ju 290Z Zwilling
Junkers project documents from
1942 to 1944 indicate that a Zwilling (English: twin) variant was proposed. It
was to be composed of two Ju 290 fuselages and powered by eight BMW 9-801
engines; two mounted on each outboard wing and four on the inboard wing. It was
to carry a single Messerschmitt Me 328 parasite fighter on top of the right
fuselage. The Ju 290Z was canceled in favor of the Ju 390.
Amerika Bomber precursor
The long range of the Ju 290
made it a good candidate for further development concerning the Amerika Bomber
project, competing with the airworthy prototype of the Messerschmitt Me 264,
the never-built Heinkel He 277 and Focke-Wulf Ta 400 designs, and as a result,
the six-engined Ju 390, based directly on the Ju 290 airframe with even longer
range was built in prototype form, two airframes being completed and
test-flown.[20] The Ju 290 itself was under consideration to serve as a tanker
to refuel the Messerschmitt entry[21] in the Amerika Bomber design competition.
In late 1942 Field Marshal Milch ordered that the possibility of increasing the
fuel capacity of the Ju 290 to enable it to perform the Amerika Bomber mission
itself. The draw backs were twofold, first the initial rate of climb would be
very poor, and the fully loaded airplane could only operate out of two fields
in France.[21] A lightened Ju 290E subtype was proposed in March 1943, but
remained on paper.[22] The Ju 390 at its gross weight required a tow to take
off. At first a He 111Z was tried but the Ju 390 was predicted might be
unstable in such an instance so plans were changed to use two Ju 290s
instead.[23] During May 1942 engineers at Junkers had done calculations to
investigate the possibility of refueling the Ju 390 in flight from a Ju
290,[24] something that had been proposed earlier for the same sort of duty to
support the initial high-altitude version of the rival Heinkel He 177A, the
proposed A-2 subtype with such capability, the range of the He 177A-2 would
have been extendable to some 9,500 km (5,900 mi) of total flight distance.[25]
By March 1943 consideration of using a Ju 290 to refuel another was made and
the result was to see up to four Ju 290s converted to be tankers or long range
bombers.[23][26] Tanker/receiver experiments continued in early 1944 when two
Ju 290 A-2s were tested under operational conditions from Mont de Marsan in
France.[27][28] As Germany lost access to the ocean and the cancellation of
both the He 277 on Hitler's 55th birthday,[29] followed by the Me 264's
cancellation on September 23, 1944; the America Bomber role soon evaporated,
and by October 1944, all production was stopped. Both the Ju 290A-8 and Ju
390A-1 were each intended to use two of the under-development, Borsig-designed
Hecklafette HL 131V quadmount tail turrets (each armed with four
Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 131 machine guns apiece), with one turret in its
originally intended role for rearwards defence and, one in the nose, adapted
for forward defence.
Germany's Last Ju 290s
Despite the end of
reconnaissance operations from France and the Amerika bomber program, starting
in September 1944 three more Ju 290s were constructed for "special
purposes" by Junkers. Their works numbers are unknown. What those
"special purposes" were, or if they ever came to be, is unknown.