National Archives (Public Record Office) - 4

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Wuerger Lover
Fw 190 Props-Regular vs. Widened A/F9 Blades
Wed Mar 13 20:25:24 2002
192.160.219.173

Hello,

do any of you know what exactly the performance difference was between the standard Fw 190 A/F/G propeller blades and the late-war, Dora-type larger wooden paddle blades as used in the A9 and A10?

What exactly was gained by going to the bigger blades? Does anyone have performance specs?

Thanks a lot.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

willaume
Re: Fw 190 Props-Regular vs. Widened A/F9 Blades
Thu Mar 14 12:42:27 2002
208.237.100.114

From my researches i have been able to identify three type of propellers

the 3.30 m diameter in metal that is the standard one.
the 3.50 m wide in wood with counter weight used on some A5,A6,A7 (there is a studdy of that blade in the PRO.
the 3.30 m wide blade (metal and wood) with counter weight
It is my understanding that the last one is refered as the A9 propeller. tha manual says the a7-a8 could use it as well as the normal one but...

From the A6 onwards, if you were to use the GM1, the weighted blade were to be used (it seems it was to make sure sure that center of gravity did not travel to far back, the presence of the "heavy " nose armour was required as well). I am not sure if it is the 3.50 the wide 3.30 or a normal 3.30 simply weighted

However non-A9 plane have been seen/reported with this blade after june 44 (it could be misidentified A9)

If anyboddy would enlighten me as the adventage of the longer blade, i would be eternally grateful.

My undertanding was that the wide blade gives better acceleration and climb rated but reduce the max speed.

any help appreciated.

[Richard T Eger]

From within a thread on 12 O'Clock High!:

N.Ishigaki
Re: Why wasn't Me 410 used as a nightfighter?
Fri Mar 29 02:25:15 2002
202.32.46.1

Try this site:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/6443/h_service.html#Top

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Erich Brown
I'd like to see their sources...
Fri Mar 29 02:44:11 2002
63.164.170.182

for the Bf 410 with radar at all ! Photos with KG 51 codes would be nice. Maybe in the new KG 51 book in the future eh ? This has been covered for almost 20 years, did they have radar or not. My opinion is that KG 51 did not have radar fitted to their night intruders. The was no room in the R/O position for a FuG 220 set let alone a set in nose of a 410 if you want to call it a nose. Units with NJG 1 and 5 had severe problems with the powerplants and were disgusted with the performance of the 410 as it was pushed aside and the Bf 110G-4 was retained until the advent of the He 219 and Ju 88G series.

E

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
Me 410 with KG 51
Sat Mar 30 09:53:47 2002
212.159.25.31

You could do worse than check out the RAF reports on crashed KG 51 410s on British soil in Public Record Office files AIR40/45. To the best of my memory, no radar was ever mentioned.

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Ivo Nienhaus
Fw. Vinke's demise
Thu Apr 11 12:51:07 2002
193.78.119.38

On 26 feb '44, IV./NJG1 (at that time) topgun (54 kills) Fw. Vinke was shot down over the Channel by RAF fighters while searching for one of his comrads. The comrad he was searching for was a certain Lt.Krupinski (related to Walter perhaps?) after he went missing during a sortie over the Northsea.

Apparently Vinke was in the company of another Bf-110 piloted by Lt. Rolland who managed to escape the RAF fighters.

Which squadron was involved with this interception? Did any RAF fighter pilots claim a Bf-110 Northwest of Dunkirk this day.

Thanks and regards

Ivo

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Hans Nauta
RAF records
Thu Apr 11 16:08:12 2002
195.121.138.131

Hi Ivo,

Two years ago I researched this particular claim/loss in the Public Record Office in London.

From German side it was known that Ofw Heinz Vinke and Lt Heinz Rolland had taken off to search for Lt Guido Krupinski who hadn't returned the earlier night from a mission over the North Sea.
While near Dunkirk, the Bf.110's were intercepted by 'Spitfires' and only Lt Rolland managed to recross the coast with overheated engines. He reported that Ofw Vinke's Bf.110 had been shot down.

The lost Bf.110 was a G-4 G9+KY Werknr 740136 from 11./NJG1.
Besides Ofw Vinke also his BF Uffz Rudolf Dunger and his BS Uffz Rudolf Walter were killed.


In the PRO the next 2 records turned up:

26.02.44
07.30 hrs.
At this time a plot on 1-2 e/a at 1,000 ft appeared some 12 miles North of Gravelines. 2 a/c of 198 Squadron under Sector Control were scrambled to intercept and claim 1 Me.110 destroyed in sea off DUNKIRK (share by F/Lt L’Allemand and F/O Hardy). The e/a was light grey with what appeared to be an aerial array in nose, and dropped 2 bomb or tank-like objects on being attacked.

(Appendix Operations Record Book 11 Group, AIR25/208)


26.02.44
Typhoon F/Lt L’Allemand (BEL) 09.25 09.50
Typhoon F/O Hardy (CAN) 09.25 09.50

Summary of events:
Broken low cloud, fair visibility. Two Typhoons (F/Lt L’Allemand , F/O Hardy) were scrambled and vectored to DUNKIRK where a Me.109 (sic) was sighted at 1,000 ft. Our a/c closed and attacked. Head-on and astern attacks put the starboard side of the e/a on fire and further strikes on the cockpit caused the Me.110 to burst into flames and dive straight into the sea. Claim: 1 Me.110 destroyed.

(Operations Record Book 198 Squadron, AIR27/1170)


The original Combat Reports were absent. Serials of the Typhoons were not mentioned in the ORB.
Apart from this there's a weird difference in time of detection and scramble. I suspect this must have taken place at the same time, but I don't have other original records which can acknowledge 07.30 hrs or 09.30 hrs.

The missing Bf.110 of Lt Guido Krupinski had crashed near Maldeghem, Belgium, while trying to make a emergency landing due to lack of fuel.

The biography of Ofw Vinke is described in the next Dutch books:

Wespennest Leeuwarden part 3, by Ab Jansen, ISBN 9060451422
Vliegveld Bergen NH, by Johan Schuurman, ISBN 9075440049

Hope this will answer your query sufficiently.

Kind regards,
Hans Nauta

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Ivo
Dank je wel...
Thu Apr 11 16:18:32 2002
193.78.119.38

>Hope this will answer your query sufficiently.

Wow...It most certainly does. I have the information from the "Wespennest" series. So the Spitfires turn out to be Typhoons.

Dank je wel.

Groet,

Ivo

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Bob Rinder
DO-217 Turrets
Sun Apr 21 21:14:40 2002
152.163.195.208


If there is anyone out there focused on this airplane , can you explain the protochol for the installation of the DL and HDL (?) turrets ? The published photographic evidence makes it appear to be almost random. Both turrets can be seen installed on virtually every model 217. None of the drawings are accurate depictions of the accompanying photos, and there is also a significant alteration to the upper decking/antenna mast apparent depending on the type turret installed. Logic would indicate that the later HDL turret was part of the K/M model upgrade and was then retrofitted to earlier models as they rotated through depot level maintenance. Appreciate those who have given me their best guesses, but none have been completely borne out by the evidence. Anybody figure this one out would appreciate hearing from you.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

jerry brewer
turrets
Mon Apr 22 20:46:21 2002
195.92.67.71

Hi
If you are in the UK, check out the PRO at KEW, the index of documents is on their web site
The air 40 and AVIA reports are good, one for sure has the early turret recovered from a DO-217 crash at Exeter Airfield 1942 nice pics and drawings and I think a few pages of technical reports
Cheers
Jerry

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Marko Jeras
Luftwaffe Hs 123 unit(s) in Croatia in 1945 ?
Fri May 24 22:55:58 2002
195.29.140.167

Anybody have any data on which Luftwaffe unit(s) that operated Hs 123s were based in Croatia (Velika Gorica) in 1945?

Larry? Anybody else?

Hope to hear you soon. Thanks.

Marko

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
Henschels in Croatia
Sat May 25 16:37:12 2002
212.159.1.2

I don't think there was an Hs 123 unit for the simple reason that the machine had been out of production so long by 1945. There were however Hs 126's operating there in October 1944 (last order of battle data I have to hand at present) as part of the equipment of Nahaufklärungsstaffel Kroatien.

Data (mainly radio intercepts) in Public Record Office file AIR40/2154 ("GAF Recce Western Med") include:

6 March 1945: one Hs 126 battle recce Sarajevo-Konjic from 12.05-14.05

13 March 1945: seven Hs 126 Sarajevo-Menina-Planina

31 March 1945: three Hs 126 operating.

Sarajevo is in Bosnia and not Croatia but I think this is probably the unit you'd heard about.

[Richard T Eger]

From within a thread on 12 O'Clock High!:

Steve Coates
Villacidro A/D, Sardinia
Sat Jun 8 18:50:48 2002
213.1.62.27

Ignacio,

There are various files at the Public Records Office in London which contain digests of Ultra traffic concerning certain named airfields. Sardinia is to be found in File Reference AIR 40/1995. I have nine pages on Villacidro. If you contact me off board and give me your address, I will send these to you. These are by no means a complete picture but will at least give you an idea as well as the original Ultra message references.

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Morten Jessen
Air to air combat tactics
Sat Jun 22 17:44:11 2002
213.237.106.254

Hi,

I am searching for information about LW fighter tactics in air to air combat - especially in the North African campaign. I wonder if the tactics and rules changed or were modificed compared to tactics used other places.

Anyone out there who have knowlegde on this subject or know of any books/articles? Any information and leads will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Morten

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Peter Van Caneghem
book on tactics
Sat Jun 22 19:46:58 2002
213.224.83.102

Morten,

Greenhill Books, London has a book with the following title " Luftwaffe Fighter Aces - the jagdflieger and their combat tactics and techniques" By Mike Spick. Just started reading it and I find it interesting material. The ISBN is 1-85367-255-6. It has a chapter concerning North Africa (Malta - Dessert Song - Torch).
I hope this is of some help,

Peter

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
Tactics
Sun Jun 23 18:53:54 2002
212.159.23.74

Another approach is to see what their opponents said about this at the time. There are RAF squadron Operations Record Books and pilots' sortie reports in the Public Record Office in London. Go to www.pro.gov.uk (http://www.pro.gov.uk) and look up the online information "leaflet on Operation Records of the Royal Air Force for more details". You can also search the site for "Luftwaffe" and "tactics" etc. You may find that the RAF wrote a study of German methods.

I'm sure one of TOCH's US contributors will be able to tell you what's held in the American archives.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Morten Jessen
Thanks - good idea - I will get in touch with the PRO
Sun Jun 23 20:50:42 2002
213.237.106.254

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Andy MItchell
Aufklarüngsgruppe 122
Sat Aug 17 22:48:40 2002
62.255.64.5

Can anyone help - I'm attempting to produce a potted history of this unit (my document currently stands at approx 9500 words) from available secondary sources.

However,I am lacking in information about operations conducted by elements of this unit on the Eastern Front. I would also be grateful for any assistance regarding losses, personnel etc.

One last thing - it is my intention to publish this Unit profile (and others) on the internet, any suggestions where I might achieve this would be appreciated as I do not have access to a web site of my own.


Regards and thanks

Andy Mitchell

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
FAG 122
Sat Aug 17 23:44:21 2002
212.159.17.110

Excuse the commercial but for a secondary source you could do worse than take a look at "Air War Italy 1944-45" (Airlife,1996) by myself, Ferdinando D'Amico and Gabriele Valentini.

This has a short overview of the unit in the first chapter and a lot of detailed material about their ops in Italy for the relevant period.

If you want a primary source, then Public Record Office file AIR20/8534 contains an 11-page report by the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre compiled in October 1945: Report No. A.594 "The History of FAG 122 in the Mediterranean."