mystery junkers

harry palmer · Post by **harry palmer** » 10 May 2002 12:50

Does anyone know of a Luftwaffe six engined ultra long range aircraft that became operational in 1944? I heard one report of it flying a reconnaissance mission over the US east coast and another of it flying at least one mission direct from Berlin to Tokyo in early 1945? I think it might have been a Junkers.

Erich · Post by **Erich** » 10 May 2002 15:48

HP

Do you mean possibly the the Giant Me 323 ?......it actually was a big pig tranport used mid war. An oversized motor transport and personell hauler. Not familiar with any 6 engine Junkers though. Still looking.....

E

Erik E · Post by **Erik E** » 10 May 2002 16:50

I allways thought the "East coast recon" was performed by the ME-264???

Only 6 engined Ju I can think of is the Ju-390

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/ju390.html

EE

Erich · Post by **Erich** » 10 May 2002 16:56

Found it, and yes Erik you are correct. the Ju 390, what w impy looking a/c, was in competition on the drawing board with the Me 264 and Fw/Ta 400. Seems the Junkers a/c was a test bed for a long range bomber as well as recon plane. For the size of the wingspan in the drawings the engines don;t look adequate.

E

Antonio Pena · Post by **Antonio Pena** » 11 May 2002 19:16

The Ju-390 V-2 flew in October 1943 from Germany to the U.S. coast (12 miles outside New York) in a 32 hours flight. The V-1, V-2 and V-3 are only testbeds the poroyected A-1 serie never reached operational status. They would have carried 1.800 kg. of bombs and a armament of 8-20 mm and 8-13 mm guns.

Erich · Post by **Erich** » 11 May 2002 19:21

Your source(s) please for this advanced flight to the US ?

E

Antonio Pena · Post by **Antonio Pena** » 11 May 2002 23:03

To Erich

Sources:
The Enciclopedia of German Military Aircraft (Autor: Bryan Philpott/ Editorial:Arms & Armour Press/1980)

Combat Aircraft of WW II (Jhon and Elke Weal/ Arms & Armour Press/1977)

Hitlers Luftwaffe (Tony Wood & Bill Gunston/ Salamander Books 1977)

Erich · Post by **Erich** » 12 May 2002 04:50

Antonio :

Thank you for the sources mentioned. By chance would you have something that is more recent in date ? Much of the news is from older publications and am wondering if something more current would have more detailed information ?
I'll do a deeper serach.....

E

Antonio Pena · Post by **Antonio Pena** » 12 May 2002 21:48

Sorry Erich, my new books are in Spanish and are translations from english, but you could see the following pages:

http://uboat.net/technical/ju290.htm

http://www.fido.sakhalin.ru/timurk/luft/lf_ju390.html (need a translator)

http://batfredland.free.fr/Foe93.htm

http://danshistory.com/ww2/germanb.html

Erich · Post by **Erich** » 13 May 2002 04:17

Looks like the first covers the operational Ju 290 secret agent a/c...

Thanks for the url's

E

harry palmer · Post by **harry palmer** » 13 May 2002 18:14

Thanks guys- I’ve since found another couple of items-

“ A Ju 290-A-7 was flown to the United States by it’s crew and surrendered to the Americans shortly before Germany’s collapse.”
“ The Ju 390 was a particularly successful design; it was a long range reconnaissance aircraft , 33.65 m long, with a span of 50.32 m. Powered by six BMW 801-E engines, it had a speed of 465 km/h and a range of 13000 to 14000 km. The first machines made their appearance as early as 1943 and the following year two Ju 390s made a reconnaissance flight from North West France into the vicinity of New York, but without carrying bombs. Their appearance, detected by the American radar system,caused one of the first air alerts in the USA. These machines also served as liaison aircraft and made several non stop flights between Berlin and Tokyo.”

GERMAN SECRET WEAPONS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Rudolf Lusar Neville Spearman 1959

In “The Berlin Bunker” (James P. O’Donnell) , Hans Baur, Hitler’s personal pilot claims that there were threeJu390s at Rechlin luftwaffe base, seventy miles north of Berlin.on 23rd April 1945. Baur had “maps and flight plans for Greenland, North Africa, Madagascar, even Manchukuo.” Hitler did not avail of the opportunity to escape, but Martin Bormann attempted to.

Erich · Post by **Erich** » 13 May 2002 18:47

Harry: My understanding is that the 390 was purley experimental and only several protypes were in existance. The one that you and Antonio mentioned flying over the Atlantic to the states.

In flight of the Wolf, Berlin 1945 Hans Bauer had flown Hitler's personal private a/c and that was a Ju 290 A-5 with increased cabin and fuselage armor. check your source again please to confirm this........does it state 390's ? could be an easy mis-print.
Speaking of Ju 290's, and interesting side line, a personal friend of mine, US night fighter pilot Jack slayton of the 425th nfs nearly shot down a Ju 290 ready to drop agents behind the lines during the Battle for the Ardenne. flying at 20,000 he spotted as he banked a slower moving, 4 enigne a/c below him, diving to investigate and getting in low and behind, Jack swung in to get into id the a/c and found the German a/c clearly marked due to the full moon(night fighter's moon). The German a/c slowed down and started to drop on what appeared a dropping course for equipment or agents, but as soon as Jack closed range to open fire the German rear(turret) gunner spotted him and the Ju 290 dropped down out of sight to tree level. Jack lost him in the ground haze and returned to base.......curse the full moon as he told me.

E

harry palmer · Post by **harry palmer** » 13 May 2002 19:03

Christ, imagine flying an aircraft that size at tree level!

Erich, I’ve checked that account, and it definitely specifies Junkers 390s, twice. However, nowhere does it claim that any of the three aircraft at Rechlin was Hitler’s personal aircraft.

Erich · Post by **Erich** » 13 May 2002 19:05

This is very weird Harry . I was just reading through some info that states only 3 Ju 390's in existance and one was scrapped for parts for the V-1 and V-2 test beds. Still think your account may have a typo ?

E

harry palmer · Post by **harry palmer** » 13 May 2002 19:24

Hi Erich- the sources I followed up on actually stated that only two prototypes were built- maybe Hans’ memory was a little hazy on details after thirty years, or the interviewer misunderstood something?

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