Junkers W 34

An unidentified Junkers W 34 hi of the Luftdienst, photographed during the war (as evidenced by the mobile camouflage netting in the background, bottom left).

The aircraft displays the inscription "Ruth" below the cockpit, and the Typenschild [identification plate] can just be recognized on the fuselage, in front of the wing root. Also very evident are the venturi tube on the side of the fuselage and the large Peilrahmen [direction finder loop] on top of the fuselage. Detail enlargement of the photo reveals the faint Luftdienst emblem.

This W 34 seems to be camouflaged in a single shade of green (the RLM 65 on the underside being obscured in the shadow), with what appears to be a darker NACA cowling and propeller blades in RLM 70. Exact date and location currently unknown. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Dornier Do 23

Beautiful study of what looks to be a rather pristine Dornier Do 23 SD+VD. The aircraft is equipped with four-blade wooden airscrews, and it is camouflaged entirely in grey. Moreover, this Do 23 appears well prepared for any adverse weather events: the cockpit and the forward observation position (accessible from the cockpit, by means of a passage way underneath the instrument panel) are protected by canvas covers, and it is tied to the ground with various ropes at the wing and tail wheel.

Exact date and location unfortunately currently unknown to me. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109

The original, handwritten inscription on the back of this photo reads: Ein Jäger (Me 109) wird getankt. Im Hintergrund Fernbomber. [A fighter (Me 109) is being refueled. In the background long-range bombers.]

The Bf 109 E being tended to here was assigned to 5./JG 53, and the photo was possibly taken in Brittany while the Staffel was operating separately from the rest of the Group, in the early autumn of 1940. The first digit of the Bf 109's two-digit number, a "1", can just be recognized, and the aircraft displays a yellow cowling and rudder.

The aircraft in the background are, from left to right, a Junkers Ju 88 with markings overpainted in black, a Junkers Ju 52/3m, and a Focke-Wulf Fw 200. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection; additional identification in accordance with information posted by Dr. Jochen Prien at luftwaffe-research-group.org, in September 2014.)

Messerschmitt Me 262 - Geheime Produktionsstätten

Alexander Kartschall, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, Germany, 2020, ISBN 978-3-613-04258-2. Illustrated, hardcover, published in German.

Cover image © by Motorbuch Verlag, 2020.

This is Alexander Kartschall's second book dedicated to the dispersed late-war production of the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. In 2017, Kartschall, an engineer active in the automotive industry, self-published the formidable, high-quality publication Produktion der Messerschmitt Me 262 – Von Waldwerken und Untertage-Verlagerungen zu Grossbunkern [Messerschmitt Me 262 Production – From Forrest Factories And Underground-Dispersals To Large Bunkers]. This was a deeply intriguing and well-illustrated hardback study of the concerted and concurrently desperate efforts of the Luftwaffe's leadership in 1944/45 to ensure the continued mass production of one of its most advanced aircraft in the face of the utter devastation caused as the war, begun a few years earlier by Germany, inevitably and ferociously returned to its origin.

Kartschall's new book now expands on this already impressive previous work. Messerschmitt Me 262 – Geheime Produktionsstätten [Messerschmitt Me 262 – Secret Production Facilities] is similar in physical scope to its predecessor, with a format of 25 x 18 cm, 240 printed pages, and 150 photos & illustrations, while containing nine major chapters and a number of elucidatory appendices. The narrative commences with a brief recounting of the gestation of the Me 262 jet fighter before delving, in chapter two, into the actual subject matter of the production of an advanced aircraft under increasingly desperate late-war conditions.

The book subsequently briefly details the history of the Messerschmitt aircraft company as a whole to then focus on the manufacturing of the Me 262 in particular. Of considerable interest is chapter five, describing the vast number of production facilities involved in the Me 262 program and their locations. Given this information, it becomes increasingly clear what a colossal undertaking it was to arrange for the dispersing of this enormous network of plants and subcontractors. Chapter six and seven pay testimony to this, followed by the descriptions in chapter eight of the monumental bunker systems both planned and constructed to protect the assembly of the jet fighter from the Allied bombing campaign. Also highlighted in these chapters are logistics and production procedures employed in these facilities.

The book's last chapter is also its most extensive; it provides copious information on the various forest factories which ironically served as the quasi-primitive final production facilities of what was one of the most sophisticated flying machines of its period. As with the rest of the book, this chapter, too, features numerous photos, maps, drawings, and plans. Kartschall's research and layout approach thus makes for incredibly absorbing and appealing reading.

But even all of the above is still not what makes Messerschmitt Me 262 – Geheime Produktionsstätten an absolutely essential publication. One of the most important points of Kartschall's work is that he doesn't skirt around the issue of how Messerschmitt, the Luftwaffe, and Nazi Germany were able to accomplish such enormous efforts in weapons manufacturing, building construction, and dispersal activities. The facilitation of such undertakings under wartime circumstances that became more adverse by the week required the involvement of the SS, concentration camps, and substantial quantities of slave labour. The tasks of simultaneous mass production of the aircraft and construction of bunkers and underground facilities proceeded under appallingly horrid conditions, with no regard whatsoever for human welfare and the value of human life.

Whereas many other publications on late war Luftwaffe subject matters either casually avoid this topic or at best shed limited light on it, the German slave labour system and its staggeringly brutal and tragic consequences on the individuals thus subjugated and abused constitute one of the central themes of Kartschall's publication. This does not just concern the text of Kartschall's book; at the end of the day, nearly every single image in his book is directly affected by it, be it photos of freshly assembled aircraft or aircraft components, pictures of dispersal facilities, tunnels, or bunkers under construction, or the photos and drawing of the camps themselves.

Alexander Kartschall certainly deserves praise for the integration of all of these indispensable facts to provide a documentation as complete as is possible given the scope of these 240 pages. And for doing so in a straightforward, non-ideological manner. Moreover, it is also nice to see Motorbuch Verlag, once among the main publishing houses for any topic linked to historic German aviation, return to form by choosing to release this important and absolutely fascinating book.

Focke-Wulf A 28

Rare photo of the Focke-Wulf A 28 Habicht [Hawk] D-1664 (later D-OXYK), Werknummer 60, taken in 1929 (location currently unknown). D-1664 was operated by Norddeutsche Luftverkehr AG and by Luftverkehrsgesellschaft Wilhelmshaven-Rüstringen mbH, flying primarily to cities and islands in Northern Germany.

The A 28 was an improved version of Focke-Wulf's earlier A 20a passenger transport, with positively benign flight characteristics. It was powered by a Gnôme-Rhône Titan engine and carried five passengers and one pilot. Four passengers were seated in the cabin, while the fifth was sitting next to the pilot. D-1664 was the fourth and last aircraft of the small A 20 family. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Junkers W 34

A somewhat nondescript Junkers W 34 hau during engine start. The mechanic on the left is holding the crank for the inertia starter. The last letter of the aircraft's registration can be faintly discerned, it seems to be a "D", making it ??+?D.

The aircraft reportedly belonged to Flugzeugführerschule A/B 4 at Prag-Gbell, Czechoslovakia; the photograph was apparently taken at Kralupy, in 1940 or 1941. This view beautifully illustrates the enormous span of the otherwise rather diminutive W 34. Camouflage seems to be standard 65/70/71. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Heinkel He 46

Heinkel He 46 E WL-IGYK (originally D-IGYK), Werknummer 857. According to the notes on the rear of the original picture, this two-seat reconnaissance aircraft was photographed in front of hangar 3 in Neukuhren, in what was then East Prussia, on a rainy September day in 1939. This He 46 was assigned to Wetterflugstelle Königsberg as well as Schule/FAR. 10.

Note typical lack of NACA cowling for this He 46 subtype, and Schwarz Propellerwerk manufacturer's logo on the lower propeller blade. Camouflage appears to be standard 70/71/65. The aircraft seen in the background are Junkers W 34 hi transports. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection; additional aircraft identity confirmation courtesy of luftwaffe-research-group.org)

Arado Ar 64

Company photo of the Arado SD IV (company-internal designation), the prototype of the Ar 64 fighter, likely taken in 1931. The aircraft lacks any kind of markings.

The SD IV had a length of 7.75 m and a span of 9.90 m. In contrast to Arado's previous fighter prototypes, the SD IV's 530 hp Siemens Jupiter VI engine was mounted slightly further to the rear in order to provide room for the gear that drove the Schwarz four-bladed wooden airscrew. The top speed attained by the SD IV was 250 km/h.

Arado began developing the SD IV/Ar 64 from 1930 onwards. This aircraft programme was part of the clandestine rearmament efforts of Germany and the associated intention to establish a new air force. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Natter - Manned Missile Of The Third Reich

[Full title: Natter - Manned Missile Of The Third Reich (Historic Step To Human Spaceflight)] Brett Gooden, Published by Brett Gooden, Rundle Mall, Australia, 2019, ISBN 978-0-646-81213-7. Illustrated, hardcover, published in English.

Cover image © by Barry Spicer & Brett Gooden, 2019.

Dr. Brett Gooden is the author of the book Project Natter (Classic Publications/Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., 2006, ISBN 1-903223-62-8), until recently the uncontested standard work about the Bachem Ba 349. A typically beautiful and comprehensive Classic Publications hardcover book of 144 pages, it seemed that this publication would, for a very long time at least, remain the last word on this non-mainstream but highly intriguing little aircraft. But it is Dr. Gooden himself who has rendered his earlier work obsolete by publishing, 13 years later, an astonishing and incomparably more exhaustive study in Natter - Manned Missile Of The Third Reich.

This must be one of the most complete single volume publications ever released about a German aircraft type. Given that the diminutive Ba 349 Natter interceptor never entered mass production and did not become fully operational, the scope of this book is even more astounding – and thus deeply satisfying. A heavy hardcover with dust jacket, sized 300 x 225 mm, Natter - Manned Missile Of The Third Reich comprises 536 pages and 870 illustrations. The production is first rate, the paper of a lavish quality, and the photo reproduction is flawless.

The detail thus contained within is extraordinary. For example, there are numerous truly splendid computer renderings that illustrate minutiae of the Ba 349's design. These renderings are not just flashy gimmicks; they are formidably illuminating. Nor are they limited to the aircraft and its many components but also extend to associated equipment such as the launch installations. Add to this a vast number of contemporary and modern drawings and innumerable black & white and colour photos, many of them rare or previously unseen, and it becomes apparent that Dr. Gooden's book is truly a treasure and likely the definitive analysis of the Natter.

Natter - Manned Missile Of The Third Reich commences with various chapters outlining the background, concepts, gestation, and design of this aircraft. I know I am repeating myself, but the amount of content even in these early chapters by means of text and illustrations is simply staggering. The narrative subsequently continues to the rather little-known trials of the Ba 349 as a glider and then illuminates the people and politics behind the project. Very extensive chapters on the actual vertical take-off trials follow, and these include, of course, the tragically ill-fated first manned launch with pilot Lothar Sieber. Dr. Gooden then describes the efforts expended to make the Natter operational; this section also contains vast information regarding launch tower function and operations.

The book then briefly discusses on the medical aspects of flying the Natter, before embarking on a description of the impact of the war's end on the further development and operations of the Ba 349. This is, fittingly, complemented by chapters on the fate of the Natters and the personnel involved as well as information on the Allied view of the programme.

The book's final 92 pages (!) are dedicated to a variety of appendices on the Natter's propulsion system, an original manual, various contemporary documents, notes by Erich Bachem, a list of Natter trials, an overview of the Luftwaffe's command structure, and a description of Natter paint schemes. An exhaustive catalogue of notes and sources is also part of this concluding section.

Throughout all of these chapters, Dr. Gooden frequently links the events of the past to the present, by either revisiting places significant to the aircraft's history or presenting surviving components and equipment. In addition, one of the most interesting aspects of the book is the repeated meticulous photo analysis, such as in establishing the identities of the individual Ba 349 aircraft seen in the photos of the manufacturing process. Moreover, Dr. Gooden sheds light on uncounted previously largely overlooked details, such as instrument panel differences, consecutively enlarged horizontal tails, the existence of tailplane antennae, differences between the ventral tail fins, and so on; all items almost universally overlooked or barely touched upon in previous publications on the Ba 349.

Dr. Gooden spent 25 years researching the Natter, and it shows. There are only very few minor points that could perhaps be debated, such as his identification of what likely is a photo deficiency as a direction finding loop antenna on what is probably the best-known Natter, the manned M23 prototype (page 187). This possible misidentification has previously been seen in other published material on the Ba 349, but this so-called "antenna" does not appear in any of the (numerous) further photos of M23, nor does it indeed appear on any other Natter. The aforementioned deficiency is likely a scratch on one of the photo reproductions, introduced many years ago; what appears as the device in question is far too thin and too small to resemble the actual standard d/f loops used by Luftwaffe aircraft at this stage of the war.

Nonetheless, given the immense scope of this publication, such observations really amount to petty nitpicking. This book is truly magnificent, and no superlative will be able to do it justice.

DFS Kranich

DFS Kranich [crane] training glider with markings that appear to read D-17-606. The D-17 designation would allocate the aircraft to the NSFK [Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps, i.e., National Socialist Flyers Corps] Gruppe Ostmark, after the "Anschluss" of Austria in 1938. The Kranich was designed in 1935 by Hans Jacobs for the DFS [Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug; German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight]; it was primarily intended for performance and blind flying training.

The Kranich pictured above can be seen resting on its jettisonable undercarriage dolly; another such undercarriage dolly is located on the ground between the individuals at right.

The three aircraft in the background are Grunau Baby gliders, designed by Edmund Schneider. Location and exact date unknown. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)