The history of the Ju 388 in Silver Hill

The Ju 388 L-1, factory serial number 560049 , which was captured by US armed forces and today in the NASM is, carries the code on the vehicle identification plate as manufacturer data only "rrx". By coincidence I came in well M archives into possession of documents, which prove that the 560er series of Weser flight in Liegnitz in Schlesien was manufactured. There would first be the report on a journey of the Mr. Brachvogel and Lantzsch of ATG of 6.12.1944:

In addition the FTA place writes with the test command 8-388 in their monthly report November of 2.12.1944:

The first machines of ATG (old person castle) and Weser flight (Liegnitz), which were delivered here, showed with assumption control many objections. Test reports went at FSD inspection department and FTAB.

Further down it means in the same document under a table with the monthly statement of the airplanes of the e-command in November:

Serial no.. 560,041 to 8.11. by Liegnitz one delivered and after assumption control to 27.11 after air-lock Welzow one transferred.
Serial no.. 560,042 on 19.11. by Liegnitz one delivered and stands in assumption control.
Serial no.. 560,043 to 9.11. by Liegnitz one delivered and after assumption control to 27.11 after air-lock Welzow one transferred. 

When I to 30.8.1999 the Ju an attendance in Silver Hill abstattete, I discovered two further vehicle identification plates with 188er article codes with the Herumleuchten with my flashlight in B ombenraum. In the upper trunk bowl it was one with the article code 188,111, factory serial number 6071, manufacturers hlr = ATG, work old person castle. In old person castle flying the Ju 388 manufactured by ATG took place, the entire program ATG should according to report No. 1084/44 by engineer A. Reichel (BMW EZA/2) of 15.11.1944 starting from December 1944 on the assembly works Koelleda and Leipzig sea-living be distributed. The vehicle identification plate from the lower trunk bowl is left shown. The manufacturer's code mde stands for the metal work Lower Saxony Brinckman & Mergell in Hamburg Harburg.
It called now is that our Ju 388 from a Ju 188 developed? Surely a 188er Sachu is more mmer no proof for it, because the philosophy of the Ju 388 was to take over as much as possible major components from the current 188er series and originally the Ju 388 L was called Ju 188 L. Thus it is to be still clarified whether it concerns with the trunk a new part, or whether it originates from a Ju 188.

Does the Ju have 388 in Silver Hill a master characteristic?

On none to that so far photos of the factory serial number  also only the suggestion of a master characteristic admitted to be seen. Just as the machine only the sovereignty badges carries most late ATG airplanes. In the flugbuch of flat steel bar staff-sing. Alfreds Kuhn, the deputy coordinator of the Ju 388, are for from Liegnitz in November 1944 to the EKdo 388 supplied factory serial numbers 560,041, 560,042 and 560,043 ( s.o. ) thus one would know the master characteristics PT+HA, PT+HB and PT+HC. the factory serial number 560049 by extrapolation the master characteristic assign. Since the log book of the machine did not emerge so far, one cannot say however with absolute certainty whether the airplane had in the long run this master characteristic.

  Seizure and testing in the USA

The history of the seizure by the allied ones is closely connected to team of the Watson Whizzers with the well-known USAAF air Intelligence (ATI ). This troop "collected" still during the often chaotic conclusion phase of the fighting in one as operation Lusty designated project more or less systematically interesting German aircraft. One of the teams advanced, coming from Halle/Saale, among other things (allegedly) with captured Fi 156, also to Merseburg, where one seized a Ju 388 L-1 for itself - "our" factory serial number 560049 .

Members of the 99th air service Squadron of the 365th Fighter Group belonging to the 9th U. S. Air Force were entrusted to examine the airplane and, if possible, to make ready for flight. The men around crew Chief Tommy Haworth found the Ju 388 filled up in one resound. From fear of blowing up traps the machine with extreme caution was examined in every detail, all servicing covers were opened, searched behind all linings for explosive. The airplane was jacked up, in order to be able to test the chassis, also the landing flaps was examined. In the bomb area one did not find cameras. In order to be able to set the machine in course, the cockpit had to be thoroughly examined. This made more difficult thereby that Haworth had an interpreter, this however no knowledge of airplanes possessed. Haworth had fear with each switch, which he surrounded, and each button, which he pressed, that the machine would explode. Finally one considered it surely enough to start the engines and she, still being afraid an explosion, set to Haworth in motion. Because the cylinder temperature reached rapidly the critical mark, the engines had to be always turned off after each 5 minutes static test again. This machine completed test flights with allies crew in Merseburg, before one decided to fly over the machine on 20 May after Kassel/Waldau. Because the machine carried still German national emblems, the US crew, to which also a major belonged, on the flight was escorted by three P-38.

#1:  This so far unknown photo was taken up 1945 to Merseburg. Members of the 99th air service Squadron of the 365th Fighter Group of the Ninth air Force posieren before the captured machine, which carries still original painting with German national emblems. The task of the men was it to examine and prepare for transport into the USA the airplane. #2:  Men of the same unit with maintenance and repair work at the machine.

#3:  After the airplane was examined entering with blowing up traps, the right engine is started by Thomas Haworth and spits each quantity smoke, while the left still stands. #4:  Static test in Merseburg. The two BMWS 801 Tj-0 engines run for the first time since the surrender again. Perhaps this is the world-wide only pictures, which show a Ju 388 with running engines.

The flight lasted from 14:30 to 15:30, and Watson was apparently even on board. From there it should fly the Nordatlantik(to the original planning of the Watson Whizzers over Prestwick to Iceland and over Greenland!) cross, in order to come to WRIGHTS Field. It became actual then however together with a whole set of as interesting judged Air Force machines (ME 262, acre 234, DO 335, He 219, TA 152, etc..) in the operation Sea Horse at the chase plane carrier HMS Reaper into the USA spent. In addition the machine was flown on 17 June, as most other machines, on the airway to Cherbourg/Querqueville.

These photographs, which were made available kindly by Mr. Crow, show that the machine was transferred indeed with US characteristics, which were replaced then later again by German characteristics. The airfield is not well-known (still).

The sea voyage, on which the 388 together with the other German booty machines one sent, began with running out next to Cherbourg on 20 July 1945 and took eight days. In Newark, new jersey, all machines were unloaded and continued the journey in the flight or by course after Freeman Field.

The captured machine with the factory serial number 560049 received first the identification Fe-4010, which was changed later in T-2-4010. In Freeman Field took place testing. There the machine was before-flown even in September 45 of the press.

These photographs do not show the machine during flight testing in the USA to so far more near admitted airfield. The painting is large - up to inexpertly again the attached German Hoheistszeichen - in the original state, therefore can one assume that the photographs in an early phase of testing were taken. In this painting the machine was located also on the war booty kriegsbeuteschau in Dayton/Ohio. In the photo completely left the antenna for the American radiocompass is noteworthy.

On 30 September 1945 she came to WRIGHT Field, of where she returned in June 1946 to Freeman and in airworthy condition to receive became. After completion of its active flight career it was intended for the storage in Davis Monthan AFB, in September 1946 in park Ridge, Illinois was however actually stored. From there she came into national the air and space museum , external bearing Silver Hill, where she divides today still, into major components, for her restoration waits. Since the machine is still in relatively good condition, it is to be issued starting from 2003 unrestauriert in the extension building of the NASM at the Dulles's internationally air haven.

 

Top:  The Ju 388 on the war booty kriegsbeuteschau in Dayton. The picture was made on the day before the official opening. In the background one sees the famous Ju 290 of "all broken", one of the few booty machines, which were transferred on the airway into the USA. Bottom:  This admission was taken short before the storage for the NASM and was in numerous publications to be seen. Thanks at soot Lee of the NASM for this picture!

 

Is the Ju 388 at Silver Hill a rebuilt Ju 188?

When I shone around the bomb bay of the Ju 388 with a flashlight during my last visit in Silver Hill on August 30, 199, I discovered two more manufacturer's plates with Ju 188 part numbers (Sachnummern). The one on the plate in the upper half of the fuselage was 188.111, c/n 6071, manufacturer hlr = ATG, Werk Altenburg. The Ju 388's manufactured by ATG were test-flown at Altenburg, while ATG's actual production was deployed to the plants at Kölleda and Leipzig-Seehausen in December 1944. This information comes from Report No. 1084/44 by engineer A. Reichel (BMW EZA/2) dated 11/15/1944. The plate from the lower half can be seen to the left. The manufacturer's code mde stands for the Metallwerk Niedersachsen Brinckman & Mergell in Hamburg-Harburg.
Now, does that mean that our Ju 388 was re-built from a Ju 188? Certainly, a mere 188 parts number is no evidence of this, as the basic idea in building the Ju 388 was to use as many Ju 188 series parts as possible. Originally, the Ju 388 L was even called Ju 188 L. Hence, it remains to be clarified whether the fuselage of the 560 049 was a new part or taken from an existing aircraft.

http://cip.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/~vernalek/560049US.html