Hitler's Jet Plane (16 page)

Staffelkapitän Oberleutnant Franz Schall, Kommando Nowotny and III/JG7, issuing his instructions by field telephone.

Cameraman Karl W Lüttgau, Messerschmitt Works photographer, made the Me 262 training films.

Ground crew and pilots of Erprobungskommando Me 262 turn out for a soccer match. On the right are the future pilots of the Kommando Nowotny and III/JG7.

War’s end design for a three-seater Messerschmitt night-fighter equipped with two Heinkel S-011 jet turbines.

Shortly before the capitulation, Messerschmitt test pilots Gerd Lindner, Karl Baur (chief pilot) and Ludwig Hofmann share a joke with a Luftwaffe officer during a pause from flying at Lechfeld.

8

Clashes over the Western Front Late 1944

A
t the end of 1943, Allied air intelligence was well informed regarding the development and readiness of the Me 163 rocket fighter. Aerodromes identified as their operational stations were regularly overflown and photographed by reconnaissance aircraft from the beginning of 1944 and so it came as no surprise to Allied air force commands when these strange machines made their debut in the skies over Germany. On the other hand, pilots and aircrew of USAAF and RAF aircraft had not been forewarned of the existence of the Me 163. The report by Rust and Hess regarding the first encounter between a Spitfire and Me 163 at the end of June 1944 relates:

At an altitude of about 30,000 feet the Spitfire pilot – climbing to 37,000 – saw about 7,000 feet behind him a condensation trail rising very fast from below. It was a day of perfect visibility without cloud so that the British pilot assumed he was about to be engaged by a Luftwaffe fighter. He continued his climb, and at about 41,000 feet saw the other aircraft only 3,000 feet behind and at the same altitude. He noticed how the condensation trail of the enemy machine disappeared and then reappeared several times [a typical characteristic of the Me 163 when the spirit level for the rocket motor was almost drained]. His attempt to identify the enemy was unsuccessful. It seemed to him to be a flying wing type never previously seen. The German machine was 3,000 feet below him but only 1,000 feet astern and meant that it had gained 8,000 feet in height in the period that the Spitfire had climbed 4,000 feet full out. Seconds later he lost sight of the German aircraft since no condensation trail was visible. [This is proof that it was an Me 163, probably from Brandis near Leipzig. The rocket motor ran for only five to six minutes before the fuel was burnt up and then the condensation trail also petered out.]

In July 1944 the first encounter occurred between a British aircraft and an Me 262 over Munich, as reported by the crew of a De Havilland Mosquito, was equally dangerous but finished bloodless:

During a reconnaissance flight at 29,000 feet pilot Lt Wall and observer Flying Officer Lobham sighted a fast-approaching twin-engined machine barely 400 yards behind them. This was disconcerting, because never previously had they known of an enemy aircraft able to outpace a Mosquito. Upon receiving his observer’s warning, Wall put the throttle to full. The strange aircraft came rapidly closer, however, rose up a little and then took station behind the Mosquito a little off centre to starboard. As the Me 262 – now recognised as such – attempted to straighten up to shoot, Wall saved his own machine by banking sharply right. He could not shake off his opponent, however, which within a minute was again behind him and after narrowing the gap opened fire at 700 yards. Wall made a slight turn to avoid the danger and then banked as tightly as he could, a manoeuvre which got him behind the German jet. At once the Me 262 shed height to disengage.

The jousting was repeated three times over without the German pilot managing to obtain a hit. On the fifth close pass, with the Me 262 extremely near, the Mosquito escaped once more by a very acute turn. Wall heard two dull thumps in the fuselage and, assuming they had been hit, ordered Lobham to open the emergency hatch in readiness to bale out. While manipulating the inside handle, Lobham noticed that the hatch cover had torn free at the hinges and disappeared. This accounted for the dull thuds Wall had heard. The pilot had had enough. He put his aircraft into a steep dive and sought the protection of cumulus at 16,000 feet. When the Mosquito emerged three or four minutes later, there was no sign of the Me 262, and the British machine returned safely to its operational base at Fermo near Venice.

The interesting report by Rust and Hess, though concerned mainly with US 8th Air Force operations over Reich territory for the month from 7 October 1944, coincides in many aspects with the narrative in the last chapter and an abridged version is repeated here.

On 7 October over Holland and Germany 8th Air Force exchanged fire on about 25 occasions with German jets. These were all Me 262s with the exception of four Me 163 rocket fighters which attacked B-17s over Leipzig. There were several victories to report. Mustang pilot Lieutenant Urban L Drew became the first US pilot to shoot down two jets on the same day. These were the Me 262s of Leutnant Gerhard Kobert (works number 110405) and Oberleutnant Paul Bley (works number 170307). The two German aircraft had just taken off when Drew surprised them at 1,000 feet and shot both down. Bley baled out safely but his wingman was killed. The other pair of the four got away and climbed to intercept the American formation. A third machine destroyed by Colonel Hubert Zemke and Lieutenant Norman Benolt was taken to be an Me 109. Only later, when the film recording the incident was examined, was the German aircraft identified correctly as an Me 262. During a dive at about 800 kph the American fighters’ fire sheared off the port wing of the Me 262 of Oberfahnrich Heinz Russel (works number 110395). The ensign though wounded landed safely by parachute.

On 13 October an Me 262 Blitzbomber from Kommando Schenk, of Unteroffizier Edmund Delatowski (works number 170064), was shot down by a Hawker Tempest of 3 Squadron RAF over Holland. The British aircraft was at 15,000 feet over Volkel when the pilot noticed a condensation trail approaching. He identified it as a fast-closing Me 262 whose pilot opened fire and missed with two longish bursts when slightly above the British fighter. The German machine passed within 40 yards of the Tempest which gave chase concealed within the condensation cloud. When the jet made a 180-degree turn in a shallow dive, the Tempest followed suit. In the attempt to shake off the British aircraft the Blitzbomber gained about 900 feet in altitude before pulling out in a right-hand turn. This enabled the British pilot to close in at 10,000 feet, reduce speed a little to line up the target and fire. The first burst at 300 yards missed, but after closing to 80 yards he poured a full burst into the German jet which ‘exploded like a flying bomb’ and disintegrated. If this Blitzbomber was actually carrying a large bomb, the narrative serves to illustrate how poorly the aircraft handled with a payload. The remains of the 262 spun to the ground although its Unteroffizier appears to have been thrown clear, for he survived. Over the next four months the Tempests of 122 Wing RAF shot down six Me 262s and an Ar 234.

For the US 8th Air Force, November 1944 was a month of many encounters with German jets: their fighters reported 137 contacts with a duel resulting on 29 occasions. They shot down 11 jets and damaged seven others in the air. 41 were destroyed and 17 damaged on the ground. 8th Air Force bombers had 53 encounters, fire being exchanged on 13 occasions. One Me 262 was shot down plus one probable and one destroyed on the ground. Known US losses to German jets were two fighters and no bombers.

On 1 November weather conditions were unfavourable for large-scale bomber operations and only 318 heavy bombers took off. Their targets were two synthetic oil factories at Gelsenkirchen and the Hindenburg bridge over the Rhine at Rudesheim. B-17 bombers of the 11th Division reached Gelsenkirchen unopposed but were challenged over Holland on the homeward flight by Me 262 (works number 110386) piloted by Oberfahnrich Willi Banzhaff who had sighted the bomber formation with its fighter escort from about 36,000 feet.

Descending to 30,000 feet, at 14:12 hours Banzhaff attacked the leading group of fighters from the rear. In a perfectly executed 30-degree dive he reached Yellow Flight and fired on Lieutenant Debbis J Allison’s Mustang which almost at once fell away in flames. Banzhaff, with 20th Fighter Group Mustangs in hot pursuit, now continued his dive intending to engage the Fortress formation.

The opening phase of the struggle had been observed by 56th Fighter Group pilots flying Thunderbolts as escort to a Liberator bomber formation. Together with a flight of Mustangs from 352nd Fighter Group they detached at once to join in the pursuit of the lone German aircraft. It seemed as if this overwhelming force would soon be squabbling within its own ranks for the privilege of ridding the skies of Banzhaff.

The German pilot was aware of the size of the opposing crowd on his tail. He pulled out of his dive at 9,000 feet, made a 180-degree turn at full throttle and headed northwards for a layer of cloud he had spotted over the Zuider Zee. He reached it and escaped for a while the three groups of fighters. His error was the turn, for the Thunderbolts and some of the Mustangs had cut him off and were now lurking around the bank of cloud, awaiting his reappearance. As he emerged he was greeted by a hail of fire from every American aircraft cannon which could be brought to bear. The Me 262 sustained numerous hits to its port wing and fuselage but without apparent ill effect.

Banzhaff had no alternative but to take them all on. All the American fighters had far longer endurance than he and at some time within the hour he would have to attempt a landing. Lieutenant Flowers of the 20th Fighter Group was hit by the German’s fire while executing a tight turn, Lieutenant Gerbe and three other American fighters all suffered damage at the ensign’s hands. 56 Group/63 Squadron pilot Lieutenant Groce shouted over his radio, ‘Break off! We’ll get him when he makes his next turn!’ Shortly after, the harried Banzhaff made a left turn while climbing which brought him momentarily overhead of Lieutenant Groce’s fighter. The latter took advantage of the favourable shooting position and hit Banzhaff’s starboard turbine, which exploded. The Me 262 began immediately to spin downwards out of control and Willi Banzhaff baled out a few moments later. The jet crashed between Enschede and Zwolle in Holland. All six American pilots in the vicinity claimed the highly prized kill of an Me 262, but it was awarded at debriefing half each to Groce and Gerbe of 352nd Fighter Group. Banzhaff landed safely by parachute.