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A Simple Issue of Metals

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A Simple Issue of Metals

In mid 1939, geologists in Finland discovered large deposits of high grade nickel and chromium ore.  A number of months following this, in early 1940, Germany and Finland negotiated an agreement whereby Germany would construct large refineries in Finland to refine the ore.  In return, Finland agreed to supply large quantities of refined nickel and chromium to Germany – the first shipments arrived in 1942.  Though not immediately obvious, these developments were to have far reaching consequences. 

The ore which was to have such an impact.




With a secure supply of these metals (and with deposits of the equally important molybdenum already available from occupied Norway), Junkers was able to fully develop their new Jumo-004 turbojet engine (this wasn’t the only turbojet under development, though it did receive the highest priority).  This had previously been limited in performance due to the lack of sufficient quantities of expensive high-temperature alloys in the "hot section" (combustion chamber and turbine).  As such, the company had been experimenting with the 004B variant which used air cooled, hollow turbine blades made of inexpensive steel.  However, despite these innovative techniques, the design still had a limited engine life of around 25hrs.  With suitable materials now available, Junkers quickly developed the 004C variant – this included not only suitable high-temperature materials, but also many of the improved design features of the 004B variant.  The resulting engine had a greatly increased life of around 200hrs.

The Jumo 004C engine.



With the engines no longer causing trouble, Messerschmitt was able to rapidly start producing the new Me-262 in both A-1a fighter and A-2a high-speed bomber versions (the Me-262 had been selected over the similar, though lower performing He-280).  Rapid production was also greatly aided by the new Minister of Armaments and War Production, Albert Speer, who ensured that both the new jet and its revolutionary engines received top priority.  As part of this program, production of the existing Me-109 was ceased, thus freeing up a great deal of excess capacity (As part of the same reorganisation, Speer also reprioritized many other programs, such as the Panther tank, to ensure maximum output of the most useful weapons).   By mid 1943, the first Me-262s were starting to re-equip a number of Luftwaffe units.  A small number were also supplied to Finland as further payment for the nickel and chromium (and to protect the all important refineries).  They would soon have a devastating impact on the Allies. 

The new Me-262 fighters.







The lower performing He-280.



Minister of Armaments and War Production, Albert Speer watching the new jets perform





Also talking with General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland about the new jets



And the designer, Prof Messerschmitt



Not long after the first shipments of metal arrived in Germany from Finland, another event took place that would have almost as great an impact.  On the night of June 14th 1942, the crew of a new He-177A-3 bomber on an operation over England struggled to escape a RAF night fighter.  In their struggles to escape, they jettisoned their load of bombs.  It was in vain though, as shortly thereafter the bomber was shot down.  Both the bombs and the bomber itself landed upon a country estate north of London with devastating effect.  Though not immediately apparent this one incident effectively crippled the top secret ‘Ultra’ cryptanalysis program through the deaths of dozens of top scientists as well as the destruction of their facilities.  With this service no longer providing an invaluable insight into Axis intentions and operational plans, the Allies were returned to ‘operating in the dark’, and things were to soon become very dark.

Bletchy Park – Home of the Allied Ultra program.



The cause of its destruction



By late 1943/early 1944, large numbers of the Me-262A-1as started appearing (often armed with rockets) to meet the Allied bomber fleets.  The result was normally carnage with the jets seemingly immune to the escorting fighters.  By breaking up the bomber formations and distracting the escorting fighters, they also allowed the more conventional piston engined fighters to be used to better effect. By the end of February, following a number of raids where the losses exceeded 50%, the US Eighth Air Force was forced to switch to night attacks in a bid to curtail their losses.  A secondary effect (though no less important) of this change was the freeing up of the daytime skies over the Reich which allowed for more effective training of new aircrew as well as the virtually unhindered movement of forces by day.  Even the Allied fighter bombers weren’t able to make an impact, as the widespread introduction of new anti-aircraft versions of the Panther tank helped ensure even the German armoured columns were protected.

Luftwaffe Me-262A-1As



Luftwaffe Me-262A-1As in operation.







R4M Rockets used to devastating effect.




The 30mm cannon were also deadly- examples of B-17s and B-24s hit by them.




USAAC Bombers in new night operation livery





At the same time as this was occurring, the Me-262A-2a bombers also started to make themselves felt with raids on ports and other key targets all across Great Britain (they were also greatly aided in this by Ar 234B-1 reconnaissance aircraft that were able to provide unrivalled imagery of almost the whole of Great Britain).   Though at first viewed as mere pinpricks, a more devastating use was soon to follow.

Me-262A-2a bomber.



Ar-234 Reconnaissance version taking off.

GTX_Admin:
A Day of Disaster

On the 6th June, 1944, the Allies mounted their long awaited invasion of western, mainland Europe (D-day – widely known afterwards as “Disaster Day”).  Although the conditions were far from ideal (especially with the strategic bombing campaign in disarray), pressure was placed by a number of politicians (especially Winston Churchill who was concerned that the USA might change its focus to the Pacific, though Stalin had also been pushing the Allies to open a Western front) for the landing to take place.  They widely believed (or hoped) that once ashore, a beachhead would quickly be established and the Germans would be too pre-occupied with the land campaign to be able to do much else.  Unfortunately, this did not happen.

As the first troops started to come ashore, wave after wave of Me-262A-2a bombers appeared.  Leading them were a number of the previously unknown Me-262A-2a/U2 version.  This version had a glazed nose accommodating a bombardier, thus allowing more accurate bombing as well as dedicated guidance of guided bombs/missiles that were often carried.  Using combinations of bombs, rockets and guided bombs/ missiles, the jets took a high toll of both the troops ashore as well as their supporting ships.  In the air, the Allied fighters tried desperately to defend their compatriots, though they too were fighting for their lives against the Me-262A-1a fighters of JG-26.  Supporting the jets were large numbers of conventional piston engined fighters operating in the ground attack role – with the jets causing disarray, even a few Ju-82G-1 antitank aircraft were able to make an appearance.

The Me-262A-2a/U2 dedicated bomber version – these proved deadly on D-day.




The final straw came when a number of German armoured units were able to make it to the beaches (with Allied aircraft tied up dealing with the jets, these were able to move relatively unhindered from staging posts).  It was Dieppe all over again, but on a far greater scale.  Though they valiantly tried to hold out, by the morning of the 7th, the Allied ground forces were forced to evacuate – though this was in no way an easy proposition with many more ships and men lost in the process (this time there would be no “Dunkirk Miracle”).  That evening, Gen. Dwight D Eisenhower handed in his resignation (those who knew him reported that he was a broken man).

The final blow came from German Panther Tanks which were well placed for D-day.







Although only boys, the troops of the 12th SS Panzer Division proved to be deadly fighters.



Scenes of the Disaster at D-day.








Allied POWs.




Following this disaster, the Allies placed all their hope in the Southern front in Italy and in the East with the Soviet Union.  However, this was soon to change with two significant events.

GTX_Admin:
Roman Eagle Resurgent

Having devastated the D-day invasion, Hitler now decided to secure his Southern flank.  The newly re-equipped JG-27 and JG-53 along with KG-54 flush from their success over the beaches of Normandy were moved into the North of Italy (JG-26 remained in France supported by KG-51).  At the same time, at least one unit of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (A.N.R) was also equipped with Me-262A-1as (training of pilots/ground-crew on the new jets had been taking place for some time).  On September 20, 1944, under the overall command of Generalfeldmarschall Albrecht von Kesselring they struck.  Supported by numerous Luftwaffe and A.N.R. conventional piston engined combat aircraft (including a number of Zerstörergeschwaden re-equipped with the new Dornier Do-335A heavy fighter - this having also been rushed into production by Speer) and numerous armoured and infantry divisions (including the 1st and12th SS Panzer Divisions – also fresh from their success in France), the combined German/Italian forces swept through Italy sending Allied forces reeling before them.  This was partly made possible by the Allies stripping of many Italian based units to make good losses suffered on D-day.  The reappearance of the Fallschirmjägers also caused problems for the Allies as groups of these landed behind Allied lines to capture key points and generally cause confusion.

ANR Me-262

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The new Do-335 made a useful addition to the Zerstörergeschwaden.






German and Italian Paratroopers.



Fallschirmjägers in Rome.



Panther Tank in Rome



In the sky, Me-262s (supported by small numbers of a new light jet fighter – the Heinkel He-162) once again ruled supreme.  By the end of October, virtually the whole of Italy was once again under Axis rule and Il Duce, Benito Mussolini, was back in Rome.  It was at this point that yet another blow fell upon the Allies.

Heinkel He-162s

GTX_Admin:
Shock in the East

Up until this stage, despite numerous enticements from both sides, Turkey had remained stubbornly neutral.  However, following the events of the past year, this soon changed.  On October 29, 1944, the Turkish Government announced that it was annexing the island of Cyprus.  This action was openly supported by the Italian and German governments (a secret pact having been signed only days before).  As a result, both Britain and the United States declared war upon Turkey.  Furthermore, they convinced the USSR to do likewise.  Consequently, Turkey now found itself virtually surrounded.  However, help was at hand. 

As part of the secretly brokered agreement with Germany, approximately 50 Me-262 and 120 He-162 jets were already on their way to join the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri.  These would soon be joined by elements of JG-1 and JG-54 along with KG-53, all equipped with various versions of the Me-262 or He-162.  Not only did these forces secure Cyprus and more so Turkey from Allied attack, they also proved to be an ideal position to launch a deep attack in the Russian flank, thereby alleviating the pressure on Germany’s Eastern front.  And so ended 1944, a year of disaster for the Allies.  Even more was to come in 1945…

Türk Hava Kuvvetleri  He-162 and Me-262

GTX_Admin:
Changes
1945 would begin with the Axis forces undergoing a number of significant changes.  To begin with, the Luftwaffe suddenly found itself in need of a new commander.  On the morning of January 1st 1945, Reichmarshall Hermann Goering had been found dead of what was believed to have been a massive overdose of barbiturates and alcohol (he was reportedly celebrating the new year a little too excessively following the successes of the last 12 months), though this was not reported to the general public.  In his place, Hitler promoted Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall and placed him in charge of the Luftwaffe. 

Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim.



Von Greim immediately ordered a number of significant re-organisations to better position the Luftwaffe for the future battles.  This re-organisation was made possible by the massive losses inflicted upon the Allies over the previous months as well as by the incredible reorganisations of Germany’s war production by Speer.  To begin with, it was ordered that the Zerstörergeschwaden be re-equipped with the now dominant Me-262s.  This was unexpected given that many had only been operating the new Do-335 since the middle of 1944.  However, over the next 3 months, ZG-1, ZG-2, ZG-26, ZG-76 and ZG-101 would all hand over their Do-335s or Me-410s for Me-262s.  This change was able to occur quite rapidly as many of the Jagdgeschwaden already operating Me-262s simply handed their aircraft over (as they in turn converted to new aircraft).  The relatively new Do-335s and Me-410s as well as some Ta-152s were passed onto Allied nations including Italy, Romania, Croatia, and Turkey.  Dornier also found a new German customer in the form of the Kriegsmarine (discussed further below).

Zerstörergeschwaden  Me-262



Romanian Do-335



The hand over of the Me-262s by the Jagdgeschwaden was made possible by the introduction of two new, even more potent jet fighters – the Focke-Wulf Ta-183A-2 and Junkers Ju-289A-2.  These were single engined fighters powered by the new Heinkel He.S 011 turbojet.  This engine was more powerful than the Jumos of the Me-262 and even more reliable with an average life of 350hrs.  Later on, an even more powerful version would be introduced in the Ta-183B-1 and Ju-289B-1 variants.  With respect to armament, both new fighters were armed with 2 (the U-1 sub-variant of each could carry an extra pair of cannon) of the new Mauser MG 213C 30mm revolver cannon (these were also retro-fitted into many Me-262s) which had a much higher rate of fire than the previous MK 108s (fitted to the earlier developmental A-1 variants of each).  In the Ta-183A-2/R-2 or Ju-289A-2/R2 configuration these were also able to carry up to four of the new Ruhrstahl/Kramer X-4 air to air missiles; though these were typically only used in anti-bomber missions as they required the full attention of the pilot to be successful (they would however find favour with the Zerstörergeschwaden).  By mid-1945, virtually all the Jagdgeschwaden were re-equipped (or at least partially equipped) with either of the new fighters.  At that point, some were also provided to the Italian, Turkish, Finish and Spanish (see below for more details) forces.  In some cases, this was aided by a new initiative from Speer that actively encouraged the license production of various types by Germany’s closest Allies.  For example, the Me-262 and later Ta-183 began to be produced in Italy by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT) and Caproni-Reggiane as the Fiat G.60 Rondine and Re.2007 Spizaeto respectively, with engines for both built under license by Piaggio.  Similarly, the Ju-289A-2 was produced under license in Finland as the Valtion Lentokonetehdas VL Kotka (Eagle).  Similar deals were also arranged for Spain, Turkey and Romania and covered not only aircraft but also the Panther tank as well as various other weapons/components.  The He-162 however was largely phased out of production (though some continued to be produced under license by Bulgaria), having been found to be less than ideal when compared to the other types (a devastating use for some nearly completed airframes would be found later on – see Operation Tsunami).

Italian built Fiat G.60 Rondines





Ta-183 Fighters









Ju-289 Fighters












Ruhrstahl/Kramer X-4 air to air missiles



The new more powerful Heinkel He.S 011 turbojet



On the bomber front, Von Greim also ordered that all Kampfgeschwaden be re-equipped with new jet bombers (at the same time, production of the earlier piston engined stalwarts such as the He-111, He-177, Ju-88 and Ju-188 was ceased).  Whilst many would retain their Me-262A-2a and Me-262A-2a/U2 variants, most would eventually convert to the new Ar-234C-5 and He-343.  The Ar-234C-5 was a four engined version of the earlier Ar-234 (which would continue to be used in the reconnaissance role).  This version also introduced a second crew-member as a dedicated navigator/bomb-aimer.  The He-343 was an all new, four engined jet bomber powered by the new Heinkel He.S 011 turbojet and carrying a crew of three.  Some of each would also be eventually sold to Italy, Turkey and Spain.

The new Ar 234C-5 and He-343 bomber were even more powerful.








Also receiving attention as part of Von Greim’s reorganization was the Luftwaffe’s long ignored transport arm.  Though maybe not as exciting as the fighter or bomber arms, it had long been recognized that an effective means to rapidly transport forces and equipment throughout the now vast Reich was urgently required. Furthermore, it was recognized that the long suffering ‘Tante Ju’ Ju-52/3M was no longer up to the role.  Therefore new designs such as the Arado Ar-232B, Junkers Ju-252 and Messerschmitt Me-323 were given high priority.  They were also able to be improved due to the availability of higher power piston engines (such as the BMW 801) that were now available in greater numbers.  Thus equipped, the new transport arm would soon be an effective force able to transport men, equipment (including tanks and armoured vehicles in the BMW 801 powered Me-323F) and supplies wherever they were required.

The Luftwaffe’s long ignored transport arm also got new blood.








On the Allied side, 1945 also witnessed the first introduction of jets to mainstream operational units (some had been operated by specialist trials units in the later months of 1944).  Long awaited, the jets had been delayed following the destruction of the prototype Gloster E.28/39 during its first flight attempt on 15 May 1941.  The new Gloster Meteor F.1s, de Havilland Vampire Mk Is and Lockheed P-80As, first equipped units based in Great Britain before being deployed elsewhere.  This was due to the fact that it was feared that following the disaster of D-day, Hitler might try to capitalize with a second attempt to invade (though this wasn’t to be) and thus the greatest need for the new fighters was in Great Britain.  It was also hoped that the jets would be able to escort the new B-29 bombers that were just beginning to enter service with the Eighth Air Force, thus enabling a return to day bomber missions.

The loss of the prototype Gloster E.28/39 greatly set back Allied attempts to introduce jets.



Some new jets were starting to make an appearance though.

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