Hitler's Jet Plane (15 page)

Willy Messerschmitt explaining a point about the Me 262 to Adolf Hitler and Ernst Udet.

Oberst Gordon Gollob, successor to Galland as General der Jagdflieger.

Me 262A-1a fighter, works number 170059, delivered to Thierfelder’s EKdo 262 at Lechfeld on 20 August 1944 and allocated to Leutnant Fritz Müller. The aircraft was later transferred to I/KG(J)54.

Graveyard of German aircraft: in the foreground two wrecked Me 262s, behind is a Ju 88 and other aircraft.

Oberfeldwebel Rumler (with peaked cap standing on wing) at Perleberg on 15 April 1945 during an intermediate stop.

Oberleutnant Kurt Welter, Staffelkapitän 10/NJG 11, was the 769th recipient of the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross. His Welterkommando Me 262 obtained its success in the searchlight beams of Berlin. Welter was probably the top-scoring jet-fighter ace with twenty victories.

‘FE’ means Foreign Evaluation. This Me 262B-1a, two-seater night fighter equipped with an SN-2 Lichtenstein radar, was captured undamaged by the Americans. Possibly Kurt Welter flew it once or twice.

An Me 262 night fighter being serviced prior to operations.

Four Messerschmitt test pilots: Theo Tumborn, Fritz Wendel, Hermann Wurster, Sepp Sinz.

Twelve R4M rockets carried in a rack below each wing and fired in salvoes achieved a good scatter and proved the most accurate and effective armament of the jet fighter. An aircraft so fitted was re-designated Me 262A-1aR1 or R7.

The only Me 262 to be armed with a modified Rheinmetall BK5 50 mm anti-tank cannon. Here the ammunition belt is being loaded with 5-cm shells. The gun was to be used in the anti-bomber role but was never used operationally.

The Inspector of Day-fighters, Oberstleutnant Hannes Trautloft, with Erich Hohagen, who has just landed after a training flight. Between the two commodores of EJG2 (Ergänzungs-jadggeschwader 2) is Oberstleutnant Werner Andres. Extreme left is Hauptmann Georg Eder, at the right with his back to the camera Oberleutnant Wörner.

Erich Hohagen in the cockpit before taking off. He wore a protective cap following his serious head injury. Assisting him buckle up is his personal ground crewman.