As it was overburdened with other projects, it would then be allocated to a much smaller Klemm factory where less than 60 aircraft were built in total. Learn how your comment data is processed. This aircraft was to have a redesigned fuselage and cockpit. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. [E. T. Maloney and U. Feist Messerschmitt Me 163]An Me 163C illustration of how it may have looked given that only few uncompleted airframes were built. In den folgenden Monaten wurden die bentigten Maschinen geliefert und aufgebaut und die Materiallager aufgefllt. Within a month of being set up, the company was able to supply aircraft to the war ministries of Prussia and Bavaria. It also used special fuel that was specially designed for it, and thus there was no need for allocating the vital German fuel reserves to it. [1][2][3], In Regensburg, all six main workshops of the Messerschmitt factory were destroyed or severely damaged, as were many supporting structures including the final assembly shop. Despite the problems with the Me 163 production, a small number of available aircraft were allocated to the Erprobungkommando (EKdo) 16 unit from April 1942 onward. On the 24th of August, eight Me 163 managed to shoot down three more bombers while successfully evading enemy fighter cover. 1980 an das ehemalige Messerschmitt-Werk. The two groups of P-47s (88 aircraft) arrived five and eight minutes late, and despite some individual combats, they too were forced to break off virtually as soon as they arrived. The Me 163, despite its small number, proved to be a shock to the Allies pilots. The company survived in the post-war era, undergoing a number of mergers and changing its name from Messerschmitt to Messerschmitt-Blkow-Blohm before being bought by Deutsche Aerospace (DASA, now part of Airbus) in 1989. Am gleichen Tag wurde auch das sdlich benachbarte Verwaltungsgebude (Prfeningerstr. The factory consisted of hangars, barracks, and a shooting range to adjust the jet's . Schon vor der Machtergreifung der NSDAP (Januar 1933) und vor der putschartigen bernahme des Brgermeisteramtes in Regensburg durch den Arzt Otto Schottenheim (Mrz 1933), befand sich die Stadt Regensburg in einer wirtschaftlich desolaten Lage. In its inventory, there were some 12 fully operational Me 163 available. However, Messerschmitt's friendship with Hugo Junkers prevented a stagnation of the careers of him and BFW, which was started again in 1933. The Me 163 was notorious for having only a limited powered flight endurance of 7 minutes and 30 seconds before its fuel reserve was spent. - Service animals The Me 163 was armed initially with two MG 151 and later with MK 108 cannons which were placed in the wing roots. Mithilfe einer entwickelten Auslagerungsstrategie konnte die Produktion von Flugzeugen zahlenmig aber weitgehend aufrechterhalten werden. There, they allegedly managed to destroy a Soviet tank using a MK 108 cannon removed from an Me 163, which was placed on makeshift undercarriage wheels, also taken from a Me 163. Insgesamt wurden mit 7Flugzeugen pro Tag ca. Messerschmitt, and its executive Willy Messerschmitt also occupied the famed Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czech Republic, designed by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich in the 1920s; the Messerschmitt aircraft factory office and the Gestapo occupied the property during the war. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. This was the case of the II./J.G.400, which surrendered its 48 aircraft to the Allies on the 8th of MAy 1945. Messerschmitt Kabinenroller in Heidelberg .Source Otherwise, Nada. As the seat of a factory of the powerful Messerschmitt corporation, Haunstetten became a wartime production center during World War II. [citation needed] The field order for the mission specified that the B-17s would fly at altitudes between 23,000 and 26,500 feet (7,000-8,000 m), but approaching the coast of the Netherlands at 13:30, it was confronted with developing cloud masses not present earlier in the day. Zwar gab es im Reich ab 1936 einen Lohn- und Preisstopp, jedoch konnten diese Beschrnkungen bei den Anwerbungen von einem kriegswichtigen Rstungsbetrieb wie Messerschmitt leicht umgangen werden, oder die Beschrnkungen wurden durch Vergnstigungen, wie gute Sozialleistungen, kostenfreie Sportanlagen, Bcherei, und Schwimmbder ausgeglichen. For this reason, Brandis would become the main key point for the Me 163 combat operations. About half of those became prisoners of war and 20 were interned. Given its small size and limited overall weight, the onboard batteries had a limited capacity. Minds: @PlaneEncyclopedia. In July 1944, 1./JG 400 received permission to make combat flights. Im Sommer 1938 wurden die Muttergesellschaft Bayerische Flugzeugwerke umbenannt in MesserschmittAG. This attack left the airfield at Bad Zwischenahn unusable for some time. (About a gazillion books on the aircraft themselves, it was and is a popular modeling subject!). But due to its unusual design the Me 163 certainly deserves a great place in the history of the development of aviation. In the final analysis, the Me 163 theoretically possessed great potential for a rocket-powered aircraft. On the 1st of September 1944, the production of the Me 163 was officially handed over to Junkers. The former I/.J.G.400 commander Wolfgang Spate, flying one of the remaining operational Me 163, managed to destroy 5 additional Allied bombers by the end of the war. The 1st Bombardment Wing, commanded by Brigadier General Robert B. Williams, was made up of nine B-17 groups. The Germans lost one Me 163 during this engagement being hit by an Allied P-51. The question of how many Me 163B were produced during the war is difficult to pinpoint precisely. 29,95 US$. After the Me 163 returned from a sortie, the Scheuchschlepper rear wheel would be replaced with a tracked platform which supported a cradle that fully supported the entire aircraft at its wing roots, to move the Me 163 for refueling and to be refitted on a takeoff dolly for the next flight. During this attack, several Me 163s were damaged. Very enjoyable site and, as far as I know, accurate. by Cantankerous 04 Jun 2022, 20:01, Return to Luftwaffe air units and Luftwaffe in general. I've googled, checked out Amazon.com and Amazon.de (Germany), and the Wikipedia. To split the German defense, these raids were supposed to occur simultaneously, with the Regensburg force landing at airfields in North Africa. Once at sufficient altitude the dolly was jettisoned from the bottom of the aircraft. At the end of September 1944, II./JG400 was formed, under the command of Lieutenant Peter Gerth (3/JG 400) and Oberleutnant Franz Woidich (4/JG 400). I have all of these wagon sets - from Liliput, Marklin, and Trix - of transported and disassembled Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters (plus the new 2009 Marklin releases on order) and have nowhere for these train consists to originate. ", Stamped on verso: "Passed for personal use only. 1./JG 400 was at this stage prohibited from making combat flights in order to avoid the attention of the Allies. Eduard has chosen to depict the Bf 109 G-10 produced at the Messerschmitt Regensburg factory. The last provisional wing in the task force was left without any fighter protection at all. Mit Zusatztanks ausgerstet konnten sie von England aus Sddeutschland und dann zur Landung Nordafrika erreichen. The SchweinfurtRegensburg mission was a strategic bombing mission during World War II carried out by Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers of the U.S. Army Air Forces on August 17, 1943. Existing types, such as the Bf 109 and 110, retained their earlier designation in official documents, although sometimes the newer designations were used as well, most often by subcontractors, such as Erla Maschinenwerk of Leipzig. [17], The Schweinfurt task forces followed the same route as the Regensburg force. It was also subordinated to the 1./J.G. Due to the volatile nature of the fuel, any harsh landing with fuel still onboard offered a great chance of explosion as well, which led to a number of pilots being lost. For this reason, the work on testing and experimenting with the Me 163 was stopped in favor of increasing the overall production of the Me 163 B-1. Amusingly, just prior to the first flight, his Me 163 BV 41 (PK-QL) aircraft was painted in red. Although the raid caused heavy damage at both factories, 60 of the 376 bombersabout 1 in 6 of those dispatchedwere shot down and more than 600 Airmen were killed, missing, or captured. Given that the Me 163 operated in late 1944 were shortages of all kinds of equipment and materials were common, this should not come as a surprise. It had 6 Me 163s, of which only one was equipped with a rocket engine. Due to the need for immediate aircraft production for the ongoing war, there was no time for development work and BFW manufactured aircraft under licence from Albatros Flugzeugwerke. The reason for this was the lack of sufficient water supply which was essential for flushing the Me 163 fuel tanks in order to avoid any accidental explosion. By the end of July, the 1./JG 400 had only four operational aircraft out of 16 available. [19], Three B-17s were shot down by flak over Schweinfurt. The last wing formation of bombers was fifteen miles behind the first and nearly out of visual range. Regensburg was home to both a Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft factory and an oil refinery, which were bombed by the Allies on August 17, 1943, in the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, . In Schweinfurt, the destruction was less severe but still extensive. Another crash-landed in Italy and five more were forced down by lack of fuel into the Mediterranean Sea. Nach Kriegsende blieben in Regensburg und auch in St. Georgen/Gusen nur Ruinen des leistungsfhigen und produktiven Flugzeugwerkes Messerschmitt GmbH zurck. At this stage, the Germans were replacing the R II 209 rocket engines with the modified RII 211. The renaming of BFW resulted in the company's RLM designation prefix changing from "Bf" to "Me" for all newer designs that were accepted by the RLM after the acquisition date. This way, after an attack run, the Me 163 pilots could simply choose on which airfield to land, knowing that they could resupply without any problems. The BV1 prototype would be, from this point on, mainly used as a training glider aircraft. (Right) Reconnaissance photograph taken after the strike, showing heavy damage. Slave labour was provided by inmates of the brutal KZ Gusen I and Gusen II camps, and by inmates from nearby Mauthausen concentration camp, all located near the St. Gorgen quarries. First wave of attack. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) I've googled, checked out Amazon.com and Amazon.de (Germany), and the Wikipedia. Each of these was tasked with the delivery and production of parts before being finally assembled at Brandenburg-Briest. By May 1944, only a small group of fewer than 50 pilots had a chance to fly either the powered or towed versions of the Me 163. RAF Fighter Command squadrons participating were: All break down the claims as 16 for the 56th FG, 2 for the 78th FG, and one for the 353rd FG. He was supported in this by BMW's Managing Director Franz Josef Popp who, in a letter to the chairman of MAN, described BFW as a "dead factory, which possesses no plant worth mentioning, and consists very largely of dilapidated and unsuitable wooden sheds situated in a town that is extremely unfavorable for industrial activities and whose status continues to give little cause for enthusiasm". - Purses Da es den Alliierten nicht verborgen blieb, dass die Produktion von Flugzeugen weiterhin erfolgte, wurden im Juli 1944 die Flugzeugwerke in Augsburg, Regensburg und Obertraubling erneut bombardiert und dabei fast vllig zerstrt. Being highly corrosive and deadly to the touch, the maintenance crews and pilots had to wear specially designed protective clothing and gloves. In Regensburg, all six main workshops of the Messerschmitt factory were destroyed or severely damaged, as were many supporting structures including the final assembly shop. The overall length of the task force was too great for effective fighter support. Shortly after she took off, the jettisonable takeoff dolly refused to successfully detach from the aircraft, preventing it from using the landing skid. This would lead to the Me 163B series, which was the first, and last, operational rocket-powered aircraft to be used in active combat. The Me 163 wings were swept to the rear at a 23.3 angle. The number of prisoners working for Messerschmitt increased greatly after the bombing of Messerschmitt's Regensburg plant on 17 August 1943. For example on the 16th March, an Me 163 managed to damage another Mosquito on a reconnaissance mission. Weapons. On the 16th of August, five Me 163 attacked a group of B-17s, and even managed to shoot down two of the bombers. Otherwise, Nada. Since World War I aircraft were largely built from wood to keep their weight down, BFW was equipped with the very latest joinery plant. This unit, which was formed in April of 1942, had the primary function of testing and evaluating the newly built Me 163 and helping in the development and improvement of its overall design. Due to poor ground conditions for Me 163 operations, the aircraft was relocated back to Bad Zwischenahn in late August. I have been looking all over for some 1940s era photographs of the Messerschmitt factories in Augsburg or Regensburg. From this point forward all aircraft built would be transported to Bad Zwischenahn near Oldenburg. Consequently, the launch of the Schweinfurt force was further delayed to allow U.S. escort fighters sufficient time to return to base to rearm for a second escort mission. Given the chaotic state of Germany in 1945, its conceivable that the crew operating this gun may have found a way to make it work. Based on these, the Japanese managed to build a slightly modified copy of the Me 163. Glad you like it and thanks for the comment! I could simply freelance a building, but I would like to be somewhat realistic and have a structure (or series of structures) that would be reminiscent of the original. [28], Albert Speer reported an immediate 34 percent loss of production,[29][note 7] but both the production shortfall and the actual loss of bearings were made up for by extensive surpluses found throughout Germany in the aftermath of the raid. It was probably in the spring of 1922 that Castiglioni and Popp persuaded MAN to give up its shares in BFW, so that now the company belonged exclusively to Castiglioni. Messerschmitt had its share of poor designs as well; the Me 210, designed as a follow-on to the 110, was an aerodynamic disaster that almost led to the forced dissolution of the company. To split the German defense, these raids were supposed to occur simultaneously, with the Regensburg force landing at airfields in North Africa. In Sddeutschland waren die Messerschmitt-Flugzeugwerke in Regensburg und Obertraubling von Angriffen nicht betroffen und konnten bis 1943 die Jahresproduktion von Me-109-Jagdflugzeugen unter Einsatz von KZ-Hftlingen auf weit ber 2.000 Stck pro Jahr steigern. Select from premium Nazi Messerschmitt of the highest quality. This Gustav was built in the Regensburg factory in 1943 for operations in tropical and desert climates. Discussions on all (non-biographical) aspects of the Luftwaffe air units and general discussions on the Luftwaffe. Details of the company were recorded in the Commercial Register with an equity capital of RM1,000,000 on 7 March 1916. Just a few rounds of this cannon was enough to destroy or heavily damage an enemy target. To attack these in sufficient force, "Operation Juggler" was conceived,[7] in which the fighter production plants in Wiener Neustadt were targeted for attack by B-24 Liberators of the Ninth Air Force based in Libya, and Regensburg by B-17s of the Eighth Air Force. Founded in 1999. by dmeephd 01 May 2009, 13:46, Post The rear gunner position was completely destroyed while the right tail unit was heavily damaged. The following May, the firm acquired Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB). This mission was enshrined in fiction as the "Hambrucken raid" in Beirne Lay and Sy Bartlett's novel, Twelve O'Clock High. Colonel LeMay ordered the formation to perform two 10-minute turns over Switzerland, allowing damaged aircraft to rejoin the formation before flying to North Africa. - Coolers In addition to the bomber force, the Allies lost 3 P . DISCONTINUED. The second was a series of attacks on Luftwaffe fighter fields at Poix, Lille-Vendeville, and Woensdrecht by Hawker Typhoons of the RAF simultaneous with the diversionary attack, and Poix by two groups of B-26s in the afternoon as the Schweinfurt force was returning. For example, while the Me 163 was cheap, due to many reasons it was never produced in any sufficient numbers to cause any serious threat to the Allies. In order to enter his flight position, the pilot used a small ladder placed on the left side of the aircraft. Diese Dezentralisierung erwies sich als ein Erfolgsrezept, mit dem auch der nchste schwere Rckschlag bewltigt wurde. Read our Privacy Policy for more information. - Food and Soda Drinks The towed Me 163 was released at some 50 meters of altitude and the pilot was forced to land at a nearby lake. FREEAdmission & Parking. During its development, the Me 163B was tested with a series of different rocket engines. Juli 1936 wurde als Tochtergesellschaft der Messerschmitt AG Augsburg die Bayerische Flugzeugwerke Regensburg GmbH gegrndet. Most of the damaged aircraft were stranded in. 1943 waren diese Werke die zweitgrte Produktionssttte fr einmotorige Jagdflugzeuge in Europa. Ende 1944 war der Einsatz von 4000 KZ-Hftlingen und 400 Zivilarbeitern fr diese Fertigung geplant. This combined with the extraordinary speed of the Me 163 made engaging targets difficult. Although attacking both targets simultaneously was deemed critical to success of the mission without prohibitive loss, the Regensburg force was ordered to take off, even though the 1st Bombardment Wing remained grounded at its bases by the adverse weather. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Messerschmitt Bf 109G-1,3,5: Pressurized, High Altitude Series. I'd even settle for a history book of Messerschmitt that had some illustrations. (About a gazillion books on the aircraft themselves, it was and is a popular modeling subject!). The production of Bf 109s (and almost half of all German fighters) was located in Regensburg and in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. DASA later operated as "EADS Germany", which is now Airbus.[3]. While the Messerschmitt name and insignia were used on the car, a separate company, incorporated as Regensburger Stahl- und Metallbau GmbH, was created to manufacture and market the . Der erste groe Luftangriff auf das Messerschmittwerk in Regensburg erfolgte am 17. 183 bombers dropped 424.3 tons of bombs, including 125 tons of incendiary bombs. Even so, two damaged B-17s turned away from the Regensburg task force and landed in neutral Switzerland, where their crews were interned and the bombers confiscated. Through manufacturer testing, it was revealed that the EG had very undesirable handling characteristics and excessive vibrations when the Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). Once the engine consumed all the fuel reserves, the aircraft essentially became a simple glider that was vulnerable to enemy fighter cover. Die Siedlung war ca. During negotiations between Japanese and German military officials, it was agreed to hand over to Japan a production license for many weapons including the Me 163 and Me 262. By then at least 15 bombers had been shot down or fatally damaged, 13 from the trailing formation. - Firearms* The first of Fend's vehicles to enter production at Messerschmitt's Regensburg factory was the KR175. In late April I/.J.G.400 would be disbanded and its remaining few operational Me 163 were allocated to the J.G 7. [citation needed], The cars were actually made by Fend's own company in the Messerschmitt works at Regensburg, and Willy Messerschmitt had very little to do with the vehicles other than ruling that they carried his name. . At the start of September, Luftwaffe Generalmajor Adolf Galland told EKdo 16s Commander Hauptmann Thaler, that the unit was to be disbanded and all personnel and equipment were to be relocated to Brandis. Willy Messerschmitt joined the company in 1927 as chief designer and engineer and formed a design team. Click here for frequently asked questions regarding items permitted inside the museum. In Schweinfurt, the destruction was less severe but still extensive. by Heimatschuss 01 May 2009, 00:25, Post Although you shouldn't get your hopes up too high. The unit received its first operational Me 163 on the 10th of March, and seven more were to arrive by late April 1944. JavaScript is disabled. Im Februar 1944 erfolgte der zweite Angriff amerikanischer B-17-Bomber, bei dem das Hauptwerk in Prfening mit allen Produktionshallen vllig zerstrt wurde. More than 700 bombs fell within the target area causing severe damage. While the commanders of EKdo 16 were against such a decision, there was little they could do and, by the end of September, the unit was on its way to Brandis. The four bombs falling within the hospital area, outlined on the left, caused only slight blast damage to the building. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. At dawn of August 17, after airmen had gone to their airplanes, England was covered in fog. The campus is situated in a single location together with the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences. The crews lost totaled 552 men, of who half became prisoners of war and twenty were interned by the Swiss. Etwa 500 KZ-Hftlinge wurden in KZ-Auenlager Plattling als Zwangsarbeiter bei der Errichtung eines Testflughafens eingesetzt. - Alcohol [1], Diese Entwicklung fr das Werk Augsburg erforderte die Grndung eines Zweigwerkes fr die Produktion der Flugzeuge vom Typ Messerschmitt Bf 108 eines auch militrisch nutzbaren Kurierflugzeugs, das auch Taifun genannt wurde. This was an automated weapon firing mechanism capable of friendly fire if not managed properly. Fr die Wasserversorgung des neuen Werks musste sogar ein neues Quellgebiet erschlossen werden. While Olejnik suggested using a drum magazine, which was even tested successfully, his idea would not be adopted. Then, in May of the same year, when the Italian-born investor was able to acquire BMW's engine business from Knorr-Bremse AG, nothing more stood in the way of a merger between the aircraft company BFW and the engine builders BMW. In addition, a FuG 25 IFF (identification friend or foe) transmitter and receiver was installed. May 6, 2009 (Edited by Moderator) Hi David, as you model aircraft I'm sure you're aware of the fateful raid on Augsburg/Regensburg by the US 8th AF. If the safety procedures were not followed, there was a great risk of explosion, which happened on occasion. more than a third of the production at the Regensburg factory originated in Flossenbrg and Gusen alone; only the final assembly was done in Regensburg. Approximately fifteen minutes after it crossed the coast at 10:00, the Regensburg force encountered the first German fighter interception, which continued with growing intensity nearly all the way to the target area. Not all built aircraft would be delivered to the operational units, given the great confusion and chaos that the Germans were surrounded with from 1944 on. On the 11th of September, a single Me 163 attacked and destroyed a lone B-17. EKdo 16 began receiving the first operational Me 163Bs only in July, or February of 1943. This weapon consisted of five rockets usually placed under each wing, but on the Me 163 it was actually mounted vertically in the wings. The EG was designed with a coaxial rotor configuration and had an ambitious performance estimation. Die grten Auswirkungen fr die Stadt ergaben sich, weil fr die Produktion im neuen Flugzeugwerk tausende meist hoch qualifizierte neue Arbeitskrfte bentigt wurden, die vor Ort nicht verfgbar waren und deshalb mit ihren Familien von auerhalb zuziehen mussten. Several other designs were also ordered, including the enormous Me 321 Gigant transport glider, and its six-engined follow on, the Me 323. Permitted Items: Der Angriff war mit einem gleichzeitigen Angriff auf Schweinfurt Teil eines Doppelangriffs, genannt Operation Double Strike. 11.000 Beschftigte Ende 1942 bis auf 13.000 am Kriegsende.[Anm. Weekend edition of Bf 109G-6 produced by Messerschmitt Regensburg factory in 1/48 scale. In the early 1990s, the raid was depicted for the first time in a video game, as a playable mission in Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe. - Box cutters The two largest factories, Kugelfischer & Company and Vereinigte Kugellager Fabrik I, suffered 80 direct hits. The Me 163B V6 was tested with two engine configurations It was to serve as the basis for the planned Me 163C version which was never completed, aside from a few airframes. Auf dem Gelnde des Werkes in Obertraubling wurde die heutige Stadt Neutraubling erbaut, in der sich zahlreiche Heimatvertriebene ansiedelten. As you know, this was one of the targets of the Schweinfurt- Regensburg mission on the 17th of Aug 1943, and it was so because an important Messerschmitt factory that was established there. This involved getting the Me 163 high above the Allied bombers and then plunging down at them with a dive speed of 885-930 km/h (550-580 mph). An interesting episode in EKdo 16s history is connected to the well-known German test pilot Hanna Reitsch. Few more are in the USA Flying Heritage Collection, National Museum of the USAF, and Smithsonian National Air and Space Museums. Bis zum Jahresende 1937 wurden in den Bau der Werksanlagen 11 Millionen Reichsmark investiert. The Me 163 initially used a fuel mixture of the T and Z-Stoff. In comparison to the predecessor, the B-version had a number of modifications. Mission No. [9] Spter diente das Gebude als Schule. For this reason, several submarines were to transport parts of a disassembled Me 163B to Japan. Speer indicated that the two major flaws made by the USAAF in the August strike were first in dividing their force instead of all striking the ball-bearing plants, and second, failing to follow up the first strike with repeated attacks.[31][4][32]. [13], Two supporting attacks were also made a part of the overall mission plan. Ihre Infrastruktur wurde an das Netz der Stadt Regensburg angeschlossen und durch Ausbau neuer Straen, Verlngerung von Straenbahnlinien und der zugehrigen Wasser-, Strom- und Gasversorgungsleitungen verbessert.