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Posted on 12/16/2003 12:04:21 AM PST by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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At The Battle Of The Bulge Outnumbered and outgunned, the men of the 110th Infantry Regiment upset the German timetable during the Battle of the Bulge.  The 28th Division in the Defense of Hosingen, Luxembourg This print depicts the gallant defense of Hosingen, in December 1944. One of the great strong point actions which occurred in the town of Hosingen, Luxembourg, where “K” Company of the 110th Infantry Regiment and “B” company of the 103rd Engineer Battalion (Combat) fought for the better part of three days. This effort clearly helped save Bastogne, only 18 miles to the west, and bought precious time for the Allies. In Western Europe, however, things were not so bleak. An offensive launched through the wooded Ardennes region could provide the Fuhrer with the decisive results he needed. In perhaps the Third Reich's greatest triumph, it was there in 1940 that General Heinz Guderian had punched a hole through the French lines, crossed the Meuse River below Sedan and raced to the sea in just two weeks. The Ardennes thus had a certain emotional attraction. Furthermore, the American troops who now defended the region had yet to fight in a winter campaign and, if the attack could be organized quickly and launched early enough in the winter months, the weather could markedly reduce the effectiveness of Allied air cover. All factors seemed to point to the Ardennes as the place for the Germans to launch their last great offensive. Having decided upon his course, Hitler began to strip away badly needed units from the Eastern Front and comb the Reich for additional manpower to bring his battered formations up to strength. He also hoarded precious fuel and armored vehicles. Aware that surprise was a critical component to success, the Germans carried out these preparations with the utmost secrecy. Through stinginess and stealth, during the fall of '44, the Fuhrer was able to assemble a strike force whose size and strength had not been seen by German soldiers for years. As a final gesture to convince the Allies that the Germans had no plan for an offensive, Hitler's last gamble was dubbed Operation Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine). The Fuhrer's plan called for two panzer armies, the Fifth and Sixth--consisting of seven armored, one parachute and eight Volksgrenadier divisions--to punch through three American infantry divisions, the 99th, 106th and 28th, which were spread along the Ardennes' border with Germany.  After breaching the American line, the two panzer armies were to drive northwestward to the Belgian port of Antwerp and the sea, splitting the Allied line in two. Two other German armies, the Fifteenth and Seventh, would protect the northern and southern flanks of the principal German advance. Hitler hoped that such a blow would split the unity of the Allied alliance and cause it to crumble or, at the very least, so disrupt the Western Allies' advance that he would be able to shift badly needed forces to the East to counter the Communist threat. One of the principal units in the operation was General Heinrich von Luttwitz's XLVII Panzer Corps of General Hasso von Manteuffel's Fifth Panzer Army. Luttwitz's panzer corps was to breach the American lines between the small towns of Marnach and Weiler, seize two main roads that ran east-west through those towns and cross the Clerf River on the offensive's first day. After cracking the American line, Luttwitz's tanks were to pass through the crossroads city of Bastogne on the second day and seize the bridges over the Meuse just south of Namur and Dinant. In addition to the territorial objectives, Luttwitz was instructed to support General Josef "Sepp" Dietrich's Sixth Panzer Army drive to Antwerp and the sea. The keys to the operation, in Hitler's mind, were speed and audacity, just as they had been in 1940. Unlike many other formations at this late stage of the war, the XLVII Panzer Corps was made up entirely of army divisions. Luttwitz's command consisted of the 2nd Panzer, Panzer Lehr and 26th Volksgrenadier divisions. The 2nd was highly regarded by many in the German army because it was one of the Wehrmacht's three original experimental panzer divisions. Since the start of the war it had seen extensive service in France and Russia before being removed from the maelstrom to rest and refit early in 1944.  General Heinrich von Luttwitz After being reconstituted, the 2nd was assigned to the defense of the West Wall. Between June and August 1944, the 2nd took part in the fighting in Normandy's bocage country, only to be pushed back by superior Allied forces, encircled and nearly destroyed during the ensuing campaign. Following the disastrous Normandy battles, what remained of the division was judiciously pulled out of the lines and sent to Wittlich, in the Schnee-Eifel area of Germany. Once in the rear, the division received new equipment and absorbed the remains of the 352nd Infantry Division, which had also been destroyed during the brutal fighting in France. Just two days before the operation was supposed to begin, the reconstituted division was put under the command of Colonel Meinrad von Lauchert. Although Lauchert was an able officer who had served in the Panzertruppen since 1924, he had little time to acquaint himself with his surroundings and had not even had an opportunity to meet with all of his regimental commanders prior to the attack. Panzer Lehr was another one of the Wehrmacht's premier divisions. Officially formed on January 10, 1944, in the Nancy-Verdun area of France from various armored training and demonstration units, Panzer Lehr had received its baptism of fire against the Soviets in Hungary. After helping to temporarily slow Soviet advances in the East, the division had been rushed back to France to try to stem the tide of British and American forces rampaging across Normandy. One of the strongest armored formations of the German army, Panzer Lehr fought the Allies at Caen and St. Lô until, like the 2nd, it escaped from the Falaise Pocket and was pulled out of the lines to be reconstituted. For Wacht am Rhein, the division was put under the stewardship of its original commander, Lt. Gen. Fritz Bayerlein.  The final weapon in General Luttwitz's arsenal was the 26th Volksgrenadier Division, which was assigned the task of infiltrating American positions and creating gaps large enough to allow Panzer Lehr to pass through to Bastogne and the Meuse unhindered. The 26th Volksgrenadier had its origins in the 26th Infantry Division. After that unit was virtually destroyed in the vicious battles in Russia in September 1944, the surviving members of the division were shipped to western Poland to the Warthelager training area to rest and refit. There, the division was reconstituted with what remained of the 582nd Infantry Division, along with new recruits and personnel combed from the ranks of the navy and air force. In order to inspire the men of this ad hoc command, as well as the many other German divisions being formed from the pieces and parts of other shattered divisions, in 1944 Hitler dubbed these new formations Volksgrenadiers (people's grenadiers). The new 12,000-man 26th Volksgrenadier Division was given to Maj. Gen. Heinz Kokott, a sturdy and meticulous veteran of many campaigns. Over Hitler's initial objections, General Manteuffel declined the opportunity of preceding his attack with a lengthy bombardment. It was Manteuffel's intention to achieve surprise at the start of the offensive by having his infantry infiltrate through the forward American positions before sunlight. Once in place, these men could quickly take the American strongpoints and clear a path for following units. After the American positions were taken, the tanks would roll through and race to the sea unchecked. General Kokott highlighted Manteuffel's intent in his orders to his subordinate commanders: "Success or failure of the operation depends on an incessant and stubborn drive to the west and northwest. The forward waves of the attack must not be delayed or tied down by any form of resistance....Bastogne should fall on the second day of the operation or at least be encircled by then." Standing in Luttwitz's way were the men of the U.S. Army 28th Infantry Division's 110th Regimental Combat Team (RCT). The 110th RCT consisted of the 110th Infantry Regiment and attached units. The whole team was commanded by Colonel William Hurley Fuller, a cantankerous Regular Army officer and World War I veteran who was out to redeem himself. A few months before, during the Normandy campaign, Fuller had commanded a regiment in the 2nd Infantry Division. When his regiment failed to reach its assigned objectives as ordered, Fuller was relieved of command. Once Paris was liberated, however, Fuller was able to convince his old comrade in arms, Lt. Gen. Troy Middleton, commander of the VIII Corps, to give him another chance. Middleton, who was forced to find replacement commanders for a number of regiments, gave Fuller command of the 110th Infantry Regiment in late November 1944 after its commander, Colonel Theodore Seeley, was wounded. In December the 110th RCT consisted of three rifle battalions; Company B, 109th Field Artillery Battalion; Battery C, 687th Field Artillery; Company B, 103rd Engineers; Company B, 103rd Medical Battalion; Company B, 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion; and Battery A, 447th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion.  KO'd Tiger Royal in Belgium The 28th Division had formerly been a component of the Pennsylvania National Guard. After mobilization, the division had been trained for participation in the invasion of France. On July 22, 1944, six weeks after D-Day, the 28th was shipped to France and quickly sent to the front. It fought with distinction throughout the Normandy campaign and, on August 29, had the privilege of representing the United States during celebration ceremonies marking the liberation of Paris. The men of the division did not have an opportunity to enjoy the City of Light, however. After marching through Paris they were immediately sent to the front. Once outside of Paris, the 28th, now under the command of Maj. Gen. Norman D. Cota, resumed its eastward journey. On September 7 the division rolled into Luxembourg, crossed the Our River south of Clervaux and became the first Allied division to breach Germany's vaunted Siegfried Line. The 28th was then moved to the vicinity of Rott, on the western edge of the Hurtgen Forest. As it assimilated new recruits, the division was assigned the job of capturing Schmidt and the forests surrounding the town. The 9th Division had tried to secure the area a few weeks earlier and had been massacred. Following the 9th's failure, the 28th was sent into the breach and, unsupported by other First Army units, received a similar treatment from the forest's German defenders. After its bloodletting in the Hurtgen, the 28th Division was sent to the Ardennes, which Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower considered to be a quiet area where new divisions could receive experience and battle-weary units could rest. There, what was left of the division began to take in thousands of new recruits to replace the casualties lost during the summer and fall campaigns. But although the Ardennes was considered a quiet sector, the men still held positions on the front line. The 28th's portion of the front was a 25-mile-long sector that was more than three times the area an infantry division was normally expected to defend. The 110th was assigned the vulnerable center section of the line. To make the task even more challenging, the regiment held this portion of the front with only two of its three battalions, the 1st and 3rd. The regiment's remaining battalion, the 2nd, was held behind the lines at Donnange and Wiltz, where it served as the division's only infantry reserve.  The bulk of the 110th was deployed along the St. Vith-Oiekirch Highway. Known to the Americans as "Skyline Drive," the highway was a hard-surfaced road that ran parallel to the Luxembourg-German border and overlooked the Our River and Germany to the east and the Clerf River and Luxembourg to the west. Along this road, which ran about two miles from each river, Colonel Fuller deployed his two battalions along a series of strongpoints: Company A, 110th, held Heinerscheid; three machine-gun crews from Company D held Reuler; Company B and five 57mm towed cannons from the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion held Marnach; Companies K and B, 103rd Engineers, held Hosingen; Company L held Holzthum; and Company I held Weiler. Most of these towns, except for Hosingen, were on roads that ran east-west from the Our River and the German lines to the American rear. Believing that they were in a quiet area and that the Germans were too battered to launch an attack of their own, Fuller allowed his men to occupy their positions during the daylight hours and to retire to warmer quarters in the evening. During the hours of darkness, the forward American positions were only lightly held. Behind these strongpoints were Fuller's reserves. At the resort town of Clervaux was the 110th's command post, Headquarters Company, Supply Company, some of Cannon Company and Companies D and B of the 103rd Medical Battalion. Company C was in Munshausen, Companies M and A of the 447th Anti-Aircraft Artillery were in Consthum, and the 109th Field Artillery and Battery C of the 687th Field Artillery were deployed along the reverse slope of the ridge between Clervaux and Consthum. All told, the 110th RCT numbered about 5,000 men on the evening of December 15, 1945. Across the Our River was Heinrich von Luttwitz's entire XLVII Panzer Corps, with 27,000 infantrymen and 216 tanks, assault guns or tank destroyers, which intended to smash through the 110th's positions in one day, seize the Clerf River bridges intact and drive on to reach the Meuse two or three days later.  Medics of the 137th remove the wounded from Lustremange, Belgium, shortly after the town was shelled by artillery. To seize control of the Our River, Manteuffel ordered his infantry battalions to go in first, crossing the Our in rubber boats in the early morning hours of December 16, when the American positions were manned by the fewest men. Once across the river, German soldiers would surround the forward American positions and attack soon after dawn. After these forward positions were seized, Manteuffel's engineers would build a series of bridges over the Our to allow the mechanized units to cross. If all went according to plan, the armored battalions of the 2nd Panzer and Panzer Lehr would be across the Clerf River by the end of the first day and on their way to Bastogne and the Meuse by December 17 or 18. Luttwitz and his division commanders were confident that they could satisfy Manteuffel. They knew that their defenders across the river were spread thin. So weakly held was the American front that several reconnaissance patrols, unchallenged by sentries, had already crossed the Our, pinpointed enemy positions and marked infiltration lanes around them.
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<===Mash ThisI guess if you are cold and getting shot at, it could take your mind off the cold. Getting shot at might make you forget your misery.
A friend I used to work with said his Dad, lost two toes, during the Battle of the Bulge, from going to sleep with his feet in water at the bottom of his foxhole. I remember him saying his Dad didn't know his feet were frozen, till he tried to walk.
And I'm kicking myself now. LOL. I swear on my way up the street, walking against the bitter wind I was saying, no snippy, THIS is cold!!!! Geez, what a rude awakening.
OMG, I had forgotten about that. ROTFLOL. Yep, that would be it.
Freezing cold, frostbite, death -- these were everyday facts for the soldiers at the Bulge. This gallery of photos from the Battle of the Bulge shows some of what it was like.
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Air Power |
Before the end of 1940, the Focke-Wulf design bureau headed by Dipl.-Ing. Kurt Tank had initiated work on variants of the Fw 190 intended to improve its high-altitude performance. Three alternative proposals were considered, designated Fw 190B, C, and D. The Fw 190B was basically similar to the Fw 190A, but was to be powered by a BMW 801 radial boosted by nitrous-oxide (GM 1) injection pending the availability of an exhaust-driven turbosupercharger. A pressure cabin was to be fitted, and the wing area was to be increased. The Fw 190C was basically similar to the B but was to be powered by the Daimler Benz DB 603 liquid-cooled engine using either a mechanically-driven supercharger operating in conjunction with nitrous oxide injection or a turbosupercharger. The Fw 190D was powered by the Jumo 213. The Fw 190B and C both ran into an extensive series of teething problems, and, in the event, never entered production. Priority was therefore given to the Fw 190D even though Tank felt that that the DB 603 was a better high-altitude engine than the Jumo 213 and had greater development potential. The result was the superb "Dora" version of the Fw 190, which was described in a previous post.
When Germany declared war on the USA, the Luftwaffe had initially assumed that the Americans would give the war in the Pacific their first priority, and had not worried too much about high-altitude bombing raids from B-17 bombers. However, by the autumn of 1942, it became readily apparent that the USAAF was planning a full-scale massive bombing campaign against Germany from its bases in the UK, and that the Luftwaffe would soon require fighters with better high-altitude performances to face the threat from American bombers. By that time, the Luftwaffe was also aware of the existence of the B-29, and they were also aware that the existing Fw 190 would be incapable of effectively intercepting this American bomber at the altitudes at which it was supposedly capable of operating. Consequently, Dipl.-Ing Kurt Tank undertook the development of of a Hochleistungsjäger, or High-performance Fighter, offering a much improved combat ceiling.
The Luftwaffe envisaged a two-phase program for the production of its new high-altitude fighter. The first phase would produce an aircraft based to the extent possible on an existing production airframe. The second phase would design a fighter from the ground up specifically for the high-altitude role.
To meet the requirements of the first phase, Focke-Wulf proposed the Fw 190 Ra-2 and Ra-3 designs, both based on the Fw 190D. These two proposals were basically similar, differing from each other principally in wing span and armament, the Ra-2 having a standard Fw 190D wing and the Ra-3 having extended wing outer panels giving a wing with a rather high aspect ratio. The engine was to be a Jumo 213E with a a three-speed two-stage supercharger and induction cooler which offered superior high-altitude performance over the Jumo 213A. Both designs had a pressure cabin and provision for both nitrous oxide (GM 1) and methanol-water (MW50) injection. The fuselage was common to both models, and was lengthened to provide increased internal capacity. The cockpit was moved sixteen inches further aft in relation to the wing attachment points in order to balance the center of gravity. Vertical tail surfaces were enlarged, and both aircraft had a 30-mm engine-mounted cannon and a pair of 20-mm MG 151 cannon in the wing roots, however the Ra-2 was to have an additional pair of MG 151s in the upper deck of the forward fuselage.
The requirements of the second phase were to be met by the Fw 190 Ra-4D. Although it was based broadly on the Fw 190, the Ra-4D embodied a complete structural redesign and numerous aerodynamic refinements. It was from the start to use a turbosupercharged Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine, the engine which Kurt Tank had preferred all along.
Dipl.-Ing Kurt Tank had by this time obtained almost legendary status as a result of his successful aircraft designs, and the RLM decided to honor him by using the prefix "Ta" instead of "Fw" for aircraft coming out of his design bureau. Since the Ra-2 and Ra-3 were considered sufficiently different from their predecessors to deserve a new designation, they were the first to receive the new "Ta" prefix. They were both redesignated Ta 152 by the end of 1942. Logic would seem to dictate that the Ra-2 and Ra-3 be designated Ta 152H and K, since they followed on directly from the Fw 190F and G (I and J were not used as suffixes). However, Tank had a different idea. He proposed that the short-span Ra-2 be designated Ta 152B, where the B stood for Begeleitjäger or Escort Fighter, and the long-span Ra-3 be designated Ta 152H, where the H stood for Hohenjäger or High-Altitude Fighter. Such was the prestige of Kurt Tank that he immediately got his way. The Ra-4D was assigned the designation Ta 153.
Although Tank was pressing the Luftwaffe to allocate production priority to the Ta 152, the authorities were reluctant to disrupt existing assembly lines for the introduction of a new type. Consequently, the work on the Ta 152 proceeded only very slowly, and it was not until the spring of 1944 that serious preparations for production were begun. By that time, the USAAF bomber offensive was in full gear, and the Luftwaffe was in dire straits. The Luftwaffe desperately needed a counter to the P-51 Mustang which was cutting German fighters to pieces.
The wing of the proposed Ra-4D/Ta 153 had a slightly greater span and area than that of the Fw 190D. This wing was seen to have certain advantages over the wing originally envisaged for the Ta 152. In addition to having better aerodynamic characteristics, the Ta 153 wing was deemed easier to manufacture and was capable of carrying more fuel. The Luftwaffe consequently proposed that that the new wing be adopted for the Ta 152B, with the outboard panels and flaps being extended for the long-span Ta 152H.
Kurt Tank was still pressing for permission to use the DB 603 engine in the Ta 152, owing to its superiority over the Jumo 213E at high altitudes. Although the Luftwaffe still insisted that the Jumo 213E remain the primary Ta 152 powerplant, it permitted Tank to begin work on a DB 603-powered version under the designation Ta 152C. There was no designation conflict with the Fw 190C, since all work on that version had been abandoned by this time owing to chronic turbosupercharger problems.
The first Ta 152H prototypes were completed in the summer of 1944.
Several Fw 190C airframes were used in the project. The first Ta 152H-0 service test aircraft rolled off the assembly lines in October-November 1944. The Ta 152H-0s had no fuel tanks in their wings. They were joined a month later by the first production Ta 152H-1 aircraft, which had fuel tanks in the wings. The Ta 152H-1 was armed with one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon with 90 rounds and two 20-mm MG 151 cannon in the wings with 175 rpg. 330 pounds of armor were carried for the protection of the engine and the pilot. Most production machines were delivered to Ta 152H-1/R11 bad-weather fighter standards. A MW 50 boost tank was fitted in the inboard port wing tank for use in enhancing low-altitude performance, with the GM 1 high-altitude boost tank aft of the cockpit being standard.
Approximately 150 Ta 1252H-1 fighters were manufactured between January 1, 1945 and the final abandoning of production with the arrival of Soviet forces at the Cottbus assembly plant. No Jagdgruppen ever completely converted to the type, but several Jagdstaffeln operated the Ta 152H alongside the Fw 190D and other types. Most of the Ta 152s operated in the close-support role. Others flew "top-cover" for bases from which Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters operated, trying to protect the jets from being "bounced" by Allied fighters during takeoff or landing. It was said that no British or American fighters risked attacking an Me 262 during landing while Ta 152s were known to be circling the airfield. The large wing area of the Ta 152 made it quite easy to fly. Most of the Ta 152Hs, however, were destroyed on the ground by Allied air attacks while awaiting delivery. A few Ta 152Hs were allocated to the Mistel program.
Near the end of 1944, Kurt Tank himself had a narrow escape while flying one of his Ta 152Hs. He was flying from Langenhagen near Hannover to attend a meeting at the Focke-Wulf plant in Cottbus. His plane carried armament, but no ammunition. Shortly after takeoff, he was jumped by four Mustangs. Tank pressed the button which activated his MW 50 boost, opened the throttle wide, and quickly left the Mustangs far behind in a cloud of blue smoke.
Engine: Junkers Jumo 213E-1 twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine rated at 1750 hp for takeoff (2050 hp with MW 50 boost) and 1320 hp at 32,800 feet (1740 feet with GM 1 boost). Maximum speed: 332 mph at sea level (350 mph with MW 50 boost), 465 mph at 29,530 feet with MW 50 boost, 472 mph at 41,010 feet with GM 1 boost. Service ceiling was 48,550 feet with GM 1 boost. Initial climb rate was 3445 feet/minute with MW 50 boost. Weights were 8642 pounds empty, 10,472 pounds normal loaded, 11,502 pounds maximum. Wingspan 47 feet 41/2 inches, length 35 feet 1 2/3 inches, height 11 feet 0 1/4 inches, wing area 250.8 square feet.
The Ta 152B has originally been envisaged as having interchangeable Jumo 213 or DB 603 "power eggs", but with the acceptance of the Ta 152C the Jumo 213 was standardized. The original plan to install cabin pressurization was abandoned. However, it was decided to give higher priority to the Ta 152C, and only three prototypes of the Ta 152B-series were completed before the war came to an end.
Series production orders for the Ta 152C had been placed in October 1944, the delays being a result of the Luftwaffe still continuing to support the Jumo 213 over the DB 603 for the Ta 152 as late as the autumn of 1944. The Ta 152C with the lighter DB 603 engine was otherwise identical to the Ta 152B. It was considered primarily as a Zerstorer. The MW 50 boost installation for the enhancement of low-altitude performance was standard. An Fw 190D prototype had been rebuilt and flown with a DB 603 engine in support of the Ta 152C program, and this plane took to the air for the first time in October 1944. During December 1944 and January 1945, the first Ta 152C-O service test aircraft joined the test program. The definitive production version was to be the Ta 152C-1, and it was hoped that the first examples could be rolling off the production lines in April of 1945. However, series production of the Ta 152C was only just beginning when Allied forces overran the assembly plants, so this fighter never entered service with the Luftwaffe.
The Ta 152C-1 was powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 603LA twelve-cylinder liquid cooled engine rated at 2100 hp (2300 hp with MW 50) for takeoff and 1750 hp at 29,530 feet (1900 hp at 27,560 feet with MW 50). Armed with one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon with 90 rounds, two fuselage-mounted 20-mm MG 151 cannon with 250 rpg, and two wing-mounted 20-mm MG252 cannon with 175 rpg. Maximum speed was 227 mph at sea level (356 mph with MW 50), 436 mph at 37,730 feet (460 mph at 32,810 feet with MW 50). Initial climb rate was 3050 feet per minute and service ceiling was 40,350 feet. Weights were 8849 lbs empty, 10,658 lbs normal loaded, and 11,733 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 36 feet 1 inch, length was 35 feet 6 1/2 inches, height was 11 feet 1 inch, and wing area was 290.89 square feet.
There is a long and complex list of experimental subtypes (both actual and proposed) of the Ta 152B, C, and H, much too long to list here. See one of the references listed below if you are really interested.
Some Ta 152s are known to have been captured and returned to the USA for study. I wonder if any of them still exist? Perhaps a Ta 152 is squirreled away in a dark corner in one of the hangars of the Garber facility at Suitland, Maryland. Anyone know?
Specifications:
Origin: Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau GmbH
Type: Single-seat high altitude fighter
Crew: One
Powerplant: One Junkers Jumo 213E-1 12-cylinder inverted Vee,liquid cooled with MW-50 injection and GM-1 boosting (1,740 hp)
Dimensions:
Wing Span: 14.5m (47 ft. 6¾ in.)
Length: 10.8m (35ft 5¼ in.)
Height: 4m (13 ft. 1.5 in.)
Wheel Track: 3.95m (12 ft. 11 in.)
Weights: Empty: 3,600kg (7,940 lbs.) / Loaded: 5,500kg (12,125 lbs.)
Performance :
Maximum speed: 431mph at 34,451 ft. - 466mph at 29,529 ft. with MW-50 - 472mph at 41,012 ft. with MW-50 and GM-1
Climb rate: 1000m/minute
Ceiling: 48,560 ft.
Range (Internal fuel): 1200km (745 Miles)
Armaments:
One 30mm MK 108 mounted between the cylinder heads, firing through the propeller hub - Ammunition: 90 Rounds
Two inboard wing mounted 20mm MG151/20 - Ammunition: 175 Rounds Each
What a miserable place to be.
Thanks for the pictures Sam.
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