Mantelli-Brown-Kittel-Graf

JunkersJu88

AircraftofWorldWarII

(n.22)

ISBN978-2-37297-2161

Copyright2015

EdizioniR.E.I.

www.edizionirei.com

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Index

JunkersJu88

History

Use

Technique

Technicalfeatures

Armament

Nightraid

DestroyersofShips

EmploymentinItalianRoyalAirForce

JunkersJu88

The Junkers Ju 88 was a twin-engine low-wing multi-role bomber produced by the
GermanJunkersGmbHfromthemidthirties.ItwasoneofthepillarsoftheLuftwaffe.

It was, in fact, used as a bomber, night fighter, Zerstörer, scout, dive bomber, attack
aircraft and torpedo bomber. It was the most versatile aircraft German Air Force and,
somesay,ofalltheairforcesinvolvedinWorldWarII.

The production lines were running continuously from 1936 to 1945 and a total of more
than 14,676 aircraft were built in dozens of versions. Throughout this period, the basic
structureoftheplaneremainedvirtuallythesameasproofoftheexceptionalvalidityof
theoriginalproject.

ThemostpopularandoneofthemosteffectivebombersassignedtotheLuftwaffeduring
theconflict,theJu88wasdesignedasuniformlyrequiredtoaircraftassignedtothatrole
by Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM), to have capacity of dive bombers, as its
predecessor Ju 87, but the overall weight, in this case much higher, posed considerable
problemsofstructuralintegrity.

Theproblemwassolvedbychangingthetacticalobjectivebylimitingto60degreesthe
diveangle.

Later, with the development of subsequent versions, the Ju 88 proved adaptable aircraft,
medium bomber, reconnaissance plane, night fighter, torpedo bomber, with performance
between460and620km/h.

TheGermandivebomber(thefirstJu87andJu88from1939)werea“weaponsystem”
consists of several elements, the first of which was a station elevation support the
bombing.

ThefeeapproachStukaloadedwithbombswasabout4,500meters,oftenatalowerlevel
becausethetargethadtobeidentifiedbeforethestartofthedive.

Bomberpilotidentifiedthetargetandassumedadirectionofapproach;whenthebomber
wasnexttothevertical(andthisinJu88wasindicatedbyanotchonalineoffaithinthe
glassbetweenthedriver’slegs)wereextractedbrakesDive.

Withthebrakesextractstheliftofthewingsfellsuddenlyandtheplanebegananosedive
of 80 degrees. The weather station previously adjusted to 1,000 meters above the target
activatedthecontinuoussoundofabuzzer,whenthequotawasreachedtorelease(about
400metersabovethetarget),thebuzzerisinterruptedandtheriderwithasinglecontrol
that activated an automatic cabrare did the plane and just started flare, unhooked the
bombs.

Thepilotoncetheplanehadplacedhorizontallyrecalledbrakesbeatenandpulledaway
onarouteofescape.

AslightdifferencebetweentheJu87andtheJu88wasthefirstthatwasequippedwitha
forkcarryingthebombsdroppedoutofthepropellerdiscandthereforethereleasecould
still occur when the bomber was beaten. If this had happened with the Ju 88 that had
bombsinsidethesehavebrokenthroughthepartitionseparatingandthroughthecockpit.

ThebombsontheJu88werethereforedroppedautomaticallyafterthebomberhadbegun
callback.

Thedivelasted25to40secondsandduringthatthepilothadtokeepframedthetarget
collimatorreflection.

The recall was cashing the plane and the crew 6 G. There were no suits antigrav that
squeezingthethighspreventedthecrewtohaveadropinbloodpressuretotheupperparts
ofthebodywiththeriskofobscuringorfainting.

Howeveriftheabruptrecallledaneffortto6Gthiswasforamuchshortertimethanit
has today a jet of aerobatic teams in turn and the Luftwaffe he just fix it through the
selection of persons of exceptional stamina and automate the redial operation that could
alsobedonewiththepilotblindedbycentrifugalforce.

Therealendofthewartheselectioncouldnotbeveryaccurateandspeedofdiveplanes
was increased. The RLM is then oriented towards the position of piloting prone that,
although uncomfortable during the flight, allowed to cash strong acceleration of gravity
alsotopeopleofphysicalstrengthlowerthanthoseselectedatthebeginningofthewar;
This was the driving position dell’Henshel 132 project ever made by dive bomber
poweredbyreactor.

At the end of the swooping bomb the main still had to be dropped worth the structural
failureoftheaircraft.

Theteststellusthatapilotofaverageabilitycouldplantabombwithin25metersfroma
fixedtarget(shipswithmovingtheerrorwasmuchgreater).

No nation, during the war, created an automatic system such as that of German dive
bombers although the dive bombing was used by many nations, especially in the naval
bombardment.

The accuracy achieved by dive bombing dazzled the leaders of the Luftwaffe who
demanded that such features were extended to projects clearly inadequate as the 30-ton
bomberHe177.

History

In August 1935 the Reichsluftfahrtministerium issued a specification for the supply of a
bomber with the Daimler-Benz DB 600 Aa 1,000 hp at take-off, three-seat high-
performance,longenoughtobejudgedforhisdefenseasinglemachinegun.

Among the essential requirements, ease of construction in series: each item should not
takemorethan30,000man/hoursofwork.

This unique warplane was created in response to specific Luftwaffe for one
Schnellbomber(fastbomber).Amongotherthings,theaircrafthadtobeabletomaintain
500km/hfor30minutes,bringabombloadof800kgandusesmalltracks.

Eventually,theprojectrivalsHenschel(127Hs)andMesserschmitt(Bf162reworkingof
BF-110)werewithdrawnandtheJunkershadgreenlight.WorkbeganinJanuary1936.

The Junkers replied with its own project in June 1936 to obtain permission for the
construction of two prototypes (Wk Nr 4941 and 4942). The first two specimens had a
rangeof2,000kilometersandhadtobepoweredbytwoenginesDaimler-BenzDB600A.

Two years before the Junkers had abandoned its traditional construction techniques with
coating in corrugated iron but, conscious of being back in the most modern techniques
nuts, hired two engineers familiarizzatisi with the latest building techniques US, WH
Evers and Al Gassner (the latter, an American who had recently moved to Europe) to
createaradicallynewmachine.

The new bomber was thus one of the best World War II (the structural difficulties were
short-lived).

Thebasicdesignwascharacterizedbyaslenderfuselageforacrewofthreemengrouped
inthenoseandthepropulsionsystemconsistedoftwoenginesDB600Ahangingbelow
thetaperedwing,mountedjustbelowthemedianposition.

Theengineshadradiatorsringthatgavetheappearanceofradialenginesandthatwould
beadoptedforthewholedevelopmentoftheplane.

Two court holds bombs occupied the entire main section of the fuselage, one located
betweenthewingsparsandothermailinsteadbilongheronebehindtheback.

One Ju 85 with fletching bideriva was soon abandoned and work continued on clean Ju
88.

The prototype V1 (Wk Nr 4941), signed D-AQEN, flights began 21 December 1936,
piloted by Captain Kindermann, test the Junkers, even then failing to reach a speed of
about580km/handcancarry1,000kgbombs.HermannGoering,headoftheLuftwaffe,
wasastonished.

The fuselage was built on the model of the Dornier Do 17 but with fewer weapons of
defense.

He followed 10 April 1937 the V2 (D-AREN), identical except for the disappearance of
theoilcoolersfromunderthegondolasdrive(theywerenowincorporatedintheannular
radiators).

Thentheycame:

•theV3(D-ASAZ)withthepassengercompartmentfloorforamachinegunanda

ventralfairingforthepointingdevice,butespeciallycharacterizedbythepassageto
themotorsJunkersJumo211A.

• the V4 on which appeared the final shorter snout, and faceted with the ventral

gondolaforasecondmachinegunservedbyafourthcrew.

•TheV5(D-ATYU)withenginesJumo211B.Thefifthprototypesetwitharange

of 1,000 km in March 1939, was brought to 2,000 kg of payload. During the tests
reachedaspeedof520km/h.

• the V6 (D-ASCY) with the same engine but with four-bladed propellers and

enclosedinfairingslessvoluminous.

• The V7 would serve as a prototype for the fighter versions, the V8 and V9

(equippedwithairbrakesandthefamousautomaticapparatusforcallback)forthe
developmentofthedivebombers.

•theV10wasthefirstarmedattackbybombsoutside.

To reveal the existence of the new “wonder bomber”, the clever German propaganda
awaitedtheoutcomeofatrialwhichhadbeenmodifiedV5,nowwiththemuzzletapering
privatetransparentandwiththecabindown.

Dr. Heinrich Koppenberg, managing director of Jumo, assured Göring that in the fall of
1938wouldhavebeendefinitelypossibleproductionof300Ju88permonth.

The production was delayed drastically to development problems. Although the
introduction into service was planned for 1938, the Ju 88 entered service, with only 12
units,on1September1939,thefirstdayofthecampaigntoattackPoland.

TheproductionwasextremelyslowwithonlyoneJu88builtinweeks,withcontinuing
problems.

The series Ju 88C, heavy fighter version, although designed very early in 1940 he was
kepthiddeninGöringashehadorderedtheproductionofversionsonlytacticalbombing.

InMarch1939,thepilotsErnstSiebertandKurtHeintzflewclosedcircuitof1,000kmat
an average of 517 km/h, and four months later with the same load, but on the circuit of
2000kilometers,gainedanaverageof500km/h.

Sincethespeedswereroughlyequaltothemaximumspeeddell’Hurricane,abouttoenter
servicewiththeRAFjustthen,thoserecordswouldhavetoraiseinterestsinWhitehall.At
thattime,theJu88wasgoingtobeputintoproduction.

The snout was enlarged with a ventral gondola for a fourth member of the crew, with
machinegunsMG15firingbackandforthaboveandbelow.

The cart consisted of individual legs sprung from stacks of steel rings and rounded
retraevahydraulicallyback(insteadofinthemiddleoftheoriginalelectricactuators);the
largewheelswithlowpressuretires,rotatingonthemselves,weretobelocatedintheback
plateofshallowofthenacelle.

Under the logs inside the wing panels they were added four port external bombs, which
carriedtheoffensiveloadupto2,400kgofconsiderablevalue.

BrakesbyswoopinginPersianwerehingedbeneaththeouterwingpanelsandcouldbe
fullyloweredintotheairflow.

Meanwhile the Ju 88 was chosen as the standard Luftwaffe bomber fast, and it was
ordered a pre-series of 10 specimens (Ju 88A-0, which began to come out of the
workshopsinMarch1939)andinAugustbegandeliveriesofthefirstvariantseries,theJu
88A-1, with a machine gun in hunting and soon also with another weapon added to the
backbone.

Havingnotedtheinadequacyofthisarmament,theywerethenaddedtwogunsfiringfrom
thesidewindows.

Use

TheJu88A-1enteredservicewiththeLuftwaffeintheI/KG30,September22,1939.

Productionincreasedveryslowly,despitetheRLM(GermanAirMinistry)wouldorganize
an extensive program of dispersion of manufacturing, which already since the middle of
1938involvedsevenoftheJunkersfactoriesandplantsofothercompaniessuchasArado,
DornierandHeinkelHenschel.aswellasthehugefactoriesofVolkswagen.

Of course, in one sense of the slow start that proved an advantage, because the first
versionsweremodelsoftransition.

The Ju 88A-1, the only one in service until August 1940, had a wing with opening of
18.38metersandmotorsJunkersJumo211B-1orG-1liquid-cooled12-cylinderinverted
Vwithpowerupto1,200hp.

Then came the A-5, with the wingspan of 20.08 meters final, additional external racks
underthewingpanelsandexternalcartstrengthened.

From inception, the wing trailing edge flaps had been fitted with a slit along the entire
openingwhoseexternaltrunkswereusedasailerons,which,however,inthenewwingis
notextendedtotheends.

TheA-3andA-7weretrainersforpilots,basedrespectivelyontheA-1andtheA-5.

The most important series of the A version is the A-4, that when they finally went into
production (in late 1940), incorporating improvements based on experience of other
operational,inparticularadecentarmorandagreaterdefensivearmament.

Inmid1941,theJu88A-4finalbegantoarrivetotheoperationaldivisions:incorporating
thechangesoftheA-5moreJumo211Jenginesfrom1,340hp,whichprovidedimproved
performanceingeneral.

Ontheotherhand,theoverallperformancewerebrakedbytheinexorableincreaseinthe
totalweight(thepast,forexample,from10,360kg14,000kgofA-1toA-4anditsmany
subtypes derivatives). Nevertheless, the A-4 was a good machine accepts pleasant to fly
andcanmakealmostanything.Eventhedivebombingwithsteepstructures,whichcould
becatastrophiconanairplanesobig,donotposeproblems.

Pushingforwardthebrakelevertoswooping,sotheyloweredtheelevatorsautomatically
to stabilize the aircraft in its swooping. Retracting the brakes automatically
ristabilizzavanobalancerstodrawairfromthebeatenandputitbackinhorizontalflight.

With airbrakes closed the Ju 88 dive could reach 700 km/h; during the Battle of Britain
many of these bombers were able to escape the Spitfire leaping dive. Overall, however,
the departments of Ju 88 (KG 30 and KG 51, with smaller quantities in several other
departments) suffered very heavy losses, accentuated dall’armamento defensive, totally

inadequate.

TheneedtohavesomethingbetterthanDo17Phadappearedalreadyevidentbeforethe
warandthereforetheJu88D-2wasmodifiedbyanA-5sinceFebruary1940.

FollowednumerousotherD-2,allwiththecelloftheA-5andenginesJumo211B-1,G-1
orH-1.

Theversionfortropicalenvironments,Ju88D-2Trop,waslaterredesignatedJu88D-4.

Themainversionoftheseries,basedontheA-4,wastheD-1,withenginesJumo211J-1
orJ-2,andoneheatedcompartmentforacameraRb20/30and/orRb50/30.

Otherchangesconcernedthesuppressionofthebrakesbyswoopingandpreparingfortwo
300literdroptanksunderthewingpanelsinside.

TropicalizedversionoftheD-1wasdesignatedJu88D-3andavariantwithcamerasRb
50/30andRb75/30,producedinparalleltotheD-1,wasdesignatedJu88D-5.Although
hehadcomeafterthePversion,theHderivednaturallyfromDbecausehismissionwas
reconnaissance.

The first acts of war belong to the 1st Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 30 which, formed
September22,1939,fourdaysafterheattackedBritishnavalforcesinthatfamousaction
that he mistakenly believe sank the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and damaged the battle
cruiserHood.

Sincethentheuseofagiletwin-enginespreadtoallwarfronts,andtheJu88alsoworked
extensively in versions hunting distinguished in any of its activities, by contrast to the
ArcticconvoystocooperationwithsubmarinesintheAtlantic(wherelongopposedtothe
CoastalCommandaircraftandfightersboarded),directactionagainstthearmoredinthe
African desert, and in Russia, in the air and naval operations in the Mediterranean
(particularlyimportantepisodeofCrete)andtheoperatingcycleBalkans.

TheJu88C,untiltheendof1942wereconcentratedalmostentirelyinfunctionoffensive
in the Mediterranean. With later versions, the Ju 88 went mostly to the defensive; as a
night fighter the Ju 88 proved formidable, and on it the ace Major Heinrich Zu Sayn
Wittgensteinwellearned83victories.

Strangely,theLuftwaffelackedatrueplaneatlongrange,differentfromFw200,He177
andJu290,totallyunsuitable,andonewaytoachievealong-rangereconnaissanceaircraft
seemedtobetotakeasabasistheexcellentJu88Dandprolongingthefuselagetoembark
agreaterquantityoffuel.

The implant assembly of Merseburg (and not the bigger one of Bernburg) was used in
1943tobuild10H-1andH-102.VersionsHcametousethestrengthenedwingofnight

fighterJu88G,withradialenginesBMW801D-21,700hp.

The fuselage was lengthened by 14.35 meters of A-4 to not less than 17.65 meters,
allowing to increase the internal capacity of fuel to a maximum of 2,600 liters to 6,465
liters,plusother1,800litersintwodroptanks,foratotalrangeof5,150kilometers.

• The H-1 wearing three cameras in the rear fuselage, more radar FuG 200

HohentwielonthemuzzleforthedetectionofAlliedshipsintheAtlantic.

• The H-2 was a long range fighter aircraft for the destruction of convoy escort

allies(andtheprotectionofH-1).Onthemuzzle‘solid’thereweretwocannonsMG
151by20mm,whileanotherfourwereinstalledinaboxunderthefuselage.

Strangely,the20planesHhadthewingspanreducedto19.95meters.Theydidnotgointo
action,butwerelateradaptedascarriersMistel;variousversionswithstretchedfuselage
andauxiliarypropulsionjetremainedatthedraftstage.

One of the things that most worried the German high command in 1942 was the rise of
Sovietarmoredforces.

Of course, the Ju 88 was considered as a platform for powerful anti-tank weapons and,
afterstudieswithvariousnon-traditionalpatterns,anA-4wasprovidedinAugust1942by
ananti-tankgunKwK39by75mm.

This was installed slightly inclined downwards in the front of a large nacelle, equipped
subsequently under the trailing edge of the wing of a defensive position. In a typical
passageofattacktheycouldloadandfiretwoshots.

TherewasaheterogeneouscollectionoftransformationsinP4(PaK4075mmimproved
withbigbrakeonthemouth),P-2(twoFlak38by37mm)andP-4(aBK5to50mm).

During1943,whileproductionwentmoreandmoretothenightfighters,itbecamealltoo
clearthattheJu88,wasnolongerfastenoughtosurviveinaEuropeanskyfullofAllied
fightersalwaysbest.

The Junkers Ju tried to overcome with the 188, 288 and 388, even trying with four
engines,theJu488,butwhattheLuftwaffewasindesperateneedwasaplanefaster,and
soon.AllthatcouldbedoneontheJu88wastoincreasetheenginepowerandreducethe
passiveresistanceremovingthenacelleandthefourthmemberofthecrew.

The result was the Ju 88s, which flew in early 1943 as a Ju 88 V93 (93 ° experimental
prototype). The main change consisted in the installation of radial engines BMW 801D
1,700hp.Otherchangesweretheadoptionofanosesectionandsmooth,thesuppression
of the brakes by swooping, the nacelle and the underwing racks and the elimination of
mostofthearmor.

Asaresultwasobtainedaspeedof535km/hasapproximately5,800meters.

TheS-1wentintoproductioninthelateautumnof1943,withtwoBMW801G-2assisted
systemdall’ingombranteGM1nitrousoxidetoincreasepowerathighaltitude.Therate
wentupto610km/hat8,000meters,withoutbombsoutside.

ThedefensewasentrustedtoasingleMG131.

In1944werebuiltafewJu88S-2engineswithBMW801TJwithturbochargersdrivenby
the exhaust gases and the bulk container exterior wood for bombs of the Ju 88A-15,
capableofaccommodatingupto3,000kgandtwoMG81firingatfixedback.

In the summer of 1944 it was built a number of even more small S-3, without the
containerbombsandenginesJumo213Aliquid-cooledequippedwiththeGM1.In1944
were delivered some Ju 88T-1, a model scout fast with the cell S-1, most fuel and an
assortmentofcamerasintherearofthefuselage.

TheywerebuiltonlyafewprototypesoftheT-3,whichhadthecellandtheenginesofthe
S-3.

Around9,125werebuiltJu88bomberandattackand1,911atreconnaissance.

InMay1945AlliedtroopsandintelligencegroupsroamedthebatteredGermansoil,not
forgetting to take an interest, among other things, all the newer aircraft. Wherever they
went,theyfoundlargeJu88Gnightfighterpaintedingray.

Among the greatest fighter ever built (at least in terms of wingspan), they presented
themselvesbristlingwithsensorsabletogetclosertotheirpreystealthilyinthenightsky.
Equipped with outstanding performance and a devastating weapon, they were deadly
enginesofdestruction.

TheLuftwaffehadhadadesperateneed,andtheywerebakedfromthefactoriesuntilthe
finalcollapse,evenlongaftertheabandonmentofprogramsforotheraircraft.

Thismay seem strange,because in 1936the Ju 88 wasdesigned as abomber. In fact, it
gavespecificinstructionstothedesignersoftheoldfactoryinDessaunottocompromise
inanywaytheprojecttakingintoaccounttheuseforanyothertask.

ThehistoryoftheJu88reflectsthefortunesofNaziGermany.

•Atthebeginning,ithadfocusedentirelyontheattackandtheJu88bombercame

in hundreds from assembly lines to support with their offensive capabilities the
Blitzkrieg.

•Thenappearedsomeversionshuntingin1940theseaddedupto62copiesofa

totalof2,208Ju88.

•In1941therewere66nightfighterson2,780aircraft.

•ThentheattacksoftheRAFBomberCommandbegantobeheavyin1942and

nightfighterswerealready257of3,094.

•In1943,706specimenswereabout3,260versionsofnighthunting.

•In1944,bywhichtimetheReichwasnearcollapse,ofatotalproductionof3,234

Ju88notlessthan2,518werenightfighters.

•Finallyin1945,all355Ju88nightfighterswerebuilt.

Versionsfighter,then,wereslowtoappear,althoughtherehadbeenthinkingsince1938.

AtthattimeitdidnotthinkatallthatGermanycouldbebombed,letaloneatnight.

Inaddition,therewasasignificantinterestinthe‘heavyfighter’orZerstörer(destroyer).

ThefirstofthisbreedwastheBf110,whichGoeringregardedastheelitestrikeforceof
theentireLuftwaffe.

ThetaskoftheseaircraftwasflyingveryforwardthansmallBf109,tosweeptheenemy
from the skies, open a gate to the bombers, attack ships and generally perform missions
thencalledbythenameofinterdiction.

In 1938 the General Staff of the Luftwaffe recognized that the Ju 88, with its enormous
capacity, could be the basis for a destroyer with the same speed as the Bf 110, heavy
armamentandgreaterautonomy,butwhybother,the110wasabledefeatalltheenemies
(atleastthatwasthegeneralbelief)andHitlerneededasthe88bombers.

Inearly1939,theJunkersJu88Bproposed,witharoundedandtaperedcabincrewand
radial engines BMW 801. The Ju 88B was proposed as both as both fighter-bomber
destroyer.

Intheend,thefirstturnedgraduallyinJu188,buttheworkonhuntingandstagnatedin
the summer of 1939, the company was authorized to proceed with a transformation in

fighter; the choice fell on the V7 (seventh prototype), who had flown as pre bomber in
September1938.

The first transformation was simple: an MG FF 20mm cannon and three machine guns
MG17wereinstalledonthemuzzle.

Theplexiglasspanelsontherightsideofthemuzzle,aroundthearms,theywerereplaced
by aluminum plates, the crew was reduced to three men, the goal of pointing was
suppressedandtheengineerhadthetaskofreloadinggunswithdrums60shots.

Inthewinterof1939-40theJunkersreceivedpermissiontoproduceaproposalforaseries
ofdestroyer,theJu88C-1,withBMW801MAradialenginesandarmamentfrontoftwo
MGFFcannonandtwomachinegunsMG17.

TheFw190wasthengivenpriorityfortheenginechosen,butlaterin1940theJunkers62
fightergaveC-2withthesameweapons,butwithairframeandenginesoftheJu88A-1.
Theonlyrealchangeintheapplicationconsistedofametalfacesmootherandcareened
and the addition of an armored bulkhead in front of the cabin crew, with holes for the
barrelsofweapons.

TheseaircraftequipanewStaffelofKG30,whichtowardstheendof1940formedthe
nucleusof2./NJG1(then1/NJG2),thefirstunitoftheLuftwaffenightfighter.

AroundSeptember1941theproductionmovedtotheJu88C-4,basedonthecellofA-4
(withenginesJumo211J).AnothertwoMGFFcannonsweremountedinthenoseofthe
gondolaandportabombeunderwingcouldbeusedtohangtwogondolas,eachhousingsix
machinegunsMG81.

In1942wentintoproductiontheC-5,withenginesBMW801D-2from1,700hp,which
allowedaspeedof570km/h,despitetheadditionofaprotuberanceunderthebombbay
fortwoMG17,whilethemuzzleitstayinganotherthreeandacannonMG15120mm.
The shortage of engines limited to 10 copies this lot, but the main production continued

withtheC-6,verysimilartotheC-4,butmorearmored.

At the end of 1942 began to be available radar FuG 202 Lichtenstein BC and FuG 212
Lichtenstein C-1, with a dense array of dipole antennas on the nose that created
considerablepassiveresistance.

With the application of radar the new version, designated C-6b, finally gave the
“Nachtjagdgeschwader” a fighter really capable of a long range patrol the defensive
systemofHimmelbett‘lineKammhuber’,whichstretchedfromSwitzerland,throughthe
EasternFrance,theNetherlandsandnorthernGermany,toDenmark.

The fighter day care were re-designated C-6a and continued to operate mainly on the
AtlanticandtheMediterranean.

Atthebeginningof1943theyweredeliveredsmallquantitiesofnightfightersJu88R-1,
similartotheC-6b,butenhancedbyBMW801A.MakingaflightstrangestofWorldWar
II,oneofthefirstR-1operateswiththe10./NJG3tookofffromNorwayandlandedon
May9onthebasisoftheRAFDyce,today’sAberdeenairport.

A crew went aboard and weaponry to complete, but it was expected and even some
Spitfire rose to escort him in flight. Immediately it was sent to Farnborough to be tried
withthefreshmanPJ876.

It has since been beautifully restored with the badges of the Luftwaffe and the serial
number360043andisnowintheMuseumoftheBattleofBritaininHendon.

In early 1944, the night battles had taken the highest priority for the Luftwaffe, and
consequentlytheproductionoftheJu88shiftedmassivelyfrombomberstonightfighters.

In addition, each aircraft became far more deadly, with a new radar (which at the
beginningwasimmunetothe‘window’,themetalstripschaffthrownbyheavybombers
of the RAF), and new researchers completely passive, able to direct automatically the
nightfighterRFemissionofRAFplanesthatrevealtheposition.

On the other hand, all the additional equipment, such as heavier armament, additional
armorandanothermancrew,theyweighmoreandmorenightfighters.

The Junkers had to work 24 hours on 24 in an attempt to halt the deterioration in
performanceandmaneuverability.

AttheendoftheJu88heprovedtobeexceptionallysuitableforprolongeddevelopments
and, although they were the heaviest of all versions of the Ju 88 types definitive night
fighteraircraftprovedexcellenttodriveandcapableofexceptionalperformance.

Oneoftheversionswasbuiltevenonethatgavetheworstperformance,soburdenedby
alltheextraequipmentwithoutmakinganychangestotheairframeandenginesoriginal:
itwastheJu88C-6c,whichwasproducedathighspeedinOctober1943untilaroundJune

1944.

AlthoughretainedJumo211Jenginesfrom1,340hp,itborethepowerfulnewradarFuG
220LichtensteinSN-2,whichusedgiantdipoleantennascallsHirschgeweih(antlers),that
theC-6bcausedadecreaseinthemaximum40km/h.

Operating at a frequency of 90 Hz, the SN-2 radar was able to clearly see through the
cloudsofmetallicstripsdroppedbytheHalifaxandLancasterandthereforethelossesof
theRAFbegantoriseatanalarmingrate.

Theonlydrawbackwasthelimitedrangeoftheradar,400meters,andtoremedymany
fighterC-6cwerefurtherweigheddownbytheinstallationofadditionalradarBCoriginal
short-wave,sothatthemuzzleborenofewerthan40antennasdipole.

The C-6c introduced two other components avionics justifying definitely their extra
weight,andalsotheneedforafourthmancrewfortheiractuation.TheFuG350NaxosZ
wasapassivereceivertunedtoreceivebeamssoundingsprojecteddiagonallydownbythe
powerful H2S radar for detection of the ground and transported in massive lumps under
thebellyofthefuselageofRAFbombers.

The night fighters of the Luftwaffe were able to detect the radar of Lancaster while he
employedthemintakingshareonYorkshire:allyouhadtodowastowaitforthepass.

Theotherdevicewasmuchlessguaranteed.

In misguided belief that this would have contributed to the survival of the bombers, the
LancasterandHalifaxwereequippedwithasmallradar,facingbackward.Locatedatthe
back, just below the tail turret, this radar, called Monica, should have warned of the
presenceofanyenemyfighterthatarrivedinthequeue.

Inpractice,manycrewspreferredtodisarm,asMonicadidnothingbutcontinuallyreport
the presence of heavy bombers that followed in the formation; in so doing, these crews
willprobablygainedsalvation.

About maintained in operation Monica, in fact, inadvertently turned into a kind of aero
lighthouse,sincetheFuG227Flensburg,ofwhichhadbeenfittedwiththeC-6c,wasable
toorientautomaticallyonMonicafromadistanceof120km.Butitwasnotall.

TheC-6cwasnormallyequippedwiththedeadlyinstallationSchrägeMusikcomprising
two cannons MG 151 installed in mid-fuselage with an inclination (typical) of 70 °
upwards.

Using all the sensors, the night fighter could easily be brought about 300 meters below
andimmediatelybehindthebomber,inapositionthatis,whereitcouldnotbedetectedby
Monica.

Surprisingly, RAF bombers had no weapons with pull down and even with a window
throughwhichthecrewcouldlookdown,althoughtherewerethreeheavyservoturretsto
defendallotherdirectionswasnothardtotakenearestfromunder,takingaimputtingin

trainingtimewiththebomberandstaccargliofnetwingwithtracerammunition.

Tocopewiththeextraweight,theJunkersdesignedacaccianotturnoevenbetter:itwas
theV58(58°experimentalprototype),whichflewinJune1943.

Itsmaincharacteristicresidedinthecombinationofverticalandhorizontaltailsurfacesof
increased surface area of the Ju 188 with the rest of the cell and engines (BMW 801D
1,700hp)of88R.

The armament Front was significantly enhanced, with four cannons MG 151 in a
compartmentundertheleftsideofthecenterofthefuselageandtwoontherightsideof
the muzzle. All weapons were slightly tilted downwards with a budget of at least 1,250
shots.

The Ju 88G-1 was provided with initial radar SN-2, Flensburg and Naxos Z and had a
crew of four men. The two weapons in his face were removed, since their hot disturbed
nighttimevisibilitycrewandfourMG151wereenoughtodestroyabomber.

To an astonishing stroke of luck, one of the first G-1 13 July 1944 he ran into a course
errorthatforcedhimtolandinthefieldofRAFWoodbridgeinSuffolk.Oncecompleted
itsexaminationoftheaircraft,theRAFissuedimmediatelyorder‘nottouseMonica’and
alsorecommendedtominimizetheuseH2S.

At that time the RAF was definitely improving the efficiency of electronic
countermeasures and, among others, began to send false messages to guide the night
fightersoverGermany.AsacountermeasuretheGserieswasequippedwiththeFuG120a
Bernardine, which produced an elaborate printed real help messages and detections of
radiobeaconsfornavigation.

Therefollowedmanyotherdevices,whiletheradarSN-2wasreplacedbyradarfrequency
hopping Liehtenstein FuG 228 SN-3, the FuG 218 Neptun employing a dipole array
uniaxial Morgenstern and, finally, by FuG 240 Berlin, the first German radar at
wavelengthscentimetric.

The latest models G differed in many respects from the first Ju 88 (for example, the
propeller pitch was governed by the throttle levers), but remained still truly remarkable
aircraft,theculminationofadecadeofworkcarriedoutfromaprojectbasicoutstanding.

TheMarch3,1945,theJu88carriedoutthelatestactionagainstEngland.

NotonlybytheLuftwaffe,theJu88wasalsousedbytheairforcesofFinland(23aircraft
forthePLeLv44),thatafterSeptember4,1944employedthemagainsttheGermans.The
samehadoccurredafterAugust23,1944fortheJu88A-4andD1remainedtoRomania
after the use he had made the 5 Grupul (Sq. 75, 76 and 77) against the USSRThe latest
modelsGdifferedinmanyrespectsfromthefirstJu88(forexample,thepropellerpitch
was governed by the throttle levers), but remained still truly remarkable aircraft, the
culminationofadecadeofworkcarriedoutfromaprojectbasicoutstanding.

lIMarch3,1945,theJu88carriedoutthelatestactionagainstEngland.

NotonlybytheLuftwaffe,theJu88wasalsousedbytheairforcesofFinland(23aircraft
forthePLeLv44),thatafterSeptember4,1944employedthemagainsttheGermans.The
samehadoccurredafterAugust23,1944fortheJu88A-4andD1remainedtoRomania
aftertheusehehadmadethe5Grupul(Sq.75,76and77)againsttheUSSR.

TheyfoughttotheendinsteadoftheJu88A-44/GroupIIIbomberMagyar.FiftyJu88of
which(perhaps)someD.1for172Sq.Ric.,ButformostA-4,weregivenItalianairforce,
whichdidnothavetimetoenterthemintooperationalservicebeforearmistice,theywere
destinedto9°and10°SquadronandGroups38thand51stBT.

The last air force to make use of the twin-engine German was the French one, which
formedin1944,withtheaircraftrecoveredonliberatedterritoryGroupeFFIDormounted
Ju 88A-4, which operated against pockets of German resistance in the Estuary of the
Gironde and La Rochelle, and then transformed into the Group 1/31 “Aunis”, went to
workintheAtlantic.

Hisaircraft,whichalsohousedunitsbuiltinFrance,afterthewarwenttotheSchoolof
Cazaux.

Technique

The Ju.88 D-1-type version of the plane, was a twin-engine monoplane reconnaissance
wing media and cruciform empennage, of all-metal construction and its elegant and
functional.

Thewinghadacharacteristicplantpolestrapezoidal,withanelbowonthetrailingedge
andtwoontheleadingedge(whichinthesectionbetweenthefuselageandthenacelles
drivewasperpendiculartotheaxisoftheaircraft),andterminalfittingscurvilinear.

Itsstructure,simpleandrobust,wasbasedonfivemainwingribsandseveralribsofform,
whichwasspikedcoating(alsostiffenedbybattensplacedparalleltotheopening),andon
twomainspars.

Tothesetwowasaddedathirdlongitudinalmemberauxiliaryrear,carryingthehingesof
theflapsandailerons.

The latter, according to the technique common to several German aircraft, is lowered
(while retaining differential motion) together with the flaps, which were equipped with
slatsfront.

Thefuselagecross-sectionapproximatelyrectangularwithroundededges,wascomposed
ofthreelogs:

•Thefront,wherehewasstayingthecrew,hadplankingsheet1mm.

•Thecentraltrunk,whichwashousedinatankoffuel,andthatincludedthetwo

orderedforcewhichconnectedthewingpanels,coatedsheetwas1.2mm.

•Reartrunkthatwentroughlyfromthetrailingedgeofthewingtotheempennage,

wascoatedsheetof0.75mm.

Thestructureofthefuselagewasofaconventionaltype,withdiaphragmsZandsparsinT
(onlyforcentraltrunksandfront)andbattenstoomega.

Thetransparentcanopyofthecockpitandthebowhadaglazedstructureofmagnesium
alloy, and were largely covered by flat panels in Perspex that gave them their
characteristicappearancefaceted.

Underthenoseoftheaircraft,ontherightside,waswillingtheventralnacelle,whichwas
installedinthearmamentthatcoveredthesectorinfra-back,maintaintheaccesshatchto
theaircraftand,inversionsbybombing,thefinishlinepointingLöfte.

Empennage, a large surface area (especially the horizontal), had shell structure in light
alloyforthefixedsurfaces,andmovablesurfacescoveredinclothwithlargefins.

The cart, tricycle rear, was fully retractable, and was constituted by two legs of force
characteristicofshockabsorbersequippedJunkersspring.

The wheels revolved by 90 ° around the axis of the leg, so as to be arranged flat in the
bellyofthegondolasdrive,inwhichthelegsfellbyrotatingbackwards.

The rear wheel, arranged approximately at the leading edge of the stabilizer, also fell
backwards.

TheenginesoftheJu88D-1werethetwelve-cylinderVreversedJumo211Jfrom1,340
hp at takeoff, direct injection into the cylinders and with two-speed centrifugal
compressor, which provided an output of 1,350 hp at 250 meters above sea level, and
1,060hpat5,200meters.

The engines, bound to the wing by castles alloy engine printed and steel rods, were
profiled in enclosed enclosures with front fins, which gave the whole setup looks like a
nacelledrivehousingaradialengine.

Thearrangementoftheengines,veryrational,alsoallowedaquickandeasyreplacement
ofthemotor.

Thepropellerswerethree-bladedVDMconstantspeed.

The fuel system was headed to a complex of five tanks, of which four wing, installed
between the nacelle drive and the fuselage and the outside of the nacelles same,
respectively 440 and 415 liters and a tank of the fuselage, installed in bomb bay front,
suitably adapted, whose doors had been replaced by a cladding panel, capable of 1,220

liters.

Underthewing,thefourbeamsETCcouldbehangingdroptanksadditional450liters,in
ordertofurtherextendthealreadyconsiderableautonomy.

The Ju 88 maintain a system for the discharge of the fuel in flight, with a special
mouthpieceinthequeue,anditwasfittedwithanti-icingonthestabilizers(bymeansof
sheaths pneumatic), for propellers (in liquid) and for the leading edge the external half-
flanges(hotair,obtainedbyexploitingtheheatexchangersbelongingtotheexhaustducts
ofengines).

The aircraft was fitted with a system for the inhalation of oxygen, complete radio
equipment of navigation and communications. Full instrumentation for the flight
parametersandfacilities;equipmentinstrumentflightwithartificialhorizonsandautopilot
to three degrees of sensitivity to tack: 1°/sec., 2°/sec. (instrument flight), 2nd/7sec.;
instrument Landing System Bake-Lorentz signal estimate VE 250 meters. and the main
signalHEto80meters.

Inthestation’sradiooperatorapparatusradiotransmitter-receiver,directionfinder.

Devoid of the typical brake Dive present versions bomber, the Ju 88 D-1 was equipped
witharemarkablecameraequipmentinstalledinthefuselage,approximatelyattheheight
ofthetrailingedgeofthewing,intherearcompartmentbombierosuitablyconditioned,
forshootingfromhighaltitude(8,500meters)andfromlowaltitude(nomorethan2,000
meters).

Thecrewoffour,hadaslightprotectivearmorandadefensivearmament(insufficientto
ensureadequateprotection fromhuntingthe opponent)formedfrom threemachineguns
MG.15by7.9mm,installedtwointhetransparentroofandafiringtowardsthefrontand
theotherfacingtheback,andoneinthebackofthetransparentdomenacelleventral.

Technicalfeatures

Dimensionsandweights

Length:14.40meters

Wingspan:20.00meters

Height:4.85meters

Wingarea:54,50m

2

Emptyweight:9,870kg

Maximumtakeoffweight:14,000kg

Propulsion

Engine:2JunkersJumo211J-1(orJ-2)

Power:1,340hp(985kW)each

Performance

Maximumspeed:467km/h

Cruisingspeed:400km/h

Climbspeed:235m/min

Autonomy:2,710km

Tangent:8,200meters

Armament

Machineguns:one13mmandtwo7.62mm

Bombs:upto10inthebombbay,4-8externally(2,500kgintotal)

Armament

Manyschemeswereappliedtoweapons,butusuallytherewereaboutsevenor81orthree
machinegunsMGMG81andtwoMG131heavy13mm.

WeaponswerefoundonmixedA-13-14,-15and-17,allofwhichusethecellofA-4.

•TheA-13wasaspecializedmachineintheattackatlowaltitudewith(typically)

16MG17machinegunsfiredfromtapefiringforward,500kgofadditionalclipsto
fragmentationandarmor.

•TheA-14wasanaircraftanti-ship,withcuttersofballoons,acannonMGFFof

20mminsteadofthecollimatorforbombsandadditionalarmor.

• The A-15 was the first of many twin-engine bombers Junkers to have a big

woodenbombbaycanaccommodate3,000kgofbombs;lost,however,theventral
nacelleandthefourthmemberofthecrew.

•TheA-17,whichisalsosometimesdeprivedofthenacelle,carryinguptotwo

torpedoesLTF5b,whosepointingdevicesandguidewerehousedinalargelumpon
therightsideofthefrontofthefuselage.

Nightraid

PeterStahl,aformerpilotoftheJu88Kampfgeschwader30,30Squadronbombers
of the Luftwaffe, describes a night raid with this classic bomber at the time of the
blitzonEngland.

The scream of the engine suddenly left when the automatic command inserts the
turbochargerwakesme.

Nexttome,Hans,mynavigator,issittingtightinhisharness,hisheadleaningagainstthe
windowofthecabin.IcallTheoandHeinintercom,sleep.OurJu88roseaftertake-offat
4,200meters;thetemperatureoftheengineistoolowbecausetheshuttersoftheradiators
arestillopenandthenormalfueltanksarenearlyexhausted.

Nobody brings oxygen masks if we continued to sleep we passed quietly from sleep to
death.

Fly,sleep,eatandgoflyhereourroutineinrecentweeks.Thisevening,thereportonthe
mission,StoffregenwarnedentiresquadronthatHermannGoeringhadpersonallyordered
thatnightoperationsagainsttheIslandnotonlyhadtocontinuewiththecurrentintensity,
butshouldevenbeincreasedbyallmeanspossible.

TheSupremeCommandwasinformedthatthepopulationoftheIslandwillgiveupinthe
nextweeks.Mynavigator,Hans,loudenoughtobeheard,commented:ThePotBellyand
his scribblers of command with their pink pants (the German staff officers wore a red
stripedownthesidesofhistrousers,hencetheallusion)theyshouldgoonamission,so
let’sseewhosurrendersfirst.

Therewasamomentofdeadsilence,inthemeetingroom.Stoffregenthenresumedasif
nothinghadhappened.

Wellthen,agoodjourney.

Whatcouldhesaytousontheotherairmenwhoknowwhatisthetruth?

Thepeopleofthecommandissofarfromthewarthatnolongerthinksofusashuman
beings, but simply as numbers. A growing number of crews reached the limits of
endurancenervousanddoesnottakeintoaccounttheforces,asnoaccountistakenofthe
actualsituationintheairwaronBritain.

Englandhashadtoendureanairwaragainstasuperioropponentbymorethan6months
and still does not give signs of weakness. On the contrary, its defenses become stronger
everyweek.

The profile of the coast is emerging before us, the photoelectric we seek, but the flak is
silent. Gunners enemies do not sleep, and then it means that there are around night
fighters.Somereflectorsweregatheredingroupsoffive.

Andasaresult,ourpathisaccuratelyindicatedbyapyramidoflightbeamsthatmoves
withus.

Veryoften, the lightof a photoelectrictakes us in fulland the glareis blinding me. The
lightbeamisfollowingusformomentsthatseeminterminable,beforeleavingus,which
showsthat,whenweareatagoodlevel,ourbomberswithmattepaintcannolongerbe
followedinviewofearth.

Iplantohavethemoonatanobliqueanglebehindus.IfIhaditdirectlybehinditwould
be easier for night fighters recognize us against the sky clearer, after being guided by
photoelectric.Arealllessonslearnedwithoperationalexperience.

Sightedatwin-enginenightfighterthatIcuttheroutetoahundredmeters.Fortunatelythe
moon’spositionissuchthattheresighted.Thenmygunnerwarnscalmlyintercomnight
fighterstail,ontheleft.

CastdownourJu88withabicyclekickontheleft,andletmyselffall,upsidedown,into
thenight.IjustleveledwhenHeinrepeatedthewarning.Whatthehell.Downasecond
time,likeastone,inthepitchdarknessbelow.Thenagainathirdtime.

Wearenowjust800meters,with2tonsofexplosivesonboardandalongclimbingtobe
donetobringustoadecentshareforattack.

TheJu88issomethingspecial,sodifferentfromeverythingIknewbefore,thattheriders
are allowed to put commands only after a minuziosissimo technical training on the
ground.

To begin with, there is a complicated plumbing, which activates the cart, flaps, brakes
sharply,thedevicefortheautomaticcallbackofbeatenandlockingthetailwheel,while
the manual controls of respect are triggered by a hand pump. A further innovation
comparedwiththepreviousmoderntypesofairplanesaroundtheworldisthattheJu88
was designed as a single-seater plane, which means that although it has a crew of four
(pilot,bombardier/navigator,radiooperatorandgunner),ifnecessary,thepilotcanonly
playfromhisseatduringaflightoperatingallnecessaryfunctions.

Thelocationandarrangementofthecockpitisideal.

Thankstothefullyglazednoseisfullvisibilityinalldirections,includingdownwardand
towardthefront.Thepilot’staskisfacilitatedbythedifferentshapeofthevariousknobs,
which can be recognized as the right ones simply by touch (very important factor in the
darkandintheheatofthebattle,whenyouhavetolookoutallthetime).

TheJu88seemstoknowtobeaniceandinteresting(justascapriciousactress)andacts
accordingly.Andthatcangiveyouanincrediblesurprisewithoutwarning.

These quirks can be seen especially in takeoff, but just in the air, just masters of the
aircraft,theJu88respondslikeadream,reallyadreamaircraft.

AsIreturntotheattackrateexpected,werunintothecloudsandbeginstoformice.At
6,000metersthetemperaturedroppedto-30°C,butdoesnotformmoreice.It’scoldin
thecabin,andeachslitaperturesfiltersapowderoficyneedles.Thecloudsgoawayand
almostimmediatelytheflakweshot.

Thebatteriesseemtoknownotonlyourexactsharebutalsoourspeedandourroute.

Grenades explode in front and behind us and every maneuver to dodge it seems
unnecessary.HoweverItrytotryallthetricksyouknow,allthemaneuversofdiversion
possible,buttonoavail.ThesituationisbecomingsodifficultthatIamseveraltimesto
thinkitwouldbebettertounhookmymineblindlyintothenight.

ThesemineshaveonboardareoftheLM-Bships,seembigbarrels,weighing1,000kg
eachandareexpectedtoarriveatthetargethangingfromaparachute.Oursquadronhas
usedforthefirsttimeinlandoperationsagainstthecityofCoventry,thismonth.

Now we finally arrived on the main path to attack other air all around. The aircraft
batteriescanchoosetheirtargetsandforafewminutesletaloneus.Beyondthehorizon
weseeareddishreflection.WenolongerneedtostudytherouteandIcanvarymypath
towardsinordertoavoidmajorconcentrationsofflak.Thecloserwegettothetarget,the
morewerealizethattheremustbeinalivinghell.

Minesdroppedfromplanesthathavegonebeforeexplodinginregularseries.

Asweapproach,theshootingantiaircraftthickensanditseemsthateverysectorofthesky
is searched by thousands of light curtains. The adjustment path, through the inferno,
punctuatedbyexplosionsofanti-aircraftshells,seemstohavenoend,andIamcompelled
againandagaintogropedthedodges.

Butwhatwefeelabovethelensexceedsanypossibleimagination.Itseemsthatthewhole
cityisinflames,andweareonlythevanguard;alargenumberofourbombersisyetto
come,andwillnothavesomenavigationproblemswiththereflectionofflamesinthesky.
Furthermoretheaimisilluminatedbyflaresthatlightupatirregularintervals.

Withtheengineidlingbegintoglidetowardthegoalthatwasassignedtome.

SuddenlymyJu88islocatedinthemidstofastrike-aircraftpreciselythatforcesmeto
turn and walk away. I wait until the shot is focused against another plane, then I take
advantageofthatmomenttothrowwithafastswoopingtothepointofrelease.

Beneathuseverythingisredandtheheatofthefiresraisesahugeblackcloud,fedbythe
flamesbelow.OurtargetisclosedintheDocksarea.

Hansdidnotfindithardtotakeaimforourmines.Iflyovertheharboronfirefollowing
hisinstructions.Wecanrecognize,asifwewereinbroaddaylight,allthedetailsthatwe
havestudiedthephotoreconnaissance.Mystopwatchturnsandtheexactsecondwespot
twolargeexplosionsinourarea,areourmines.

Arowofflareshangingfromtheparachutewesuddenlyexplodesinfrontandontheleft,

toourexactshare.Idiscardedimmediatelytotheright.Itchangesallthetime,atirregular
intervals,myrouteandthespeedoftheengines,inordertochangeitsroar.Theminute
oneanotherwithoutend,untilwespotthecoast.Mynervesaregoingtogivein.

Withoutwastinganymoretimeitreducestheenginesidling,andI’llthrowinaglidefast
and decisive, even knowing that this will bring me a shot of the shore batteries of anti-
aircraft light. I do not care anymore and count on luck to avoid areas of higher
concentration-aircraft.

Andthenithappens.Ablindingflash.Theywereimpressed.

RecallourJu88andcastaquicklookagiinstruments.

Itseemscompletelynormalandnooneaboardwasinjured.

Reducethespeedtotheengines.butaspullbackthethrottle,theenginecontinuestoturn
leftatfullcapacity.Asplinterhasprobablyslicedthelead.Thereisnoaircraftenginethat
itcanwithstandlong,inthesecircumstances.

IdecidedoffandtheJu88continuesdrifterinthedarkofnight.

Thosebeamsrummagingheavenbeforeusareourcurtains,andwe’rehappytohavethem
spotted.Welaunchrocketsofrecognition,butthespotlightcontinuestodazzleusinfull.
Another set of rockets of recognition. Suddenly the flak it takes lightly at gunpoint, and
areforcedtomakeaseriesofmaneuverstoavoidit.Hazardous,withtheenginestopped.

Thisdeadlygamewiththecurtainsandlightweightbatteriescontinuesalongthecoast.We
arealreadyexhaustedbyfearandlackofsleep,andmycrewventshisangerreturningfire
withmachineguns.Shootattheirfellowsoldiers.

Icannotblamethem.

A14yearoldboywouldalreadyrecognizedasafriendlyaircraft.

As we approach the base prepare the crew to the difficulties of a landing on one engine
only. I want to download the excess fuel but the control of the discharge must be dead.
Visibility is excellent, so, contrary to accepted practice, down with the cart instead of
gropedabellylanding.

Theoperationrequirestime,sinceIhaveonlyhalfofthenormalhydraulicpressure.After
afinalcheck,turntheenginegoodforapproachandlanding.Onboardnoonespeaks.I
valuemysharewhileplanetolandalongthelightedpath.

Toolow.

Webumpwiththeleftwingandwerunintothegroundincompletedarkness.Theswath
onthegroundseemstoneverend.Therightenginebeginstocreakandthere’snowayto
stopit.

Thefearofthefireengulfs,wewouldliketojumpoutoftheplaneandflee,buttheroof

ofthecabcrashed.Soldiersrushedtothesplitandwecanrollout.

Firefighters and doctors arrive quickly. The soldiers say to the doctor, a young guy just
arrivedatthefront,thatnoneofusisseriouslyhurt.Andweseethattheslipsintheplane
andhegoesoutwiththeclockedge,whichintendstokeepasasouvenir.

Hans for this gesture of the doctor is the last straw that breaks the camel. Go to him
calmly,hetakesoffoftheclockhandandplantafistinthefacewithsuchforcethatthe
medicinemanslipsonthewinganditendsuponhisbackonthegrass.

AndthisistheendofanothermissiontoLondon.

DestroyersofShips

ThepilotPeterStahldescribesanti-shipraidaboardaJu88.Themanylossescaused
aloweringofmoraleamongthecrewsoftheLuftwaffe,attackinginbadweatherin
ordertominimizethekilling.

As of yesterday I belong to the category of the sublime experts. We carry out special
missions,andareknownasteams‘Zerstörer’,thatisdestructors.

MyfirstassignmentisagainstmaritimetrafficintheestuaryoftheHumber.

MyJu88flickersbetweenshredsoflowclouds.Isawaytoflyunworthy,thewindmakes
theairdanceandwhiptheseabelow,whichseemstoboil.Iapproachfromthenorth,we
seetheestuary,thereareseveralshipsandsmallervesselsthatarebusyaroundthedeep
pots.Nooneseemstonoticetheleastofus.

Idecidedtoattackandtakeaimatthemercantilebiggerandcloser,andpointhimwitha
right turn. Peace down there, it looks amazing. I feel my heart jump into my throat. If I
could,I’dgobackandstayagain.

InsteadIpushthebarandgetdowntonear-deepwater.

The bulk of the hull of the great mercantile closer is magnifying with a speed almost
unbelievableandyetnotopenedfireagainstus.IcannotresistandIpressthebuttonto
releasethebombs.Ihavenotwaitedlongenough.Andwhilethesuperstructureoftheship
willgounderinaflash,Ifeeloverwhelmedbyshame:IsuccumbedtofearandImisfired.

Now,instinctively,Idoeverythingpossibletoavoidbeinghitbyflaklightthatopenedfire
atusfromallsides.Cloudswelcomemeintotheirprotectiveembrace,butforawhile‘the
tracersoftheguns20,37and40mmchasemeeveninthere.

Finallyeverythingiscalmagain.

Ibegintogainaltitudeandtoturntowardhome.Nooneonboardsaysaword.

Embarrassedbytheirsilencepulloutthesandwichfromhispocketabovetheknee,asif
eatingcouldcalmmytension.

Theplaneisnowlightandgoupthroughthecloudstoclearoverhanging.

TheweathercalmedmeandIamremindedofmyfirstattackagainsttheenemyretreated
toCalais.OurgoalwastoCherbourg.Atthattimewewerefullofconfidence.Therewere
noenemyaircrafttoworryabout.Theflakwaspooranddidnotseemdangerous.

Ipreparedcalmlysankimminent,aprocedurewithtrainingbecomesahabit.

Ready.

Thesunkenwasexactlyasprescribedbythemanual.Alightpressureontheredbuttonon

topofthebar,asuddenshocktotheaircraftbombsweredropped.TheJu88automatically
calledthedive.WefeltsqueezedintoourseatsbyanaccelerationoffourorfiveG.

Itsufferedatemporarylossofconsciousness,the‘graycurtain’,thentheplanecabroupto
500km/htheinstrument.

I performed automatically maneuvers of diversion, but were not needed. The gunner
shoutedatmefromtheventralgondolawehadmadethecenter.

Then there was peace and the flight became a wonderful thing in the dim light of dusk,
madeevenmorebeautifulbytheawarenessofhavingreceivedthebaptismoffire.

Nowthingsareverydifferent.

Wehaveaccesstoenemyterritoryonlyinreallybadweather,otherwisewearesuretobe
intercepted by the Spitfire or Hurricane. Months of operational missions against a better
armedenemyalwaysmadetofeeltheireffectonournerves.

Thereisalsoanoticeableshiftawayfromourgroundcrewandthecrewsofthesquadron.
And this is due to the much higher number of continuous losses: aviators younger not
remainintrainingforlongenoughtobeknownbythegroundstaff.

Totheseproblemsaddtheaversionwefeelseniorsagainstthegeneralstaffandcommand,
becausewehavetofollowtheirordersoftenunreasonable.

Andthemissionssaferwemustalsotakeonsomeambushcommand.

Theyuseustogetthemthroughthe“CourseofinstructionfortheIronCross2ndclass”in
thegreatestpossiblesecurity,andapparentlyjustasimportanttobeabletoqualifyforthe
allowanceofflightandrelativeadvantagesforanotheryearyet.

TheseconcernshauntmeevenwhenI’minhisbedaswellasthecertaintythatpersisting
coverage of the sky, we will return to attack the ships anchored in the estuary of the
Humber.Andtorestoretheconfidenceofmycrewasacommander,thistimeIhavetobe
successful.

Inthemorningbeginsthewarofnerves,asIobservetheceilingoflowclouds.Whilewe
areapproachingaircraftonthebus,mycrewtellsmethatyoucannotkeepgoingonlike
this:onenightafteranotherofdifficultoperations,followedbyorpleasureflights,asthey
callthemmytrainingflights,theseraidsorspecialday.

“Yousayyestoallthemissions,”hesaysaccusinglyHein,myradiooperator,“butnoone
caresaboutwhathethinksthecrew.It‘truethatalltheotherteamsarenotmissionofus,
butitisequallytruethatwearemoreandmorefearfulandlesssureofourselvesaftera
missionsafteralicense,forexample.Sofarwehavecompleted60operationalmissions
againsttheisland,mostlyatnight.Onaverage,newcrewssurviveonlythreeorfournight
missions”.

Despitewhatmycrewmightthinknow,Ihaveneversufferedfromwhatwecall‘asore
neck’,thedesireforaKnight’sCrossoftheOrderoftheCrossofIron,whosetapegoes
precisely in the neck . But I am determined to ensure that mine is the best crew of the
squadron.Beingexperiencedisouronlychancetostayalive.

Isaytothem:“Whydotheotherteamscontinuetofall.oneaftertheother,onehere,one
there?Therearetwopossibilities:eitherbecausewedonotknowhowtodo,orbecause
theyaresoftened,thisisthetruth!”

I feel irritated and argumentative as I buckled serro parachute and seat belts. Our
navigator, Hans the long, takes forever before pulling out, with his huge body down the
narrow ladder and the hatch door. However, the fact is that we are all four equally
hypersensitiveandnervous,andthateachofusreactsaccordingtohistemperament.

Thelightsonthedashboardlight.Thetoolsarebeginningtoshowsignsoflife.

Freeleft.

Goodwillbuzzes.Iinsertthegraft,thepropellerstartswithaclick.Redflamesroarfrom
theexhaustpipes,thenthe1,200hpbegintomovereluctantly.

Freeright.

Therightenginesputters,thenbeginstoturnround.Dofullthrottle,firstleft,thenright,to
control power and generators. Then look at the oil pressure, the oil temperature and
coolant,thepressureofthecompressor,tothatofthefuel,tothehydraulic,thelevelsof
thefuelandthelubricant.

Viaheelstothewheels.

Determinedtotakeadvantageofeveryinchoftherunway,parkingtheJu88farbehind
thefirstgreenlamp.Controlalloveragain.Lockthetailwheel,flapoutat25°trimon
normal.

“Comeon,”andthecrewrespondstotheusual“Let’sgo.”

To me this means that on board everything is finally in order. We forgot all our
differences.

Handcuffs on. The engines roar, spewing sparks from the exhaust pipes. Spring brakes,
Hanslawinstruments,Iconcentratetokeepstraighttheplaneride,andjudging,weighing
commands,whenit’stimetolethimraisethetailtogainspeed.

Therunwayis1,400meterslong.

The red spotlights the last 200 meters are approaching, around the left wheel of the
compensation position ‘through-tail’ to give him a tendency to pitch up and throw back
withsomeforcethebar.Theplanemakesaslightjumpandcameoffthetrack.We’renot
exactly flying, rather it seems that we are ‘swimming’ heavily a few meters above the
ground.

Ihavetobendovertothemaximumforwardtograbthelevercontrollingthereturnofthe
truck.

“Thewheelsarecomingback,”warnsthegunner.

Thetensiondoesnotloosenuntilthealtimeterdoesnotscore100meters.Nowit’stimeto
uptheflaps;theairseemslikeforevertosinkalittle,butpicksupspeedandatthispoint
beginstoreallyfly.

Todayweplanourapproachfromthesouth.Thebadluckhasitthatthecloudsbelowus
overcome dwindling while the coast. And of course, we spot them: four destroyers in
climbingtointerceptus.

Jetplaneinaturnwithaknife,theclosestofmylife.Thegunnerwarnedthatfightersare
shiftingwithus.Thosethickcloudsseemalmostoutofreach.OnlyHansiscalm,youare
working hard with the compass, calculator route and distance, as if we were in flight
training.

TheGunnerwarnsusthatthefightersweredividedintotwocouplestoengagepincer.At
fullthrottlemeballintothesafetyofcottonyclouds.Iknowthatthedistancefromacloud
is always lower than apparent, but the seconds before he could dive into that whiteness
seeminfinitelylong.

HeinshoutsthatthefightersarealmostinsightandinthecloudissoclearthatIamaware
thatthecrossinsecondsandsbucheremotheotherside.Andnowbeginsthegame.Ifyou
doitforsport,itwouldbefun.

ButI’mplayingwithmyskinandthatofmycrew.

ThoseareHurricanefighter.EverytimeImanagetogetintopositiontoshoot,Icandive
into my cloud, and thus compel the opponent to find a position of attack from the other
side.Howmanytimeswehavewemadethisgameofhideandseeknotremember.

Icanfinallydiveintoacloudthickerandfromthisbackinwhitethickthatwehadalready
crossed.We’resafebutwehavenotcarriedoutourmission.

While around a new installment of approaching, the clouds thicken, down almost to the
water’sedge.Therainpreventsanyforwardvisibility.Onlytheclockandcompasshelpus
tofindtheroute.

Thesefewminutesbeforereachingthetargetareaarenoteasy;thetemptationtogiveup
isstrong.Icouldexplainthatintheseconditionsyoucouldnotdoanything.Icoulddrop
bombsoffshore.Theywouldincludeeveryone,includingmyboard.

Butthereisthefailureofthepreviousday.

AndifIyieldnowtherewillbeacrackintheconfidencethatIhaveinmeandinwhatI
haveinmycrew.Ihavedecided.Iwillstayatlowaltitude.

Itspreadseasttowardtheseabeforeturningback,eye,camera,wheretheywereyesterday

ships. Flying low, just above the water, fringed with clouds drifting over the waves,
requires maximum concentration. According to Hans, in two minutes we’ll be over the
vessels,thenthereisthecoastprotectedbyathickbeltofantiaircraftandendlessbarrage
balloons.

Suddenly we are in the middle of the ship. With this lack of visibility is impossible to
attack.I keep flyingstraight in thehope that the bestvisibility. To theleft looms a dark
massofland.Tourimmediateright.

Secondslatertheotherlandinsight,thistimeitsbow.Unwittinglywesqueezedintothe
narrowmouthofSpurnHead.

Allaroundtheballoonsofthedams.We’retrappedlikerats.

Ihavetostayontheriver,Iperformatfullthrottlethenarrowestpossibleturningright,
the closest I can afford with the air so heavy a share so low, and I can barely make it.
Sightedthedarkshapeofthenorthshore.AslongasIcankeepherleftSpurnHead,andI
cangetmyselfoutofthetrap;Hansyellsatmewheretodirect,dependingonthesighting.
Hereisthelighthouse,weareoutandbackontotheships,thetracerswillcomeonhim
fromallsides.

Inthesemi-darknessoftheclouds,pointtothenorth,wheretheskyclears,thecloudsrise
up to 100 meters, Hans intercom yells at me that we should get rid of the bombs and
battercela.“Hans,wehavetotryagain.”

Hans just nods and gives me the discovery, once more I throw myself into sleet and are
forcedtogodownonedgeofwater.

All’improvviso c’è come una schiarita fra le nubi e mi ci butto.

At the same time Hans

gives me a nudge in the ribs and he points to the right. A ship! And there is already
shootingatyouwithallguns.

Attackimmediately,straightdownthepathofredtracers.Thesunkenissteepandwetake
speed, the hull of the big merchant enlarges visibly, the next moment I must call to
overrideit,andatthesametimeIpressthereleasebutton.

I have a flash in the vision of the superstructure and the trees of the merchant, with the
gunnerscrouchedbehindtheirweapons,theneverythingreturnsgray,embroideredinred
tracers.

Themachinegunneryellsthatwemadethecenter,theothersarescreaming,oursuccess
has deleted their fear, cabriamo almost vertically up to the cloud, where I make a turn
emergencytododgetheshotanti-aircraft,itisnoteasytoflyinthissoup.

I have to focus on attitude, the direction and angle of pull-up; shout “Silence!” the
intercom,“shutupotherwiseweendinstalemateandrushasnewbies!”

Eventuallytheshootingends,Ilevelandtrytofigureoutsomethinginthetoolsthatseem
crazy,theplaneiscoveringofice,then,suddenly,weareinfullsun,nowwecantalk.

The crew is jubilant, the gunner is inserted into the intercom to provide a more detailed
report: two bombs falls short, a 500 kg full-ship, the fourth in the water just below the
stern.

Formeit’satriplewin:first,thecenteroftheship;second,onmyselfandonmyfearsof
yesterday;third,onmycrew.Thelatteristhemostimportant,withoutafullandmutual
trustamongallonboard,thereisnosafetyinflight.

EmploymentinItalianRoyalAirForce

In the last months of 1942 and early 1943 the crisis of flight paths of Italian Royal Air
Forcebeginstotakeshapeinallitsgravity.

Thisisduetotheveryhighlossesinmilitaryoperations,nowwithanunfavorabletrendin
Italy, and the impressive drop in production of aeronautical industries. Between January
1940andSeptember1942theaveragemonthlyproduction,inthebombing,is56aircraft:
inOctober-December1942itdropsto32aircraftandbetweenJanuaryandApril1943is
even only 26 aircraft per month. To buffer the situation, you can only buy aircraft at
Germanindustry.

InJanuary1943,acommissionformedbytheaeronauticalJanuaryWilliamCassinelli,by
ten. col. Ivo De Vittembeschi and Giuseppe Baylon, by the cap. Aldo Gasperi and
GiovanniRaina,goestotheExperimentalCentreoftheLuftwaffeinRechlin,whereitcan
examinetheDornierDo.217NandK,theJunkersJu.88A-4andJu188,HeinkelHe177,
Junkers Ju 87 D, Henschel Hs 129, Messerschmitt Me110 and Me109 G-2, Focke-Wulf
FW190,theFlettnerhelicopter.

Back at the Italian report completed (February 2, 1943) which referred for the first time
the possibility of obtaining two squadrons of Ju 88 A-4, each of 12 aircraft, for March-
April 1943. In February, the colonel Giuseppe Teucci, our aviation officer accredited to
Berlin,furtherofficialrequestforratesbomberJu88a-4,fordiversJu87D,fighterMe
109 G: to accelerate the practice of training and the level of sales, is expected to direct
contributionofdepartmentsoftheLuftwaffeinItalyandemployeesdall’OBSofGeneral
AlbertKesselring.

Thefirst52crewsfortheJu88originatefromthe29thgroup(9Squadron),33Squadron
(10 Squadron), 38 ° and 51 ° independent group, all departments bomber now remained
freeofaircraftandaCZ.1007SM.84,formerendowment.

Tothesemustbefollowedbythestaffofotherdepartmentssothatinearly1944theline
ofthebombingcandrawonCZ.1018ofnationalproductionandthesaleofJu88.Suffice
it to say that June 20, 1943 the Supreme Command advance request the Germans to get
600 of these bombers but they, considering it exaggerated partly because of its war
situation,theyrejectitevenbeforethatfatefulJuly25that,withthearrestofMussolini,
theGermansdoforeseethechangeofalliances.

The first pilots to get in touch with the new machines are the captain Eugenio Geymet
(62nd Squadron, 29 Squadron, 9th flock) and Lieutenant Giuseppe Duranti that in late
February1943areassigned,withtheircrews,attheGermandepartmentJu88displacedin
Grottaglie:jointhemthreecrewsof35SquadroncommandedbylieutenantsRoleMario
andGuidoGeneraliandlieutenantGiuseppeVulcani.

ThetrainingincludesashorttheoreticalcourseandthenflightswiththeGermaninstructor
at the controls (the planes are operational, so with only one steering position) for a first
acclimatization required to follow takeoff, maneuvers and landings with a single engine
running, flying at high altitude, shooting a nose dive, flying low, navigation, training in
training,bombingaltitudeandnightflights.

On April 12, the captain Geymet ends training and returned to Viterbo, home of 9
Squadron and collection center for all departments that have to be retrofitted with the
twin-engineGerman:intheabsenceofthemwasheldtrainingactivitieswithCaproniCa.
314.

On April 23, the top five riders qualified move to Monaco, where many draw Ju 88 to
returntoViterboday25.Asimilarlevyof5Ju88takesplaceonMay1,butthistimethe
badweatherconditionsforceustoastopontheairportofBologna-BorgoPanigale.Two
moreaircraftaretakeninGermanyMay14,1943.

Captain Geymet then transfers one Ju 88 to Furbara (May 19), but a few days after this
planeiswreckedbyapilotoftheExperimentalCentreforalonglandingcausedbylack
ofknowledgeoftheaircraftandbythesmallsizeoftheofficeAirport.

Let us now examine the adventurous story of the staff belonging to the 33rd group of
MajorAngeloLualdi(9Squadron)thatinJanuary1943,afterexhaustingitsCZ.1007bis
leftSicilyandmoved,bytrain,toViterbo.Poortrainingactivitytakesplacehereonafew
Ca.314 while it organized a group of pilots and specialists of 33 Squadron and 10
Squadron,whichjoinsacaptainoftheRoyalArmyinfunctioninterpreter.

So that by the middle of February 12th complete crews (pilot, observer, radio operator,
engineer)commandedbyCaptainFrederickPocetakeplaceontwoSM.82transportand
departfromtheairportSedes(Thessaloniki)whereshouldreceiveappropriatetrainingJu
88onthe4thGeschwader(XC.A.T.).

During the stopover in Brindisi, Captain Poce learned from a colleague that in
Thessaloniki there are more Ju 88 Luftwaffe. He calls immediately to Rome for
clarification but received peremptory order to continue. At the stage in Athens, Poce it
notifies the situation, with great discretion, and confirmation of the shift of German
division.

HethenasksagaininstructionsinRome,reachedwithgreatdifficultythroughtheuseof
radio stations of the Army, but receives the categorical invitation not to plant additional
difficultiesandcontinuing.TheSM.82finallylandinginThessalonikiand,withouteven
turningofftheengines,landingmenandmaterialstothesideofthetrack,thenretakeoff
immediately.

Bitter confirmation awaits our staff: on the big bed the Ju 88 are now absent since the
departmentwastransferredinformationaboutNeustadt(Vienna).

TotheinterestoftheItalianConsul,thestaffisthenplacedonatrainmilitary,throughthe
haunted Yugoslavia by partisans, it reached Austria with an endless journey and not
without difficulty. To prevent attacks along the line the Germans have a wagon full of
partisansprisoners,overheadtrains.

InlateFebruarystartsthetrainingcourse.Evenheretherearenoaircraftbi-commandfor
whichthetrainingisconductedwiththeusualsystem.Suddenly,duringthisphase,Maj.
Hott,commanderofGeschwader,Pocetellsthecaptainthatyouareplanningtoestablish
adepartmentmixedItalian-GermantobeframedintheLuftwaffe.

Poce immediately declares that it is willing to fly and fight in the German insignia: the
factdoesnothaveanimmediateresultbutwhen,afterhisreturntoItaly,willberemoved
from the command of the 63rd squadron is also accused of having continued to create
seriousdifficulties.

The June 10, 1943 began the repatriation of these personnel, with transit in Monaco of
Bavaria,wheretheyarereadyforpick4Ju88A-7(exemplarybi-commandfortraining)
thataregraduallywithdrawnfromthewithdrawalbytheItalian,beforebeingreducedto
three,thentotwo:withtheminutesofdeliveryhavealreadybeensigned,thecaptainPoce
andLieutenantGiuseppePorporaarepreparingtoleaveforItalybutareprecededbytwo
GermancrewsthatfledgethelasttwoJunkerstogolftrainingAalborg(Copenhagen)and
Toulouse.

After a series of phone calls with Colonel Sergio Lalatta, liaison officer with the Italian
OBS General Kesselring, Poce learn that in Monaco there are also 3 Ju 88 A-4 for the
Regia Aeronautica obtained permission to transport them to Italy he was stopped at the
lastmomentbyayetanothercountermandedandreturnedbitterlytrain.

Therestofthe63rdSquadron(LieutenantRaffaeleFoàwhoassumescommand,thetennti
Giuseppe Lanzara, Alberto Bonifai, Pasquale Rivolta Giuseppe Duranti, the Second
Lieutenant.DelCarlo)hasmeanwhilemetinS.DamianoPiacentinowherehedislocateda
importantbaseoftheLuftwaffe.

Here our drivers take over 11 Ju 88 A-4 and transfer them to Airasca (23 June 1943), a
small airport between Torino and Pinerolo. Here it was held reduced flight activity until
the end of July, when the only crews moved to Villafranca di Verona for a qualification
coursetoinstrumentflightandnightonSAIMAN202andonSM.81.

This essential phase prior to operational is still in progress at the time of the armistice
whiletheJu88ofthe63rdSquadron,remainedinAirasca,theyendupbeingrecovered
bytheGermans.

Eventhe28thgroupisconcernedbytherenewalplanofItalianRoyalAirForce.Captain
PasqualeAndreotti,commanderofthe50thSquadron,wascalledtoRomeinearlyMay
andmadeawareoftheintentionsoftheGeneralStaffofrearmingtheGroupwithGerman
material. The May 16, 1943 he left for basic Danish Aalborg (Copenhagen) with 12

completecrews(other7areawaitingorders),specialists,airmengovernment.

Getstartednowflyingtraining,pilotsfacedwithenthusiasmandwithoutunduedifficulty.
RelationswiththeGermansaremarkedbyacoldcourtesythatsoondegeneratesintoopen
hostility:theallydoesnotliketoomuchfraternizingwiththelocalpopulationofItalians,
itdemandsthattheygooutonleavefullyarmed,thatishardlygrantsexposedthetricolor
inhangarsandonthebasis,eventriestodelaytheenablingcrews.

CaptainAndreottihastheimpressionthattheGermansaimtokeepcrewsinanticipation
of the collapse of our Armed Forces. The June 11, 1943 he is the victim of a serious
accident that causes the death of the observer and the two specialists on board. Having
sufferedafractureoftheskullbase,heisforcedtoalongstayinahospitalinCopenhagen
andlosescontactwiththecourseofeducationandhisdepartment,returningtoItalyonly
inlateJuly.

Theotherdrivers,achievedthefullqualification,arealreadylonginViterbowhereJune
15, 1943 the 38th autonomous group (49th and 50th Squadron) rose to the position of
‘framework’givingitsstaffthe9thflock.

Even the Royal Air Force participates in the new plan of education, creating a special
departmentspecificallychargedwithtrainingstaffonthenewmachine.

This is the fifteenth Complementary Group, known as “Special Unit Training Ju 88 “,
which was established on the airport of Latina (Littoria) on 1 May 1943. In this way,
departments of armament expected with new aircraft cease to depend, for training, by
previous Groups Complementary: 9 Squadron Colonel Renato Abbriata from Group IX
Complementary, the 10 Squadron of the col. Giorgio Rossi from the XIV, the 38th
Independent Group of Lieutenant Colonel Victor Mariani from XII, 31 ° Gruppo
autonomousLieutenantColonelFernandoGiansantitheninth.

The “Special Unit” takes first German instructors and aircraft with insignia of the
Luftwaffe.TheJune20,1943itistransferredontheairportofForlìwhere,articulatedon
1stand2ndSquadron,alsoabsorbs11Ju88A-4ofthe62ndSquadronfromViterbo.

Firstdepartmenttousethe“core”isthe51stautonomousgroup,returnedfromanattempt
to retrofit with the French twin-engine LeO.451 conducted on the airport of Bologna-
Borgo Panigale; but the conditions of efficiency of these prey war are so poor as to
precludetheoperationaluse.

OnMay2,1943,thestaffof51°groupisthentransferredtoLittoria:amongothers,the
captainsVittorioBitonti,IppolitoDaPorto,TommasoDeMartiis,lieutenantsRossi,Vella,
Piovene,Mezzalira,Nespolo.

For over a month the pilots follow a theoretical course on the ground, with hints of
aerodynamics,navigationandlessonson-boardsystems.Followingtwodaysoftaxiingto
becomefamiliarwithhandcuffsracereversed(insteadofpushpull)andtheusualflights
instead of the observer, while the German instructor gives demonstration of the

possibilitiesoftheaircraft.

The evening before the day fixed for takeoffs alone, the ten. Fritz says the head of the
German instructors Da Porto captain, commander of the 212th Squadron, “I laugh
tomorrow».

Instead,thenextday,all14Italiancrewsproveintermsoftakingoffregularlywiththe
aircraft.Afterfamiliarizationwiththecar,yougototrainingwarwithhorizontalrollsand
dives. Unfortunately an accident (flat spin at low altitude, in coming from un’affondata)
causesthepainfullossofLieutenantVella.

When the Core Training moved to Forlì, the staff of the 51st Group follows the new
headquarters,continuingeducationnightflightandinstrument:15June194351°ispartof
the9thflocktogetheratthe29thgroup.

Even the men of the 62nd squadron moved to Forlì, to complete the training started in
Grottaglie:rememberlieutenantsGiovanniRodriguez,ItaloMondini,VincenzoMartucci,
Marra,Marzocchi.

Thelatterhasanaccidenttake-offwithaJu88ofthecore,resultinginthedestructionof
theaircraft.

TheJuly15,1943thereare29inForliourJu88risingto37,afortnightlater.

Iftheyadd11aircrafttoAirascapresentatthe63rdsquadronandplaneslostinaccidents,
it can be concluded that Italian Royal Air Force received 50 Ju 88, almost certainly the
onlyversionA-4.

Interesting appendix to the history of the 51 th group is the reconstitution of the 172nd
ReconnaissanceSquadronStrategicEarth.Dissolvedforlackofmaterialtoflightafteran
exhaustingbusinessofwar,itisreconstitutedon1June1943ontheairportofViterboin
theemployof9Squadron.

BythetimeofthesquadronisstillwaitingfortheJu88D-1thatmustre-equip.Onthe
samedate,ithasinforceonlysixriders,allfromthe51stgroup.

Eventhe7Squadronparticipatesinthequalificationprogramonnewaircraft.

TheMay30,1943rateofhisstaffleavesLonatePozzoloandmovedtoMontpellierand
IstrestoqualifiedonGermanaircraft.CaptainGeymetinstructedtomovetoFrancewith
thetitleofinstructorbut,notwantingtoletthestaffontheeveofhis62ndSquadronto
operationaluse,canpreventthetransfer.

And just in Forlì, the higher rate of Ju 88 and trained personnel are still based on 8
September1943notthereforehaveconductedanyactofwar.

InmemoryofStaffwhohasknowntheGermanaircraft,ithasremainedanunconditional
adulation. Including pilots have appreciated the high technical level of the machine,

detectableinexcellentinstrumentation,invoicecommunications,thealtimeterinstrument
withautomaticcallback,thesimplicityofthesetinmotionindependent,precisionfinish
pointingallowingshotsinspectaculardivebombers,theexcellentperformancewithonly
oneenginerunning,thepleasantsurpriseofacockpitheatedluxuryeverseenonairplanes
Italian.Tofullyunderstandtheserioustechnicalbackwardnessofouraviationindustryis
enoughtothinkthatthese“wonders”discoveredbyItalianridersinthesummerof1943at
theaircraftstruckbytheLuftwaffe,alreadyattheendof1940havebeenavailabletothe
GermanAirForce.