GERMAN SUPPORT AIRCRAFTS & GLIDERS OF WW2
AND ORGANISATION!!!!

JUNKERS 52

ENGLISH Specification:
The all-metal Ju-52 is the backbone of German airborne strength. So important is the Ju-52 that some observers have tended to believe that the Ju-52 was the basic factor in the makeup of the German system of airborne units. The German Army probably adopted the Ju-52 for air transport because there were so many of this type on hand at the beginning of the war, because so many supercharged engines were available, and because so many pilots had been trained on this type. Jigs and manufacturing facilities were already set up, and, though obsolescent, the Ju-52 had most of the following characteristics, which had been set up for a suggested new plane in this category:

(1) Ability to operate in small or temporary fields with heavy loads,

(2) Cheapness of construction,

(3) Simplicity and ruggedness of construction,

(4) Simplicity in operation,

(5) Easy field maintenance,

(6) Ability to fly with one engine out of commission.

(7) Ability to withstand crash landings with reasonable safety to occupants,

(8) Ability to tow gliders at low speed.

(9) Dependability,

(10) Load-carrying capacity at sacrifice of speed.

The Junkers 52 which first made its appearance as a commercial plane in 1931 was designed with a view to its ultimate conversion to a bomber. It was one of the most widely used types on German airlines and was also operated in Belgium, Holland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and several South American countries. Military versions of the Ju-52 equipped the bomber squadrons of the Luftwaffe in 1935 and remained as the standard heavy bomber in company with the Ju-86 until 1937. Ju-52's were used extensively in the early days of the Spanish Civil War and were also employed in the attack on Rotterdam. The bomber model was outdated by faster bombers at the outbreak of the war, and the aircraft was put into service as a troop and freight carrier and is still being produced for this purpose. Several guns have been added to transform it into an armed transport. The original passenger cabin is a bare storage compartment with broad entrance and exit hatches from which paratroopers can jump, and through which reserve supplies are dropped to the fighting troops. It has glider-towing fittings incorporated into the tail and is frequently used as a glider tug.

- The cockpit

The Ju-52 is a three-engined low-wing monoplane with cantilever wings and semi-cantilever stabilizer, the latter being braced to the fuselage with a single strut on either side. The span is 95 feet 11 inches and the length 62 feet. It is of all-metal construction, with a deep rectangular fuselage, a fixed landing gear, and air-cooled radial engines, one in the nose, and the other two in nacelles in the wings outboard of the landing gear. A distinctive feature is the use of corrugated metal for wing and fuselage covering. The so-called Junkers "double-wing" is employed. The inner portions vary the camber; the outer portions act differentially as ailerons. There is a single fin and rudder. This plane may be equipped with floats for sea operations or skis for winter flying.

The engines consist of three B.M.W. 132 A or T air-cooled 9-cylinder radials, each developing 660 hp at sea level. The maximum speed of the Ju-52 is 170 mph at 4,500 feet; 165 mph at sea level. The cruising speed is 132 mph at sea level. The service ceiling is 16,000 feet with maximum load, 21,000 feet at finish. The normal range is 530 miles with a 5,000 pound load, or 790 miles with maximum fuel and a 4,000 pound load. The normal fuel load is 436 U.S. gallons, with a possible maximum of 645 U.S. gallons.

The armament varies, but the maximum so far found consists of four MG 15 7.92-mm machine guns. Reports have been received that 20-mm cannons are being used, but to date no aircraft with this armament have been found. The most usual combination on the freight version consists of one upper-rear MG 15 machine gun in a ring mounting, one lower-rear MG 15 machine gun in the retractable "dust bin", and two lateral machine guns firing out of the windows on each side aft of the wing. Occasionally, one of the machine guns has been found mounted as an upper-front gun, in a perspex dome over the second pilot's seat on the right-hand side of the cockpit.

The crew ordinarily consists of three, a pilot, a co-pilot, and a radio operator, the latter two manning the guns. When used as a troop transport, there is a fourth member who combines the duties of rear-gunner and checker of the parachutists and their equipment.

The official German maintenance handbook for the Ju-52 lists no fewer than 37 different uses and loadings, of which the following are examples:

1. Troop transport -- carries 15 to 20 fully-equipped men
2. Freight transport -- maximum pay-load, 5,260 lbs
3. Ambulance aircraft -- accomodation for 12 stretchers
4. Parachute troop carrier -- 12 fully-equipped men
5. Glider tug -- can normally tow one Go-242 with 23 men or 3 small gliders carrying 10 to 12 men each
6. Flying classroom -- especially for training in night flying

.
Throughout the African campaign this aircraft has been extensively used for transporting troops, munitions and supplies of every kind from Italy and Sicily to Africa. During the height of the Tunisian campaign, from 50 to 150 per day were running a shuttle service across the Mediterranean, carrying on the return trip wounded men from Africa. Wherever possible, fighter escort is provided because the Ju-52 lacks speed, armor, and adequate armament. This accounts for the high attrition rate of this aircraft in all operations.

MESSERSCHMITT Me 323

ENGLISH Specification:
Before going to war in 1939 Germany had explored and developed the use of parachute and airborne troops, thus ensuring that man-made barricades (such as the Maginot Line or Albert Canal) or natural barriers (such as the Kithirai Channel) would provide no hindrance to gaining a strong foothold in desirable territory. Early deployment of airborne forces had shown the need for gliders of greater capability than, for example, the DFS 230 used to capture the Belgian fort of Eben-Emael. There were many advantages in using gliders as opposed to free fall paratroops: the unit was not dispersed and troops did not need often precious moments to disentangle themselves from shroud lines or a billowing parachute.

Consequently Junkers and Messerschmitt competed in 1940 to design and develop a very large transport glider suitable for the delivery of men or materials. Junkers' Ju 322 Mammut (Mammoth) spanned 62.0m and would have accommodated more than 100 fully equipped troops, but when tested proved to be unstable and was cancelled by the Reichsluftfahrtministeriurn. On the other hand Messerschmitt's Me 321 was a most successful design of braced high-wing configuration and with construction of welded steel tube, wood and fabric. The pilot was perched high on the fuselage in a single-seat cockpit, adjacent to the wing's leading edge. Access to the main cabin was via large clamshell doors in the nose or by doors on each side of the rear fuselage. A payload of 22,000kg could be carried.

The Me 321 VI prototype flew first in March 1941 and Me 321A-1 production aircraft entered service in May of that year. The later Me 321B-1 had a crew of three and defensive armament of four 7.9mm MG 15 machine-guns. Me 321 (some 200 built) were towed usually by a trio of Bf 110C or by the unusual five-engined Heinkel He 111Z. Rocket units could be used to assist take-off from rough fields.

The Me 323 was, in effect, a powered version of the Me 321, basically similar except for strengthening and the installation of engines in nacelles of the same type as those designed for the Bloch 175: four in the original prototype and six in subsequent prototype and production aircraft (about 200 built). Versions included the Me 323D, E and F (plus variants), with a variety of engines, defensive armament and fuel capacity. They were no easy machines to fly, often needing rocket or towing assistance to get them airborne. Slow and vulnerable - despite heavy defensive armament - they suffered severe losses when ferrying supplies to the Afrika Korps in the closing stages of the North African campaign.

Type: Heavy Cargo Transport
Origin: Messerscmitt AG
Models: D And E
First Flight: Fall 1941
Service Delivery: May 1942
Final Delivery: March 1944
Engine: Gnome-Rhone 14N 48/49 14-Cylinder two row radials
Horsepower: 1,140
Number: Six

Dimensions:
Wing span: 55m (180 ft. 5.5 in.)
Length: 28.15m (92 ft. 4.25 in.)
Height: 10.15m (33 ft. 3.5 in.)
Wing Surface Area: N/A

Weights:
Empty: 27,330kg (60,260 lbs.)
Maximum: 43,000kg (94,815 lbs.)

Performance:
Maximum Speed: 285km/h (177 mph) on tow
Initial climb: 710ft/min (216m/min)
Range: 684 miles (1100km)
Service Ceiling: 13,100 ft (4000m)

Armament:
Five MG 15 mounted in nose mounts
Six Mg 34 infantry MG's in beam windows
Waffentraeger (Weapons Carrier)
11 20mm MG 151 cannon
and
4 13mm MG 131 Machine Guns

This version also carried several tonnes of armor and bulletproof glass. Eventually it was decided that escort fighters would be more effective and this version did not see wide-spread production.

Avionics:
N/A

Bomb load:
One 17.7 ton bomb was dropped in trials, though the aircraft crashed during the trials due to structural failure after the test aircraft had been straffed by Allied fighters days earlier.

HEINKEL He 111Z "Zwilling" Glider Tug

ENGLISH Specification:
Two He 111H-6's were joined by a new wing section with a fifth engine, to create a tug aircraft capable of towing the Me 321.

Type: Glider Tug
Origin: Ernst Heinkel AG
Crew: 7-9
First Flight: N/A
Service Delivery: N/A
Final Delivery: N/A
Production: 2 prototypes, 10 production Z-1s

Engine:
Model: Junkers Jumo 211F-2
Type: Liquid cooled inverted V-12
Number: Five Horsepower: 1,350 hp

Dimensions:
Wing span: 35.20m (115 ft. 6 in.)
Length: 16.4m (53 ft. 9½ in.)
Height: 4m (13 ft. 1½ in.)
Wing Surface Area: N/A

Weights:
Empty: 47,300 lb. (21500 kg)
Loaded: 62,900 lb. (28600 kg.)
Performance:
Maximum Speed:
Unencumbered: 270 mph (435 kph)
Towing one Me 321: 137 mph (220 kph)
Towing two Go 242: 155 mph (250 kph)
Range: N/A
Service Ceiling: N/A

Armament:
Various, depending on 'donor' aircraft. Usually up to about 8 weapons, mainly 7.7mm MGs, also 13mm MGs and perhaps a 20mm cann

Variants:
He 111Z: Prototypes. 2 Built
He 111Z-1: Production version. 10 Built.
He 111Z-2: Proposed bomber version. None built

TRANSPORT OF A GERMAN AIR-BORNE DIVISION

It has been mentioned above that no long training period is necessary to prepare a normal German division for use in an air-infantry operation. The preparation is more a problem of organization than one of training. The German 22d Infantry Regiment was reorganized as an Air-Borne Infantry Division in 1940, and, as such, it took part in the campaign in Holland. It should be noted that this division is particularly strong in staff organization, which, of course, is desirable for supervision and to compensate for probable loss among the staff during transport by air and during early ground action. The approximate power of this division was estimated in late 1940 as follows:

Officers 241
Noncommissioned officers 1,105
Enlisted men 5,334
Mountain cannon, 75-mm 24
Antitank cannon, 37-mm 30
Heavy machine guns 60
Light machine guns 125
Antiaircraft guns, 20-mm 16
Light infantry cannon 3
Light grenade throwers 54
Heavy grenade throwers 36
Antitank rifles (Panzerbüchsen) 112
Machine pistols 375
Rifles 4,371

Any discrepancy between heavy machine guns and antitank weapons shown in the above tabulation and those listed in an organization chart may be due to extra weapons carried in reserve. On the way to combat, troops of this division had in their packs 2 days' rations in addition to the "iron" ration. No field kitchens were carried. It was intended to use the kitchens in hotels and inns, and, after the first 3 days, to requisition food and all vehicles from the civil population, if necessary.

a. Operational Experience in Holland
A loading unit (Ladeeinheit) is a load of men and equipment or both together, sufficient for one Ju-52. In the operation at The Hague, the total number of loading units was not less than 866, and the number of men in the "division" transported has been calculated as 7,400. This works out at between 8 and 9 men (with proportional share of divisional equipment) per Ju-52. Of the planes transporting the divisional staff, none carried more than 9 men. Infantry traveled at 12 or even 14 men per plane; engineers at about 10 per plane; motorcycle units, with solo machines, at 6 or 7 per plane. A light infantry gun probably was accompanied by about 6 men in the same plane, while probably 2 more planes would carry the ammunition and additional personnel.

b. Operational Experience in the Conquest of Crete
For the attack on Crete, the Germans are thought to have carried fewer men and more equipment per Ju-52. The ordinary infantry battalion may have traveled at only about 10 men, with equipment, per Ju-52. The number of aircraft which the Germans used in the operation is conservatively estimated at nearly 800 bombers and fighters, 500 transport planes, and 75 gliders. In any case it is not thought that more than 650 Ju-52's were employed. To get something like 35,000 men to Crete in a period of 10 days, it is estimated that each Ju-52 must have made on the average about 6 sorties

TRANSPORT OF AIR-LANDING TROOPS BY JU-52's

The following table gives the approximate number of loading units required to transport various organizations with their organizational equipment. The calculations take into account a reduction to combat strength for air transport, but composition and armament are obviously subject to further variation depending upon special circumstances:

Unit or Detachment (As prepared for air transport)

Inf Rifle Co
Inf Hv Wpns Co
Inf Bn Hq
Inf Regtl Hq and Com Det
Arty Btry (with 75-mm Mtn guns only)
Arty Bn Hq (with 75-mm Mtn guns only)
Arty Regtl Hq and Com Det (with 75-mm Mtn guns only)
AA MG Co
AT Co
Div Med Co
Div Sup Co
Inf Div Hq

Appropriate Loading Units( 1 per each Ju-52)

12
21
3
5
16
6
18
12
14
14
14
12

TRANSPORTATION OF GERMAN PARACHUTE UNITS

German parachute units and equipment are specially adapted to fit into the Ju-52 system of transportation. In both Crete and Holland it has been demonstrated that the following loading practices are customary:

a. Transportation of a Parachute Company
One company of parachute troops is transported by one squadron (Staffel) of Ju-52's (12 aircraft). In the case of the parachute rifle company, every Ju-52 carries 12 men and 4 arms containers. The precise loading units for the parachute heavy weapons company are not known. Each Ju-52 takes rather more than one section, and each flight (Kette) of three aircraft rather less than one platoon. There seems to be no rigorous attempt to fly by platoon, though aircraft must fly in the order planned, and land their men on the right spots with the right arms containers. The real working unit is the company.

b. Light Relative Load
The weight of the load carried by each Ju-52 in a squadron lifting a parachute rifle company is about 4,000 pounds, including the plane's own crew of three men. Considerations of bulk and of speed in leaving the plane dictate this relatively light load, which allows 100 pounds of equipment per man:

15 men with clothes and equipment on person 2,400 lbs
4 arms containers 1,200 lbs
19 parachutes 450 lbs
Total load lifted by each Ju-52 4,050 lbs

c. Transportation of a Parachute Battalion
One parachute rifle battalion is transported by one group (Gruppe) of Ju-52's (53 aircraft). The four companies are transported by the four squadrons of the group; and the battalion headquarters with its communication section is transported by the headquarters squadron (Stabsstaffel) of five aircraft.

d. Transportation of a Parachute Regiment
One parachute regiment is transported by one wing (Geschwader) of Ju-52's (220 aircraft). The three parachute battalions are transported by three of the groups in the wing; and the "fourth battalion," or regimental headquarters with regimental troops, is transported by the fourth group.

e. Transportation of a Parachute Division
One parachute division could be carried by four wings of Ju-52's (880 aircraft). The three parachute regiments would be carried by three wings, and divisional headquarters with divisional troops (signal company, artillery battery, machine-gun battalion, and antitank battalion) by the fourth wing. But up to the spring of 1942 no division had yet been transported at a single lift.

f. Loading of Non-Divisional Units
Not much is known of the loading of non-divisional parachute units (engineer battalion, antiaircraft machine-gun battalion, and medical unit). It seems probable that each would be carried by one group of Ju-52's, in the proportion of one company to one squadron

THE DFS 230 GLIDER

ENGLISH Specification:

The glider used by the Germans in Crete was a high-wing 10-seater monoplane. It is known as the DFS-230 freight-carrying glider (Lastensegler or Lastensegelflugzeug, abbreviated L.S.). It has probably been in production since the spring of 1940, and in quantity production since autumn of that year. In the spring of 1942, a minimum estimate of the number on hand was 700.

Construction
It is believed that the fuselage is of tubular steel construction, and that the wings are made entirely of wood. Usually the glider's wheels have been jettisoned after take-off, the glider landing on its skid.

Seating Arrangements
The interior arrangements are not spacious. The seats are in a single line, six facing forward and four backward. The four rear seats can be taken out to provide more space for freight. The DFS-230 is designed to carry a pilot and 9 men, with equipment. For rapid exit from the glider, each end is fitted with a door.

Dimensions
The approximate dimensions of the DFS-230 are given as follows: span, 72 feet; length, 36 feet.

Weight and Load Statistics
- Various weights, according to various uses made of the glider, are as follows (in pounds):
- Weight empty, including fixed equipment 1,818 1,818 1,818
Useful load 2,371 2,485 2,433
Gross weight 4,189 4,305 4,251

Equipment
Instruments are phosphorescent, and include air speed indicator, altimeter, rate-of-climb indicator, turn-and-bank indicator, and compass. A 24-volt storage battery is fitted in the nose to operate navigation lights, cabin lights, and a landing light, which is under the port wing. A fixed light machine gun (LMG 34) is said to be attached externally to the starboard side, and is fired by the man in No. 2 seat (sitting behind the pilot), through a slit in the fuselage, as the glider is landing. Aiming of the machine gun is not possible.

Towing Planes
Under combat conditions, the Ju-52 aircraft, which is ordinarily used to tow the DFS-230 glider, normally flies empty. This is because the towing plane does not fly over the objective, but releases the gliders, each of which is attached to it directly, in V-formation: glider "trains" are not used. In operations, normally one glider is towed: three Ju-52's with their gliders, fly in formation. Types such as the Me-110 or He-111 are quite suitable for use as towing aircraft. In training, and probably also for freight-carrying in rear areas, other aircraft are used for towing, including the He-45 and He-46 (training aircraft) and the Henschel-126 (army cooperation aircraft). Fighter planes have also been used to tow gliders in training. A table of tug and glider performances is given in figure 5.

Length of Tow-Rope
Tow-ropes are of varying length, 40, 60, 100, or 120 yards, according to the airfield space available. The glider handles better with a longer rope. Runways are ideal for the take-off, but are not essential.

Towing Distances
The distances for which the glider can be towed depend upon the range of the aircraft and the weather conditions. With extra fuel, a Ju-52 can tow a DFS-230 more than 1,000 miles.

Gliding Distances
The distances which the glider can cover after release from the towing plane are variable, and depend upon such factors as windspeed, altitude of release, direction of wind relative to line of flight, navigation errors, and evasive action. In the attack on Crete gliders are thought to have been released at no more than 2 to 5 miles from shore, and at heights of not more than 5,000 feet.

Table of Glider Speeds
Towing speed 105 mph
Optimum gliding speed 71.4 mph
Holding-off speed 55 mph
Landing speed 35—40 mph

Landing Area
The DFS-230 glider requires only a small landing area. It has been noted that flaps may be used to steepen the angle of glide. If the skid is wound with barbed wire, or fitted with arresting hooks, landing in an even smaller area is practicable.

Variants
230A-1 - Initial production version
230B-1 - Braking parachute added, able to carry defensive armament
230C-1 - Late production version; nose braking rockets
230F-1 - 15 man capacity

DETAILS OF THE DFS 230

THE GOTHA 242 GLIDER

ENGLISH Specification:

The Gotha 242 Glider, larger than the DFS-230, is used for troop transport in training and for freight-carrying. Six of them were captured partially destroyed at Derna. The flying characteristics are said to be such that any pilot can handle one with ease, either towed or solo. Steep turns, nevertheless, are to be avoided, and acrobatics are forbidden. Recent photographic reconnaissance has identified two powered types, experimentally equipped, respectively, with twin air-cooled radial, and twin in-line, engines.

Construction
The Gotha 242 is a twin-boom monoplane, with fuselage of tubular metal construction, and wings, tail boom, and tail unit made of wood. Landing is effected on three skids or on wheels, the latter of which can be jettisoned.1 The central fuselage (37 feet long) is detachable, and is also hinged at the top, forward of the trailing edge of the wing, on which hinge the rear portion lifts upwards, making an opening 7 feet by 6 feet for loading by means of ramps which are carried in the aircraft.

Dimensions
The Gotha 242 has a span of 79 feet and a length of 52½ feet.

Crew and Armament
This glider carries two pilots. Control is dual, and the first pilot's seat is fully armored to a thickness of from one-tenth to three-tenths of an inch. Four light machine guns are fitted, two firing forward from the nose, and two firing aft; four more may be fitted in lateral positions.

Equipment
Instruments are more numerous than in the DFS-230 and include a telephone for communication with the towing aircraft, activated, with the remainder of the electrical installation, by a 24-volt storage battery. A landing light is fitted underneath the port wing. Two first-aid kits are carried, and a ballast container capable of holding up to 925 pounds.2

Seating Arrangements
When fitted with seats, the Gotha 242 holds 21 fully equipped men in addition to the 2 pilots.

Weight and Load Statistics
The empty weight of this glider, with fixed equipment, is 7,168 pounds. The gross weight is 12,750 pounds, leaving a useful load of 5,582 pounds. Freight storage space is 20 by 8 by 6½ feet.

Towing
The Gotha 242 is normally towed into the air by Heinkel He 111s or one Ju-52, by means of a steel cable 80 to 300 yards long. An arrester gear may be fitted to shorten the landing run.

Table of Glider Speeds
Maximum towing speed 149 mph
Maximum gliding speed 180 mph
Minimum gliding speed (when landing fully loaded) 87 mph

Variants
Go 242A
Go 242A-1 - initial cargo-carrying version
Go 242A-2 - initial troop-carrying version

Go 242B
Go 242B-1 - cargo version with jettisonable landing gear
Go 242B-2 - B-1 with improved landing gear
Go 242B-3 - troop-carrying version of B-1 with double rear doors
Go 242B-4 - troop-carrying version with doors of B-3 and landing gear of B-2
Go 242B-5 - training version with dual controls

Go 242C
Go 242C-1 - maritime assault version with flying boat-style hull. Never used operationally

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Some of these gliders are said to have retractable landing gear.
2 Ballast is used only when the glider is empty.

PROTOTYPE:
THE DFS 331GLIDER

ENGLISH specification

Type: Transport Glider
Origin: Deutsches Forschungsinstitut für Segelflugzeug
Built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik.
Models: V1
First Flight: 1941
Service Delivery: None
Final Delivery: Prototype only
Total Production: 1

Dimensions:
Wing span: 75 ft. 5½ in. (23.00m)
Length: 51 ft. 10½ in. (15.81m)
Height (on Wheels): 11 ft. 11¾ in. (3.55m)
Wing Surface Area: N/A
Weights:
Empty: 5,005 lbs. (2270 kg.)
Maximum: 10,517 lbs. (4770 kg.)

Performance:
Maximum Towing Speed: 168 mph (270 kph)

Armament: None

MESSERSCHMITT Me 321 GLIDER

ENGLISH specification
Consequently Junkers and Messerschmitt competed in 1940 to design and develop a very large transport glider suitable for the delivery of men or materials. Junkers' Ju 322 Mammut (Mammoth) spanned 62.0m and would have accommodated more than 100 fully equipped troops, but when tested proved to be unstable and was cancelled by the Reichsluftfahrtministeriurn. On the other hand Messerschmitt's Me 321 was a most successful design of braced high-wing configuration and with construction of welded steel tube, wood and fabric. The pilot was perched high on the fuselage in a single-seat cockpit, adjacent to the wing's leading edge. Access to the main cabin was via large clamshell doors in the nose or by doors on each side of the rear fuselage. A payload of 22,000kg could be carried.

The Me 321 VI prototype flew first in March 1941 and Me 321A-1 production aircraft entered service in May of that year. The later Me 321B-1 had a crew of three and defensive armament of four 7.9mm MG 15 machine-guns. Me 321 (some 200 built) were towed usually by a trio of Bf 110C or by the unusual five-engined Heinkel He 111Z. Rocket units could be used to assist take-off from rough fields.

Type: Heavy Cargo Glider
Origin: Messerscmitt AG
Models: A and B
First Flight: March 7, 1941
Service Delivery: June 1941
Final Delivery: April 1942
Engine: None

Dimensions:
Wing span: 55m (180 ft. 5.5 in.)
Length: 28.15m (92 ft. 4.25 in.)
Height: 10.15m (33 ft. 3.5 in.)
Wing Surface Area: N/A

Weights:
Empty: 12,400kg (27,432 lbs.)
Maximum: 34,400kg (75,852 lbs.)
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 160km/h (99 mph) on tow
Initial climb: 492ft/min (150m/min) towed by 3 Bf 110's)
Range: N/A
Service Ceiling: N/A

Armament:
Two Twin 7.92mm MG 15 mounted in windows

Avionics:
N/A

PROTOTYPE:
JUNKERS Ju 322 Mammut GLIDER

ENGLISH specification

The German occupation of England was planned as the "Operation Seelowe" in 1940. The planning for this attack was dropped, when it became obvious, that Germany had no sufficent transport capacity by air, that could support the landing zones of the German army. Due to that fact, the RLM placed a request for a wide body transport glider to Messerschmitt and Junkers under the project name "Warschau" in summer 1940. Messerschmitt started the developement of the Me 321 (Warschau Sued), while Hertel designed the

-wooden design of the EF94
The should be capable for a payload of 20 tons of military cargo. The aircraft should be constructed for a life time of just a single mission. The forward wing nose was designed with a cargo door, which could also be used as a ramp. A ground wheel vehicle was designed, on which the EF94 was placed for take off and which was dropped after took off. Initially the EF94 design had a span of 82 metres, but this was reduced to 61 metres later on, as the larger wing span as to extensive for most hangars. The cargo area was 11 metres wide and 14 metres deep. In November 1940 both designs were presented to the RLM and an order was placed for 200 Messerschmitt Me321 and 100 Junkers Ju 322, as the EF94 was named now. The production of these Junkers aircraft was planned at Merseburg.

On 12th March 1941 Hesselbach performed the first flight of the Ju 322 prototype towed by a Junkers Ju90. The prototype had a reduced payload capacity as the wooden construction had to be increased. During the first test flight the Ju322 showed several severe instabilities. Major problems resulted from the underdimensioned tail unit of the aircraft and a gravity point, which was allocated to far in the rear parts of the aircraft. To overcome the gravity problem, two water tanks were added at the forward section of the aircraft. Also a larger tail unit was added following the first flight, the instability problem was still unsolved. During a second flight in April 1941, two of the three towing Me110 crashed and the Ju322 prototype performed a crash landing at Merseburg. In May 1941 the RLM therefore decided to stop the Ju322 developement in advance of the Me321 programme. At that time the serial production of the first 100 aircraft was already started. The first aircraft, which had already been finished, where scrapped without any flight.

Type: Giant Assault Glider
Origin: Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke AG

Dimensions:
Wing span: 62m (203 ft. 5 in.)
Wing Surface Area: N/A
Length: 30.25m (99 ft. 3 in.)
Height: 10m (32ft. 9 in.)
Stabilizer Span: N/A
Wheel Track: N/A
Weights:Empty (With Take-Off Trolley): 26,000kg (52,900 lbs.)
Loaded: 36,000kg (79,366 lbs.)
Performance:No accurate data available
Armament:None
Avionics:None

THE COMBAT EMPLOYMENT OF GLIDER-BORNE TROOPS

In warfare the advantage of the glider over the airplane is its more silent arrival at an objective. Using the DFS 230 Glider, the Germans landed a few glider-borne troops at the Albert Canal and Fort Eben Emael in 1940. Such troops were previously in readiness during the invasion of Norway, but whether they were actually flown to combat in Norway is debatable. After Belgium fell, the Germans pushed their glider-training program. In January 1941 the partly glider-borne unit, 1st Assault Regiment (Sturmregiment 1), was created; and the corresponding towing unit of Ju-52's, the 1st Air-Landing Group (Luftlandegeschwader 1), was probably created about the same time. Both of these organizations saw service at Corinth and in Crete. The father of German military glider training is said to have been Brigadier General Ramcke, who in mid-1942 was still a leading figure in German air-borne development.

THE 1ST ASSAULT REGIMENT

The 1st Assault Regiment seems, to have been an experimental unit, designed to be the spearhead of an air-borne attack. Although the assault regiment (fig. 4) constituted somewhat like an ordinary parachute regiment, it has not only graduate parachutists but also glider pilots among its personnel. In Crete only two of its companies landed near Allied troops, both being in gliders; but the remainder of the regiment was probably at least in part landed in Ju-52's, or even dropped by parachute (though not from gliders). It is believed that only about 50 gliders may have been used. Each glider carried a single combat group with all its armament. In theory the sections of the regiment transported by gliders could immediately make ready their arms and large quantities of ammunition and explosives, and could on account of this facility pass to serious attack in very little time. Although all the men carried by glider were graduate parachutists, only the glider pilot carried a parachute. Fatalities were high because a number of gliders were hit by AA fire and fell in flames. The supposition that the 1st Assault Regiment was an experimental regiment is borne out by the fact that Brigadier General Ramcke took command during the campaign in Crete, whereas the regiment was commanded both before and again after the campaign by Brigadier General Meindl.

EXPERIMENTATION WITH MILITARY GLIDERS

After the Cretan episode, experiments in the glider transport of large numbers of troops into simulated enemy territory were begun at the Experimental Department (Versuchsabteilung) of Berlin. With promise of success, the experiments were continued and intensified on the airfields of Stendal and of Lager Linde near Grossborn. In mid-1942, secret experimentation with gliders carrying as many as 50 or more men were being conducted officially on the airfields of Stendal, Hildesheim, Halberstadt, Hanover, and Berlin. Tests in carrying all-purpose vehicles and tanks have been frequent.

GLIDER-BORNE PERSONNEL

All glider pilots and glider-borne troops and the 1st Assault Regiment are members of the German Air Force, though they may initially have been in the Army. Glider pilots are generally men who have had previous civilian experience in glider flying. But comparatively excellent civilian glider experience is said to be insufficient to qualify a pilot for operating a freight-carrying model. Training on the large gliders is done in the glider unit itself. An important feature is the making of spot landings, and blind flying is also taught. At the glider training school at Braunschweig-Waggum, the course lasts 6 weeks. No reserve pilot is carried in operations with the small glider. Air-landing troops do not necessarily have to have any special training beyond instruction and practice in getting out of the glider quickly.

SUCCESS AND WEAKNESS OF GLIDERS

The enemy was apparently satisfied with the success of the glider both in Belgium and in the Mediterranean. In Crete, however, it was found that the gliders were vulnerable if they came low near Allied troops. Their flight was very slow, and the crews could be killed before landing; hits in the forward part resulted in crashes, the pilot being killed or the reserve ammunition exploded. Where the ground was rocky, gliders were badly smashed on landing, and the crews and their equipment severely damaged. Some further disasters were due to mistakes by pilots; tow ropes snapped, owing, for instance, to the towing aircraft's making too short a turn, and gliders were released prematurely. This last mistake cost the lives of Major General Sussmann and his staff. In 1941-2, the construction of German gliders and the training of glider pilots was increased, and gliders were extensively employed for conveying material to North Africa. Their use is not restricted by any lack of air bases, for standard types of tow-planes like the Ju-52 do not require especially long runways. The latest gliders have been seen on some German airdromes which not only are small but which have no runways at all.