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Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P) Ben Drew shot down two Me262s in October of 1944. The painting shows the second Me262 as the main subject with Ben's Detroit Miss peeling off at full speed after he showered the aircraft with the fatal bullets. The shoot down action was so quick in occurring, (31 seconds), that Drew never saw what had actually happened to the pilot, Oblt. Paul Bley, who slipped over the side in time to live to fight again. As fate would have it Oblt. Bley was killed 2 weeks later when his 262 developed trouble while taking off and he plowed into a tractor at the end of the field. |
Me262B Night Fighter by Ivan Berryman. The Me262B-1 night fighter of Hajo Hermann. Hajo Hermann flew many hours during flight testing of the Me262B night fighter variant. |
Messerschmitt 262 by Graeme Lothian. (P) Original pencil drawing showing two Me262 jet fighters. Signed by Graeme Lothian only. |
White 8 - Walter Nowotny by Ivan Berryman. Austrian-born Walter Nowotny was one of Germany's highest scoring aces of WWII with 258 victories to his credit, three of them flying the Messerschmitt Me.262. He is depicted here flying White 8 of Kommando Nowotny based at Achmer, Germany in 1944. He was killed in action later that year following a fraught combat with US fighters during the Defence of the Reich. |
Out of the Blue by Ivan Berryman. (PC) When first posted to Kommando Nowotny based at Achmer, Germany, in October 1944, Leutnant Franz Schall was already credited with a stunning 117 victories, but his score continued to rise as he mastered the beautiful Messerschmitt Me262 jet fighter, adding a further 16 Allied aircraft to his tally including P.51 Mustangs, P.47 Thunderbolts and B.24 Liberators. Having survived a near fatal encounter when both engines of his aircraft seized in combat, he was killed in a landing accident in 1945 whilst posted to JG.7. His aircraft is seen here (nearest), an Me.262 A-1a, number 110404, White 1 |
First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian. No text for this item |
In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. The legend of Willie Messerschmitts Me262, and the elite fighter Aces who piloted this revolutionary jet aircraft, is as secure as any born during the Second World War. As they hurtled into the air, climbing at speeds hitherto unknown, a small group of seasoned pilots heralded a new generation of combat aircraft that would extend into the 21st century. At the spearhead of this new era in combat flying was the mercurial fighter leader Adolf Galland. Sacked for opposing the naive tactics of Luftwaffe supremo Hermann Goering, Galland found himself, as a General, once again leading a squadron of fighters into battle. Although too late to change the spectre of imminent defeat, this tiny group of highly decorated Aces fought a courageous rearguard action during the final Defense of the Reich. Seen blasting off an airfield in Bavaria are four Me262s, led by General Adolf Galland. Glistening in the damp air these sleek fighters are on full power in their rush to climb to altitude. Within minutes they will attack an incoming mass formation of B-17s and B-24s. Below, the roads and buildings reflect the sunlight between the scattered clouds of a departing storm. |
Return of the Hunters by Nicolas Trudgian. Messerschmitt Me262s of JG7 race back to their base at Brandenburg after intercepting a USAAF bomber raid on Munich, and Luftwaffe air bases in the area. Below them a B-26 has crash-landed in the fields still covered with a sprinkling of late winter snow. In the distance the afternoon sun glistens on the Bavarian Alpine mountains. < |
Jet Ace by Brian Bateman. (P) Walter Schuck claims one of two P-51 Mustangs shot down as his first two victories in his new Me262 jet fighter. Flying with JG7, Walter Schuck claimed his first two victories in the jet on 24th March 1945, and eventually went on to claim eight jet victories, and over 200 enemy aircraft in total. |
The New Unit, Kaltenkirchen, Germany 1945 by David Pentland. Oberleutnant Walter Schuck moved to JG7 in early March 1945, and assumed command of 3 Staffel on the 26th of that month. In all he was to claim 8 victories while flying the Me262. |
Alpine Thunder by Nicolas Trudgian. By late April 1945 most of the Third Reich had been cut to shreds by the advancing Allied forces and those units remaining intact were regrouping in southern Germany and Austria. With American advance units nearing the outskirts of Munich, on 28th April Adolf Galland took the decision to evacuate his precious jets to Salzburg, deep in the mountains. Bad weather prevented their departure until the following morning and they only just managed to escape under the noses of the encircling Americans. Galland had hoped to battle on with JV44 but the unsuitable mountain airfields prevented the famous fighter wing from doing much to delay the inevitable. So the beautiful Alpine meadows became the final resting place for what was potentially the most formidable fighter unit of the war. In just a few days the jets were left abandoned. Their short, exhilarating war, consigned to history. |
Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian. No text for this item |
Me262 1As of 3rd Gruppe JG7 by Randall Wilson. (GL) After firing their RM4 rockets against B24s of 448 BG, Lt. Fritz Muller (white 7) and wingman Lt. Fredrich W Shenk break hard right to go around again. |
Defending the Homeland by Ivan Berryman. Erich Rudorffer's Me 262 brings down a B-17 Flying Fortress during the defence of Germany. |
Jet Strike by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) Arguably the most significant fighter leader of World War II, Adolf Galland took command of all German day and night fighters, but was in constant dispute with Luftwaffe supreme, Goering, who ultimately sacked him. Reinstated by Hitler, Galland returned to active combat in the final year of the war, commanding the legendary JV44 fighter wing, flying the Me262 jet. The great Adolf Galland ended the war as he had begun - flying fighters in daily combat, the only serving General ever to lead a combat wing in action. Gallands Me262s of JV-44 climbing to intercept a formation of B-17s in April, 1945. |
Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P) Ben Drew shot down two Me262s in October of 1944. The painting shows the second Me262 as the main subject with Ben's Detroit Miss peeling off at full speed after he showered the aircraft with the fatal bullets. The shoot down action was so quick in occurring, (31 seconds), that Drew never saw what had actually happened to the pilot, Oblt. Paul Bley, who slipped over the side in time to live to fight again. As fate would have it Oblt. Bley was killed 2 weeks later when his 262 developed trouble while taking off and he plowed into a tractor at the end of the field. |
Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. Major Rudolf Rudi Sinner of STAB.III/JG7 attacking B-17s of 91st Bomb Group during March 1945. Attacking in a Kette of three aircraft from behind and below targeting the tailenders and rising over the B-17s. Avoiding any debris and evading the incoming fighter escort, who are dropping down from their top cover positions. Rudolf Sinner acheived a total of 39 victories, including two in the Me262. |
Moskito-Jager by Iain Wyllie. An Me262B-1a of 10/NJG.11 Kommando Welter climbs to operational altitude to begin an anti-Mosquito patrol in March 1945. The Royal Navy's best test pilot, Captain Eric Brown, chief naval test pilot and commanding officer of the Captured Enemy Aircraft Flight Royal Aircraft Establishment, who tested the Me 262 noted: This was a Blitzkrieg aircraft. You whack in at your bomber. It was never meant to be a dogfighter, it was meant to be a destroyer of bombers... The great problem with it was it did not have dive brakes. For example, if you want to fight and destroy a B-17, you come in on a dive. The 30mm cannon were not so accurate beyond 600 metres. So you normally came in at 600 yards and would open fire on your B-17. And your closing speed was still high and since you had to break away at 200 meters to avoid a collision, you only had two seconds firing time. Now, in two seconds, you can't sight. You can fire randomly and hope for the best. If you want to sight and fire, you need to double that time to four seconds. And with dive brakes, you could have done that. |
Night Hunters by Anthony Saunders. In a desperate attempt to save what remained of the once-proud, now ruined city of Berlin, the remnants of the Luftwaffe's beleaguered night-fighter units fought boldly till the end. Short on fuel, spares and ammunition, the pilots of NJG11 faced the impossible task of protecting the shattered capital from the far-reaching arm of the RAF Bomber Command. As the climax of the inevitable defeat approaches, Leutnant Jorg Cypionka of 10./NJG11 engages a powerful incoming force of fast, high-flying RAF Mosquitos from 139 (Jamaica) Squadron (PFF) in one of his unit's few remaining ME262A jets. The Mosquito crews, however, know the dangers of these hotly contested skies over Berlin only too well. From the night of 20/21 February the aircraft of 139 Squadron will run the deadly gauntlet of flak and night-fighters on 36 consecutive night attacks on the city. |
Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman. Erich Rudorffer commanding I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. |
Squadron Leader Schuck, Germany, Spring 1945 by David Pentland. Oberleutnant Walter Schuck moved to JG7 in early March 1945, and assumed command of 3 Staffel on the 26th of that month. In all he was to claim 8 victories while flying the Me262. |
Me262 The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941 utilizing a piston engine. General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262, and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers. Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced, but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines, production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach .86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262 had not been too little too late. |
Top Aces for : Me262 | |
A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown this aircraft. | |
Name | Victories |
Gerhard Barkhorn | 301.00 |
Günther Rall | 275.00 |
Heinz Bar | 220.00 |
Theodor Weissenberger | 209.00 |
Walter Schuck | 206.00 |
Walter Krupinski | 197.00 |
Johannes Steinhoff | 176.00 |
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert | 174.00 |
Fritz Tegtmeier | 146.00 |
Franz Schall | 137.00 |
Hans Waldmann | 134.00 |
Walter Dahl | 128.00 |
Rudolf Rademacher | 126.00 |
Adolf Galland | 104.00 |
Alfred Teumer | 76.00 |
Alfred Ambs | 7.00 |
Adolf Glunz | 72.00 |
Alfred Heckmann | 71.00 |
Herbert Kaiser | 68.00 |
Hans-Ekkehard Bob | 60.00 |
Rudolf Sinner | 39.00 |
Erwin Leykauf | 33.00 |
Wolfgang Schenck | 18.00 |
Siegfried Muller | 17.00 |
Norbert Hannig | 42.00 |
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