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Luftwaffe after the War??

Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:18 pm

I was wondering if anyone could answer these questions. After the war, what kind of numbers of Luftwaffe aircraft were left intact? Secondly what happened to all these aircraft? Besides scrapping of course. I was reading, and came across a blurb stating that BF 110 were operated by the Iraqi Air Force. This made me curious. What all Air Forces operated EX-Luftwaffe aircraft following the war? Thanks

Shay

found this neat photo
Image

Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:26 pm

Shay

Most as you say were scrapped, apart from those slated for evaluation ,but some were handed over to the victorious powers, particularly France and places like Yugoslavia / Czechoslovakia which operated squadrons of Ju 88 and Fw 190 ( built from damaged aircraft at repair shops mostly) and 109s ( Jumo powered) repectively .
Majority however were non front line types like the Me 108, Storch, Ju 52 etc.
The Iraq 110 and 111 were operated during the early part of the war, around 1941 IIRC.

Dave
Last edited by DaveM2 on Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

Luft.

Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:53 pm

I believe the Iraqi marked aircraft were flown by German Luftwaffe crews.

mystery luftwaffe aircraft

Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:07 pm

as myth goes from the south pacific to europe to north america.... regardless of location, there are always accounts of stories of mass amounts of allied / axis planes bulldozed into large holes, pits, etc. leaves alot for speculation!! only the earth worms know!! all i can say is get your shovels & start digging world wide!!

Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:18 am

Shay

That 111 I think dates from the Iraqi uprising in 1941. In fact there may still be a JU52 from the period in Yemen of all places!

Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:09 am

Best book for this kind of info is "War Prizes", sad reading tho when you see how many airframes were initially spared the meltpot and then just scrapped.


Last I heard was a UK newspaper reporting a known "underground hanger" near/under Templhof airport in Berlin being full of fuelled up late war Lufwaffe aircraft but was sealed and left because of boobytraps.... :roll: 8)

Ex-Luftwaffe

Sun Jan 16, 2005 10:31 am

Belgium operated three Ju-52 for a few years after the war (Régie des Voies aériennes equals to Belgian FAA). A Storch was also allocated but not flown.
One Bucker Bestmann was on the Civil register.This last plane was donated to the Brussels Aviation museum and had been repainted in wartime Luftwaffe colours.

In France, the Fw 190-A-8, briefly operated were actually aircrafts rebuilt by NC during the wars and completed. Various aircrafts licence built in France were completed after the war such as the Amiot Toucan (Ju-52) one is now preserved at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, another one is stored at Le Bourget. Siebel twins were built as Siebel Martinet (NC) again.
The Storch were built but reengined with a Salmson radial.

If interested, I can provide more details and scan a few photographs.

Willy

Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:57 am

Turkey operated FW190's (alongside it's Spitfire's) until the late 40's IIRC.

Didn't Spain operate it's Luftwaffe supplied JU88's for a number of years after the war... :?:

Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:41 pm

Firebird wrote:Didn't Spain operate it's Luftwaffe supplied JU88's for a number of years after the war... :?:
Are you thinking of the Merlin engined Heinkels (as used in the BoB movie), or Ju-88's?

Mon Jan 17, 2005 1:56 am

BK

Spain did operate some Ju 88, but they wern't supplied after the defeat of Germany..neither were the Turkish 190s. The Spanish CASA 111 were not ex Luftwaffe machines, but produced in Spain, as were the Buchons. All these examples fall outside the original question :wink:

Dave

Mon Jan 17, 2005 2:40 am

Spain got some interesting BIG German a/c postwar: Focke Wulf Fw200 Condor anyone? And something else the name of which escapes me at the moment...

ex-Luftwaffe

Mon Jan 17, 2005 2:49 am

Spain operated DO-24 after the war and flew them till the seventies.

Mon Jan 17, 2005 5:54 pm

There is a good article in Air Force Magazine about "Wilson's Whizzers" and the post-war recovery and testing of the German jets.

Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:18 pm

Also go to www.stormbirds.com for articles about the Whizzers

Dave

Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:32 pm

Don Martin wrote:There is a good article in Air Force Magazine about "Wilson's Whizzers" and the post-war recovery and testing of the German jets.
Isn't that Watson's Whizzers?
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