german bachem ba - 349 natter in japanese possession??
Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:58 am
i've been reading a new book on ww 2 japanese secret aircraft projects, recently published in 2009. fascinating book!! it better be at $48.00!! picture the wrath of my wife for me buying it!! 
there are some wild projects mentioned, & many that were feasible if japan happened to be in a better wartime situation & footing. of course the book mentions many projects that were negotiated & bought by japan from the luftwaffe. i'm well aware of japan's version of the me -163- komet & the kikka which resembles the me-262. however, the book mentions the japanese had a german ba - 349 natter rocket interceptor, 1st i've heard of this. the book mentions several unmanned tests, & a manned test which ended in destruction & death to the pilot. the book also mentions a few natters were deployed, but never saw operation. any truth to this?? i'd eat 5 cans of lima beans (which i loath) to see a real pic or 2 of the japanese natter. i'm betting none exist. the book is entitled.... "JAPANESE SECRET PROJECTS" EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT OF THE IJA AND IJN 1939 - 1945 BY EDWIN M. DYER III. as i'm sure you all know, that quite a few projects & plans were transported via japanese & german submarines & were sunk enroute to japan. man!! would that be a historic recovery & salvage!!
there are some wild projects mentioned, & many that were feasible if japan happened to be in a better wartime situation & footing. of course the book mentions many projects that were negotiated & bought by japan from the luftwaffe. i'm well aware of japan's version of the me -163- komet & the kikka which resembles the me-262. however, the book mentions the japanese had a german ba - 349 natter rocket interceptor, 1st i've heard of this. the book mentions several unmanned tests, & a manned test which ended in destruction & death to the pilot. the book also mentions a few natters were deployed, but never saw operation. any truth to this?? i'd eat 5 cans of lima beans (which i loath) to see a real pic or 2 of the japanese natter. i'm betting none exist. the book is entitled.... "JAPANESE SECRET PROJECTS" EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT OF THE IJA AND IJN 1939 - 1945 BY EDWIN M. DYER III. as i'm sure you all know, that quite a few projects & plans were transported via japanese & german submarines & were sunk enroute to japan. man!! would that be a historic recovery & salvage!!
Re: german bachem ba - 349 natter in japanese possession??
Fri Jan 15, 2010 3:54 pm
You need to read the last section of that book very carefully as the testing of the Bachem actually refers to German use and a lot of it is of hypothetical things. The dates should tip you off such as the Me262 in Japanese service on December 1, 1945 long after the war was over. The book has a lot of interesting info on some of the real late war projects as well as the spurious aircraft mis identified through mistranslations early in the war. Just keep this in mind as it's all identified in the captions and I think you will be kept occupied for quite some tim. The illustrations are excellent. Guess I got a bargain by ordering at a pre publication price through B+N and with my membership discount and coupon of a little over $26.00.
mike13
mike13