Junkers Ju 388
Encyclopedia
The Junkers
Ju 388 Störtebeker
was a World War II
German Luftwaffe multi-role aircraft
based on the Ju 88
airframe
by way of the Ju 188
. It differed from its predecessors in being intended for high altitude
operation, with design features such as a pressurized
cockpit for its crew
. The Ju 388 was introduced very late in the war, and production problems along with the deteriorating war conditions meant that few were built.
B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber
in late 1942, possibly from the sighting of a YB-29 nicknamed the "Hobo Queen" at RAF Bovingdon
, which had made a headline photo appearance in a news article in the Völkischer Beobachter
newspaper. The performance estimates of this aircraft
were cause for great concern in the Luftwaffe. The B-29 had a maximum speed
of around 560 km/h (348 mph), and would attack in a cruise at about 360 km/h (224 mph) at 8,000-10,000 m (26,247-32,810 ft), an altitude where no current Luftwaffe aircraft was effective.
To counter the B-29, the Luftwaffe would need new day fighter
s and bomber destroyer
s. The fighter chosen was the Focke-Wulf Ta 152
H. This was based on the Fw 190D
with longer wings and the new high-altitude "E" model of the Junkers Jumo 213
engine. An alternative was the Messerschmitt Me 155B, a long-wing
ed development of the Bf 109
which had already undergone several stages of design and would ultimately be built in prototype
form by Blohm & Voss
.
For the bomber destroyer and night fighter
roles, the Ta 154
and Heinkel He 219
had the performance needed to catch the bomber; but each of those designs only gained that performance by mounting short wings which were inadequate for flight at high altitude
. The Junkers Ju 88 had already been modified for high-altitude use as the S and T models, but these did not have the performance needed. Similar high-altitude modifications to the Ju 188
were being looked at as the projected Ju 188J, K and L models, which included a now nearly-standard "stepless" pressurized
cockpit
that fully enclosed the entire nose, and wing and elevator
deicing equipment for extended flights at very high altitude. These were selected for development, and re-named Ju 388.
MG 131 machine gun
s, aimed via a periscope
in the cockpit. The turret had an excellent field of fire and could shoot directly to the rear, so the gunner's Bola streamlined casemate
-style ventral defensive armament emplacement beneath the nose of Ju 88s and 188s was omitted, improving the aerodynamics
.
The aircraft was to be delivered using the same naming as the three original Ju 188 experimental versions: the J, K, and L. The J model was a fighter
with two 30 mm (1.18 in)
MK 103 cannon
s and two 20 mm
MG 151/20 cannon
s in a solid nose for use as a daytime bomber destroyer
. For use as a night fighter
, the MK 103s were replaced by the smaller and lighter 30 mm MK 108
s, while a second pair of dorsal-mount, upward firing MK 108s were added in a Schräge Musik
installation behind the cockpit. The K model was a pure bomber
, with a pannier
under the plane increasing the size of the bomb bay
. The L photo-reconnaissance
model put its camera
s in the pannier along with additional fuel tank
s for long-range
missions.
Three sub-models of each variant were planned, different only in the engine
installation. The -1 would mount the BMW 801J
, a turbocharged
version of the basic BMW 801 air cooled radial
, each engine installed as a unitized Triebswerkanlage engine installation format. The -2 would use the 1,864 kW (2,500 hp) Jumo 222A/B (the B engine model rotated in the opposite direction of the A model, but was otherwise identical), or the 222E/F versions with an improved two-speed supercharger
. The -3 would mount the Junkers Jumo 213E
liquid cooled inverted V12
, which included a supercharger similar to the 222E/F's. Since the 24-cylinder Jumo 222 engine was destined never to emerge beyond development and testing with just under 300 units ever built, the only powerplants actually used for the Ju 388 would be the BMW radial and Jumo V12. The Triebswerkanlage designation for the unitized turbocharged BMW 801J radials, meant to be designated with a "T" after the RLM engine type number of "801", led to them being misdesignated as "BMW 801TJ" engines for years in post-war WW II aviation history reference books.
With the BMW 801J or Jumo 213E, the fighter versions flew at 616 km/h (383 mph) when equipped as a destroyer, losing about 25 km/h (16 mph) to radar
and Schräge Musik when equipped as night fighters. This was similar in speed to existing Luftwaffe night fighters, but the Ju 388 maintained this speed at much higher altitudes. With the Jumo 222 engine, the aircraft was estimated to be capable of reaching around 700 km/h (435 mph), again losing about 25 km/h (16 mph) in night fighter versions. The bomber versions flew at roughly the same speeds depending on bombload, while the reconnaissance versions would have been about 25 km/h (16 mph) faster.
The first prototype
, Ju 388 L-0/V7, mainly built from Ju 188 series production components, made its first flight on December 22, 1943. It demonstrated much better handling at altitude than the Ju 88S due to an increase in tail
surface area, as the Ju 88S still used the original Ju 88A vertical tail surface design. This was followed by six new prototypes. It was some time before deliveries of the production models started due to engine delivery delays. By the time the engines were widely available, it was clear that B-29 bombers were being sent to the Pacific
and would not be operating over Germany anytime soon. German photo-reconnaissance efforts had practically disappeared due to the increased performance of the Allied
defenses, so production mostly concentrated on the L model.
Deliveries started in August 1944 but few Ju 388s were completed. About 47 L models seem to have been built, the majority as -1s with the BMW 801J engine, and just three -3s with the Jumo 213E. Fifteen K-1s were built; and only three J-1 models were produced.
s before completion. Furthermore, several official records terminate before the end of production or contradict each other.
Based on available documentation and research the following can be assumed as proven:
More aircraft and prototypes were planned and partially completed:
Also, an unknown number of Ju 388 L-1 and Ju 388 J were in advanced stages of production by the end of the war.
Arado Ar 234
at the same time period.
In early 1945, a Ju 388 was intercepted while flying at approximately 13,500 m (44,291 ft) over the English Channel
by a Supermarine Spitfire
. The Spitfire, operating above its service ceiling, was not able to reach the altitude of the Ju 388 but was able to fire upon it from below and bring it down. It is believed that this was the highest altitude shoot-down of World War II.
Four Ju 388 night fighters were deployed for evaluation in NJG 2
in 1945. It is not known if they gained any victories.
Ju 388K
Ju 388L
Ju 388M
'145'
Nazi Germany
Empire of Japan
In August 1944, a Japanese delegation led by military attaché Brigadier General
Otani expressed interest in a license production of the Ju 388. Complete drawing sets for the Ju 388 were handed over to the Japanese as well as the rights for a license production. Most likely, the planned delivery of all these documents to Japan via submarine failed.
Others however claim there is evidence for the transfer of Ju 388 and Ju 390
manufacturing blueprint
s having reached Japan, and the following is their case:
ULTRA
decrypts of signals to and from the Japanese embassy in Berlin in August 1944 reveal that Otani (named 'Kotani' in the signals) was seeking return passage by U-boat
in August 1944, but was told others had greater priority for places on U-boats. After 23 August 1944 and the departure of U-219, no other U-boat successfully departed for Japan. U-871 and U-864 were sunk outbound. U-234 sailed with a 240 ton cargo
. Due to a collision with another U-boat in the Ketgatt, she put in to Norway for repair.
When U-234 was later unloaded by the U.S. Navy at Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, her manifest detailed only 170 tons of cargo. Radio operator Wolfgang Hirschfeld wrote a book Atlantik Farewell: Das Letzte U-boot in which he said the highest priority cargo needed to be unloaded and flown to Japan. He said that there was a proposal to use a Fw 200 Condor
, but this aircraft was abandoned. Russian historian
Sergey Platov claims Otani was on a Ju 390 flight to Japan which occurred 28 March 1945. Other historians also assert that Otani was not found in Europe at the end of the war.
One Ju 388 survives today. The Ju 388L-1 with construction number (Werknummer) 560049 was the eighth of the series manufactured at Weser Flugzeugbau's Nordenham plant. Parts of the airframe were also built at ATG in Altenburg
and at Niedersächsische Metallwerke Brinckmann & Mergell in Hamburg-Harburg. The aircraft was completed early in 1945. It was captured by U.S. troops in May 1945 at the Junkers plant in Merseburg
, then flown to Kassel
/Waldau.
The aircraft was examined and test flown by "Watson's Whizzers", led by United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) Colonel
Harold E. Watson, as part of Operation Lusty
and it is believed that Watson himself flew in the aircraft in preparation for flying it directly back to the U.S. Instead, on 17 June 1945 the aircraft was flown to Cherbourg
, France
where it was shipped to the United States aboard the Royal Navy
escort carrier together with other captured German aircraft for detailed evaluation in the U.S.
The aircraft was flown to Freeman Field in Indiana
for evaluation, and in September 1945 made a flight demonstration for the press. The Ju 388 was flown for 10 hours of flight tests at Wright Field
near Dayton, Ohio
with the "foreign evaluation" registration FE-4010 (later changed to T2-4010). Following these tests the aircraft was displayed at the Dayton Air Show in 1946 along with other captured German aircraft.
On 26 September 1946, Ju 388 Werk-Nr. 560049 was transferred to Orchard Place Airport in Park Ridge, Illinois
, near the present O'Hare International Airport
. This temporary storage facility was a vacant U.S. Government
-owned factory previously used by the Chrysler
Corporation to build the Douglas
C-54. Ju 388 Werk-Nr. 560049 was donated to the Smithsonian Institution
's National Air Museum on 3 January 1949. The aircraft arrived at Silver Hill, Maryland
for storage in November 1954.
Today the aircraft is disassembled and remains in generally good condition, having never been stored outside. The cockpit area is in particularly good condition and complete with all instruments. Ju 388L-1 Werk-Nr. 560049 is just one of several unique German aircraft still awaiting restoration at the National Air and Space Museum
's Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility
in Suitland, Maryland
.
Junkers
Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG , more commonly Junkers, was a major German aircraft manufacturer. It produced some of the world's most innovative and best-known airplanes over the course of its fifty-plus year history in Dessau, Germany. It was founded there in 1895 by Hugo Junkers,...
Ju 388 Störtebeker
Klaus Störtebeker
Nikolaus Storzenbecher, or Klaus Störtebeker , was a leader and the best known representative of a companionship of privateers known as the Victual Brothers...
was a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German Luftwaffe multi-role aircraft
Multirole combat aircraft
A multirole combat aircraft is an aircraft designed to act in at least two different roles in combat. The primary role is usually a fighter—hence, it is as often called a multirole fighter—while the secondary role is usually air-to-surface attack. More roles are added, such as air reconnaissance,...
based on the Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
airframe
Airframe
The airframe of an aircraft is its mechanical structure. It is typically considered to include fuselage, wings and undercarriage and exclude the propulsion system...
by way of the Ju 188
Junkers Ju 188
The Junkers Ju 188 was a German Luftwaffe high-performance medium bomber built during World War II, the planned follow-on to the famed Ju 88 with better performance and payload...
. It differed from its predecessors in being intended for high altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
operation, with design features such as a pressurized
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is the pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers when flying at altitude.-Need for cabin pressurization:...
cockpit for its crew
Aircrew
Aircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
. The Ju 388 was introduced very late in the war, and production problems along with the deteriorating war conditions meant that few were built.
Background
The Reich Air Ministry (RLM) first learned of the AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
in late 1942, possibly from the sighting of a YB-29 nicknamed the "Hobo Queen" at RAF Bovingdon
RAF Bovingdon
RAF Bovingdon was a Royal Air Force station, located to the west of Bovingdon, two and a half miles south of Hemel Hempstead and two and a half miles south east of Berkhamsted, in Hertfordshire, UK....
, which had made a headline photo appearance in a news article in the Völkischer Beobachter
Völkischer Beobachter
The Völkischer Beobachter was the newspaper of the National Socialist German Workers' Party from 1920. It first appeared weekly, then daily from February 8, 1923...
newspaper. The performance estimates of this aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
were cause for great concern in the Luftwaffe. The B-29 had a maximum speed
Airspeed
Airspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
of around 560 km/h (348 mph), and would attack in a cruise at about 360 km/h (224 mph) at 8,000-10,000 m (26,247-32,810 ft), an altitude where no current Luftwaffe aircraft was effective.
To counter the B-29, the Luftwaffe would need new day fighter
Day fighter
A day fighter is a fighter aircraft equipped only to fight during the day. More specifically, it refers to a multi-purpose aircraft that does not include equipment for fighting at night , although it is sometimes used to refer to some interceptors as well.Examples of planes that were classified as...
s and bomber destroyer
Bomber destroyer
Historically, several aircraft were designated bomber destroyers prior and during the Second World War. They were interceptor aircraft dedicated to destroy enemy bomber aircraft with exceptionally powerful armament...
s. The fighter chosen was the Focke-Wulf Ta 152
Focke-Wulf Ta 152
The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 was a World War II German high-altitude fighter-interceptor designed by Kurt Tank and produced by Focke-Wulf. The Ta 152 was a development of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft...
H. This was based on the Fw 190D
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
with longer wings and the new high-altitude "E" model of the Junkers Jumo 213
Junkers Jumo 213
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:*...
engine. An alternative was the Messerschmitt Me 155B, a long-wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
ed development of the Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
which had already undergone several stages of design and would ultimately be built in prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
form by Blohm & Voss
Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a...
.
For the bomber destroyer and night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
roles, the Ta 154
Focke-Wulf Ta 154
|-See also:-External links:*...
and Heinkel He 219
Heinkel He 219
The Heinkel He 219 Uhu was a night fighter that served with the German Luftwaffe in the later stages of World War II. A relatively sophisticated design, the He 219 possessed a variety of innovations, including an advanced VHF-band intercept radar...
had the performance needed to catch the bomber; but each of those designs only gained that performance by mounting short wings which were inadequate for flight at high altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
. The Junkers Ju 88 had already been modified for high-altitude use as the S and T models, but these did not have the performance needed. Similar high-altitude modifications to the Ju 188
Junkers Ju 188
The Junkers Ju 188 was a German Luftwaffe high-performance medium bomber built during World War II, the planned follow-on to the famed Ju 88 with better performance and payload...
were being looked at as the projected Ju 188J, K and L models, which included a now nearly-standard "stepless" pressurized
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is the pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers when flying at altitude.-Need for cabin pressurization:...
cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
that fully enclosed the entire nose, and wing and elevator
Elevator (aircraft)
Elevators are flight control surfaces, usually at the rear of an aircraft, which control the aircraft's orientation by changing the pitch of the aircraft, and so also the angle of attack of the wing. In simplified terms, they make the aircraft nose-up or nose-down...
deicing equipment for extended flights at very high altitude. These were selected for development, and re-named Ju 388.
Development
In order to improve performance, the Ju 388 was stripped of almost all defensive armament. Whereas the Ju 88 included a number of hand-swung guns in ports all over the cockpit area, on the Ju 388 they were replaced by a single remote-control turret in the tail containing two 13 mm (.51 in)13 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the caliber range and greater.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge.*Bullet refers to the diameter of the bullet....
MG 131 machine gun
MG 131 machine gun
The MG 131 was a German 13 mm caliber machine gun developed in 1938 by Rheinmetall-Borsig and produced from 1940 to 1945...
s, aimed via a periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
in the cockpit. The turret had an excellent field of fire and could shoot directly to the rear, so the gunner's Bola streamlined casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
-style ventral defensive armament emplacement beneath the nose of Ju 88s and 188s was omitted, improving the aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
.
The aircraft was to be delivered using the same naming as the three original Ju 188 experimental versions: the J, K, and L. The J model was a fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
with two 30 mm (1.18 in)
30 mm caliber
30 mm caliber ammunition is usually used in autocannon. Such ammunition includes NATO standard 30 × 173 mm and 30 × 113 mm and Soviet 30 × 165 mm ammunition widely used around the world....
MK 103 cannon
MK 103 cannon
The Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 103 was a German 30 mm caliber autocannon that was mounted in German combat aircraft during World War II. Intended to be a dual purpose weapon for anti-tank and air-to-air fighting, it was a development of the heavy MK 101. Compared to the MK 101, it was lighter,...
s and two 20 mm
20 mm caliber
The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
MG 151/20 cannon
MG 151 cannon
The MG 151 was a 15 mm autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser starting in 1940. It was in 1941 developed into the 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon which was widely used on many types of German Luftwaffe fighters, fighter bombers, night fighters, ground attack and even bombers as part of or as...
s in a solid nose for use as a daytime bomber destroyer
Bomber destroyer
Historically, several aircraft were designated bomber destroyers prior and during the Second World War. They were interceptor aircraft dedicated to destroy enemy bomber aircraft with exceptionally powerful armament...
. For use as a night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
, the MK 103s were replaced by the smaller and lighter 30 mm MK 108
MK 108 cannon
The MK 108 was a 30 mm caliber autocannon manufactured in Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use in aircraft.-Development:...
s, while a second pair of dorsal-mount, upward firing MK 108s were added in a Schräge Musik
Schräge Musik
Schräge Musik, derived from the German colloquialism for "Jazz Music" was the name given to installations of upward-firing autocannon mounted in night fighters by the Luftwaffe and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during World War II, with the first victories for each occurring in May 1943...
installation behind the cockpit. The K model was a pure bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
, with a pannier
Pannier
A pannier is a basket, bag, box, or similar container, carried in pairs either slung over the back of a beast of burden, or attached to the sides of a bicycle or motorcycle. The term derives from the Old French, from Classical Latin, word for bread basket....
under the plane increasing the size of the bomb bay
Bomb bay
The bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and the bombs are dropped when over the target or at a specified launching point.Large-sized...
. The L photo-reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance that is conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. Their roles are to collect imagery intelligence, signals intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence...
model put its camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s in the pannier along with additional fuel tank
Fuel tank
A fuel tank is safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine...
s for long-range
Range (aircraft)
The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft, or cross-country speed and environmental conditions in unpowered aircraft....
missions.
Three sub-models of each variant were planned, different only in the engine
Reciprocating engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types...
installation. The -1 would mount the BMW 801J
BMW 801
The BMW 801 was a powerful German air-cooled radial aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II. The engine's cylinders were in two rows of seven cylinders each, the bore and stroke were both 156 mm , giving a total capacity of 41.8 litres...
, a turbocharged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
version of the basic BMW 801 air cooled radial
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
, each engine installed as a unitized Triebswerkanlage engine installation format. The -2 would use the 1,864 kW (2,500 hp) Jumo 222A/B (the B engine model rotated in the opposite direction of the A model, but was otherwise identical), or the 222E/F versions with an improved two-speed supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
. The -3 would mount the Junkers Jumo 213E
Junkers Jumo 213
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:*...
liquid cooled inverted V12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, which included a supercharger similar to the 222E/F's. Since the 24-cylinder Jumo 222 engine was destined never to emerge beyond development and testing with just under 300 units ever built, the only powerplants actually used for the Ju 388 would be the BMW radial and Jumo V12. The Triebswerkanlage designation for the unitized turbocharged BMW 801J radials, meant to be designated with a "T" after the RLM engine type number of "801", led to them being misdesignated as "BMW 801TJ" engines for years in post-war WW II aviation history reference books.
With the BMW 801J or Jumo 213E, the fighter versions flew at 616 km/h (383 mph) when equipped as a destroyer, losing about 25 km/h (16 mph) to radar
Radar in World War II
Both the Allies and Axis powers used radar in World War II, and many important aspects of this conflict were greatly influenced by this revolutionarily new technology....
and Schräge Musik when equipped as night fighters. This was similar in speed to existing Luftwaffe night fighters, but the Ju 388 maintained this speed at much higher altitudes. With the Jumo 222 engine, the aircraft was estimated to be capable of reaching around 700 km/h (435 mph), again losing about 25 km/h (16 mph) in night fighter versions. The bomber versions flew at roughly the same speeds depending on bombload, while the reconnaissance versions would have been about 25 km/h (16 mph) faster.
The first prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, Ju 388 L-0/V7, mainly built from Ju 188 series production components, made its first flight on December 22, 1943. It demonstrated much better handling at altitude than the Ju 88S due to an increase in tail
Empennage
The empennage , also known as the tail or tail assembly, of most aircraft gives stability to the aircraft, in a similar way to the feathers on an arrow...
surface area, as the Ju 88S still used the original Ju 88A vertical tail surface design. This was followed by six new prototypes. It was some time before deliveries of the production models started due to engine delivery delays. By the time the engines were widely available, it was clear that B-29 bombers were being sent to the Pacific
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
and would not be operating over Germany anytime soon. German photo-reconnaissance efforts had practically disappeared due to the increased performance of the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
defenses, so production mostly concentrated on the L model.
Deliveries started in August 1944 but few Ju 388s were completed. About 47 L models seem to have been built, the majority as -1s with the BMW 801J engine, and just three -3s with the Jumo 213E. Fifteen K-1s were built; and only three J-1 models were produced.
Production
The exact number of Ju 388s built is difficult to determine. One of the reasons is that various pre-series aircraft were used as prototypes, and some were damaged or destroyed by Allied bombAerial bomb
An aerial bomb is a type of explosive weapon intended to travel through the air with predictable trajectories, usually designed to be dropped from an aircraft...
s before completion. Furthermore, several official records terminate before the end of production or contradict each other.
Based on available documentation and research the following can be assumed as proven:
- 6 Ju 388 prototypes, 2 each for J-1, K-1 and L-1
- 20 Ju 388 L-0, including prototypes V7, V8, V30 - V34
- 10 Ju 388 K-0, first batch, including Ju 488 V401/V402 (never flown)
- 1 Ju 388 K-1 manufactured by ATG for static tests in July 1944
- 46 Ju 388 L-1 manufactured by ATG in 1944
- 8+ Ju 388 L-1 manufactured by ATG in 1945
- 10 Ju 388 L-1 (max.) manufactured by Weserflug (WFG), initially planned as K-1
More aircraft and prototypes were planned and partially completed:
- 10 Ju 388 K-0, second batch, some prototypes, partially completed
- 30 Ju 388 K-0, third batch, planned, only few units completed
Also, an unknown number of Ju 388 L-1 and Ju 388 J were in advanced stages of production by the end of the war.
Operational history
Several reconnaissance missions were flown by operational Ju 388s, generally believed to be "L" models, during the final days of the war in Europe. Most were flights over England, and were similar to the reconnaissance missions being flown by the jet-poweredJet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
Arado Ar 234
Arado Ar 234
The Arado Ar 234 was the world's first operational jet-powered bomber, built by the German Arado company in the closing stages of World War II. Produced in very limited numbers, it was used almost entirely in the reconnaissance role, but in its few uses as a bomber it proved to be nearly impossible...
at the same time period.
In early 1945, a Ju 388 was intercepted while flying at approximately 13,500 m (44,291 ft) over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
by a Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. The Spitfire, operating above its service ceiling, was not able to reach the altitude of the Ju 388 but was able to fire upon it from below and bring it down. It is believed that this was the highest altitude shoot-down of World War II.
Four Ju 388 night fighters were deployed for evaluation in NJG 2
Nachtjagdgeschwader 2
Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 was a German Luftwaffe night fighter-wing of World War II. NJG 2 was formed on 1 September 1940 in Gilze en Rijen from II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 . Stab I./NJG 2 was formed from Stab II./NJG 1,while 1./NJG 2 was formed from 4./NJG1 equipped with the Junkers Ju 88C-1...
in 1945. It is not known if they gained any victories.
Variants
Ju 388J- Heavy fighter / night fighter.
Ju 388K
- High-altitude bomber.
Ju 388L
- Photo-reconnaissance aircraft.
Ju 388M
- Proposed torpedo bomberTorpedo bomberA torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
based on the Ju 388K.
'145'
- A single Ju 388L extensively modified with irreversible electromechanical powered flying controls to support the '150' in the USSRSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Operators
Nazi Germany
- Luftwaffe
- Erprobungsstelle Rechlin
- Erprobungsstelle Werneuchen
- Erprobungskommando Ju 388
- 3./Versuchsverband O.K.L. operated Ju 388 V32, W.Nr 300 295, T9+DL.
- Nachtjagdgeschwader 2Nachtjagdgeschwader 2Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 was a German Luftwaffe night fighter-wing of World War II. NJG 2 was formed on 1 September 1940 in Gilze en Rijen from II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 . Stab I./NJG 2 was formed from Stab II./NJG 1,while 1./NJG 2 was formed from 4./NJG1 equipped with the Junkers Ju 88C-1...
operated less than six Ju 388J nachtjager in April/May 1945
Empire of JapanIn August 1944, a Japanese delegation led by military attaché Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Otani expressed interest in a license production of the Ju 388. Complete drawing sets for the Ju 388 were handed over to the Japanese as well as the rights for a license production. Most likely, the planned delivery of all these documents to Japan via submarine failed.
Others however claim there is evidence for the transfer of Ju 388 and Ju 390
Junkers Ju 390
The Junkers Ju 390 was a German aircraft intended to be used as a heavy transport, maritime patrol aircraft, and long-range bomber, a long-range derivative of the Ju 290...
manufacturing blueprint
Blueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
s having reached Japan, and the following is their case:
ULTRA
Ultra
Ultra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
decrypts of signals to and from the Japanese embassy in Berlin in August 1944 reveal that Otani (named 'Kotani' in the signals) was seeking return passage by U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
in August 1944, but was told others had greater priority for places on U-boats. After 23 August 1944 and the departure of U-219, no other U-boat successfully departed for Japan. U-871 and U-864 were sunk outbound. U-234 sailed with a 240 ton cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
. Due to a collision with another U-boat in the Ketgatt, she put in to Norway for repair.
When U-234 was later unloaded by the U.S. Navy at Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, her manifest detailed only 170 tons of cargo. Radio operator Wolfgang Hirschfeld wrote a book Atlantik Farewell: Das Letzte U-boot in which he said the highest priority cargo needed to be unloaded and flown to Japan. He said that there was a proposal to use a Fw 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
, but this aircraft was abandoned. Russian historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Sergey Platov claims Otani was on a Ju 390 flight to Japan which occurred 28 March 1945. Other historians also assert that Otani was not found in Europe at the end of the war.
Survivors
Altenburg
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:...
and at Niedersächsische Metallwerke Brinckmann & Mergell in Hamburg-Harburg. The aircraft was completed early in 1945. It was captured by U.S. troops in May 1945 at the Junkers plant in Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
, then flown to Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
/Waldau.
The aircraft was examined and test flown by "Watson's Whizzers", led by United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Harold E. Watson, as part of Operation Lusty
Operation Lusty
Operation LUSTY was the United States Army Air Forces effort to capture and evaluate German aeronautical technology during and after World War II.- Overview :During World War II, the U.S...
and it is believed that Watson himself flew in the aircraft in preparation for flying it directly back to the U.S. Instead, on 17 June 1945 the aircraft was flown to Cherbourg
Cherbourg-Octeville
-Main sights:* La Glacerie has a race track.* The Cité de la Mer is a large museum devoted to scientific and historical aspects of maritime subjects.* Cherbourg Basilica* Jardin botanique de la Roche Fauconnière, a private botanical garden.* Le Trident theatre...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where it was shipped to the United States aboard the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
escort carrier together with other captured German aircraft for detailed evaluation in the U.S.
The aircraft was flown to Freeman Field in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
for evaluation, and in September 1945 made a flight demonstration for the press. The Ju 388 was flown for 10 hours of flight tests at Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
near Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
with the "foreign evaluation" registration FE-4010 (later changed to T2-4010). Following these tests the aircraft was displayed at the Dayton Air Show in 1946 along with other captured German aircraft.
On 26 September 1946, Ju 388 Werk-Nr. 560049 was transferred to Orchard Place Airport in Park Ridge, Illinois
Park Ridge, Illinois
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...
, near the present O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
. This temporary storage facility was a vacant U.S. Government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
-owned factory previously used by the Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
Corporation to build the Douglas
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
C-54. Ju 388 Werk-Nr. 560049 was donated to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's National Air Museum on 3 January 1949. The aircraft arrived at Silver Hill, Maryland
Suitland-Silver Hill, Maryland
Suitland-Silver Hill is a census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The census area include separate unincorporated communities of Silver Hill and Suitland, and other smaller communities. The population was 33,515 at the 2000 census...
for storage in November 1954.
Today the aircraft is disassembled and remains in generally good condition, having never been stored outside. The cockpit area is in particularly good condition and complete with all instruments. Ju 388L-1 Werk-Nr. 560049 is just one of several unique German aircraft still awaiting restoration at the National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
's Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility
Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility
The Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility is located in Suitland, Maryland, USA. The facility, also nicknamed "Silver Hill", is where the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum restores aircraft, spacecraft, and other artifacts.It is named in honor of...
in Suitland, Maryland
Suitland-Silver Hill, Maryland
Suitland-Silver Hill is a census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The census area include separate unincorporated communities of Silver Hill and Suitland, and other smaller communities. The population was 33,515 at the 2000 census...
.