Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe Giants

[christerd]

It sounds almost like a US Baseboll team But what I mean is my favorite airplanes from WW2

The ME 321 and M 323 , the ME 321 was the first to be built a gigantic glider , meant to be a part of an invasion of England but operation Sealion never was and this enormous glider built in only about 200 ex was to slow and needed a equal gigantic airplane to get in the air .....

The technicians worked on and build the ME 323 with six ! engines , this was to just built in approx 200 ex and although it could get airborne by itself it was totally defenseless against enemy fighters.

I have in my collection now 4 pics of these planes and are always looking for more .

Here is my small collection of the Large airplane.

First out is my newest photo , of an ME 321 Glider , looks like number 9H but nothing written on the back.

Second one is another ME 321 , photo taken in Russia 1941 .

Third photo is a ME 323 , photo taken in Italy , probably flying materiel to Rommels Africa Corps

Enjoy Christer

Edited December 8, 2012 by christerd

[christerd]

And last photo so far

A ME 323 being loaded with a PAK 40 ? most probably in Italy but no writing on the back.

Does anyone else have photos of this fantastic plane so please share

Christer

[christerd]

Not easy to find photos of these Gigantic Aircraft , but here is another one !

Taken somewhere in Russia ,

Christer

[Laurence Strong]

Sweet pictures

Thanks for sharing

Larry

[Bilco]

Hi Christer,

I remember reading an article in the RAFA magazine AirMail some years ago about a flight of the Me323 which was trying to fly badly needed supplies from Sicily to the Afrika Corps, when they were intercepted by Beaufighters out of Malta, with the inevitable consequences!

There are some photos here http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=me+323+photos&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=14JpUd6LC-G_0QWsg4HYBw&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1358&bih=549 and there seem to be several books that deal with the Me 321 and 323.

I met an ex-Luftwaffe pilot, who had flown the Me323 in Russia, when I was stationed in Germany in the late 1980s. My German was very basic, so our conversation through his son was rather mundane. He had been captured by the Russians and not released until the early 1950s. He said that his Russian was excellent, but his English non-existant!

Bill

Edited April 13, 2013 by Bilco

[christerd]

Thanks Larry and Bill , fantastic to have met one of the few surviving pilots !

I think it must have been close to suicide to fly one of these in 1943/44

I have found a couple of more photos to my small collection , hope you enjoy

First out a pic taken from behind a ME 323 , it could be anywhere , dosn´t look like winter ? My guess Italy late 1942 while supporting Rommels Africa Corps ...

Next one is just great ! A Lorry being loaded inside a Me 323 , the men seems not to be wearing winter clothes so I also put my money on Italy maybe Sept/Oct 1942 ...

Third one is a little mystery , I really don´t know what they have been loading, the have more clothes and it looks cold. Could it be some sort of half track ? Or maybe just a field kitchen

But the pic really shows how big the Me 323 really was .

[Bilco]

Hi Christer,

I've just come across this thread in another forum, which deals with fighting in Corsica - http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&p=1491508

About a quarter of the way down - the posts aren't numbered - there are a couple of shots of Me323 being shot down by USAAF Marauder aircraft near Corsica - not Beaufighters near Malta, as I thought! One shot has appeared many times but the other is not so well known..

Best wishes,

Bill

Edited May 13, 2013 by Bilco