CHAPTER ONE
The lack of planes was so serious that the Luftwaffe included aircraft of foreign origin in its ranks even before the Second World War. The first such machines were Italian ones employed by the Austrian Airforce. On 13 March 1938, Adolf Hitler announced the reattachment of his native Austria to Germany. This ‘Anschluss’ was approved by the majority of Austrians and, at the same time the Führer made his entry into Vienna, the Austrian Army was absorbed by the Wehrmacht. Austria, ruined by the mad destruction of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after the Great War, had no opportunity to launch local plane production and most of its military planes came from Italy. Their Fiat fighters were not of good quality (the best one being the Fiat CR.32) and, after a short presence in fighter units (presumably in JG 76 – the future JG 54 – a Geschwader composed of some ex-Austrian military flyers), they were replaced by Bf 109s and transferred to air schools. This handful of Austrian planes were probably used until 1941 when lack of parts forced them to be grounded (scrapped).
On 14 March 1938, the Schwechat (Vienna) Fighter Group paid a visit to its German counterpart, JG 132, based at Döberitz (Berlin). As the Anschluss occurred a day only before, the Fiat CR.32s of the unit were immediately seized and repainted in the Luftwaffe colours.
German and ex-Austrian pilots in front of CR.32s. This photo was probably of JG 76.
Fiat CR.32 No. 169 with German markings: a thin fuselage black cross and the swastika on a white circle with red background on the tail.
This Fiat CR.20, too obsolete to be included in the Luftwaffe, is used as a gate guardian in a German Airforce barracks.
The same CR.20 photographed from the rear.
Many future flyers wanted to be photographed in front of the first plane they saw in their time as a recruit.
Although Austria did not help to reinforce the Wehrmacht a great deal, the capture of Czechoslovakia must have been considered an ‘El Dorado’ by the German military leaders. Indeed, this country produced not only very good tanks and guns (e.g. in the well-known Skoda fabric) but modern planes as well, mostly in the Avia industry. To equip the powerful Czechoslovakian Airforce, foreign planes were also produced under licence: the French Bloch 200 bomber and the Soviet Tupolev SB-2 (under designation Avia B-71). From the period beginning 30 September 1939 (Munich Agreement) and ending a few days after 15 March 1939 (Hitler’s entry in Prague and dissolution of the Czechoslovak Republic), the Luftwaffe began to include in its ranks an appreciable number of French, Soviet and Czechoslovakian planes. The fate of these planes was very different:
· Bloch 200: already obsolete, though the twin engine will nevertheless have helped the Germans by being used as a hack machine (mainly for transport). A few will be sent to Flugschulen (flight schools) to train future bomber crews.
On a Czech airfield. Two Bloch 200s (locally built under licence) as they were found by German troops.
An ex-Czech Bloch 200 (coded ??+TC).
Bloch BH+BPs used in the Second World War.
These German officers were probably transported by the Bloch 200 in the background.
· Avia B-71: usually liked by its new crews, this more modern bomber was mainly assigned to Luftdienst units, tiny detachments attached to airfields. These planes were used as liaison planes or to tow drogues to train Flak gunners. Many of these valuable planes were also employed in school units.
The triangle on the nose of this Avia B-71 indicates that the twin engine was one used in a Luftdienstkommando.
Good view of the glazed nose of this Avia B-71, photographed on a German airfield in 1939.
German ground crews pose in front of an Avia B-71 used in a second line unit.
An Avia B-71 R(?)G+BQ warms its engines at Mannheim airfield. Notice the large swastika on the fin.
· Avia B-534: this pleasant one-seater fighter was admired and praised by the new owners. As it was captured in numbers (probably more than 300 B-534 fighters of all types – including Bk 534), they were largely used in the German Airforce, a training centre for this type of fighter having to be created at Herzogenaurach airfield for the dispatching of the planes. But the Lutftwaffe did not acquire all the fighters as some of them had to be given to the airforce of Germany’s new ally: the independent Slovak state. As the B-534 was a modern plane, they tried to include it in frontline units.
A mixed batch of Czechoslovak planes captured in 1938: Bloch, Letov and, in the middle, an Avia B-534 protected by a tarpaulin.
Strangely, this Avia B-534, which seems to have recently fallen into German hands (see the Ju 52 in background) has maintained its Czech fuselage code, H4 (of 4th Air Regiment), although a swastika is already painted on its fin.
Formation of Avia B-534s at Herzogenaurach. A dispatch centre for that type of machine was created here.
Herzogenaurach. An Avia B-534 is pushed by mechanics to its take-off position.
On September 1939, a Staffel (squadron) of II./Trägergruppe 186 received a few B-534s. A few of them were equipped with arrester-hooks and structurally strengthened for testing on the future aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. The experiment would last only a few weeks, until the captured planes were replaced by Bf 109s and pressed into school units. Another Staffel, 3./JG 70, was also temporarily equipped with Avias. The sole B-534s remaining in German frontline units were planes transferred into LLG 1 and LLG 2, the glider combat wings. The Czech machines were employed
This B-534 photographed at Cuxhaven was probably one of the planes temporarily assigned to II./Tr.Gr. 186. Notice the swastika painted partly on the fin.
The views of the same machine: B-534 SE+Cj. These camouflage/markings were typical of the Greman flying schools.
Avia B-534 No. 174 wears a production number on the fin.
The Avia B-534 wears the insignia of the FFS A/B 4 flying school: a funnel (the famed ‘Trichter’ of Nuremberg) on a diagonally strip red and white shield. The school was transferred from Nuremberg to Oppeln, on the soil of ex- Czechoslovakia.
The RC+FS with modified canopy.
(alongside many other planes such as Ju 87s, Hs 126s, etc) to tow DFS 230s. In 1940 a handful of planes were temporarily painted in Polish markings to play the role of PZL fighters in the Carl Ritter picture Kampfgeschwader Lützow.
This B-534 No. 6 may have been plane No. 228, later fifty per cent destroyed in an incident at Langendiebach while serving in Erg.Gr. (S) 1.
Refuelling of B-534s on a German airfield.
Many ex-Czechoslovak planes had to be given to Germany’s new Slovak ally. Here B-534s of that Airforce in USSR in 1941.
To ferry captured Czech planes to Germany, all available pilots were required. Here, Walter Roell (a future ace of the Stuka wing) is seen before taking off with a Letov S-328. Notice the strange markings.
· Letov S-328: this versatile two-seater fighter/bomber was already obsolete in 1939. It was nevertheless a tough machine and, as it fell in numbers (probably more than 200) into German hands, they could not be simply destroyed. It was discovered after a few months that the S-328 was a good plane well appreciated by the German pupils who trained on it. As with the B-534, some samples were given to the new Slovak Airforce. The majority of the captured planes remained near the ex-Czechoslovakian territory on the airfields of Pardubice, Gutenfeld, Pilzen, etc, where flying schools were established. As with the Avia B-71, the S-328 was employed in some Luftdienstkommandos (No. 7, 13 and 17) as liaison planes or to tow drogues for the Flak gunners. S-328s also operated alongside the Avia B-534 in LLG 1, as it was able to tow DFS 230 gliders. A few may have been engaged in Storstaffel, those units operating by night to harass Soviet troops. However, whether they were engaged in this role remains uncertain.
A line of captured Letov S-328s freshly repainted in German markings.
Some Letovs came in special aerial units, as seen here in a NSDAP school raised for party members wishing to be trained as pilots.
Letov S-328 CD+DE of the Nuremberg/Oppeln school.
A good view of the ‘Nüremberger Trichter’ on the S-328. The size of the plane is worth noting.
A German S-328 in flight.
Crash of an S-328 on Mannheim airfield. Apparently, its pilot does not seem to have been traumatized by the experience.
As for many other Czech planes, the Germans, lacking suitable machines in the flying schools, assigned all that could be found to the Flugschulen, as with some Type Es. They were not appreciated, being too old. Other Czech planes could enter liaison units and, as with the ex-Austrian Fiat CR.32, were used until lack of parts forced their grounding.
To partially counter the lack of training planes, obsolete Czech planes were transferred into German flying schools. This Praga E-39 was disliked by pupils for having no brakes.
For the German Luftwaffe, the captured Czechoslovak planes were crucial. Even if front units did not benefit from those planes, liaison and school units were largely reequipped with Letovs and Avias.
This Czech Praga E-241 flew at Bönninghardt flying school.
This Benes Mraz 51 coded GA+AB was based at Prostejow, an ex-Czech airfield.
Another Benes Mraz 51 used as a liaison plane.
