The Aerospace History Blog - Page 07
Post 040
Cocktail party at the “High House” at Berlin-Gatow, October 25, 1986:
From left, Group Captain M. Arnold (Commander of Berlin-Gatow airport), Air-Marshal David Parry-Evans
(Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany), Adolf Galland (former Commander-in-Chief of Luftwaffe fighter force)
Remembering a meeting with General
Adolf Galland
At the end of October 1986 Air Marshal David Parry-Evans
(Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany) invited to a cocktail party in
Berlin-Gatow. Royal Air Force pilots stationed in Berlin and former
Luftwaffe fighter pilots were invited. The place was the former
residence of the general of the Luftwaffe fighter force, General Adolf
Galland, who was also invited. Somehow the British thought I should
be there. On this memorable evening I learned a lot about the aerial
warfare that cannot be read in any book.
Adolf Galland, a quiet, modest gentleman, was always besieged. The
British were particularly interested in his experiences during the Battle
of Britain. Galland explained his conversations with the two captured
British flying aces, Stanford Tuck and Douglas Bader. He still has the
greatest respect for the latter, who, with two amputated lower legs,
became a British dance champion and one of the best RAF fighter
pilots. The Luftwaffe had absolutely no reservations about sending a
courier plane to England who asked in a dropped message for two
new prostheses for Bader, which had been lost in his crash. These
were then dropped from a plane over France.
Posted by Uwe W. Jack
I managed to talk to Galland alone for a few minutes. I asked him
about his flights with the Me 262 at the Jagdverband JV 44. Galland
immediately waved it off, he had answered questions from an
American author (Robert Forsyth) for two years and this will lead to a
book in which all his knowledge about the JV 44 is summarized. So,
another topic! What an aspect of the air war from 1939 to 1945 he
considered to be very important, but is still unnoticed to this day?
Now he looked deep into my eyes and was silent for almost a minute.
He was shown so many amazing and revolutionary weapons during
the war, that he wonders why they were never used. He doesn't
believe in deliberate sabotage. But it is likely that a number of
inventors underestimated the effort that was still required before it
could be used.
He had been friends with the general of the Luftwaffe bomber force,
Werner Baumbach. At the end of 1943 they were both alone on a
walk. In doing so, they agreed not to particularly emphasize the
successes of the guided missiles that had recently been achieved
against ships. Hermann Göring would then use this point to build
more bombers. Above all, however, fighter planes were necessary to
save German cities and industry from destruction. During company
visits they promised to urge that weapons against bombers above all
be developed.
In front of everyone present, Adolf Galland spoke very emphatically
about his missions over the Canal in 1940/41. Later, as general of the
fighter pilots, he wanted to get an idea of the aerial battles against
the American day bombers. He got into a Focke-Wulf Fw 190, but
then admitted that he had not been able to see a bomber because
the American fighter pilots threatened him so that he had difficulty
escaping.
Galland then mentioned that during a severe British night attack on
Berlin at the end of 1944 he went into the villa's air-ride shelter and
sat there desperately on the edge of his bed. Knowing that many
civilians were dying and that his fighter pilots could not stop the
bombing, he picked up his pistol. He was determined to shoot
himself. Then it seemed like an escape from responsibility. Galland
made the decision to speak to other high-ranking pilots in the
Luftwaffe and to try to remove the Commander-in-Chief of the
Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring, for incapacity. This led to the well-known
"fighter pilots revolt" at the beginning of November 1945 and during a
meeting with Göring on January 19, 1945.
From left: Feldwebel Zech, one of the first to fly the “longnose” Fw 190 to protect the Luftwaffe jet units, Adolf
Galland, Uwe W. Jack and Air-Marshal David Parry-Evans.
The hosts from the Royal Air Force with former Luftwaffe fighter pilots. The photographer was standing
with his back against the entrance door.
At the mention of a shelter, the British hosts became nervous, they
were not aware of such a room. Galland explained that the shelter
was a few meters from the house in the garden. It was night, cold,
dark and it was raining. But all visitors went into the garden. There
was a clearly visible step on the lawn there. Here, according to
Galland, the entrance must be. The VIPs were protected from the
rain by their adjutants with large umbrellas. The RAF officers began
digging with spades. After a short time a rusted metal door became
visible. This could be opened with difficulty. A metal bed, a chair, a
small cupboard with three or four drawers, and a lamp lying on the
floor could be seen in the light of flashlights. Sheets of old
newspapers were scattered around. The drawers were empty. Adolf
Galland was visibly moved. Then everyone escaped back into the
warm and bright house.
During a tour of the rooms, Galland noticed that there were some
furnishings that he could still remember. After the "revolt" he was
informed about its course by Johannes Trautlauft’s adjutant, a man
who was among the guests here. Galland had been removed from
his post and sentenced to house arrest. Galland spent almost two
weeks in these rooms before he was sent to Bavaria to organize a
new jet fighter unit.
Post 041
Rocket test facilities at Kummersdorf
From 1930 the German army (Reichswehr) began its own rocket
research. At that time, many books and newspaper articles had
appeared in Germany on space travel and rocket technology. In
Berlin, a private research site was even set up as “Raketenflugplatz”
(rocket airfield). The army now wanted to test missiles for their
suitability as long-range artillery. For this purpose, test facilities were
built on the artillery test site near Kummersdorf, south of Berlin. Ruins
of these concrete buildings still exist today. Unfortunately the first test
stand on which Wernher von Braun tested his first rocket was
demolished as early as 1940. The other facilities are still there.
A small group of researchers with Uwe W. Jack visited the site in
2012 and photographed the remains of the research facilities. We
had chosen winter for this, as there are no lush plants blocking the
view at this time of the year. On the other hand, after a few hours in
the forest, we were all really cold. It was quite an experience to be
where the first real successes in the field of liquid fuel rockets were
achieved!
Posted by Uwe W. Jack
The old rocket test stand P III (Prüfstand III) from 1935 at Kummerdorf. Seen from the side,
where the rocket engines had been installed. The engineers watched the test through the two
windows. The hot rocket gases were discharged through the duct to the right and left.
(Click to enlarge - the file may not be modified - commercial use is prohibited.).
The side of P III with the room for the fuel (alcohol) in the center. A similar room on the other
side contains the liquid oxygen. In the room to the left the pressure bottles with nitrogen for
fuel injection were located. (Click to enlarge - the file may not be modified - commercial use is
prohibited.).
Inside the observation bunker of P III. Uwe W. Jack looks through the window at the - not
longer existing - experimental installation with a rocket engine. (Click to enlarge - the file may
not be modified - commercial use is prohibited.).
The duct for the hot rocket gas. The rocket engine was
installed directly above the concrete element, which divided
the gas jet to the right and left.
(Click to enlarge - the file may not be modified - commercial
use is prohibited.).
