5fish
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I want to bring up the Germans had the first operational jet bomber and it saw action in WW2...
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When most people think of World War Two era German Luftwaffe jets, the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe jet fighter would probably be the first one to spring to mind but this was not the only Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet powered aircraft to reach operational status over the battlefields of Europe. The Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lighting) reconnaissance jet bomber prototype took flight for the first time in June 1943 but it was not until August 1944, when deployed over the western front, that it became the worlds first operational jet bomber.
The Ar 234 was only produced in limited numbers and too late to make any major impact on the outcome of the war. A small number did reach frontline squadrons and they were primarily used as a fast reconnaissance aircraft to keep tabs on advancing Allied forces, whilst outpacing Allied fighters but from December 1944 strike bombing missions were also conducted. In April 1945, during a reconnaissance mission, the type was the last Luftwaffe aircraft to conduct a sortie over England during the war.
The Smithsonian has a article on it....
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Rather than the reverberating growl of piston-driven engines, these aircraft emitted a smooth piercing roar. They were jets, but not Messerschmitt Me 262s, history’s first jet fighter. These were Arado Ar 234 B-2s, the first operational jet bomber to see combat. Nine of them were approaching a factory complex at Liege, each laden with a 1,100-pound bomb.
Luftwaffe Captain Diether Lukesch of Kampfgeschwader (Bomber Wing) 76 led the small squadron on the historic bombing run. Powered by two Jumo 004 B4-1 turbojet engines, the sleek planes zoomed in to drop their payloads and then quickly soared away. They were so fast that Allied fighters could not catch them
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History’s first operational jet bomber was designed and built by the Arado company. The plane originally began service as a scout aircraft. One had flown reconnaissance over Normandy snapping photos of supply depots and troop movements just four months earlier. But reconfigured as a bomber and operated by one pilot, who also served as bombardier, the Blitz was fast and agile. It easily eluded most Allied aircraft with its top speed of 456 miles per hour. The Germans also created two other versions of the aircraft—a night fighter and a four-engine heavy bomber—neither made it into full production.
The Survivors: Arado Ar 234 Blitz – Germany’s Jet Bomber
When most people think of World War Two era German Luftwaffe jets, the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe jet fighter would probably be the first one to spring to mind but this was not the only Junkers …
acesflyinghigh.wordpress.com
snip...
When most people think of World War Two era German Luftwaffe jets, the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe jet fighter would probably be the first one to spring to mind but this was not the only Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet powered aircraft to reach operational status over the battlefields of Europe. The Arado Ar 234 Blitz (Lighting) reconnaissance jet bomber prototype took flight for the first time in June 1943 but it was not until August 1944, when deployed over the western front, that it became the worlds first operational jet bomber.
The Ar 234 was only produced in limited numbers and too late to make any major impact on the outcome of the war. A small number did reach frontline squadrons and they were primarily used as a fast reconnaissance aircraft to keep tabs on advancing Allied forces, whilst outpacing Allied fighters but from December 1944 strike bombing missions were also conducted. In April 1945, during a reconnaissance mission, the type was the last Luftwaffe aircraft to conduct a sortie over England during the war.
The Smithsonian has a article on it....
With Lightning Speed and Agility, Germany's Ar 234 Blitz Jet Bomber Was a Success That Ultimately Failed
Only one is known to survive today and it is in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
www.smithsonianmag.com
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Rather than the reverberating growl of piston-driven engines, these aircraft emitted a smooth piercing roar. They were jets, but not Messerschmitt Me 262s, history’s first jet fighter. These were Arado Ar 234 B-2s, the first operational jet bomber to see combat. Nine of them were approaching a factory complex at Liege, each laden with a 1,100-pound bomb.
Luftwaffe Captain Diether Lukesch of Kampfgeschwader (Bomber Wing) 76 led the small squadron on the historic bombing run. Powered by two Jumo 004 B4-1 turbojet engines, the sleek planes zoomed in to drop their payloads and then quickly soared away. They were so fast that Allied fighters could not catch them
snip...
History’s first operational jet bomber was designed and built by the Arado company. The plane originally began service as a scout aircraft. One had flown reconnaissance over Normandy snapping photos of supply depots and troop movements just four months earlier. But reconfigured as a bomber and operated by one pilot, who also served as bombardier, the Blitz was fast and agile. It easily eluded most Allied aircraft with its top speed of 456 miles per hour. The Germans also created two other versions of the aircraft—a night fighter and a four-engine heavy bomber—neither made it into full production.