Ww2 German Aircraft Carrier - Fieseler Fi-167A torpedo under test from the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. (Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-110-06, photo: O. Ang)
Designed as a torpedo bomber, the Fieseler Fi-167 ended up hunting Yugoslav partisans when her ship never made it.
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As the only transport aircraft of original design produced by Germany, the Fieseler Fi-167 was unique among World War II fighter aircraft. Its intended companions, the Messerschmitt Me-109T and Junkers Ju-87C, were adaptations of existing land-based aircraft. Although only 14 were built, it is fair to say that the Fi-167 achieved limited production.
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The story of this mysterious aircraft began in 1936 when construction began on the German Navy's first and only aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin. As no German aircraft could be flown from a ship, the Air Ministry issued in 1937 a specification for a new carrier-based torpedo/reconnaissance aircraft, somewhat in the same class as the British Fairey Albacore. Fieseler and Arado proposed competing designs, of which Fieseler's was chosen.
First flown in 1938, the Fi-167 was a large, two-seat, single-engine biplane with folding wings and a tail hook. The pre-production Fi-167A-0 had tall, wave-like fixed landing gear; The 1,100 hp Junkers Jumo engine is surrounded by a cowling like a shroud; and a slightly hump-shaped body, which gave it a peculiar bird of prey appearance. However, this form actually followed a function: the circular configuration was intended to improve visibility, and the high landing gear was designed to increase the angle of attack, improve lift and drag during takeoff and landing. The main legs of the landing gear could collapse if the biplane fell into water, and the lower wings were equipped with balloons to keep it afloat for a limited time.
The Fi-167 was designed by the same team that developed the Fi-156 Storch, one of the world's first short take-off (STOL) aircraft. Like its more famous predecessor, the Fi-167 had excellent low-speed flight characteristics, a valuable asset for a transport aircraft. All he lacked was a ship to fly from.
Graf Zeppelin was launched from the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in December 1938 and was 85 percent complete at the start of the war. The carrier, Trägergruppe 186, was to be operated by the Luftwaffe rather than the Kriegsmarine, causing conflict between the states. The Graf Zeppelin was designed to carry only 42 aircraft, and the Luftwaffe originally envisioned this complement to consist of 10 Me-109T fighters (the T stands for Träger, or transporter), 12 Ju-87C dive bombers, and 20 Fi-167As. After 1939, the Luftwaffe changed this arrangement, limiting squadron strength to 12 Me-109Ts and 30 Ju-87Cs, modified for both dive and torpedo bomber roles, and discontinued the Fi-167 altogether. However, the issue was largely moot as work on the Graf Zeppelin slowed and then ceased in 1940 as Nazi Germany diverted its resources to other projects.
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In May 1942, Adolf Hitler, impressed by the success of British, Japanese and American carriers over the previous two years, authorized the resumption of work on the Graf Zeppelin and a more modern fleet of transport aircraft. But then Germany was locked in a deadly battle with the Soviet Union and its Western allies. Given the Luftwaffe's war production priorities, its commander, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, argued that German industry could not design, test and produce new transport aircraft until 1946. Although construction was never officially halted, the Graf Zeppelin would be inadequate until it was finally over. It was destroyed in April 1945.
At the same time, in the spring of 1942, nine Fi-167s were organized into an experimental squadron and sent to the Netherlands. At least part of their time was spent testing various prospective camouflages for seaplanes. They failed to fly and were returned to Germany in the summer of 1943. Three of the Fi-167s were then used to test landing gear components, some with the outer lower wing panels removed to increase the landing gear.
In September 1944, dozens of Fi-167s were delivered to the Croatian Air Force. One was used by a Croatian couple to cross with Yugoslav partisans. It was subsequently shot down by an Allied fighter. The remaining Croatian aircraft proved useful in resupplying Ustashe troops operating in the mountains of Yugoslavia.
On 10 October 1944, an Fi-167 flown by eight-victory Croatian Sergeant Božidar Bartulović was attacked and shot down by five North American Mustang Mark IIIs of 213 Squadron, Royal Air Force. But before they could rescue their observer, Captain Mate Jurkovic, one of the Mustangs was hit, forcing Sergeant W.E. The plane made an emergency landing near Martinska Ve. It is said to have been the last time a biplane shot down a monoplane.
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The Fi-167 was among the most unknown aircraft of World War II, but it was Germany's only purpose-built transport aircraft. For this reason alone, it deserves a place in aviation history. The German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin was the lead ship in a class of two carriers of the same name ordered by the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany. She was the only aircraft carrier ordered by Germany and was part of the Kriegsmarine's attempt to create a well-balanced naval fleet capable of projecting German naval power beyond the narrow confines of the Baltic and North Seas. The carrier had 42 fighters and dive bombers.
Construction of the Graf Zeppelin began on 28 December 1936 when her keel was laid at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel. Named after Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the ship was launched on 8 December 1938 and was 85% complete before the outbreak of World War II in September 1939. The Graf Zeppelin was never completed and never operated due to maintenance work. Priorities necessary for war. He stayed in the Baltic during the war; With Germany's defeat imminent, the ship's defense crew scuttled her near Stettin in March 1945. The Soviet Union raised the ship in March 1946, and she was finally sunk during a weapons test off northern Poland 17 months later. The wreck was found by a Polish ship in July 2006.
Graf Zeppelin was 262.5 meters (861 ft) overall; It had a beam of 36.2 m (119 ft) and a maximum draft of 8.5 m (28 ft). At full combat load it would carry 33,550 long tons (34,090 t). The ship's propulsion system consisted of four Brown, Boveri & Cie gear turbines with six oil-fired, ultra-high-pressure LaMont boilers. The power plant was rated at 200,000 shaft horsepower (150 MW) and a top speed of 33.8 knots (62.6 km/h; 38.9 mph). Graf Zeppelin had an estimated cruising radius of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at a speed of 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph). It would have a crew of 1,760 officers and receive, among other things, aircrew
The ship's main offensive power would be to finish off its aircraft. The Graf Zeppelin carried 42 aircraft as designed: 12 Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" guided dive bombers, 10 Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters and 20 Fieseler Fi 167 torpedo bombers.
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Later in the construction process, the air group was converted to thirty Ju 87s and twelve Bf 109s, while the Fi 167s were withdrawn entirely. As designed, the Graf Zeppelin was to mount eight 15 cm SK C/28 guns for surface defense. Later this number increased to six. Its anti-aircraft battery consisted of t 10.5 cm SK C/33 guns - later increased to twelve - twenty-two 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns and twenty-eight 2 cm guns. The ship's flight deck was protected by Wotan Weich steel armor up to 45 millimeters (1.8 in).
60 mm (2.4 in) thick armor was located below deck to protect the ship's vitals from air attack. The Graf Zeppelin had a belt of water armor 100 mm (3.9 in) thick in the chest area of the ship.
On November 16, 1935, the contract for Flugzeugträger A (aircraft carrier A) – later called Graf Zeppelin – was awarded to the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel. Construction of the ship was delayed as the Deutsche Werke was in full swing and the ticket needed for the Graf Zeppelin was occupied by the new battleship Gneisau which was launched on 8 December 1936.
Work on the Graf Zeppelin began on December 28 when its wall was laid. It was launched on December 8, 1938, the 24th anniversary of the Battle of the Falklands.
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And she was christened by Helle von Zeppelin, daughter of the ship's namesake. Hermann Göring gave a speech at the opening ceremony.
In 1939, it was 85% completed, but it is estimated that the work will be completed in the middle of 1940.
By September 1939, the Luftwaffe had established one transport wing at Kiel Holtau, Trägergruppe 186, consisting of three squadrons of Bf 109s and Ju 87s.
Meanwhile, the German invasion of Norway in April 1940 destroyed any chance of completing the Graf Zeppelin. Now responsible for the defense of Norway's long coastline and many port facilities, the Kriegsmarine urgently needed large quantities of coastal guns and anti-aircraft batteries. At the naval conference with Hitler on April 28, 1940, Admiral
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