Question? What Aircraft?

Bombardier

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Anybody any idea what aircraft this is?

HWP 34.5.jpg
 
Thanks to Bomardier for posting this for me. After doing some more internet research, this aircraft resembles a Junkers Ju 188 with the squared off tail fin. However most of the 188 photos I have seen show an expanded "bubble cockpit" on the front. The barrage balloon cable cutters on the nose may indicate this was a night bomber in Battle of Britain. Still have not found a perfect match with any photo.
 
Hi @CMP
Yes I have been looking too, but with no luck as yet. I agree it is very similar to the JU-188 but have not found any with a cockpit like this one.
Maybe this was an earlier version?
 
This one is more similar and is a Junkers Ju 188 at Melsbroek (Belgium), the end of September 1944
ju188.jpg
 
Yes, it does look similar. I wonder if the cockpit may have been remodeled to accommodate the cable cutters for night duty.
 
Yes, it does look similar. I wonder if the cockpit may have been remodeled to accommodate the cable cutters for night duty.
Thats very possible, the Germans were nothing short of genius when it came to that sort of thing
 
Yes indeed. Consulting my father's itinerary of where his outfit was when, I concluded this airfield was in the Frankfort area. I have a couple more photos he took of the same airfield that show American aircraft at a distance.
 
I will revise my latest tentative conclusion that this photo is of a JU 188. It now seems to me it is a JU 88G-6, a Nightfighter. Some of the JU 88's had the more rounded tail fins, and some had the more squared ones as seen in my attached pictures.

JU 88 Nightfighter.jpg JU 88 Nightfighter 5t.jpg
JU 88 Nightfighter 3.JPG JU 88 Nightfighter 2.jpg JU 88 Nightfighter 3.JPG JU 88 Nightfighter 4.jpg JU 88 Nightfighter 5t.jpg JU 88 Nightfighter.jpg
JU 88 Nightfighter 2.jpg
 
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I agree , I was looking at the Ju88 initially but all had rounded tail fins.
What was also throwing me a little was the window like objects just behind the cockpit
 
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Seems to be the same plane exactly. I noticed that the rear wheel seems to be missing in my picture. I had also wondered about the square shapes behind the cockpit. But I assumed windows.
 
I agree , I was looking at the Ju88 initially but all had rounded tail fins.
What was also throwing me a little was the window like objects just behind the cockpit
I wonder if they are actually some kind of vents rather than windows?, I only mention this because the cockpit windows appear more transparent (as you would expect)
 
The booklet arrived, and it spurred me to do some more internet searching. Here's what I found: The Junkers Ju 88 G-6 Nightfighter appeared as a remodeled version in 1944. This new version appeared with the larger suared off tail fin. The camoflauge configuration in my picture was typical of Ju 88's that were involved in Eastern front action. The Ju 88 G-6 was equipped with the "Schrage Musik" cannon that was mounted immediately behind the cockpit. You can see the turret for the cannon in my original picture. The cannon was mounted to allow crew to fire upward and forward. Primarily it was for the purpose of approaching bombers from the underside. In many documented cases the use of this cannon was a total surprise to the bomber being fired upon. And planes from the underside were much more difficult to detect. I saw no direct reference to the window-like shapes we discussed. However, I did find these shapes again in a picture I have attached. Note that in this picture you can see through the window opening into the inside and out the other side. My guess is that when the "Schrage Musik" was installed these openings were vents, as you said Bombardier, to air cool a hot gun. Not sure what they would have done in the cold winter.

Artwork-technical-drawing-Junkers-Ju-88-cutaway-0A.jpg Artwork-technical-drawing-Junkers-Ju-88-cutaway-0C.jpg Ju 88G-6 Graphic.jpg Junkers-Ju-88C-on-a-scrap-heap-in-Germany-1945-01.jpg
 
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