On Tue, 22 May 2001 "John A. Hern Jr" writes:
> 1) Why Germany and Japan never really cooperated, the same way the
> Allies did
>
In early-1944 the technical staff at Richlin (the Luftwaffe's HQ for
testing and evaluation of captured Allied aircraft) learned that the
Japanese had captured an operational Vought F4U-1 CORSAIR and expressed
interest in evaluating its construction and high performance radial
engine. An exchange program of technical reports was worked out with the
Japanese Air Attache to Germany, Yoshio Nagamori. The tech reports that
were sent to Tokyo are the reason that in 1945 aircraft started to be
used by the Japanese Imperial Air Force that have an uncanny resemblance
to Me-262's; Do-335's; and Me-163's.
The F4U CORSAIR was then partially dismantled and placed in a
watertight container on the deck of a Japanese submarine. This submarine
then carried the aircraft from the South Pacific around the Cape of Good
Hope to the South Atlantic and then northward to Germany where it was
reassembled and carried on Luftwaffe strength reports for August and
September 1944. The CORSAIR was thoroughly tested and evaluated, but
never flown. The German's also requested technical information from the
Japanese on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, as they expected it would
eventually make an appearance over the Greater German Reich.
My information is from the book STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND by Mr.
Hans-Henri Stapfer of Horgen Switzerland. Is there anyone on the list
that is aware of photos of this F4U in Luftwaffe splinter camo and
Balkenkreuze? It would make a very interesting 1/48th scale model.
Lance
MVPA 22125
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