Me-262 Ace WALTER NOWOTNY German newsreel EUROPA WOCHE 11.1944 + Private Footage
Episode 235
ORIGINALS for sale…
EUROPA WOCHE Nr. 91
November 23, 1944
1:19 – Vienna: Funeral service on November 23rd, 1944 for the fallen Major Walter Nowotny
2:39 – Zagreb (Croatia): All Saints Day 1944
3:46 – Germany: Training of young people in an Adolf Hitler school
5:05 – Prague (Reich Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia): Chess tournament
6:03 – Spain: grape harvest
7:15 – Germany: Production of horse feed
8:33 – Germany: Cossack stud farm
9:57 – Germany: Train station helpers making winter clothing
11:12 – Lorient (France): German soldiers in the enclosed Atlantic base
12:33 – BONUS: Me 262 raw footage
Messerschmidt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed Schwalbe (German: “Swallow”) in fighter versions, or Sturmvogel (German: “Storm Bird”) in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It was the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft.
The design of what would become the Me 262 started in April 1939, before World War II. It made its maiden flight on 18 April 1941 with a piston engine, and its first jet-powered flight on 18 July 1942. Progress was delayed by problems with engines, metallurgy, and interference from Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler. The German leader demanded that the Me 262, conceived as a defensive interceptor, be redesigned as ground-attack/bomber aircraft. The aircraft became operational with the Luftwaffe in mid-1944. The Me 262 was faster and more heavily armed than any Allied fighter, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor. The Allies countered by attacking the aircraft on the ground and during takeoff and landing.
One of the most advanced WWII combat aircraft, the Me 262 operated as a light bomber, reconnaissance, and experimental night fighter. The Me 262 proved an effective dogfighter against Allied fighters; German pilots claimed 542 Allied aircraft were shot down, although higher claims have sometimes been made. The aircraft had reliability problems because of strategic materials shortages and design compromises with its Junkers Jumo 004 axial-flow turbojet engines. Late-war Allied attacks on fuel supplies also reduced the aircraft’s readiness for combat and training sorties. Armament production within Germany was focused on more easily manufactured aircraft. Ultimately, the Me 262 had little effect on the war because of its late introduction and the small numbers that entered service.
On 19 April 1944, Erprobungskommando 262 was formed at Lechfeld just south of Augsburg, as a test unit (Jäger Erprobungskommando Thierfelder, commanded by Hauptmann Werner Thierfelder) to introduce the Me 262 into service and train a corps of pilots to fly it. On 26 July 1944, Leutnant Alfred Schreiber, while flying over Munich, with the 262 A-1a W.Nr. 130 017, encountered a Mosquito PR Mark XVI reconnaissance aircraft, of No. 540 Squadron RAF, piloted by Fl. Lt. A.E. Wall.[58] Schreiber attempted to shoot down the unarmed Mosquito, though Wall evaded Schreiber’s three attack runs, to land safely at Fermo, Italy, after the first air-to-air use of a jet fighter. Sources state the Mosquito had a hatch fall out, during the evasive manoeuvres, though the aircraft returned to RAF Benson on 27 July 1944, and remained in service till it was lost in a landing in October 1950. On the 8 August 1944, Lt. Joachim Weber of EKdo 262 claimed the first kill by a 262, of a reconnaissance Mosquito, PR.IX LR433, of 540 squadron, over Munich, killing the pilot, Fl. Lt. Desmond Laurence Mattewman and navigator Flight Sergeant William Stopford.
Major Walter Nowotny was assigned as commander in July 1944, and the unit redesignated Kommando Nowotny. Essentially a trials and development unit, it mounted the world’s first jet fighter operations. Trials progressed at a slow pace; it was not until August 1944 that initial operational missions were flown against the Allies; the unit made claims for 19 Allied aircraft in exchange for six Me 262s lost. Despite orders to stay grounded, Nowotny chose to fly a mission against an enemy bomber formation flying some 9,100 m (30,000 ft) above, on 8 November 1944. He claimed two P-51Ds destroyed before suffering engine failure at high altitude.[66] Then, while diving and trying to restart his engines, he was attacked by other Mustangs, forced to bail out, and died. The Kommando was then withdrawn for further flight training and a revision of combat tactics to optimize the Me 262’s strengths.
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The item about horse feed is quite telling. Contrary to german propaganda, about 70% of german transport was horse drawn. Not only supply trains, but also artillery.
That camouflage on the Me262 near the end was cool!
thanks for sharing, cool seeing the 262 up close
Thanks for sharing. Interesting as always.
It seems obvious that, for the most part, at this stage of the war these newsreels focused primarily on non-combat related topics and sought to keep the narration and imagery lighthearted. It must have been increasingly difficult for the creators of these newsreels to accomplish this feat.
Nowotny wasn't an ace in the 262. He scored his over 200 kills in 109s and Fw 190s with JG 54 ofter the baltic/Leningrad area. I think he claimed 3 victories with the 262 before his death. Also, Nowotny had a superstition. As he was shot down in his first air combat over the baltic sea in 1941 and escaped by parachute and dingy before being picked up, he insisted on wearing the trousers he had worn during this for every single mission afterwards. I suppose he's wearing the "Abschusshosen" in the footage here. For some reason he was not wearing them on the fatal day. Btw Nowotny's appointment to lead the combat trial unit for the Me 262 was seen as a bad decision by many. While being a highly successful fighter pilot on the east front, he had neither experience of two engine aircraft nor of the high altitude air combat against US bombers and had no special expertise as a test pilot or technical officer.
Wonderful footage not easily found anywhere else that covers this topic….. !!!!
Thank you for your work presenting history.
is that a cat pelt at 10:30
Such noble youth fighting for a suicidal and evil cause. Makes me, an old man now, cry. Mother and her side of the family all German during that period.
Thank you enjoyed the video
Wonderful footage. Thanks for making it available.
At 1:43 it sure looks like they kissed on the lips. Not that there's anything wrong with that. 😅
the existence of a pull start for the starter motor just blows my mind
My mother was one of those Helferinen. They sent her to the far side of Poland.
The Aircraft still looks incredible today.
Vielen Dank.
Pretty depressing for Germans – Two lots of funeral and memorial services for deaths, a Czech winning a chess tournament, military-age Italian men making wine, Germany producing high quality fodder and horses in the age of mechanization, Red Cross nurses having to do double shifts producing winter clothing, isolated German garrisons.
For mine, the Me262 is probably the most stunningly beautiful jet powered aircraft ever built. It seems to me that a pilot had to become one with the machine (as many have inferred re the Spitfire. Except the gut feeling I have,and may of course be stupidly wrong, is that it happened intuitively with the spit!). Particularly understanding the weaknesses and strengths of the power plants and flying accordingly to maximise the life of these relatively fragile engines. As well as understanding the plusses of this machine and maximising it's effectiveness.
I'm in no way a supporter of Nazism, but it is sad that after all the combat he faced, Nowotny died before the end of that stupid wasteful war. So many millions of people dying for no gain or any positive effects whatsoever.
War is crap, only good for maximising profits of armament manufacturers. And still going on now! When will us stupid primates get real and move forward positively on a whole world basis? The gains would be literally astronomical.
Great Video and the Music.
Great footage, far more civilised compared to what we have in the western world today.
06:29 subs: Should be San Sadurni, not San Celoni
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant_Sadurn%C3%AD_d%27Anoia
Pure propaganda for the German people to hide the real truth about the coming defeat !This clip as there were peace all over Germany but couldn’t be more far from the truth !
YES..YES..YES…………Germany made a great recovery after the war because of the money that the USA and the allied soldiers that were station there Who pour tons of money into the new Germany economy………………BUT….BUT……..I tend to believe the BIGGER REASON that Germany made such an impressive recovery after the war…. was because of the young generation of Germans that were in the Hitler youth…..these young people were trained well…discipline. hard work and fatherland…..with many skills under their belt……they were able to get the job done……….unfortunately…..I do not think the youth of Germany is of the same caliber…it is a different country today with many liberal and WOKE ideas…
In 1969 I worked with Nowotny's niece in London. Helga had been offered a job with PanAm as a stewardess and had to go to the American Embassy for her green card interview.
This was just after the 1968 Prague Spring and Czechoslovakia was ruled by a hard line communist called Antonín Novotný (who during WW2 had fought with Czech partisans against the Nazis). Was he, by any chance, a relative?
Yes, Antonín Novotný WAS a distant relation – despite the difference in spelling both versions seem to be used – but another relative, her uncle Walter, had been a Luftwaffe ace . . . she got her green card!
Sur c’était 1 grand pilote les autres tombait comme des mouches normal aussi
He happened to be the homonym of the Czech secretary general of the Czechoslovakian red party in the 60s.