Do335 & surface search radar in the convoy location role

[WATU]

Gunther Hessler in his three volume account "The U-boat war in the Atlantic 1939-1945" written for the Admiralty post WW2 mentions the Do335. This is late on and in connection with an essential air recce for the Type XXI U-boats that were coming into operations in May 1945. He describes it as overflying the UK at 430/470mph at night presumably with a view to arriving at the convoy routes approaching north and south of Eire and further out. in daylight to assist observation Whether Goering had agreed to this is academic but he failed to provide adequate ship recce services through most of the war. I have seen reference to the Do335 having an AI radar. Was there a serious proposal for a surface search radar in substitution? Also given it was single seat (apart from a trainer) is there a view on how effective it might have been? The pilot would have had an enormous task flying, navigating, spotting, monitoring the radar, reporting back accurately and avoiding interception. Were any other single-seaters successful in such a role? (Confession - I am not an air buff and had never heard of the Do335 until I noted it in Hessler's book)

 

[Token]

If I am not mistaken, the AI radar (FuG-217) equipped version was to be the A-6, which was to be two seat. I don't think the radar was ever actually fitted.

As for candidate airborne surface search radars, I am not sure the Germans had a good candidate that would physically fit. The FuG-200 was a tad large for that air frame, not saying it could not be made to fit but it would have been an effort.

T!

 

[WATU]

If I am not mistaken, the AI radar (FuG-217) equipped version was to be the A-6, which was to be two seat. I don't think the radar was ever actually fitted.

As for candidate airborne surface search radars, I am not sure the Germans had a good candidate that would physically fit. The FuG-200 was a tad large for that air frame, not saying it could not be made to fit but it would have been an effort.

T!

Thanks. Did not appreciate there was a proper two seat version. That would spread the workload although extra weight would impact on range. Any idea of expected range presumably with drop tanks? I would not expect it to be armed at all.

 

[elbmc1969]

If I am not mistaken, the AI radar (FuG-217) equipped version was to be the A-6, which was to be two seat. I don't think the radar was ever actually fitted.T!

The B-6 was apparently another candidate, with a different seating arrangement for the radar operator that had almost no visibility, but didn't completely make a hash of the aerodynamics.

The radar aerials might have had more effect on range than the extra weight ...

 

[mig2830]

There was a planned night fighter version of the DO335, the B-6. Only one prototype made, and the seating arrangement was like the two seated trainer. The difference was that the night fighting version rear cockpit was not rased like on the trainer. The conopy was more like a bulge on top of the fuselage also able to house the FuG 350Zc Naxos rotating arial. The proposed radar was the FuG 218 Neptuen III but probably never installed due to lack of radar sets. The FuG 218 had entered serial production late January / early February 1945 and the output was prioritized active night fighter squadrons. If there was an test installation of a radar in the prototype it would have been a FuG 220 SN-2 Lichtenstein.

 

[stona]

The only long range reconnaissance (8,000km) version of the Do 335 was a paper plane.

It was to have been based on a twin or double Do 335, one fuselage carrying most of the fuel. It would have had a crew of four, two in each fuselage, later reduced to three.

It started life as a Do 335 Z project.

In November 1944 Dornier was asked to send a Do 335 airframe to Junkers at Dessau and later in the month the project was handed over to Junkers and designated Entwurfsbaubeschreibung Ew 3670. A purchase order (SS 5103) was issued for four prototypes.

On 14 November a Do 335 airframe finally arrived at Dessau. A mock up was built and the aircraft given the RLM designation Ju 635.

Goering was keen to have the aircraft, as late as 24 January 1945 he was asking for ten of them. The project was never officially abandoned, indeed it was confirmed on 15 March, but no aircraft was built before the end of the war.