Post by congofal on Jun 26, 2009 19:45:21 GMT -8
This was Hitlers dream ship , a German Aircraft carrier to show the world that Germany could also build Aircraft carriers and project her power anywhere in the world.
The carrier was to have a complement of Stuka Dive bombers and Messerschmitt bf 109 fighters .
3 Stukas where build with folding wings and the tests showed that they performed just as a regular Stuka.
The BF109s on the other hand showed that the landing gear was to weak for carrier landings.
Funny thing about the Graf Zeppelin is the fact that it wasn't a German design , it was actually a modified version of the "AKAGI" , the Germans got blueprints and flight deck equipment from the Japanese.
She could carry 50 planes
10 × Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters
20 × Stuka Ju 87 dive bombers
20 × Fieseler Fi 167 torpedo bombers
The Graf Zeppelin was 95% complete when Hitler canceled the carrier Project.
Her hull was then used as a storage ship for the Kriegsmarine,she was scuttled in shallow water at Stettin (now Szczecin) on 25 April 1945, just before the Red Army captured the city.
In 1947 she was used as target practice by the Soviets.
Even tough she was a Kriegsmarine vessel , her aircraft and flight crews belonged to the Luftwaffe , so basically she would have had 2 Captains , a Kriegsmarine Captain would command her until flight operations would start , then the Luftwaffe Captain would take command of the ship.
This are the only photos i have been able to find of the JU87Cs that would operate on board the Graf Zeppelin
The carrier was to have a complement of Stuka Dive bombers and Messerschmitt bf 109 fighters .
3 Stukas where build with folding wings and the tests showed that they performed just as a regular Stuka.
The BF109s on the other hand showed that the landing gear was to weak for carrier landings.
Funny thing about the Graf Zeppelin is the fact that it wasn't a German design , it was actually a modified version of the "AKAGI" , the Germans got blueprints and flight deck equipment from the Japanese.
She could carry 50 planes
10 × Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters
20 × Stuka Ju 87 dive bombers
20 × Fieseler Fi 167 torpedo bombers
The Graf Zeppelin was 95% complete when Hitler canceled the carrier Project.
Her hull was then used as a storage ship for the Kriegsmarine,she was scuttled in shallow water at Stettin (now Szczecin) on 25 April 1945, just before the Red Army captured the city.
In 1947 she was used as target practice by the Soviets.
Even tough she was a Kriegsmarine vessel , her aircraft and flight crews belonged to the Luftwaffe , so basically she would have had 2 Captains , a Kriegsmarine Captain would command her until flight operations would start , then the Luftwaffe Captain would take command of the ship.
This are the only photos i have been able to find of the JU87Cs that would operate on board the Graf Zeppelin