TheJunkers Ju 388Störtebeker is aWorld War II GermanLuftwaffemulti-role aircraft based on theJu 88airframe by way of theJu 188. It differed from its predecessors in being intended for highaltitude operation, with design features such as apressurized cockpit for itscrew. The Ju 388 was introduced very late in the war, and production problems along with the deteriorating war conditions meant that few were built.

Ju 388
Ju 388L in 1945
General information
Type	heavy fighter,bomber,reconnaissance,night fighter
Manufacturer	Junkers
Primary user	Luftwaffe
Number built	approximately 100
History
Introduction date	Late 1944
First flight	22 December 1943
Retired	1945
Developed from	Junkers Ju 188

TheReichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM), the Reich Aviation Ministry, first learned of theAmericanBoeing B-29 Superfortressheavy bomber in late 1942. Serious concerns as to B-29 capability developed in early 1944, when YB-29 "Hobo Queen" made a well-publicised appearance atRAF Bovingdon, which had been cryptically hinted at in an American-publishedSternenbanner German language propaganda leaflet fromLeap Year Day in 1944, meant to be circulated within the Reich.^[1]

The performance estimates of this aircraft were a cause for great unease in theLuftwaffe. The B-29 had a maximumspeed of around 560 km/h (350 mph), and would attack in a cruise of about 360 km/h (225 mph) at 8,000–10,000 m (26,000–33,000 ft), an altitude where no currentLuftwaffe aircraft was effective, and for which the only effective Wehrmacht anti-aircraft gun was the rarely-deployed12.8 cm FlaK 40, which could effectively fire to an altitude of 14,800 metres (48,600 ft).

To counter the B-29, theLuftwaffe would need newday fighters andbomber destroyers with greatly enhanced performance at extreme altitude. The fighter chosen was theFocke-Wulf Ta 152H, a derivative of theFw 190D with a longerwingspan and powered by the new high-altitude model "E" of theJunkers Jumo 213 engine. An alternative fighter model was theMesserschmitt Me 155B, a long-winged development of theBf 109, which had already undergone several stages of design and would ultimately be built inprototype form byBlohm & Voss. The centre-line thrust, twin-enginedDornier Do 335, powered with two of the competingDaimler-Benz DB 603 engines also offered a service ceiling of some 11,400 m (37,500 ft), but the promising Dornierheavy fighter andzerstörer was still under development with only prototype airframes flying, and the first production examples expected to enter operational service late in 1944.

For the bomber destroyer andnight fighter roles, the all-woodFocke-Wulf Ta 154 and metal-structuredHeinkel He 219 had the performance needed to catch the bomber; however, both designs only gained that performance by mountinglow aspect ratio wings which were inadequate for flight at highaltitude and resultingly produced too high awing loading. The Junkers Ju 88 had already been modified for high-altitude with as the S and T models, but these did not have the performance needed. Similar high-altitude modifications to theJu 188, with its complex stepless cockpit glazing comprising some three dozen framed window panels in all, were being looked at as the projected Ju 188J, K and L models, which included a simplified "stepless"pressurizedcockpit that fully enclosed the entire nose using fewer glazed panels in comparison to the Ju 188's glazing design, and wing andelevatorde-icing equipment for extended flights at very high altitude. These were selected for development, and renamedJu 388.

In order to improve performance, the Ju 388 was stripped of almost all defensive armament. Whereas the Ju 88 included a number of manually operated guns in ports around the cockpit area, on the Ju 388 they were replaced by a single remote-controlturret in the tail containing two13 mm (.51 in)MG 131 machine guns, aimed via aperiscope in the cockpit, mounted one-above-the-other, as had been done experimentally with a fewHeinkel He 177A heavy bombers' manned tail defensive gun positions. The Ju 388's remote tail turret had an excellent field of fire and could shoot directly to the rear, so theBola streamlined defensive armament position under the nose of Ju 88s and 188s was omitted, improving theaerodynamics.

The aircraft was to be delivered using the same naming as the three original Ju 188 experimental versions: the J, K, and L. The J model was a fighter with two30 mm (1.18 in)MK 103 cannons and two20 mmMG 151/20 cannons in a solid nose for use as a daytime bomber destroyer. For use as a night fighter, the long-barreled MK 103s were replaced by the smaller and lighter 30 mmMK 108s, while a second pair of upward firing MK 108s were added in aSchräge Musik installation behind the cockpit. The K model was a pure bomber, with apannier under the plane increasing the size of thebomb bay. The Lphoto-reconnaissance model put itscameras in the pannier along with additionalfuel tanks for long-range missions.

Three sub-models of each variant were planned, different only in the engine installation. The -1 would mount the 1,331 kW (1,810 PS) outputBMW 801J, aturbocharged version of the basic BMW 801 air cooledradial, each engine installed as a unitizedTriebwerksanlage engine installation. The -2 would use the 46.4 litre displacement, 1,864 kW (2,500 hp)Jumo 222A/B 24-cylinder six-bank liquid-cooled engines, or the identical displacement 222E/F versions with an improved two-speedsupercharger with triple intercoolers on each engine. The -3 would mount theJunkers Jumo 213E liquid-cooled invertedV12, which included a supercharger similar to the 222E/F's. Since the 24-cylinder Jumo 222 engine never progressed beyond development and testing with just under 300 units ever built, the only powerplants actually used for the Ju 388 would be the BMW 801 radial and Jumo 213 series V12s.

With the BMW 801J or Jumo 213E, the fighter versions flew at 616 km/h (383 mph) when equipped as a destroyer, losing about 25 km/h (16 mph) due to the eight-dipoleHirschgeweih antenna array used for late-war, VHF-bandNeptun radar andSchräge Musik when equipped as night fighters. This was similar in speed to existingLuftwaffe night fighters, but the Ju 388 maintained this speed at much higher altitudes. With the Jumo 222 engine, the aircraft was estimated to be capable of reaching around 700 km/h (435 mph), again about 25 km/h (16 mph) less in night fighter versions. The bomber versions flew at roughly the same speeds depending on bombload, while the reconnaissance versions would have been about 25 km/h (16 mph) faster.

The firstprototype, Ju 388 L-0/V7, mainly built from Ju 188 series production components, made its first flight on December 22, 1943. It demonstrated much better handling at altitude than the Ju 88S due to an increase intail surface area, as the streamlined-nose Ju 88S, also omitting theBola gondola, still used the original Ju 88A vertical tail surface design. This was followed by six new prototypes. It was some time before deliveries of the production models started due to engine delivery delays. By the time the engines were widely available, it was clear that B-29 bombers were actually being sent to theAsia and the Pacific and would not be operating over Germany anytime soon. German photo-reconnaissance efforts had practically disappeared due to the increased performance of theAllied defenses, so production mostly concentrated on the L model.

Deliveries started in August 1944 but few Ju 388s were completed. About 47 L models seem to have been built, the majority as -1s with the BMW 801J engine, and just three -3s with the Jumo 213E. Fifteen K-1s were built; and only three J-1 models were produced.

The exact number of Ju 388s built is difficult to determine. One of the reasons is that various pre-series aircraft were used as prototypes, and some were damaged or destroyed by Alliedbombs before completion. Furthermore, several official records terminate before the end of production or contradict each other.

Based on available documentation and research the following can be assumed as proven:^{[2][page needed]}

• 6 Ju 388 prototypes, 2 each for J-1, K-1 and L-1
• 20 Ju 388L-0, including prototypes V7, V8, V30 - V34
• 10 Ju 388K-0, first batch, including two converted to theJu 488 V401/V402 prototypes (never flown)
• 1 Ju 388K-1 manufactured by ATG for static tests in July 1944
• 46 Ju 388L-1 manufactured by ATG in 1944
• 8+ Ju 388L-1 manufactured by ATG in 1945
• 10 Ju 388L-1 (max.) manufactured by Weserflug (WFG), initially planned as K-1

More aircraft and prototypes were planned and partially completed:

• 10 Ju 388K-0, second batch, some prototypes, partially completed
• 30 Ju 388K-0, third batch, planned, only few units completed

Also, an unknown number of Ju 388L-1 and Ju 388J were in advanced stages of production by the end of the war.

In August 1944,JapaneseMajor-General Osamu Otani, a member of one of the commissions related to theTripartite Pact and serving in Berlin, expressed interest in a license production of the Ju 388.^{[3][page needed]} Complete drawing sets for the Ju 388 were handed over to the Japanese as well as the rights for licensed production. No evidence exists that any documents were ever delivered. Otani was captured by allied forces in Berlin in May 1945.^[4]

Ju 388J

Heavy fighter / night fighter.

Ju 388K

High-altitude bomber.

Ju 388L

Photo-reconnaissance aircraft.

Ju 388M

Proposedtorpedo bomber based on the Ju 388K.

'145'

A captured Ju 388L modified with an early 'fly by wire' control system in support of the development of the SovietOKB-1 150 jet bomber.

  Nazi Germany

• Luftwaffe
  • Erprobungsstelle Rechlin
  • Erprobungsstelle Werneuchen
  • Erprobungskommando Ju 388
  • 3./Versuchsverband O.K.L. operated Ju 388 V32, W.Nr 300 295, T9+DL.
  • Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 operated four Ju 388J-0nachtjager during April/May 1945, under operational trial/evaluation conditions. Aircraft were pre-production prototypes.

One Ju 388 survives today. The Ju 388L-1 reconnaissance version with construction number (Werknummer) 560049 was the eighth of the series manufactured atWeser Flugzeugbau's Nordenham plant. Parts of the airframe were also built at ATG inAltenburg and atNiedersächsische Metallwerke Brinckmann & Mergell inHamburg-Harburg. The aircraft was completed early in 1945. It was captured by U.S. troops in May 1945 at the Junkers plant inMerseburg, then flown toKassel/Waldau.

The aircraft was examined and test flown by"Watson's Whizzers", led byUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF)Colonel Harold E. Watson, as part ofOperation Lusty and it is believed that Watson himself flew in the aircraft in preparation for flying it directly back to the U.S. Instead, on 17 June 1945 the aircraft was flown toCherbourg,France where it was shipped to the United States aboard theRoyal Navyescort carrierHMS Reaper together with other captured German aircraft for detailed evaluation in the U.S.

The aircraft was flown to Freeman Field inIndiana for evaluation, and in September 1945 made a flight demonstration for the press. The Ju 388 was flown for 10 hours of flight tests atWright Field nearDayton, Ohio with the "foreign evaluation" serial number FE-4010 (later changed to T2-4010). Following these tests the aircraft was displayed at the Dayton, Ohio Air Show at Wright Field in 1946 along with other captured German aircraft.

On 26 September 1946, 560049 was transferred to Orchard Place Airport inPark Ridge, Illinois, near the presentO'Hare International Airport. This temporary storage facility was a vacantU.S. Government-owned factory previously used by theChrysler Corporation to build theDouglasC-54. The Ju 388 was donated to theSmithsonian Institution's National Air Museum on 3 January 1949 and arrived atSilver Hill, Maryland, for storage in November 1954.

Today the aircraft is disassembled and remains in generally good condition, having never been stored outside. The cockpit area is in particularly good condition and complete with all instruments. The aircraft is just one of several unique German aircraft still awaiting restoration at theNational Air and Space Museum'sPaul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility inSilver Hill, Maryland, all intended to be transferred in the coming years to theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center's restoration annex of the Smithsonian, on theDulles International Airport property.^[5]

Data from Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945 Vol.3 – Flugzeugtypen Henschel-Messerschmitt^[6]

General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Length: 15.2 m (49 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 22 m (72 ft 2 in)
• Height: 4.35 m (14 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 56 m² (600 sq ft)
• Max takeoff weight: 14,000 kg (30,865 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 ×BMW 801J 14-cylinder air-cooledradial piston engine, 1,350 kW (1,810 hp) each
• Propellers: 4-bladedVereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke (VDM)-Verstell-Luftschrauben, 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) diameter constant-speed propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed: 616 km/h (383 mph, 333 kn) at 12,285 m (40,305 ft)
  
• Boost speed: 655 km/h (407 mph; 354 kn) at 9,080 m (29,790 ft) withMW 50 water-methanol boost (Junkers Jumo 213E only)
• Cruise speed: 540 km/h (340 mph, 290 kn)
  
• Landing speed: 175 km/h (109 mph; 94 kn)
• Range: 2,250 km (1,400 mi, 1,210 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 13,100 m (43,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 6.3 m/s (1,240 ft/min)

Armament

• Ju 388J: 2 × 20 mm (0.787 in)MG 151/20 cannons and 2 × 30 mm (1.181 in)MK 103 cannon orMK 108 cannon in an under-fuselagepod and 2 × 13 mm (0.512 in)MG 131 machine guns in a remotely-controlledHecklafette tail turret.
• Ju 388K: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) ofbombs internally and 2 × 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns in a remotely-controlledHecklafette tail turret
• Ju 388L: 2 × 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns in a remotely-controlledHecklafette tail turret

Related development

• Junkers Ju 188

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• de Havilland Mosquito PR Mk 34
• Mitsubishi Ki-83
• North American XB-28 Dragon
• Northrop F-15 Reporter
• Rikugun Ki-93
• Tachikawa Ki-74
• Vickers Type 432
• Westland Welkin

• Vernaleken, Christoph and Handig, Martin.Junkers Ju 388: Development, Testing And Production of the Last Junkers High-altitude Aircraft. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2006.ISBN 0-7643-2429-2.
• Green, William.Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970.ISBN 0-356-02382-6.
• Smith, J.R. and Kay, Anthony.German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam and Company, Ltd., 1972.ISBN 0-370-00024-2.

• www.ju388.de