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Did the Luftwaffe cross the Atlantic – Part 1

Transatlantic Luftwaffe?

There are some anecdotal indicators suggesting that there were return Luftwaffe flights across the Atlantic. These purportedly took place in the very late stages of the second world war, I have found some references. But at the moment I am unable to find anything that can be considered evidence to back these up. It is well documented that a Focke-Wulf Fw-200 flew non stop from Berlin to Brooklyn in August 1938 in just under 25 hours.

Which begs the question, what aircraft could make a round trip. The Junkers Ju-290 was in service from January 1943, with a number of these aircraft being converted into long range reconnaissance aircraft used to monitor the Atlantic Convoys.

Then in 1943 the Junkers Ju-390 was built, there were two prototypes built. The Ju-390 V1, based on a Ju-90. And the Ju-390 V2, based on the Ju-290. There are numerous articles and books on the subject of the Ju-390, so I’m not going to delve into the technical details of the aircraft. Suffice to say that this was a six engined aircraft that was a bit larger than a B-29.

Even earlier in the summer of 1942 there was another six engined aircraft, the Blom & Voss Bv-222 flying boat there were seven of these in operational service by the end of 1942. The even larger six engined Bv-238 can effectively be discounted, it didn’t make it’s maiden flight until the very end of 1944 or the begining of 1945 – which would seem to be too late to fit any of the anecdotal incidents.

What do we know of the flights?

In truth we know very little, the aircraft the Junkers Ju-390 did indeed exist, they could possibly have had the range. As some of the versions of the Ju-290, Ju-390 and Bv-222 had 5000Nm plus ranges. By late 1943 the Luftwaffe has sucessfully developed and demonstrated in-flight refueling capacity, this from a Ju-290 tanker aircraft to a Ju-390 receiver aircraft. We also know of the rumoured flights that were seemingly made from Mielec, Odessa or Banak in Norway to Japanese occupied Manchuria, or Japan itself.

We also know that to date there has been no real coroboration, either from other named individuals or any documentary sources.

My thoughts on the matter.

I have to be honest, I am somewhat sceptical. Given the aircraft available at the time, these flights if they did indeed take place are amazing achievements. But as I have already mentioned I can find no hard evidence, now that doesn’t disprove the anecdotes – it just leaves them as they are.

So I’m left with looking at the aircraft that were available during 1944, 1945 and, along with their disposition and what other than propaganda value would be the gain from such a use of resources.

If we break these flights down to basics, we have aircraft and crews that have to work flawlessly for thirty plus hours. The aircraft has to be capable of carrying sufficient fuel, crew and everything else needed for the flight.

Key Anecdotal Claims

The primary source of the anecdotes come from post-war interrogations and memoirs of German personnel. But there are other sources, which I’ll toss into the mix as I document them and provide links where they are available.
  • Wolf Baumgart’s Testimony: Unteroffizier (Corporal) Wolf Baumgart, during a U.S. interrogation after the war, claimed a Ju 390 flew from the base at Mont de Marsan, France, to a point within 12 miles of the U.S. coastline near New York City. He stated photographs of the city’s skyline were taken, though no such photographs have surfaced.
  • Corroboration from Senior Officer: The same U.S. intelligence report (A.P.W.I.U. Report 44/1945) referenced corroboration from a more senior Luftwaffe officer, who added that the Ju 390 had an in-flight endurance of 32 hours.
  • Hans Pancherz’s Statement: Hans Pancherz, a retired Junkers test pilot, stated in a 1969 Daily Telegraph article that in early 1944, he flew one of the modified Ju 390s on a test flight from Germany to Cape Town, South Africa, and back in preparation for a potential bombing run into the U.S.. Critics of the New York flight claims have not disputed the feasibility of the Cape Town round trip, which was seemingly noted in Pancherz’s diary.
  • Owls Head, Main: There is a reported incident in September 1944, where a couple saw a six engined aircraft crash into the sea of Owls Head, Main. It is also reported that a number of bodies were recovered, wearing Luftwaffe uniforms.

Some Historical Context

  • Fw 200 and Ju 290 Roles: The Fw 200 Condor was a capable long-range maritime patrol and anti-shipping aircraft earlier in the war (“scourge of the Atlantic”) but was largely replaced by the Ju 290 for reconnaissance by late 1943 and used primarily for transport. Both operated from Atlantic bases in occupied France until the Allied liberation.
  • “Amerika Bomber” Project: The flights were part of the larger “Amerika Bomber” project, a series of designs intended to create a strategic bomber capable of striking the U.S. East Coast from Europe. The Ju 390 was a leading candidate, but only two prototypes were built, and the project never reached operational status due to a lack of resources and changing war priorities.
  • Lack of Evidence: Despite the anecdotal claims, no reliable data connecting the Ju 390 or any other German aircraft to an invasion of U.S. airspace during the war has been found in official records. 

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