Second post under this series!
We wouldn’t have jet powered aircraft flying in our skies today, had there not been a breakthrough in such engine technology in the years leading up to the Second World War. When one mentions “jet” and “World War II” in the same breath, however, people tend to think of the “celebrities” more – the Messerschmitt Me 262 “Schwalbe”, and maybe the Gloster Meteor. Few people remember that Germany had another jet-powered aircraft in service: The Arado Ar 234.
It was the world’s first operational jet reconnaissance bomber, though it was used more often for reconnaissance than actual bombing. Its high speeds made it very hard to intercept, though, like the Me 262, Allied pilots eventually figured to catch them just as they came in to land at their airfields, or were just taking off. The most notable use of this jet in the bomber role was in bombing the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, attacking it with 1,000 kg bombs between 7 and 17 March, when it collapsed (due to the stress from constant attempts to destroy the bridge, not just the Ar 234s’ bombing).
Several variants were made, with different engine configurations and armaments, even several night fighter versions, but as with the other ingenious German weapons that were introduced in the closing years of WWII, the Ar 234, though well engineered, came in too little quantities, and too late. Only one example survives today, as a museum piece at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre in the US.
Though short, I hope reading this writeup has been as enjoyable for you as it has been for me to revisit what I know. Of course, with the less detailed research for this sort of articles, mistakes and gaps in knowledge are bound to pop up everywhere. All comments and corrections are welcome!
Codex : Omnibus 