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Originally Posted by perseus Interesting question MontyB.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_290
three Ju 290s, carrying extra fuel tanks, made a non-stop flight to Manchuria to exchange technical data with the Japanese. They returned with rare metals needed by Germany for special alloys.
I vaguely recall a report of a trip in the latter stages of the war between Norway and Japan over the pole but perhaps this is another 'story'. | Yep apparently there were several planned attempts by Germany but all were effectively torpedoed by either war related problems or the Japanese not wishing to cause problems with Russia. http://www.comandosupremo.com/Triumph.html
Certainly KG200 was in the process of being equipped for such flights in 1944 but it is not reported that the aircraft were available by the end of the war.
Further to this Albert Speer noted in his own memoirs that flights to Japan ("Manchuria") were flown by civil test pilots and not millitary crews but Wolf Baumgart who flew with KG200 said that flights to Japan, Manchuria were discussed but never flown.
This was from "KG-200 The Luftwaffe Most Secret Unit" by Geofrey Thomas and Barry Ketley
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Last edited by MontyB; January 5th, 2008 at 23:33.
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