Kdo. Bisping

Sonderkommando Bisping

AKA: Erprobungskommando Ar 234

On 12.12.1944, the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe organised the establishment of two jet nightfighter Kommandos at Oranienburg – Welter (Me 262) and Bisping (Ar 234). The intention was that Lt Kurt Welter’s command would be equipped with three Me 262s and that of Hptm. Joseph Bisping should also have an equal complement of Ar 234 nightfighters.

Raised as an experimental nightfighter unit in late 1944 using the Ar 234B, after Kurt Welter had tested both the Ar 234 and the Me 262 and recommended that the Ar 234 was not suitable for nightfighting.

IBetween the 11th and 17th of December 1944 two flights in Ar 234B-2/N 140145 took place to test onboard systems. This machine is not reported again until another flight of barely 15 minutes duration followed in the middle of January 1945.

Commanded by Hauptmann Josef Bisping until his death in a take-off accident on 13 Feb 1945.

Command of this experimental unit then passed to Kurt Bonow (see Kdo. Bonow)

Ar 234B-2/N (Wkr Nr 140 145) SM+FE Taken on charge by Kdo Bisping at an unknown date, crashed 13 Feb 1945 (Hptm Bisping and Hptm Vogl). This crash was during a night take-off and the cause was later identified as a servicing error. (According to a statement made by Hptm. Bonow.)

References

German Jet Aces of World War 2 - Hugh Morgan and John Weal - Osprey 1998

Strahlflugzeug Arado 234 “Blitz” - Manfred Griehl - Motorbuch Verlag 2003)

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