Posted on 04/08/2014 5:03:40 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
"In Occupied Poland... The Germans begin long-distance cargo flights between Polish airfields and Manchuria during which Ju290A-9 transport aircraft, with sufficient fuel for a 5500 mile flight, travel at altitudes of up to 38,000 feet to cross the Soviet Union without detection."
Did the Germans actually fly to Manchuria? I always thought the Japanese wouldn't allow such flights in order to not upset the Russians.
I knew of the Lufthansa Fw Condor flights to South America, but I’d never heard of the Ju 290 China flights having occurred.
The Soviets were punctilious about interning American flyers and planes that laneded in Siberia. I would assume the Japanese would be inclined to reciprocate as neither of those two countries wanted a war at this point. However, I will point out that German submarines and surface raiders were given access to Japanese ports and allowed to return to combat. The whole diplomatic web was somewhat complicated during the war.
Checking various websites that addressed this question, the consensus seems to be that there are no records of these flights in the German archives, and therefore none of the flights actually took place.
That's also been my understanding.
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