“...so they had to tow the Zeros by horse to an airstrip something...”
I’ve seen but cannot find the image, of one of the WWII German jet/rocket aircraft being towed around its airfield by a team of oxen due to the fuel shortages.
Just saw a Mark Felton 10 minute docu on the escapes from Berlin prior to the hitler’s joint suicides. All the different aircraft and the assignments given to individuals on them.
The particular aircraft which contained zinc lined fire protected boxes of hitler’s transcribed “memoirs” (these boxes put in the charge of his personal secretary, Schaub who, along with other duties on other locations of hitler’s “papers went to the Berghof to burn papers as well as to hitler’s munich apartment for the same). Had engine trouble, having left Berlin and landed somewhere for repair, and then was towed by oxen to the runway for takeoff (there being no fuel for aircraft tow tractors remaining). The petrol destruction by allies had a lot to do with all of their escapes. The plane with the 3 zinc boxes crashed, burned killing all aboard— and the papers-— “disappeared”.
Mark Felton— hitler’s lost secret papers-— 23 minutes fairly interesting, the segment on the oxen towing begins at 6:55 timehack— about the JU-352 leaving Berlin at 2 AM on April 21 continues on the operation until the crash with the boxes (tediously info laden, but well done. Crash site was raided by locals for souvenirs. The SS came for the boxes or so it is said). Anyway— oxen towed planes in Berlin....