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Arado Ar 196

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Ar 196
LuftwaffeArado Ar 196A-2 (OU+AR) taxiing
Role Reconnaissance
Manufacturer Arado
Designer Walter Blume
First flight May1937
Introduction November,1938
Primary users Kriegsmarine
Bulgarian Air Force
Finnish Air Force
Produced 1938–44
Number built 541

TheArado Ar 196was a shipboardreconnaissancelow-wingmonoplaneaircraft designed and produced by theGermanaircraft manufacturerArado.It was the standardobservation floatplaneof theKriegsmarine(German Navy) throughout theSecond World War,and was the only German seaplane to serve throughout the conflict.[1]

The Ar 196 was designed in response to the Kriegsmarine's requirement to replace theHeinkel He 60biplaneafter the intended successor, theHe 114,had proved to be unsatisfactory. Arado submitted a monoplane design to theReichsluftfahrtministerium(German Air Ministry, RLM) while all competing bids were for biplanes; the RLM decided to order four prototypes of the Ar 196 in late 1936. Testing of these prototypes during late 1937 revealed their favourable performance characteristics, leading to production being authorised and formal service tests commencing in the opening weeks of 1939. Starting in November 1939, production switched to the heavier land-based Ar 196 A-2 model; it would be followed by several more models until production of the type was terminated during August 1944.

Allcapital shipsof the Kriegsmarine were equipped with Ar 196s. The aircraft was commonly used by numerous coastal squadrons, and as such continued to perform reconnaissance missions andsubmarinehunts into late 1944 across theMediterranean,Aegean,andBlack Seas.Perhaps their most noteworthy engagement was the involvement of two Ar 196s in the detection and capture ofHMSSeal.[2]In addition to Germany, the Ar 196 was exported to theBulgarian Air Force.Numerous examples were captured by theAllies,some of which were operated as late as 1955. Several Ar 196s have survived through to the twenty-first century, preserved for static display; none are known to be in an airworthy condition.

Design and development

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Background

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In 1933, theKriegsmarinelooked for a standardized shipboardobservation floatplane.After a brief selection period, theReichsluftfahrtministerium(German Air Ministry, RLM) decided on theHeinkel He 60biplane.This was one of a line of developments of a basic biplaneairframethat appeared as a number offloatplanes,trainers,andfighters.Deliveries started in a matter of months.[3]

By early 1935, it was determined that the He 60's performance was lacking,[4]thus the RLM requested that Heinkel design a replacement aircraft, resulting in theHe 114.The firstprototypewas powered by theDaimler-Benz DB 600inline engine,but it was clear that supplies of this engine would be limited and the production versions turned to theBMW 132radial engineinstead. However, the aircraft proved to have only slightly better performance than the He 60 while its sea-handling was deemed to be poor and it did not meet strength requirements forcatapultlaunches.[5]Rushed modifications resulted in a series of nineprototypesin an attempt to solve some of the problems, but they did not help much.[6]The Navy gave up, and the planes were eventually sold off toRomania,SpainandSweden.

Submission and selection

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During October 1936, the RLM requested for a He 114 replacement; the corresponding specification stipulated that the aircraft would use the BMW 132, and requested prototypes in both twin-float and single-float configurations.[5][6]Responses were received fromDornier,Gotha,Arado andFocke-Wulf.Heinkel declined totender,contending that the He 114 could still be made to work.[7]With the exception of the Arado low-wing monoplane design, all submissions received were conventional biplanes. The Ar 196 was a semi-cantileverlow-wing aircraft.[8]The design of its fuselage was reminiscent of theArado Ar 95maritime patrol biplane. The wings and forward fuselage were metal skinned, while afabriccovering was used for theempennageand rear fuselage.[8]Hydronalium,analloyknown for its resistance tocorrosionin maritime environments, was extensively used throughout the aircraft The interior space of the floats was used to house fuel.[9]

Deeming Arado's submission to be the most modern and capable aircraft, the RLM placed an initial order for four prototypes.[7]These prototypes included a seaplane configured for catapult launches and stressed to performdiving bombingattacks.[5]The RLM was conservative by nature, thus they also ordered two of theFocke-Wulf Fw 62designs as a backup measure. It quickly became clear that the Arado was performing effectively,[5]while also being easier to manufacture,[10]as such, only four prototypes of the Fw 62 were built.[citation needed]

Into flight

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On 1 June 1937, the first prototype,Ar 196 V1,performed itsmaiden flightfrom thePlauer See.[10]Once its use in the flight test programme had been completed, Arado begun rebuilding V1 with the intention of attempting to set a newair speed recordin its category; alterations included the installation of a more powerfulBMW 132SAradial engine, a new low-profile canopy, and various aerodynamic refinements to the airframe. However, the RLM learnt of the intention and forbade Arado from proceeding on the grounds of maintaining military secrecy.[9]

All of the prototypes were delivered by the end of summer 1937, V1 and V2 with twin floats as A models, and V3 and V4 on a single float as B models. By the end of the year, all four were participating in flight testing. Testing revealed that, in comparison to the Fw 62, the Ar 196 was the superior aircraft, possessing lighter handling qualities, higher loading, a more rugged design, and better flight characteristics.[8]Both versions demonstrated excellent water handling and there seemed to be little to decide, one over the other. It was noted that the twin-float version exerted greater stress upon the wings,[11]yet, since there was a possibility of the smaller outrigger floats on the B models "digging in", the twin-float A model was ordered into production. Nevertheless, the two different float arrangements were designed to be interchangeable, along with cushioned iceskis.[11][12]A single additional prototype, V5, was produced in November 1938 to test final changes.

Ten A-0s were delivered in November and December 1938, permitting service tests to commence in the opening weeks of 1939.[11]These aircraft were provisioned with a single 7.92 mm (.312 in)MG 15 machine gunat the rear seat for defence. Five similarly equipped B-0s were also delivered to land-based squadrons, which were promptly followed by 20 A-1 production models starting in June 1939, which were deemed to be sufficient to equip the surface fleet.[13]While production had fallen behind schedule by mid-1939, the programme was considered to be back on schedule by the end of the year.[13]

Further development

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Starting in November 1939, production switched to the heavier land-based A-2 model. Intended for the coastal patrol role, it added shackles for the carriage of two 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, two 20 mmMG FF cannonin the wings, and a 7.92 mm (.312 in)MG 17 machine gunin thecowling.[14]Armament had not been addressed by the original specification for the aircraft, thus early production aircraft had been outfitted largely foraerial reconnaissancemissions, particularly for the detection of enemysubmarines.The addition of various weapons was a result of operational experiences where the aircraft had encountered enemies and found the absence of such armaments to be less than satisfying.[14]

A small series of fifteen A-4 models commenced production in December 1940.[1]Intended to be exclusively operated from the Kriegsmarine'scapital ships,changes involved the strengthening of the airframe, the addition of anotherradio,and substitutingpropellersto aVDMmodel. The land-based A-3, which had additional strengthening of the airframe, was produced from the end of 1940 to autumn 1941. The final production version was the A-5 from late 1941, which changed radios andcockpitinstruments,switched the rear gun to the much-improvedMG 81Zwith 2000 rounds of ammunition, retrofitted the existing cannon to theMG FF/Mwith extended 90 round magazines, added armour protection for the pilot and observer and strengthened the airframe. The A-5 also upgraded engine type to BMW 132W.[15][1]

To increase the rate of production to meet wartime demands, alicense to producethe Ar 196 was arranged for the French aircraft manufacturerSNCASO;by 1942, 30 such aircraft were under construction by the company.[1]However, the quality of these aircraft was less than that of their German-built counterparts, which was believed to be due to the reluctance of SNCASO's French workforce.[16]Arado also adjusted their own manufacturing arrangements, intentionally decentralising and dispersing work wherever possible to minimise the impact ofstrategic bombing.[16]During 1940, Arado proposed an aerodynamically-refined model, referred to as theAr 196C.Changes included the adoption of larger dual floats, which were to offset its greater all-up weight. While testing commenced in Hamburg and production was at one point scheduled to commence in 1942, quantity production of the Ar 196C never occurred.[1]

By the end of production in August 1944, a total of 541 Ar 196s (15 prototypes and 526 production models) had been constructed, about 100 of these being produced at SNCASO andFokkerplants.[citation needed]

Operational history

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An Ar 196 on board the GermancruiserAdmiral Hipper

During the war they served under Bordfliegergruppe (Ship Aviation Group) 196 and with seven SAGr (Seeaufklärungsgruppen/Naval Reconnaissance Groups),KG 100andKG 200,and Küstenfliegergruppe 706, from operational bases i virtually every European, Mediterranean and Balkan theatre of operation.[17] Allcapital shipsof the Kriegsmarine were equipped with Ar 196s:

  • TheBismarck-class battleshipsBismarckandTirpitzeach carried four Ar 196s. TheBismarckhad a very short operational career, the ship was lost during its first operationRheinübungand did not have a chance to operate its aircraft. During the final stages of the operation, whenBismarckwas surrounded by British forces close to the Atlantic coast of France, it was tried to launch an Ar 196 to bring the ships war diary and other reports to France. Only then it was discovered that the catapult was out of order because of battle damage sustained in theBattle of the Denmark Straitand thus the aircraft could not be launched.[18]TheTirpitzused one of her Ar 196s duringOperation Sportpalastwith limited success to attack shadowing British scout planes.[19]
  • TheScharnhorst-class battleshipsScharnhorstandGneisenauinitially had two catapults and three Ar 196s. Both ships operated together during the early stages of the war. DuringOperation Weserübungone ofScharnhorst'sAr 196s was launched at extreme range to Norway in order to convey reports and orders when the German ships had to keep radio silence at a crucial stage of the operation.[20]Similarly, one ofGneisenau'sArados brought reports to Norway after a first failed breakthrough attempt duringOperation Berlin.[21]
  • TheDeutschland-class cruisersDeutschland,Admiral ScheerandAdmiral Graf Speewere allocated two aircraft each, but during operations carried only one aircraft which was positioned on the catapult. These ships did not have an aircraft hangar.Admiral Graf Speeput its Ar 196 to good use during its raid on merchant shipping in the South Atlantic at the opening stage of the war.[22]The Ar 196 detected on 11 September the British heavy cruiserHMSCumberlandin time to avoid confrontation, and the airplane scouted successfully for British ships. But the aircraft broke down just before theBattle of the River Plateand was not able to warnAdmiral Graf Speeof a patrolling British force, which eventually led to her scuttling atMontevideo.[23]
  • TheAdmiral Hipper-class cruisersAdmiral Hipper,BlücherandPrinz Eugenwere equipped with one catapult and three Ar 196s.

The Ar 196 was a popular aircraft amongst pilots, who commonly found that it handled well both in the air and on the water.[citation needed]The aircraft became a staple of coastal squadrons, and as such continued to fly reconnaissance missions andsubmarinehunts into late 1944 across various theatres, including theMediterranean,Aegean,andBlack Seas.

The Ar 196 was involved in two particularly notable operations, these being the capture ofHMSSeal[24]and the interception ofRoyal Air ForceArmstrong-Whitworth Whitleybombers. Although it was no match for a fighter, the aircraft was considerably better than itsAlliedcounterparts and generally considered the best of its class.[citation needed]Despite this, it was apparent that floatplanes were at a disadvantage to most modern land-based aircraft.[16]Owing to its good handling on water, theFinnish Air Forceused Ar 196 A-3s which were later upgraded to A-5s in mid-1944 for reconnaissance as well as supply runs, several troops could fit inside its fuselage.[citation needed]

Two Ar 196s were brought toPenanginJapanese-occupied Malaya.In March 1944, along with a JapaneseAichi E13A,these floatplanes formed the new East Asia Naval Special Service to assist both the GermanMonsun Gruppeand Japanese naval forces in the area. The aircraft were painted in Japanese livery and were operated by Luftwaffe pilots under the command of Oberleutnant Ulrich Horn.[25][unreliable source?][26]On 18 February 1944, one of these Arados rescued thirtheen survivors of the German submarineUIT-23,by transferring them on its floats in several trips.[27]

Ar 196s in Allied hands

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One ofAdmiral Hipper's three Arado Ar 196 floatplanes being launched in 1942

The first Ar 196 to be captured by the Allies was an example belonging to the GermancruiserAdmiral Hipper,which was captured inLyngstad,Eide,by aNorwegianMarinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M.F.11floatplane of theTrøndelagnaval district on 8 April 1940, at the dawn of theNorwegian Campaign.After being towed toKristiansundby the torpedo boat HNoMSSild,it was used against its former owners, flying with Norwegian markings.[28]At 03:30 on 18 April, the Ar 196 was evacuated to theUKby aRoyal Norwegian Navy Air Servicepilot. The aircraft was shortly thereafter crashed by a British pilot while on transit to theHelensburghnaval air base for testing.[29]At the end of the conflict, at least one Ar 196 was left at a Norwegian airfield; it was kept in use as aliaison aircraftby theRoyal Norwegian Air Forcefor roughly one year on the west coast.[citation needed]

During 1944–1945, Soviet forces captured many Arados along the Baltic coast of Poland and Germany. AtDassow,a spare parts depot was recovered also. After repairs, thirty-seven Ar 196s were fitted with Soviet radio equipment and were integrated into the aviation element of theSoviet Border Guard.These were operated in the Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific coastal areas, serving until as late as 1955.[30]One Soviet 196 was re-engined with aShvetsov ASh-62,in case of shortages of the BMW 132, but these shortages did not occur, and no more Ar 196s were re-engined.[31]

Operators

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Arado AR196 naval reconnaissance floatplane in the collection of the Bulgarian Air Force Museum at the airport in Plovdiv
Bulgaria
Finland
Germany
Norway– (captured)
Soviet Union

Aircraft on display

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Ar 196 A-5 (originally A-3)Werknummer196 0219
An aircraft operated by theBulgarian Air Forceis displayed at the Museum of Aviation,Plovdiv,Bulgaria.
Ar 196 A-5,Werknummer623 167
An aircraft that formerly equipped the German cruiserPrinz Eugenis in storage at thePaul Garber Facilityof the Smithsonian'sNational Air and Space Museum,and awaiting restoration.[32]
Ar 196 A-5,Werknummer623 183
Another aircraft from thePrinz Eugenwas displayed from 1949 to 1995 at theNaval Air StationWillow Grove, Pennsylvaniaand subsequently transferred to theNational Naval Aviation MuseumatNaval Air Station Pensacola,Florida. The upper fuselage and canopy were damaged during transit, and it remained in storage awaiting restoration. In December 2012, it was packed into containers and shipped toNordholz,Germany. Restoration began in August 2013, in time for that city's celebration for 100 years of German naval aviation. The plane, on long term loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum, will eventually be displayed at the Naval Air Wing 3 (Marinefliegergeschwader 3) headquarters atNordholz Naval Airbase.[33][34]
Arado Ar 196 A-2Werknummer196 0046 or 196 0048

TheAircraft Historical Museum,Sola,Norway, has on display an Ar 196 A-2 fuselage frame raised from the wreck of theGerman cruiser BlücherinOslofjord.

Another aircraft is known to lie in theJonsvatnet,a lake nearTrondheimin Norway. A number of wartime German aircraft have been recovered from the lake, but the Ar 196 remains undisturbed as its crew were killed when it crashed there in 1940 and it has the status of awar grave.

A wrecked Ar 196 A-3, believed to be D1 + EH, was snagged by a fishing trawler off the island ofIrakleiain 1982 at a depth of 91 meters. It was towed out of the fishing lanes to shallower waters (about 11 meters). The upside-down plane, with fuselage and wings mostly intact, has become a popular spot forscuba diving.[35]

Specifications (Ar 196 A-5)

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An Arado Ar 196, bearing the squadron markings of the reconnaissance unit assigned to thebattleshipBismarck.

Data fromArado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane,[36]Arado, History of an Aircraft Company[37]

General characteristics

  • Crew:two (pilot and observer)
  • Length:11 m (36 ft 1 in)
  • Wingspan:12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
  • Height:4.45 m (14 ft 7 in)
  • Wing area:28.4 m2(306 sq ft)
  • Empty weight:2,990 kg (6,592 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight:3,720 kg (8,201 lb)
  • Powerplant:1 ×BMW 132W nine-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 782 kW (1,050 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed:332 km/h (206 mph, 179 kn)
  • Range:1,080 km (670 mi, 580 nmi)
  • Service ceiling:7,010 m (23,000 ft)
  • Rate of climb:6 m/s (1,200 ft/min)
  • Wing loading:98.2 kg/m2(20.1 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass:0.235 kW/kg ( 0.143 hp/lb)

Armament

See also

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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

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Citations

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  1. ^abcdeKranzhoff 1997, p. 84.
  2. ^Bekker. 1964 p. 91.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^de Jong 2021, pp. 6-7.
  4. ^de Jong 2021, pp. 7-8.
  5. ^abcdKranzhoff 1997, p. 81.
  6. ^abde Jong 2021, pp. 8-9.
  7. ^abde Jong 2021, p. 9.
  8. ^abcKranzhoff 1997, pp. 81-82.
  9. ^abde Jong 2021, p. 10.
  10. ^abde Jong 2021, pp. 9-10.
  11. ^abcKranzhoff 1997, p. 82.
  12. ^de Jong 2021, pp. 10-11.
  13. ^abKranzhoff 1997, p. 83.
  14. ^abKranzhoff 1997, pp. 83-84.
  15. ^Dabrowski 1997,[page needed].
  16. ^abcde Jong 2021, p. 13.
  17. ^Munson 1978,p. 21.
  18. ^Müllenheim-Rechberg 1980,pp. 148–149.
  19. ^Kemp 1998,p. 34.
  20. ^Bredemeier 1997,pp. 58–60.
  21. ^Bredemeier 1997,pp. 100–101.
  22. ^de Jong 2021, pp. 16-18.
  23. ^Stephen 1988,pp. 11–16.
  24. ^Munson 1960,p. 12.
  25. ^Horst H. Geerken (9 June 2017).Hitler's Asian Adventure.BoD – Books on Demand. pp. 375–376.ISBN978-3-7386-3013-8.
  26. ^Brennecke 1996,p. 308.
  27. ^Brennecke 1996,p. 342.
  28. ^Sivertsen 1999, pp. 105, 115–122.
  29. ^Sivertsen 1999, p. 122.
  30. ^Kotelnikov, V.Stalin's Captivesarticle in Fly Past magazine, February 2017, pp. 102-104.
  31. ^de Jong 2021, p. 88.
  32. ^"Arado Ar 196 A-5".Smithsonian: National Air and Space Museum: Arado Ar 196. Archived fromthe originalon 11 November 2013.
  33. ^HCWinters (12 June 2013)."USA leihen Arado an das MFG aus".Cuxhavener Nachrichten. Archived fromthe originalon 14 February 2015.Retrieved13 February2015.
  34. ^"Kriegsflugzeug kehrt nach Deutschland zurück".Die Welt.12 June 2013.Retrieved13 February2015.
  35. ^Bardanis, Manolis; Lino, von Garzten."Die Geschichte der Arado 196 von Herakleaia"(PDF).naxosdiving.Naxos Diving. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 14 February 2015.Retrieved13 February2015.
  36. ^Dabrowski 1997,[page needed].
  37. ^Kranzhoff 1997, p. 85.

Bibliography

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  • Bredemeier, Heinrich (1997).Schlachtschiff Scharnhorst(in German) (5th ed.). Hamburg, Germany: Koehler.ISBN3-7822-0592-8.
  • Brennecke, Jochen (1996).Jäger-Gejagte. Deutsche U-Boote 1939-1945(in German) (5th ed.). München: Wilhel Heyne Verlag.ISBN3-453-02356-0.
  • Dabrowski, Hans-Peter; Koos, Volker (1997).Arado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane.Atglen, Pennsylvania, US:Schiffer Publishing.ISBN0-88740-481-2.
  • de Jong, Peter (2021).Arado Ar 196 Units in Combat.Bloomsbury.ISBN978-1-47284-497-2.
  • Kemp, Paul (1998).The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Conflict Sea Warfare.London, UK: Arms and Armour.ISBN978-1-85409-221-2.
  • Kranzhoff, Jörg Armin (1997).Arado, History of an Aircraft Company.Atglen, Pennsylvania, US: Schiffer Books.ISBN0-7643-0293-0.
  • Ledwoch, Janusz (1997).Arado 196 (Militaria 53)(in Polish). Warszawa, Poland: Wydawnictwo Militaria.ISBN83-86209-87-9.
  • Müllenheim-Rechberg, Burkhard von (1980).De ondergang van de Bismarck(in Dutch). De Boer Maritiem.ISBN90-228-1836-5.
  • Munson, Kenneth (1960).Enemy Aircraft (German and Italian) of World War II.London, UK: Ian Allan Ltd.
  • Munson, Kenneth (1978).German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour.Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press.ISBN0-7137-0860-3.
  • Sivertsen, Svein Carl, ed. (1999).Jageren Sleipner i Romsdalsfjord sjøforsvarsdistrikt April 1940(in Norwegian). Hundvåg, Norway: Sjømilitære Samfund ved Norsk Tidsskrift for Sjøvesen.
  • Stephen, Martin (1988). Grove, Eric (ed.).Sea Battles in close-up: World War 2.London, UK: Ian Allan ltd.ISBN0-7110-1596-1.
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