R.A.F. and Luftwaffe airfields WWII

[Ratch]

What differences and similarities were there between operational airfields of the main adversaries during the Battle of Britain and the ensuing years?

For example - bicycles were a popular mode of transport on British airfields, was it the same on German (captured/operated) airfields? 

Did the Luftwaffe use starters similar to those used by the RAF?

We sometimes see Erks with bats controlling the movement or directing aircraft. Did the Luftwaffe use a similar system?

I'm sure other things will cross my mind, in the meantime I hope you guys can help with these enquiries.

TIA

[Heather Kay]

From what I've gleaned from studying photos in reference books for years...

 

Bikes - yes. 

I know a lot of German planes used inertial starters, which involved a couple of chaps winding a big handle stuck in the side of the plane to spin up a flywheel to turn over engines. I'm sure there must have been battery starters as well, but they're not obvious from photos.

Can't answer for ground control. There would usually have been a man on each wing tip when the aircraft was taxiing, but I don't know about directing with the bats.

[Ratch]

Did the Luftwaffe carry out photo-reconnaissance missions? if so, which aircraft performed this role?

[Ratch]

Thanks @Heather Kay most of the photos I've seen don't show the run-of-the-mill operations. I suppose the photographers thought the pilots (and their aircraft) were much more interesting 

[Heather Kay]

The Germans seem to have been keen photographers of most activities, but not all the results end up being published. As you can imagine, I spend an inordinate amount of time peering closely at grainy photos, attempting to work out what's going on in the background. 

 

In answer to your question about reconnaissance photography, they did a lot. There were specific aircraft that carried massive cameras, such as the Dornier Do17P and Junkers Ju86R, which flew at extreme altitudes. Equally, every aircraft with more than one crew member could be used for photo recon, with the observer or rear gunner pointing a camera over the side.

[Ratch]

3 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

There were specific aircraft that carried massive cameras, such as the Dornier Do17P and Junkers Ju86R, which flew at extreme altitudes. Equally, every aircraft with more than one crew member could be used for photo recon, with the observer or rear gunner pointing a camera over the side.

Excellent, thanks again.

[Heather Kay]

[Ratch]

Did women serve in the maintenance role on front line airfields?

[Black Knight]

Not in France 1939 - 1940 but certainly from about April/May 1940 on the home front, then not in France after D-Day nor in the Middle East, CBI nor the Pacific but some did on Malta during its seige

 

[Ratch]

Thanks Fred, I didn't expect they would.

[fightersweep]

Looking at a lot of photos from the 1940 period, I get the impression that a lot of the airfields that the Luftwaffe operated from had a more "rustic" feel than their RAF counterparts. More in the field repairs, temporary hangars, lots of tents etc. Generally a more temporary feel and lots of "roughing it".

 

Regarding marshalling bats: I've seen footage and photos of Luftwaffe ground crews using what looks like batons and also flags to marshal. Not sure if I've seen bats being used, but then again, most photos I've seen from both sides generally use good old fashioned hand signals more.

 

Cheers!

Steve

[Ratch]

Cheers Steve, yes we do see mainly images of the Luftwaffe operating from fields. The RAF did too, living in tents, small huts for Watch Offices etc. I guess that early in the war (before '43) airfields were more like the small flying clubs that flew from small fields like Sywell near me - at least for fighter operations. Bigger airfields with hangars were probably allocated to bomber units. In this country many airfields were constructed. Did the Luftwaffe undertake a similar programme or were they harried so much they didn't have the opportunity to develop that way?