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|status=
|status=
|primary user=''[[Luftwaffe]]''
|primary user=''[[Luftwaffe]]''
|more users=[[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa]]<br/>[[Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul|Syndicato Condor]]
|more users=[[Deutsche Luft Hansa]]<br/>[[Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul|Syndicato Condor]]
|produced= 1937 - 1944
|produced= 1937 - 1944
|number built= 276
|number built= 276
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==Design and development==
==Design and development==
The Fw 200 resulted from a proposal by [[Kurt Tank]] of [[Focke-Wulf]] to Dr. Rudolf Stuessel of [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa]] to develop a landplane to carry passengers across the Atlantic Ocean to the US.<ref name="Seifert">Karl-Dieter Seifert "Der Deutsche Luftverkehr 1926 - 1945" Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1996 {{ISBN|3-7637-6118-7}} (in German) p. 303-304</ref> At the time, it was an unusual concept because airlines used [[seaplanes]] on long over-water routes. To fly long distances economically, the Fw 200 was designed to cruise at an altitude of over {{cvt|3000|m}} - as high as possible without a [[pressurized cabin]]. Existing airliners were designed to cruise at altitudes below {{cvt|1500|m}}. The Fw 200 was briefly the world's most modern airliner, until other high-altitude airliners started operating: the [[Boeing 307 Stratoliner]] in 1940 and the [[Douglas DC-4]] in 1942. The designation "Condor" was chosen because, like the [[condor]] bird, the Fw 200 had a very long wingspan relative to other planes of its era, to facilitate then high-altitude flight.
The Fw 200 resulted from a proposal by [[Kurt Tank]] of [[Focke-Wulf]] to Dr. Rudolf Stuessel of [[Deutsche Luft Hansa]] to develop a landplane to carry passengers across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the US.<ref name="Seifert">Karl-Dieter Seifert "Der Deutsche Luftverkehr 1926 - 1945" Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1996 {{ISBN|3-7637-6118-7}} (in German) p. 303-304</ref> At the time, it was an unusual concept because airlines used [[seaplanes]] on long over-water routes. To fly long distances economically, the Fw 200 was designed to cruise at an altitude of over {{cvt|3000|m}} - as high as possible without a [[pressurized cabin]]. Existing airliners were designed to cruise at altitudes below {{cvt|1500|m}}. The Fw 200 was briefly the world's most modern airliner, until other high-altitude airliners started operating: the [[Boeing 307 Stratoliner]] in 1940 and the [[Douglas DC-4]] in 1942. The designation "Condor" was chosen because, like the [[condor]] bird, the Fw 200 had a very long wingspan compared to other planes of its era, to facilitate high-altitude flight.


Deutsche Lufthansa issued a specification in June 1936 after discussions between Tank, Stüssel and [[Carl August von Gablenz]]. The plane was designed by Ludwig Mittelhuber with Wilhelm Bansemir as project director. The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, made its first flight after just over one year of development on 27 July 1937 with Tank at the controls. It was an all-metal, four-engined [[monoplane]] powered by four American {{cvt|875|hp|order=flip}} [[Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet|Pratt & Whitney Hornet]] [[radial engine]]s, and intended to carry 26 passengers in two cabins for up to {{cvt|3000|km}}. Two further prototypes were powered by German {{cvt|720|hp|order=flip}} [[BMW 132|BMW 132G-1]] radials.<ref name="Mondey">"Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II" Compiler: David Mondey, Temple Press Aerospace 1984 {{ISBN|0 600 35027 4}} p. 73-74</ref>
Deutsche Luft Hansa issued a specification in June 1936 after discussions between Tank, Stüssel and [[Carl August von Gablenz]]. The plane was designed by Ludwig Mittelhuber with Wilhelm Bansemir as project director. The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, made its first flight after just over one year of development on 27 July 1937 with Tank at the controls. It was an all-metal, four-engined [[monoplane]] powered by four American {{cvt|875|hp|order=flip}} [[Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet|Pratt & Whitney Hornet]] [[radial engine]]s, and intended to carry 26 passengers in two cabins for up to {{cvt|3000|km}}. Two further prototypes were powered by German {{cvt|720|hp|order=flip}} [[BMW 132|BMW 132G-1]] radials.<ref name="Mondey">"Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II" Compiler: David Mondey, Temple Press Aerospace 1984 {{ISBN|0 600 35027 4}} p. 73-74</ref>


The [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese Navy]] requested a military version of the Fw 200 for search and patrol duties, so Tank designed the Fw 200 V10 with military equipment. This Fw 200 was held in Germany because war had broken out in Europe by that time. This aircraft became the basis for all later military models used by the ''[[Luftwaffe]]''.
The [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese Navy]] requested a military version of the Fw 200 for search and patrol duties, so Tank designed the Fw 200 V10 with military equipment. This Fw 200 was held in Germany because war had broken out in Europe by that time. This aircraft became the basis for all later military models used by the ''[[Luftwaffe]]''.
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==Operational history==
==Operational history==
[[File:Focke-Wulf FW B 200 Condor.jpg|thumb|right|Focke-Wulf Fw 200 B ''Condor'' of [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa]] (Model)]]
[[File:Focke-Wulf FW B 200 Condor.jpg|thumb|right|Focke-Wulf Fw 200 B ''Condor'' of [[Deutsche Luft Hansa]] (Model)]]
[[File:Fortepan 163910.jpg|thumb|Fw 200 D-2, export version of B-2 variant, ordered but not delivered to Dai Nippon Kabushiki Kaisha. Later operated by Lufthansa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/VargaFerenc/10576.htm|title=Focke-Wulf Fw 200 D-2b|website=1000aircraftphotos.com}}</ref> [[Budaörs Airport]], 1938 (?) ]]
[[File:Fortepan 163910.jpg|thumb|Fw 200 D-2, export version of B-2 variant, ordered but not delivered to Dai Nippon Kabushiki Kaisha. Later operated by Luft Hansa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/VargaFerenc/10576.htm|title=Focke-Wulf Fw 200 D-2b|website=1000aircraftphotos.com}}</ref> [[Budaörs Airport]], 1938 (?) ]]
[[File:Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Dania.jpg|thumb|right|Danish Fw 200 airliner ''Dania'' at [[Oslo Airport, Fornebu|Fornebu Airport]] in Norway in 1939, with early single-wheel main gear.]]
[[File:Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Dania.jpg|thumb|right|Danish Fw 200 airliner ''Dania'' at [[Oslo Airport, Fornebu|Fornebu Airport]] in Norway in 1939, with early single-wheel main gear.]]
The Fw 200 was operated by [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa]], [[Det Danske Luftfartselskab|DDL]] and Lufthansa's Brazilian subsidiary [[Syndicato Condor]].<ref name="Mondey" /> [[Imperial Japanese Airways|Dai Nippon KK]] of Japan also ordered Fw 200 airliners. These could not be delivered to Japan once the war began, so they were delivered to Deutsche Lufthansa instead.<ref name="Mondey" /> On 14 April 1945 an Fw 200 flew Lufthansa's last scheduled service before the end of World War II, from Barcelona to Berlin.<ref name="Mondey" /> Other airlines continued to operate the Fw 200 after the end of World War II.
The Fw 200 was operated by Deutsche Luft Hansa, [[Det Danske Luftfartselskab|DDL]] and Luft Hansa's Brazilian subsidiary [[Syndicato Condor]].<ref name="Mondey" /> [[Imperial Japanese Airways|Dai Nippon KK]] of Japan also ordered Fw 200 airliners. These could not be delivered to Japan once the war began, so they were delivered to Deutsche Luft Hansa instead.<ref name="Mondey" /> On 14 April 1945 an Fw 200 flew Luft Hansa's last scheduled service before the end of World War II, from [[Barcelona]] to [[Berlin]].<ref name="Mondey" /> Other airlines continued to operate the Fw 200 after the end of World War II.


The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, upgraded with extra fuel tanks and redesignated Fw 200 S-1, made several record flights. It was the first heavier-than-air craft to fly nonstop between [[Berlin]] and [[New York City]], about {{convert|4000|mi}}, making the flight from [[Berlin-Staaken]] to [[Floyd Bennett Field]] on 10/11 August 1938 in 24 hours and 56 minutes.<ref name="Seifert" /> The return trip on 13 August 1938 took 19 hours and 47 minutes.<ref name="Mondey" /> These flights are commemorated with a plaque in [[Böttcherstraße]], a street in [[Bremen]]. Beginning on 28 November 1938 it flew from Berlin to Tokyo via Basra, Karachi and Hanoi.<ref name="Mondey" />
The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, upgraded with extra fuel tanks and redesignated Fw 200 S-1, made several record flights. It was the first heavier-than-air craft to fly nonstop between Berlin and [[New York City]], about {{convert|4000|mi}}, making the flight from [[Berlin-Staaken]] to [[Floyd Bennett Field]] on 10/11 August 1938 in 24 hours and 56 minutes.<ref name="Seifert" /> The return trip on 13 August 1938 took 19 hours and 47 minutes.<ref name="Mondey" /> These flights are commemorated with a plaque in [[Böttcherstraße]], a street in [[Bremen]]. Beginning on 28 November 1938 it flew from [[Berlin]] to [[Tokyo]] via [[Basra]], [[Karachi]] and [[Hanoi]].<ref name="Mondey" />


The German Foreign Minister, [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]], used a specially outfitted Condor "Grenzmark", on his two flights to Moscow in 1939, during which he negotiated and signed the "Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union", better known as the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]]. His aircraft bore the German civil registration of D-ACVH.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCQW5c_gMaE|title=Joachim von Ribbentrop in Moscow 1939|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
The German Foreign Minister, [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]], used a specially outfitted Condor "Grenzmark", on his two flights to Moscow in 1939, during which he negotiated and signed the "Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union", better known as the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]]. His aircraft bore the German civil registration of D-ACVH.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCQW5c_gMaE|title=Joachim von Ribbentrop in Moscow 1939|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
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A Danish-owned Fw 200 aircraft named ''Dania'' was seized by the British at [[Shoreham Airport]] after [[German invasion of Denmark (1940)|Denmark was invaded]] by German forces in 1940. It was subsequently operated by the [[British Overseas Airways Corporation]] (BOAC) and was then pressed into service with the [[Royal Air Force]]. It was damaged beyond repair in 1941.
A Danish-owned Fw 200 aircraft named ''Dania'' was seized by the British at [[Shoreham Airport]] after [[German invasion of Denmark (1940)|Denmark was invaded]] by German forces in 1940. It was subsequently operated by the [[British Overseas Airways Corporation]] (BOAC) and was then pressed into service with the [[Royal Air Force]]. It was damaged beyond repair in 1941.


The ''Luftwaffe'' initially used the aircraft to support the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'', making great loops out across the [[North Sea]] and, following the [[fall of France]], the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. The aircraft was used for maritime patrols and reconnaissance, searching for [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] convoys and warships that could be reported for targeting by [[U-boat]]s. The Fw 200 could also carry a {{convert|1000|kg|lb|-2|adj=on}} bomb load or naval mines to use against shipping, and it was claimed that from June 1940 to February 1941, they sank 331,122&nbsp;tonnes (365,000&nbsp;tons) of shipping despite a rather crude bombsight. The attacks were carried out at extremely low altitude in order to "bracket" the target ship with three bombs; this almost guaranteed a hit. [[Winston Churchill]] called the Fw 200 the "Scourge of the Atlantic" during the [[Battle of the Atlantic]] due to its contribution to the heavy Allied shipping losses.<ref>{{harvnb|Pimlott|1998|p=52}}</ref>
The ''Luftwaffe'' initially used the aircraft to support the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'', making great loops out across the [[North Sea]] and, following the [[fall of France]], the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft was used for maritime patrols and reconnaissance, searching for [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] convoys and warships that could be reported for targeting by [[U-boat]]s. The Fw 200 could also carry a {{convert|1000|kg|lb|-2|adj=on}} bomb load or naval mines to use against shipping, and it was claimed that from June 1940 to February 1941, they sank 331,122&nbsp;tonnes (365,000&nbsp;tons) of shipping despite a rather crude bombsight. The attacks were carried out at extremely low altitude in order to "bracket" the target ship with three bombs; this almost guaranteed a hit. [[Winston Churchill]] called the Fw 200 the "Scourge of the Atlantic" during the [[Battle of the Atlantic]] due to its contribution to the heavy Allied shipping losses.<ref>{{harvnb|Pimlott|1998|p=52}}</ref>


Following the debut of what would become the Luftwaffe's primary ''seaborne'' maritime patrol aircraft, the rival [[trimotor]]ed [[Blohm & Voss BV 138#Operational history|BV 138C flying boat]] in March 1941; from mid-1941,{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} Condor crews were instructed to stop attacking shipping and avoid all combat in order to preserve numbers. In August, the first Fw 200 was shot down by a [[CAM ship]]-launched [[Hawker Hurricane]], and the arrival of the U.S.-built [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|Grumman Martlet]], operating from the Royal Navy's new [[escort carrier]]s, posed a serious threat. The six Martlets operated by the Royal Navy from the first escort carrier {{HMS|Audacity|D10|6}} shot down a total of seven Condors while escorting three convoys during her short career in the final months of 1941. On 14 August 1942, an Fw 200C-3 was the first German aircraft to be destroyed by USAAF pilots, after it was attacked by a [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|Curtiss P-40C Warhawk]] and a [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning|Lockheed P-38F Lightning]] over [[Iceland]].<ref>{{harvnb|Stanaway|1998|p=43}}</ref>
Following the debut of what would become the Luftwaffe's primary ''seaborne'' maritime patrol aircraft, the rival [[trimotor]]ed [[Blohm & Voss BV 138#Operational history|BV 138C flying boat]] in March 1941; from mid-1941,{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} Condor crews were instructed to stop attacking shipping and avoid all combat in order to preserve numbers. In August, the first Fw 200 was shot down by a [[CAM ship]]-launched [[Hawker Hurricane]], and the arrival of the U.S.-built [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|Grumman Martlet]], operating from the Royal Navy's new [[escort carrier]]s, posed a serious threat. The six Martlets operated by the Royal Navy from the first escort carrier {{HMS|Audacity|D10|6}} shot down a total of seven Condors while escorting three convoys during her short career in the final months of 1941. On 14 August 1942, an Fw 200C-3 was the first German aircraft to be destroyed by USAAF pilots, after it was attacked by a [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|Curtiss P-40C Warhawk]] and a [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning|Lockheed P-38F Lightning]] over [[Iceland]].<ref>{{harvnb|Stanaway|1998|p=43}}</ref>
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[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-432-0796-07, Flugzeug Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor".jpg|thumb|right|Fw 200 in Greece, circa 1941]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-432-0796-07, Flugzeug Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor".jpg|thumb|right|Fw 200 in Greece, circa 1941]]


Several damaged Fw 200s landed in [[Spain]] during the war. In the beginning, they were repaired and returned to their bases in France. After [[Operation Torch]] (the Allied invasion of [[French North Africa]]), the Spanish government interned four aircraft that arrived (although their crews were still allowed to return to Germany). Since the aircraft could not be used, they were sold by Germany to Spain. One of the three flyable aircraft was then operated by the [[Spanish Air Force]] and the others used for spares. Because of damage and lack of spares, and for political reasons, they were grounded and scrapped around 1950.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}
Several damaged Fw 200s landed in [[Spain]] during the war. In the beginning, they were repaired and returned to their bases in France. After [[Operation Torch]] (the Allied invasion of [[French North Africa]]), the Spanish government interned four aircraft that arrived on Spanish territory (although their crews were still allowed to return to Germany). Since the aircraft could not be used, they were sold by Germany to Spain. One of the three flyable aircraft was then operated by the [[Spanish Air Force]] and the others used for spares. Because of damage and lack of spares, and for political reasons, they were grounded and scrapped around 1950.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}


Some Condors also crashed in [[Portugal]]. Their crews were allowed to return to Germany while the British authorities were allowed to inspect the aircraft and accompanying documentation. Some crew members died in these crashes and were buried in the civilian cemetery of [[Moura Municipality|Moura]] in [[Alentejo Province]], Portugal. The aircraft that crashed in Spain and Portugal had been based in [[Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport|Bordeaux-Merignac]], France since 1940. Before then, the operational base of the Fw 200 squadrons had been in Denmark.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}
Some Condors also crashed in [[Portugal]]. Their crews were allowed to return to Germany while the British authorities were allowed to inspect the aircraft and accompanying documentation. Some crew members died in these crashes and were buried in the civilian cemetery of [[Moura Municipality|Moura]] in [[Alentejo Province]], Portugal. The aircraft that crashed in Spain and Portugal had been based in [[Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport|Bordeaux-Merignac]], France since 1940. Before then, the operational base of the Fw 200 squadrons had been in Denmark.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

In August of 1940, after preparations were complete, KG 40 Fw 200Cs began to launch sporadic sorties from Bordeaux Merignac. These sorties were not armed anti-shipping raids against ships/convoys based off intelligence from local U-boats, but rather armed reconnaissance sorties west of England/Ireland in the Irish Sea to catch HX and OB convoys as well as finding HG and SL convoys in the Bay of Biscay of the Spanish coast, for the role of relaying vital intelligence to General Donitz and his Kriegsmarine U-boats, as well as surface raiders.

However, the Condor was extremely fragile. This was well presented on August 20, three days after Hitler declared blockade of Britain, when an Fw 200C-1 Condor suffered from a mechanical failure whilst on reconnaissance west of Ireland, and was forced to make a belly landing near Mount Brandon on the southwestern coast of Ireland. The Condor was surprisingly weak, as officials failed to recognize the weak structure of the original airframe and the effect that fuel, bombs, and guns would have and how they would make the Condor laden with supplies - more than it could usually handle.

The fragility of the Condor was one of the main reason for a lack of sufficient results, that doubled with the fact only three Condors (two after the August 20 ordeal) were operational at most times. The Condor was a new and weak weapon, against convoys in their lightest. Truly a weak vs weak battle early on. As a result, results of such combat were not satisfactory. The Condor didn't do as good as predicted, and the results for the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe were not ideal for the complete desolation of British convoys. As such, many officials associated with the Condor started to use these examples of a lack of success as a reason on why civilian airliners such as the Fw 200 would be insufficient, and how the Condor and its impact was pathetic.

Upon losing the Condor west of Ireland, Edgar Peterson had to make the most of I.KG/40 Condors, with only two remaining in operational service. The limited sortie rate before was drastically reduced. However, morale in Bordeaux was quite high, but the idea of major successes were in the back of the crews’ minds. However, on August 25, after days of minor sorties, the two Condors located the [[SS Goathland]]. However, many things played out for the Condor. The Goathland was alone, and small, at only 3,821 tons (large, but dwarfed by other merchant ships). As such, the Condors managed to sink the ship, an early victory for the Condor. By the end of August, only one ship was sunk (the Goathland), and five were damaged, feeble compared to Kriegsmarine successes. The Condors also got limited information for the U-boats. However, KG 40 crews were gaining experience, as well as aircraft. The future would hopefully be promising for the Condor.

Damaging a ship and sinking them were quite different. If a ship was sunk, most, if not all, of the assets on board would be lost, and the ship would simply never return to service, limiting convoy abilities. However, bombing early on was poor, and thus many near misses were reported, this often being the cause of most damages. However, if a ship is to be damaged, it is more likely to survive. Some supplies on board would be lost, however, that was not a major discouragement, as the ship could often be repaired and reloaded for further shipping roles. Although Condors would vector U-boats onto damaged ships and convoys, that information was not reliable and oftentimes unsuccessful as U-boats often didn't get to convoys/ships on times and Kriegsmarine and KG 40 officials often failed to properly cooperate with one another for the role of attacking the ships.

In September, nothing seemed to improve. Only one Greek freighter was sunk, along with nine ships damaged. Overall, U-boat success made that number look like child’s play.

On October 2, Condors managed to sink a small freighter. At this point, Condors had performed anti-shipping strikes for eight weeks, destroying just three ships and damaging 21 more.

However, on October 8, everything changed just a little more. The massive, 20,000 ton, troop transport Oronsay, was attacked by a Condor. The Condor had a somewhat easy job. Many soldiers on board the Oronsay were seasick, and gunnery crews failed to return fire on the Condor. The Oronsay was a large target as well. But that made it a lot stronger structurally and harder to sink than the other ships before. As a result, despite bomb hits, the Oronsay managed to survive and deliver the troops.
However, everything changed when Oberleutnant Bernhard Jope took off on his first operational sortie from Bordeaux, on October 26, on a flight to cover the Irish Sea, west of Ireland, very early that morning, which was usual at the time. At around 09:20 hours, Jope and his crew managed to spot a ship. It was 70 miles northwest of the Irish coast, and the ship was on a troop transport mission. The 42,348 ton [[HMS Empress of Britain]] was a prewar ocean liner. In 1940, it was a troop transport ship. It was returning from a transport mission in the Suez Canal and heading for Glasgow. It was massive, and thus Jope moved his Condor in low.
The Empress of Britain was believed to have been sufficiently armed by the British Admiralty, with six .50in Lewis anti-aircraft machine guns (AAMG) on the ship as well as a 3in gun on the stern. However, the gunnery crews were poorly training. As a result, when the Condor came in low, they mistook the Condor as a Coastal Command patrol aircraft. Jope made a low pass. The crews didn't fire. Jope, upon reaching the appropriate distance, Jope released two of his four SC 250 (500lbs, or 250kg). One missed, yet the second struck the aft section of the ship. Immediately, fires began to burn on the aft section of the ship. While in range, Jope’s 7.92mm MG 15 ventral gondola gunner opened fire, strafing the ship.
The captain of the ship order the crews of the AA weapons to return fire. Meanwhile, he moved the ship up to a maximum speed of 24 knots.
Coming in for his second pass, Jope found it much harder for him to hit the ship. Not
Not only was the target now moving significantly faster, but AA crews were now pouring fire into him. As he descended down and his ventral gunner opened fire, he released his bomb. However, the bomb misses the ship. Suddenly, a lucky shot from one of the ship-borne AA guns struck one of his engines. The engine was now suffering explicit damage, as Jope pulled away.
With one bomb left, Jope made a third and final pass, as his ventral gunner again strafed the ship. He scored a lucky hit, hitting right next to the 3in gun. At first, it only seemed as though it caused superficial damage. But it struck the interior of the ship, igniting with ammunition for the 3in gun. Quickly, fires spread. The entire aft half of the ship seemed engulfed with flames. Jope pulled away. The ship was in flames, and as a result, many crew members on board abandoned the ship. The MG 15 strafing had little effect, resulting in one man injured.
Upon pulling away, Jope radioed his position, hoping that U-boats would come and finish of the Empress of Britain.
The next day, October 27, a lone Condor spots convoy OB 234. Rather than shadowing it and radioing the position, the Condor approached, and deliberately attacked the convoy. About nine escort vessel were present, and tried to engage the Condor. The destroyer HMS Amazon and it's [[Bofors 40mm gun]] “Pom-Poms” managed to damage the Condor. However, the Condor damaged the 5,000 ton Alfred Jones. However, an Aldergrove based Lockheed Hudson arrived at the scene. It approached to engage the Condor, but was shot up. Bullet holes, 7.92mm, covered the Hudson, which desperately limped back to Aldergrove, one of the first Condor victories. Despite it's damage, the Condor managed to make it back to Bordeaux and received general repairs. This was the very first time a Condor had attacked a convoy.
The officials at KG 40 were excited to hear this great news, that a convoy was assaulted by one of their aircraft and that one had heavily damaged a 42,500 ton ship. To make matters even better, due to the fact Jope radioed his position, U-32 managed managed to sink the Empress of Britain as it was being prepared to be towed. This turned out to be the largest British ship ever lost in combat.
As a result of these tiefangriff, low level tactics, German Condors found that operational successes would be slowly diminished. In November, KG 40 commander Peterson decided to increase the sortie rate of his few Condors, something which was occurred, and was very impressive. But the tiefangriff he employed caused unforeseen complications.
On 4 November, 180 miles (290km) west of the Irish coast, the 19,141 ton Windsor Castle, sailing alone, was spotted by a Condor. Although alone, the liner was armed with two .50in Lewis AAMGs. The gunners were alert and able to identify the Condor as a threat. The Condor launched several bombing runs, but the AAMG fire prevented them from getting close. Finally, the Condor got within bomb range and released a 500lb SC 250 bomb. The bomb tore through the structure of the ship and ended up dead center. However, at the low altitude of the attack, the SC 250 bomb failed to detonate once in the ship due to improper fusing at the altitude, an unforseen problem. The Condor turned around and made it back to Bordeaux, however the Windsor Castle survived with only superficial damage and the bomb was later disarmed. The Condors failed to destroy the liner because of improper fusing.
Another example of such failure due to the low level tactics would come on 9 November, when a lone Condor spotted a 26,032 ton liner crossing the Atlantic, about 175 miles (282km) west of the coast of Ireland. Upon spotting the ship, the liner [[Empress of Japan]], the Condor executed a perfect Swedish Turnip attack, full astern. The Condor released two bombs, and then flew off to avoid AA fire. The two bombs hit their mark, slamming into the aft section of the [[Empress of Japan]]. What should’ve been the sinking of a major ship turned out to be instead a major one of which, despite further lessons learned, little could be done about it. The bombs hit the aft section of the ship, but failed to detonate on time. They helplessly helplessly bounced of the ship, not gaining enough velocity to smash through the ship instantly. As a result, the bombs failed to penetrate the superstructure immediately, and thus the bombs simply rolled off the side of the ship and fell into the water. Once in the water, the bombs detonated, having no effect on the ship, minus a little bit of damage to the exterior, but not enough to declare the ship damaged. It was a major loss for KG 40, the operations in the Atlantic, and the idea of an airliner in war. Peterson’s increase in Condor sortie rate seemed to have no effect if the bombs didn't work.
The Condor could carry a wide variety of bombs. The SD-50 fragmentation bomb was a 121lb (55kg) bomb, and the Condor could carry as many as 12, equaling 1,450lbs (660kg). It could carry four SC-250 bombs, the primary anti-shipping bomb, with a weight of 550lbs (250kg). Condors generally took four on mission, totaling to a 2,200lb (1,000kg) bomb load. They could also carry one or two SD-500 bombs. It weighed 1,100lbs, or 500kg, totaling 2,200lbs of bombs, just like the four SC-250s. This massive bomb load was not enjoyed by other Nazi bombers, like the Ju 88A, with only 1,100lbs (500kg). However, as time went on, this changed. The He 111H could carry 4,400lbs (2,000kg), the Ju 290 6,000lbs (3,000kg), and the He 177 could carry 13,000lbs (6,000kg)! Such impressive bomb loads were dwarfing the Condor’s by 1942.
The Condor also suffered from two separate operational setbacks. The first was that bombs had to be placed on the exterior of the aircraft, while 8,000 liters, or 3,070 gallons, of fuel would be placed in the center of the aircraft, and oftentimes even more fuel would be carried. Placing bombs on the exterior beneath the fuselage and under the wings between the engine nacelles. This caused two sub-problems. The first being that the drag from large bombs under the aircraft reduced the speed of the aircraft. The second problem, especially with smaller bombs beneath the wings, was a limit in accuracy, as opposed to greater accuracy when bombs are loaded in the fuselage. Even though it is at low altitude, Condors often failed in terms of accuracy, especially without the introductions of sufficient bomb sights, fusing, and detonation control
The second major problem with such a bomb load, as well as the fuel the Condor carried, had to deal with the design lineage. Airships took an approach to luxury air travel, with their main goal being to be lightweight. Kurt Tank knew that if an aircraft is to have sufficient fuel load, comfort, and speed, for long range passenger travel, the aircraft would have to be as light as feasibly possible. Tank and his design team agreed on a structure that had the lightest possible weight to be sufficient in strength, but for only what it needed to carry. People and luxury items, plus fuel and the four engines required some major strengthening in the structure, but everything was light. As such, when Kurt Tank created the V-10 prototype from a converted Fw 200B, creating the Fw 200C-0, no one bothered to study the impact of immense bomb loads and fuel carriage, and the already weak structure, one that suffered landing gear damage or had to ditch during early propaganda coups, could not hold such weight. In the Norway Campaign, many of the original batch of Condors delivered suffered damage, as would later Condors with more fuel, guns, ammo, bombs, as well as radar and other adjustments. Two main types of damage would occur: broken back or broken arms. If a Condor has a broken back, it's fuselage has cracked and snapped in half, and broken arms were wings snapping off. These usually occurred upon landing and take-off, and was responsible for the low sortie rate. If something like that happened over the Atlantic, the Condor would be lost. Usually, upon crash-landing in Spain, the crew would get to return to German-occupied lands, but the Condor lost would be a write up.
On 15 November, at around 10:00 that morning, a Condor on patrol spotted an inboard convoy heading towards Great Britain after a mission in the Atlantic. The convoy, SL 53, had a very weak escort of an old escort destroyer and an Armed Merchant Cruiser (AMC). The 9,333 ton steamer Apapa was selected as a target and would prove to be easy prey for the attacking Condor. The Apapa stood no chance. The Condor made a perfect attack, coming from the port beam, and got a direct hit, igniting the cargo and crippling the engines. Those one board heard/saw a massive explosion followed by flames engulfing the ship. The Condor flew away, and the escorts managed to rescue those on the sinking ship before it broke in half and sunk beneath the waves. At this point, it seemed as if the Condor still had potential.
In November, coastal command equipped several Bristol Blenheims from No. 274 Sqn and stationed them in Aldergrove to boost air support. The Blenheims had little successes. They had trouble finding the convoys they were due to protect and could rarely identify friend from foe. On 24 November, two Blenheims attacked a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Fairey Fulmar. Luckily, no damage was done to any aircraft. On 30 November, two Blenheims finally found a Condor, but it flew into thick cloud cover before damage could be done. Those Blenheims failed, and it was clear coastal command had no effect on the Condors in 1940.
Ten successful attacks by KG 40 Condors on Allied shipping were completed in November, including three attacks on massive ocean liners. Six ships were sunk, and seven were damaged.
In December, poor weather conditions made launching aircraft and keeping them in the air for patrol was increasingly difficult, and it is fair to say Peterson failed to keep his sortie rate the same as that in November. To make it worse, visibility was also limited. At 11:00 in the morning on 3 December, a Condor spotted convoy HX 90. The Condor moved past the rows of merchant ships. Between the fourth and fifth row, the Condor strafed one ship and bombed another. Turning around, it came against the W. Hendrick, a cargo ship, and scored a direct hit, causing a massive explosion and intense fire before the ship sunk. By the end of December, only three ships were sunk and seven damaged, not as good as November.

Over the holidays in late 1940 and early 1941, KG 40 crews got home leave to Germany. Well rested and prepared, the crews returned with full force. On 8 January, the 6,278 ton Clytoneus was spotted by a Condor near Rockall, about 360km, 225 miles, west of the northern part of England. The Condor quickly attacked and the Clytoneus received a direct hit, breaking in half and quickly sinking.
On January 10, the HMS Seaman, a 369 ton vessel, was approached by an Fw 200C-3 flown by Oberleutnant Burmeister, who prepared for a strafing run on the small ship. But the Seaman had a 3in gun, a 20mm Oerlikon, and two .50in Lewis AAMGs. As the Condor approached to 2,250ft (685m), the 20mm crew opened fire, striking the starboard inner engine on the Condor, which fell to the sea. Burmeister and the two other survivors were taken up, and were interrogated and revealed important details on KG 40 operations. This would not have a major impact on the effect of Fw 200 Condors from KG 40 on British shipping, but would serve as the first time an RN vessel managed to destroy a Condor with AA fire. It was surrounded by too much destruction to be seen as a turning point, but would symbolize what was to come to the Condors and British commerce.
As for Condor victories, other than the loss to the HMS Seaman, January 1941 was full of them.
On 11 January, 1941, a KG 40 Condor on patrol spotted the convoy HG 49. Swooping down for an attack, the Condor spotted a straggler with HG 49 and selected that as the target. The attack was swift and deadly, and the straggler sunk later, a small but worthy Condor victory.
On 16 January, it only seemed to get better. Hauptmann Konrad Verlohr, the Kommodore of 1/Staffel of I.KG/40, spotted the convoy OB 274. The convoy had around 40 merchant ships. It also had an impressive and daunting escort. It was defended by three destroyers, as well as three Flower class corvettes. The corvettes were well armed to take on light surface vessels, as well as submarines and even air attack. They were designed for escort duty.
Ignoring the escort, Hauptmann Verlohr launched two low level “Swedish Turnip” attacks on two freighters. He evaded escort AA fire and scored lucky hits and both freighters he targeted. They both sunk. Such a brave assault would normally end with the Condor relaying his position and flying back to Bordeaux, but Verlohr stayed, shadowing the convoy and consistently relaying his position, trying to vector in U-boats onto the convoy. However, no nearby U-boats would attack the convoy, as Verlohr ran past the Condor fuel endurance before any U-boats reached his position and he had to return back to Bordeaux. He still left a mark, however.
On 19 January, two convoys, SL 61 and HG 50, were spotted west of Ireland. Over the next five days, in a row, which caused the loss of seven British ships.
SL 62 also got repeatedly assaulted by Condors in the last days of January. A Condor, in one low level attack, targeted the Norwegian freighter Austvard. The Condor

Condor made several bombing runs on the ship. Accurate ventral gondola fire obliterated the Austvard’s radio shack, and it suffered five direct hits before sinking.
Most of the success in January was due to Peterson’s consistent alternation of the two Staffeln that he had.
In January, 17 ships of 65,000 tons were lost, and five other ships were damaged. Only one Condor was lost. It was a very successful month for KG 40.

In early February of 1941, Condors launched small, sporadic assaults on convoys and would pick off small ships and stragglers. They also performed maritime reconnaissance.
On 6 February, convoy HG 53 departed from Gibraltar with 19 ships, defended by two escorts: the destroyer HMS Velax and the sloop HMS Deptford. On 9 February, at 04:40 in the morning, U-37 attacked HG 53, sinking two merchant ships. Ritterkreuz recipient Asmus Nikolai Clausen, U-37’s captain, relayed the position of the convoy to KG 40.

As opposed to launching several one and two aircraft sorties as usual with KG 40, Peterson decided that he would launch a massed attack on a convoy of which he knew was definitely there. Hauptmann Fritz Fliegel led the attack, with four other Condors piloted by other famous names from I.KG/40, Schlosser, Adam, Burmeister, and Jope. They located HG 53 at 35 54N, 14 41W, where the Deptford claimed six four-engined bombers began a low level bombing attack (The report from the Deptford was actually incorrect, as U-boat and KG 40 reports confirm that only five Fw 200s attacked). Both the Velax and Deptford returned "engaged with any gun that would bear, whether H.A. or L.A. Gun fire in some cases seemed to put them off their aim considerably, and the reports since heard on the B.B.C. that a four-engined German aircraft came down in Portugal gives rise to hope that it may have been one of the attackers hit by gun-fire." (A Condor post-action report)
HG 53 suffered several main losses. The Britannic (with 3,300 tons of iron ore) sunk instantly after a direct hit by Schlosser. The Jura, which came under attack by Adam, which had a single defensive gun with two gunners, transporting materials, was hit and sunk shortly thereafter from the damage, with both gunners and 15 of the 23 crew killed. At around 3 o’clock that afternoon, the Norwegian freighter Tejo was attacked by Fliegel’s aircraft. A direct hit amidships, and after the massive explosion, fires raged, and the wounded were tended to by the on board doctor. The ship would later sink. Of the 15 men on board, 4 were killed (including the Captain Leif Christiansen).

The Dagmar I, which was acting as the commodore’s ship, was also struck. Suffering heavy damage, the ship was abandoned and the convoy’s commodore was moved to the Coxwold. The Varna was hit as well, but continued on, only to sink on 15 February, with all on board surviving.
Name/Rank/Ships Sunk/Attack/Fate in Attack
Fritz Fliegel/Oberleutnant/Tejo/One hit/Returned
Erich Adam/Oberleutnant/Jura/One hit/Ditched
Bernhard Jope/Oberleutnant/Damaged a ship/One hit/Returned
Heinrich Schlosser/Major/Britannic/One hit/Returned
Burmeister/Oberleutnant/Damaged a ship/One hit/Returned

On 10 February, search ships arrived, and the scattered convoy desperately tried to regroup as the escorts tried to search for ships and seamen. One survivor from the SS Brandenburg and most from the SS Courland, which were lost earlier from a U-boat attack.The whole convoy was prepared for a potential U-boat attack, and on 12 February, the threat of a surface raider also introduced itself. Still, three more ships were destroyed by U-37 after it snuck through the scattered convoy. In total, the devastating battle for U-37 ended with ten ships lost, five each by U-boats and Condors. However, defensive fire from the Vanellus as well as escort fire from the Deptford caused damage to Erich Adam’s Condor. He was forced to ditch from the damage in a field in Portugal, and later returned to France. It was a small price to pay for such a victory.

On 16 February, the convoy OB 287 departed from Liverpool with 44 ships en route to North America. Then, on 19 February, the convoy OB 287 was sighted by Condors. Then, a massive sub-campaign was launched, to which Condors harassed it for three days. The Housatonic was sunk after an attack, as was the Gracia, and the Scottish Standard. Damaged were the St. Rosario and the Rosenborg. The convoy was scattered on 21 February, and some of the losses came before, and some after, the convoy ships separated. This major attack on a convoy was a major victory for the Condors.
OB 288 left Liverpool with 46 ships on 22 February. On 22 February, a lone Condor spotted the convoy. Rather than an all out harassment of the convoy, the Condors from I.KG/40 launched a long, well-drawn out shadowing effort, as opposed to actually attacking the convoy. They managed to let the U-boats score nine ships, of 38,600 tons. It was a devastating loss for OB 288. The Condors suffered no losses, nor did the U-boats.
The convoy, of 46 ships, was fully dispersed on 22 February, only four days after departure on 18 February.

On 23 February, OB 290 departed from Liverpool with 41 ships, and on the night of Tuesday, 25 February, one of the seven escorts, a destroyer, reported that they were being shadowed, but due to darkness it was not spread throughout the ships. Early in the morning of 26 February, a U-boat, U-47, under command of Gunther Prien, snuck in and sunk three ships definitely.
At 16:20 hours that afternoon, according to a convoy report, a single bomber performed a low level strike (confirming it was most likely a Condor), attacking the port side of the convoy, and striking three ships, in which one was disabled, another with a flooded engine room, and another struck amidships, though 93 survivors were picked up by the Swedish steamer Gdynia, which sailed back to England, escorted by a destroyer. All ships near the Condor fired their AAMGs and HA (heavy artillery) at the attacking Condor, albeit having no effect.
Only 2 hours, 25 minutes later at 18:45 hours, three more aircraft came in from three different sides, attacking just like the first (they were, in fact, Condors), and struck three more ships. Again, AA had little effect, if any. Before they all left, despite heavy AA fire from the M/S Samuel Bakke, a Condor struck it amidships, and the bomb smashed through the deck. In the end, seven ships of over 35,000 tons were lost in OB 290, and three more by U-47. On 27 February, the convoy scattered. According to a 5 March report, they were expected to arrive at their destination on 7 March.
In total that February, 21 ships, of over 84,000 tons, were lost to Condor anti-shipping attacks.



===Hitler's personal transport===
===Hitler's personal transport===
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[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2005-0011, FW 200 "Condor".jpg|right|thumb|Adolf Hitler's personal Fw 200 Condor, bearing the insignia of the [[Fliegerstaffel des Führers]] on its nose]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2005-0011, FW 200 "Condor".jpg|right|thumb|Adolf Hitler's personal Fw 200 Condor, bearing the insignia of the [[Fliegerstaffel des Führers]] on its nose]]


At the suggestion of his personal pilot [[Hans Baur]], [[Adolf Hitler]] specified a modified and unarmed prototype Condor, the Fw 200 V3, as his personal transport, as a replacement for his [[Junkers Ju 52]]. Originally configured as a 26-passenger ''Lufthansa'' transport (Works No. 3099), it was reconfigured as a plush two-cabin airliner. Hitler's armchair-style seat in the cabin was equipped with a wooden table, seat-back armour plating, and a parachute in the seat cushion, with an escape hatch in the floor. In line with Hitler's aircraft preferences, it carried the markings "D-2600" and was named "Immelmann III" in honour of World War I flying ace [[Max Immelmann]]. As the war progressed it changed designation to "WL+2600" and finally "26+00"; it was destroyed at [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport]] in an Allied bombing raid on 18 July 1944. FW 200s of various types were configured as VIP transports, for the use of Hitler and his staff, and also other aircraft assigned to [[Heinrich Himmler]], [[Albert Speer]], [[Hermann Göring]], and [[Karl Dönitz]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What Happened to Nazi Leaders' Luxury Planes? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp9QNPtdDfo |website=youtube.com |publisher=[[Mark Felton]] |access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>
At the suggestion of his personal pilot [[Hans Baur]], [[Adolf Hitler]] specified a modified and unarmed prototype Condor, the Fw 200 V3, as his personal transport, as a replacement for his [[Junkers Ju 52]]. Originally configured as a 26-passenger ''Luft Hansa'' transport (Works No. 3099), it was reconfigured as a plush two-cabin airliner. Hitler's armchair-style seat in the cabin was equipped with a wooden table, seat-back armour plating, and a parachute in the seat cushion, with an escape hatch in the floor. In line with Hitler's aircraft preferences, it carried the markings "D-2600" and was named "Immelmann III" in honour of World War I flying ace [[Max Immelmann]]. As the war progressed it changed designation to "WL+2600" and finally "26+00"; it was destroyed at [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport]] in an Allied bombing raid on 18 July 1944. FW 200s of various types were configured as VIP transports, for the use of Hitler and his staff, and also other aircraft assigned to [[Heinrich Himmler]], [[Albert Speer]], [[Hermann Göring]], and [[Karl Dönitz]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What Happened to Nazi Leaders' Luxury Planes? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp9QNPtdDfo |website=youtube.com |publisher=[[Mark Felton]] |access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>


=== Allied tactics used against the Condor ===
=== Allied tactics used against the Condor ===
Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm pilot Captain [[Eric Brown (pilot)|Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown]]'s plane was attacked and seriously damaged by a Condor in 1940, and he narrowly survived. After this, he studied the design of the Condor seriously for some time. He managed to work out that the forward firing machine gun positions, could swivel, but could only fire in a certain arc otherwise they would hit the fuselage of their own plane. Brown worked out where the arc was, and realised this was a blind spot, if you attacked the front of the plane. He used this to successfully destroy a Condor, then informed his fellow squadron pilots who used the tactic to destroy even more of them.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Pilot Who Flew 487 Different Aircraft & Landed 2,271 Times On A Carrier! Eric "Winkle" Brown |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSRAdZzRycc |language=en |access-date=2022-12-29}}</ref>
Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm pilot Captain [[Eric Brown (pilot)|Eric Brown]]'s plane was attacked and seriously damaged by a Condor in 1940, and he narrowly survived. After this, he studied the design of the Condor seriously for some time. He managed to work out that the forward firing machine gun positions could swivel, but could only fire in a certain arc otherwise they would hit the fuselage of their own plane. Brown worked out where the arc was, and realised this was a blind spot, if one attacked the front of the plane. He used this to successfully destroy a Condor, then informed his fellow squadron pilots who used the tactic to destroy others.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Pilot Who Flew 487 Different Aircraft & Landed 2,271 Times On A Carrier! Eric "Winkle" Brown |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSRAdZzRycc |language=en |access-date=2022-12-29}}</ref>


==Variants==
==Variants==
[[File:Focke-Wulf Fw 200A transport parked.jpg|thumb|A former Fw 200 A airliner used as a Luftwaffe transport.]]
[[File:Focke-Wulf Fw 200A transport parked.jpg|thumb|A former Fw 200 A airliner used as a Luftwaffe transport.]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-482-2874-03A, Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor.jpg|thumb|right|The [[FuG 200 Hohentwiel|ASV radar-equipped]] Fw 200 C-4, showing the twin-wheel main gear used for all production Fw 200Cs and enlarged dorsal turret of the C-3/U1]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-482-2874-03A, Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor.jpg|thumb|right|The [[FuG 200 Hohentwiel|ASV radar-equipped]] Fw 200 C-4, showing the twin-wheel main gear used for all production Fw 200Cs and enlarged dorsal turret of the C-3/U1]]
There were three variants of the aircraft: the Fw 200A, B, and C. The Model A was a purely civilian variant used by [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa]], [[Det Danske Luftfartselskab|DDL]] in [[Denmark]], and ''[[Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul|Syndicato Condor]]'' in [[Brazil]]. The Fw 200B and Fw 200C models were used as long-range bombers, reconnaissance, troop and transport aircraft.
There were three variants of the aircraft: the Fw 200A, B, and C. The Model A was a purely civilian variant used by [[Deutsche Luft Hansa]], [[Det Danske Luftfartselskab|DDL]] in [[Denmark]], and ''[[Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul|Syndicato Condor]]'' in [[Brazil]]. The Fw 200B and Fw 200C models were used as long-range bombers, reconnaissance, troop and transport aircraft.


;Fw 200 V1
;Fw 200 V1
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*[[Det Danske Luftfartselskab]]
*[[Det Danske Luftfartselskab]]
;{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
;{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
*''[[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Deutsche Lufthansa]]''
*''[[Deutsche Luft Hansa]]''
;{{Flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom
;{{Flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom
*[[BOAC]]
*[[BOAC]]
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==Accidents and incidents==
==Accidents and incidents==
* On 6 December 1938, a Deutsche Lufthansa Fw 200S-1 (D-ACON, ''Brandenburg'') ditched in [[Cavite City|Cavite Bay]], Philippines following a loss of engine power due to a broken fuel line; all six on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. The aircraft was on a Berlin–[[Basra]]–[[Karachi]]–[[Hanoi]]–Tokyo publicity flight.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= D-ASHH|id= 19381206-1|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 6 December 1938, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200S-1 (D-ACON, ''Brandenburg'') ditched in [[Cavite City|Cavite Bay]], Philippines following a loss of engine power due to a broken fuel line; all six on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. The aircraft was on a Berlin–[[Basra]]–[[Karachi]]–[[Hanoi]]–Tokyo publicity flight.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= D-ASHH|id= 19381206-1|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 22 April 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200S-10 "CB+FB" of I/KG 40 (former Deutsche Lufthansa D-ABOD ''Kurmark'') crashed during the [[Operation Weserübung|invasion of Norway]].
* On 22 April 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200S-10 "CB+FB" of I/KG 40 (former Deutsche Luft Hansa D-ABOD ''Kurmark'') crashed during the [[Operation Weserübung|invasion of Norway]].
* On 20 July 1940, two Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C [[Kampfgeschwader 40|KG 40]] were lost-one (F8-EH) shot down over [[Sunderland]] (Crew 3 lost/2 POW); the other lost off Northern Ireland to cause unknown (Crew 2 Killed/3 POW)<ref>[Mason "Battle over Britain". p. 183]</ref>
* On 20 July 1940, two Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C [[Kampfgeschwader 40|KG 40]] were lost-one (F8-EH) shot down over [[Sunderland]] (Crew 3 lost/2 POW); the other lost off Northern Ireland to cause unknown (Crew 2 Killed/3 POW)<ref>[Mason "Battle over Britain". p. 183]</ref>
* On 20 August 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+KH" of I/KG 40 crashed at Faha Ridge, [[Cloghane]], Ireland; all six on board survived and were interned in Ireland.
* On 20 August 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+KH" of I/KG 40 crashed at Faha Ridge, [[Cloghane]], Ireland; all six on board survived and were interned in Ireland.
* On 22 October 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+OK" of I/KG 40 went missing over the [[Irish Sea]]. Possibly unknown bomber which sank the Irish Vessel "Kerry Head" in the Atlantic Ocean off [[Cape Clear Island]], [[County Cork]], Ireland;:<ref name=KH40>{{cite web |url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/40/40a0513.pdf |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=28 November 2011}}</ref> reportedly the bomber was brought down in explosion; no survivors from either ship or plane.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=18457|title=FW200 F8+OK lost 22 October 1940|website=12 O'Clock High! Forum|date=8 October 2009}}</ref>
* On 22 October 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+OK" of I/KG 40 went missing over the [[Irish Sea]]. Possibly unknown bomber which sank the Irish Vessel "Kerry Head" in the Atlantic Ocean off [[Cape Clear Island]], [[County Cork]], Ireland;:<ref name=KH40>{{cite web |url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/40/40a0513.pdf |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=28 November 2011}}</ref> reportedly the bomber was brought down in explosion; no survivors from either ship or plane.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=18457|title=FW200 F8+OK lost 22 October 1940|website=12 O'Clock High! Forum|date=8 October 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Kondor sinking (July 23 1941).png|thumb|right|A Focke-Wulf Fw 200C of KG 40 sinking in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, after being shot down by a [[Lockheed Hudson]] Mk V of [[No. 233 Squadron RAF]] 23 July 1941.]]
[[File:Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Kondor sinking (July 23 1941).png|thumb|right|A Focke-Wulf Fw 200C of KG 40 sinking in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, after being shot down by a [[Lockheed Hudson]] Mk V of [[No. 233 Squadron RAF]] 23 July 1941.]]
* On 15 June 1941, Luftwaffe Fw 200A-0 "F8+CU" (former Lufthansa D-ADHR) burned out at [[Aalborg Airport]] following an engine fire.
* On 15 June 1941, Luftwaffe Fw 200A-0 "F8+CU" (former Luft Hansa D-ADHR) burned out at [[Aalborg Airport]] following an engine fire.
* On 23 July 1941, a Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C of KG 40 was lost in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, after being shot down by a Lockheed Hudson Mark V of No. 233 Squadron RAF.<ref name="batt_233">{{cite web |title=233 Squadron |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/batt_233.htm |access-date=2007-10-01 |website=The Pegasus Archive}}</ref>
* On 23 July 1941, a Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C of KG 40 was lost in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, after being shot down by a Lockheed Hudson Mark V of No. 233 Squadron RAF.<ref name="batt_233">{{cite web |title=233 Squadron |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/batt_233.htm |access-date=2007-10-01 |website=The Pegasus Archive}}</ref>
* On 22 October 1942, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4/U3 "F8+EK" of 1.(F)/120 and I./KG 40 was shot down by two USAAF P-38 Lightning fighters and crashed at Kleppatagl, Iceland, killing all seven on board.
* On 22 October 1942, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4/U3 "F8+EK" of 1.(F)/120 and I./KG 40 was shot down by two USAAF P-38 Lightning fighters and crashed at Kleppatagl, Iceland, killing all seven on board.
* On 9 July 1943, a Luftwaffe Fw 200 of III/KG 40 was shot down by a British fighter and struck a cliff near [[Aljezur]], Portugal, killing all seven on board.
* On 9 July 1943, a Luftwaffe Fw 200 of III/KG 40 was shot down by a British fighter and struck a cliff near [[Aljezur]], Portugal, killing all seven on board.
* On 18 July 1944, Adolf Hitler's personal Fw 200 V3 [26+00] was destroyed in bombing
* On 18 July 1944, Adolf Hitler's personal Fw 200 V3 [26+00] was destroyed in bombing.
* On 27 September 1944, a Deutsche Lufthansa Fw 200D-2 (D-AMHL) en route to Spain was shot down by an RAF [[Bristol Beaufighter]] night-fighter of [[415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Squadron|No. 415 Squadron]] and crashed at Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, France, killing all nine on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|type=Incident|title=D-AMHL|id=19440927-1|accessdate=22 August 2017}}<!-- citing Goss, Chris. (2016). ''Fw 200 Condor Units of World War 2'' Combat Aircraft No. 115.  Osprey Publishing UK --></ref>
* On 27 September 1944, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200D-2 (D-AMHL) en route to Spain was shot down by an RAF [[Bristol Beaufighter]] night-fighter of [[415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Squadron|No. 415 Squadron]] and crashed at Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, France, killing all nine on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|type=Incident|title=D-AMHL|id=19440927-1|accessdate=22 August 2017}}<!-- citing Goss, Chris. (2016). ''Fw 200 Condor Units of World War 2'' Combat Aircraft No. 115.  Osprey Publishing UK --></ref>
* On 29 November 1944, a Deutsche Lufthansa Fw 200A-0/S-5 (D-ARHW, ''Friesland'') en route from Berlin to [[Stockholm]], was accidentally shot down by a German patrol boat and crashed off [[Måkläppen]], Sweden, killing all ten on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|type=Incident|title=D-ARHW|id=19441129-0|accessdate=22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 29 November 1944, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200A-0/S-5 (D-ARHW, ''Friesland'') en route from Berlin to [[Stockholm]], was accidentally shot down by a German patrol boat and crashed off [[Måkläppen]], Sweden, killing all ten on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|type=Incident|title=D-ARHW|id=19441129-0|accessdate=22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 11 October 1944, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4 (radio code F8+ES, ''Werknummer'' 0163) of 8./[[Kampfgeschwader 40|KG 40]] crashed at Kvanntoneset, Norway due to tail separation while flying over Lavanger fjord, killing all 21 on board.<ref>{{cite web|title=Accident Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-4 Condor F8+ES, 11 Oct 1944|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450421-5|date=18 July 2020|accessdate=23 January 2021}}</ref>
* On 11 October 1944, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4 (radio code F8+ES, ''Werknummer'' 0163) of 8./[[Kampfgeschwader 40|KG 40]] crashed at Kvanntoneset, Norway due to tail separation while flying over Lavanger fjord, killing all 21 on board.<ref>{{cite web|title=Accident Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-4 Condor F8+ES, 11 Oct 1944|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450421-5|date=18 July 2020|accessdate=23 January 2021}}</ref>
* On 21 April 1945, a Deutsche Lufthansa Fw 200KB-1 (D-ASHH, ''Hessen'') crashed near Piesenkofen, Germany, killing all 21 on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= D-ASHH|id= 19450421-5|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 21 April 1945, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200KB-1 (D-ASHH, ''Hessen'') crashed near Piesenkofen, Germany, killing all 21 on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= D-ASHH|id= 19450421-5|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 4 September 1946, a [[Danish Air Lines]] (DDL) Fw 200A-5 (OY-DEM, ''Jutlandia'') crashed at [[RAF Northolt|Northolt Airport]] after landing in crosswinds; there were no casualties, but the aircraft was written off.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= OY-DEM|id= 19460904-1|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 4 September 1946, a [[Danish Air Lines]] (DDL) Fw 200A-5 (OY-DEM, ''Jutlandia'') crashed at [[RAF Northolt|Northolt Airport]] after landing in crosswinds; there were no casualties, but the aircraft was written off.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= OY-DEM|id= 19460904-1|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 13 December 1946, a Polyarnaya Aviatsiya ('Polar Aviation', a division of Aeroflot) Fw 200C-3 (СССР-N400) force-landed off Ostrov Litne due to engine problems; all 21 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= СССР-N400|id= 19461213-0|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
* On 13 December 1946, a Polyarnaya Aviatsiya ('Polar Aviation', a division of Aeroflot) Fw 200C-3 (СССР-N400) force-landed off Ostrov Litne due to engine problems; all 21 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.<ref>{{ASN accident|title= СССР-N400|id= 19461213-0|accessdate= 22 August 2017}}</ref>
Line 265: Line 156:


==Surviving aircraft==
==Surviving aircraft==
[[File:Flughafen Tempelhof mit Focke-Wulf 200.jpg|thumb|alt=Focke Wulf 200 airplane at former airport Tempelhof 2023|Focke-Wulf 200 at Tempelhof 2023]]
Only one complete reconstructed Fw 200 exists today, an aircraft that ditched in February 1942 and sank to a depth of 60&nbsp;m (197&nbsp;ft). This aircraft was raised from [[Trondheim Fjord]] in Norway on 26 May 1999.<ref>[http://www.lufthansa-ju52.de/en/Projects/Focke-Wulf-Condor/index.php "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 'Condor': Rebuilding the Fw 200 'Condor' is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe."] ''Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung.'' Retrieved: 29 December 201.</ref> Although the airframe disintegrated while being lowered onto a recovery platform, the remains were transported to Airbus Bremen and spent 22 years being rebuilt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dlbs.de/en/Projects/Focke-Wulf-Condor/ |title=Rebuilding the Fw 200 "Condor" is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe.|publisher=DLBS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=[Homepage] |url=http://fw200-restaurierung-bremen.de |website=Restaurierung Fw 200 Condor|access-date=28 December 2020|language=de}}</ref> A request from the Berlin museum for a set of separate wings to be recovered from the [[Kvitanosi]] mountain near [[Voss]] in Norway to complete the rebuilding was at first denied, because the local population wanted the wings to be left ''in situ'' as a war memorial. A compromise was reached in 2008, where parts not needed for the restoration would be left on the mountain. In 2009, parts were moved down by helicopter and made ready for transport to Bremen.<ref>[http://www.trefall.net/xml/parser.php?xml=/xml/kvitanosi.xml+xsl=/xml/main.xsl+lang=en+css=/xml/main.css+cclass=andre3+id=nosi1index0073+view= "The removal."] ''trefall.net.'' Retrieved: 19 September 2010.</ref> Other wrecks were also found, but in extremely poor conditions, one at 68 m deep. The aircraft was finished in June 2021, then dismantled and transported to the former [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport]] for final assembly as an exhibit in Hangar 7.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fw200-restaurierung-bremen.de/|title=Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor" – Die Restaurierung der legendären "Condor" in Bremen}}</ref>
Only one complete reconstructed Fw 200 exists today, an aircraft that ditched in February 1942 and sank to a depth of 60&nbsp;m (197&nbsp;ft). This aircraft was raised from [[Trondheim Fjord]] in Norway on 26 May 1999.<ref>[http://www.lufthansa-ju52.de/en/Projects/Focke-Wulf-Condor/index.php "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 'Condor': Rebuilding the Fw 200 'Condor' is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022162231/http://www.lufthansa-ju52.de/en/Projects/Focke-Wulf-Condor/index.php |date=2012-10-22 }} ''Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung.'' Retrieved: 29 December 201.</ref> Although the airframe disintegrated while being lowered onto a recovery platform, the remains were transported to Airbus Bremen and spent 22 years being rebuilt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dlbs.de/en/Projects/Focke-Wulf-Condor/ |title=Rebuilding the Fw 200 "Condor" is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe.|publisher=DLBS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=[Homepage] |url=http://fw200-restaurierung-bremen.de |website=Restaurierung Fw 200 Condor|access-date=28 December 2020|language=de}}</ref> A request from the Berlin museum for a set of separate wings to be recovered from the [[Kvitanosi]] mountain near [[Voss]] in Norway to complete the rebuilding was at first denied, because the local population wanted the wings to be left ''in situ'' as a war memorial. A compromise was reached in 2008, where parts not needed for the restoration would be left on the mountain. In 2009, parts were moved down by helicopter and made ready for transport to Bremen.<ref>[http://www.trefall.net/xml/parser.php?xml=/xml/kvitanosi.xml+xsl=/xml/main.xsl+lang=en+css=/xml/main.css+cclass=andre3+id=nosi1index0073+view= "The removal."] ''trefall.net.'' Retrieved: 19 September 2010.</ref> Other wrecks were also found, but in extremely poor conditions, one at 68 m deep. The aircraft was finished in June 2021, then dismantled and transported to the former [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport]] for final assembly as an exhibit in Hangar 7.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fw200-restaurierung-bremen.de/|title=Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor" – Die Restaurierung der legendären "Condor" in Bremen}}</ref>


==Specifications (Fw 200 C-3/U4)==
==Specifications (Fw 200 C-3/U4)==
Line 370: Line 262:
* {{cite book | editor-last=Donald |editor-first= David |title=Warplanes of the Luftwaffe |location=London |publisher=Aerospace Publishing |date=1994 |isbn=1-874023-56-5 }}.
* {{cite book | editor-last=Donald |editor-first= David |title=Warplanes of the Luftwaffe |location=London |publisher=Aerospace Publishing |date=1994 |isbn=1-874023-56-5 }}.
* {{cite book| last= Green |first= William |title=War Planes of the Second World War: Volume 9 Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft |location=London |publisher= Macdonald |date= 1967 }}.
* {{cite book| last= Green |first= William |title=War Planes of the Second World War: Volume 9 Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft |location=London |publisher= Macdonald |date= 1967 }}.
* {{cite book |last = Lawrence |first = Joseph |title = The Observer's Book Of Airplanes |location = London and New York |publisher = Frederick Warne & Co |year = 1945}}
* {{cite book |last = Munson |first = Kenneth |title = German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour |location = Poole, Dorsett, UK |publisher = Blandford Press |year = 1978 |isbn = 0-7137-0860-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Pimlott |first= Dr. John |title=The Illustrated History of the German Air Force in WWII |location= St. Paul, Minnesota |publisher=Motorbooks International |date= 1998 |isbn=978-0-7603-0516-4 }}.
* {{cite book |last=Pimlott |first= Dr. John |title=The Illustrated History of the German Air Force in WWII |location= St. Paul, Minnesota |publisher=Motorbooks International |date= 1998 |isbn=978-0-7603-0516-4 }}.
* Poolman, Kenneth. ''Focke-Wulf Condor: Scourge of the Atlantic''. London: MacDonald and Jane's, 1978. {{ISBN|0354011642}}.
* Poolman, Kenneth. ''Focke-Wulf Condor: Scourge of the Atlantic''. London: MacDonald and Jane's, 1978. {{ISBN|0354011642}}.

Latest revision as of 05:29, 20 April 2024

Fw 200 Condor
Fw 200 C-3/U2 "SG+KS", became F8+AB of I.Gruppe/KG 40
Role Airliner, reconnaissance, bomber, transport aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft
Manufacturer Focke-Wulf
First flight 27 July 1937
Primary users Luftwaffe
Deutsche Luft Hansa
Syndicato Condor
Produced 1937 - 1944
Number built 276

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier (German for courier[1]) to the Allies, is a German all-metal four-engined monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner. A Japanese request for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft led to military versions that saw service with the Luftwaffe as long-range reconnaissance and anti-shipping/maritime patrol bomber aircraft. The Luftwaffe also made extensive use of the Fw 200 as a transport aircraft.

It achieved success as a commerce raider until mid-1941, by which time it was being harried by long-range RAF Coastal Command aircraft and the Hurricane fighters being flown from CAM ships.[2]

Design and development[edit]

The Fw 200 resulted from a proposal by Kurt Tank of Focke-Wulf to Dr. Rudolf Stuessel of Deutsche Luft Hansa to develop a landplane to carry passengers across the Atlantic Ocean to the US.[3] At the time, it was an unusual concept because airlines used seaplanes on long over-water routes. To fly long distances economically, the Fw 200 was designed to cruise at an altitude of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) - as high as possible without a pressurized cabin. Existing airliners were designed to cruise at altitudes below 1,500 m (4,900 ft). The Fw 200 was briefly the world's most modern airliner, until other high-altitude airliners started operating: the Boeing 307 Stratoliner in 1940 and the Douglas DC-4 in 1942. The designation "Condor" was chosen because, like the condor bird, the Fw 200 had a very long wingspan compared to other planes of its era, to facilitate high-altitude flight.

Deutsche Luft Hansa issued a specification in June 1936 after discussions between Tank, Stüssel and Carl August von Gablenz. The plane was designed by Ludwig Mittelhuber with Wilhelm Bansemir as project director. The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, made its first flight after just over one year of development on 27 July 1937 with Tank at the controls. It was an all-metal, four-engined monoplane powered by four American 652 kW (875 hp) Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engines, and intended to carry 26 passengers in two cabins for up to 3,000 km (1,900 mi). Two further prototypes were powered by German 540 kW (720 hp) BMW 132G-1 radials.[4]

The Japanese Navy requested a military version of the Fw 200 for search and patrol duties, so Tank designed the Fw 200 V10 with military equipment. This Fw 200 was held in Germany because war had broken out in Europe by that time. This aircraft became the basis for all later military models used by the Luftwaffe.

To adapt it for wartime service, hardpoints were added to the wings for bombs, the fuselage was strengthened and extended to create more space. Fore and aft dorsal gun positions were added, in addition to an extended-length version of the Bola ventral gondola typical of World War II German bomber aircraft; incorporating a central bomb bay (usually used for additional long-range fuel tanks), as well as heavily glazed fore and aft ventral flexible machine gun emplacements at either end. The extra weight introduced by its military equipment meant that some early Fw 200 aircraft broke up on landing, a problem that was never entirely solved. Later models were equipped with Lorenz FuG 200 Hohentwiel low UHF-band ASV radar in the nose. In 1943 a version entered service that could carry the Henschel Hs 293 guided missile,[4] mandating fitment of the associated Funkgerät FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance gear on a Condor to steer them.

Operational history[edit]

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 B Condor of Deutsche Luft Hansa (Model)
Fw 200 D-2, export version of B-2 variant, ordered but not delivered to Dai Nippon Kabushiki Kaisha. Later operated by Luft Hansa.[5] Budaörs Airport, 1938 (?)
Danish Fw 200 airliner Dania at Fornebu Airport in Norway in 1939, with early single-wheel main gear.

The Fw 200 was operated by Deutsche Luft Hansa, DDL and Luft Hansa's Brazilian subsidiary Syndicato Condor.[4] Dai Nippon KK of Japan also ordered Fw 200 airliners. These could not be delivered to Japan once the war began, so they were delivered to Deutsche Luft Hansa instead.[4] On 14 April 1945 an Fw 200 flew Luft Hansa's last scheduled service before the end of World War II, from Barcelona to Berlin.[4] Other airlines continued to operate the Fw 200 after the end of World War II.

The first prototype, the Fw 200 V1, upgraded with extra fuel tanks and redesignated Fw 200 S-1, made several record flights. It was the first heavier-than-air craft to fly nonstop between Berlin and New York City, about 4,000 miles (6,400 km), making the flight from Berlin-Staaken to Floyd Bennett Field on 10/11 August 1938 in 24 hours and 56 minutes.[3] The return trip on 13 August 1938 took 19 hours and 47 minutes.[4] These flights are commemorated with a plaque in Böttcherstraße, a street in Bremen. Beginning on 28 November 1938 it flew from Berlin to Tokyo via Basra, Karachi and Hanoi.[4]

The German Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, used a specially outfitted Condor "Grenzmark", on his two flights to Moscow in 1939, during which he negotiated and signed the "Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union", better known as the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. His aircraft bore the German civil registration of D-ACVH.[6]

A Danish-owned Fw 200 aircraft named Dania was seized by the British at Shoreham Airport after Denmark was invaded by German forces in 1940. It was subsequently operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and was then pressed into service with the Royal Air Force. It was damaged beyond repair in 1941.

The Luftwaffe initially used the aircraft to support the Kriegsmarine, making great loops out across the North Sea and, following the fall of France, the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft was used for maritime patrols and reconnaissance, searching for Allied convoys and warships that could be reported for targeting by U-boats. The Fw 200 could also carry a 1,000-kilogram (2,200 lb) bomb load or naval mines to use against shipping, and it was claimed that from June 1940 to February 1941, they sank 331,122 tonnes (365,000 tons) of shipping despite a rather crude bombsight. The attacks were carried out at extremely low altitude in order to "bracket" the target ship with three bombs; this almost guaranteed a hit. Winston Churchill called the Fw 200 the "Scourge of the Atlantic" during the Battle of the Atlantic due to its contribution to the heavy Allied shipping losses.[7]

Following the debut of what would become the Luftwaffe's primary seaborne maritime patrol aircraft, the rival trimotored BV 138C flying boat in March 1941; from mid-1941,[citation needed] Condor crews were instructed to stop attacking shipping and avoid all combat in order to preserve numbers. In August, the first Fw 200 was shot down by a CAM ship-launched Hawker Hurricane, and the arrival of the U.S.-built Grumman Martlet, operating from the Royal Navy's new escort carriers, posed a serious threat. The six Martlets operated by the Royal Navy from the first escort carrier HMS Audacity shot down a total of seven Condors while escorting three convoys during her short career in the final months of 1941. On 14 August 1942, an Fw 200C-3 was the first German aircraft to be destroyed by USAAF pilots, after it was attacked by a Curtiss P-40C Warhawk and a Lockheed P-38F Lightning over Iceland.[8]

The Fw 200 was also used as a transport aircraft, notably flying supplies into Stalingrad in 1942. After late-1943, the Fw 200 came to be used solely for transport. For reconnaissance, it was replaced by the Junkers Ju 290, and even some examples of the Heinkel He 177 Greif bombers serving with Kampfgeschwader 40. With the Allied advance into France, maritime reconnaissance by the Luftwaffe became impossible as the Atlantic coast bases were captured. Production ended in 1944 with a total of 276 aircraft produced.[9]

Fw 200 in Greece, circa 1941

Several damaged Fw 200s landed in Spain during the war. In the beginning, they were repaired and returned to their bases in France. After Operation Torch (the Allied invasion of French North Africa), the Spanish government interned four aircraft that arrived on Spanish territory (although their crews were still allowed to return to Germany). Since the aircraft could not be used, they were sold by Germany to Spain. One of the three flyable aircraft was then operated by the Spanish Air Force and the others used for spares. Because of damage and lack of spares, and for political reasons, they were grounded and scrapped around 1950.[citation needed]

Some Condors also crashed in Portugal. Their crews were allowed to return to Germany while the British authorities were allowed to inspect the aircraft and accompanying documentation. Some crew members died in these crashes and were buried in the civilian cemetery of Moura in Alentejo Province, Portugal. The aircraft that crashed in Spain and Portugal had been based in Bordeaux-Merignac, France since 1940. Before then, the operational base of the Fw 200 squadrons had been in Denmark.[citation needed]

Hitler's personal transport[edit]

Adolf Hitler's personal Fw 200 Condor, bearing the insignia of the Fliegerstaffel des Führers on its nose

At the suggestion of his personal pilot Hans Baur, Adolf Hitler specified a modified and unarmed prototype Condor, the Fw 200 V3, as his personal transport, as a replacement for his Junkers Ju 52. Originally configured as a 26-passenger Luft Hansa transport (Works No. 3099), it was reconfigured as a plush two-cabin airliner. Hitler's armchair-style seat in the cabin was equipped with a wooden table, seat-back armour plating, and a parachute in the seat cushion, with an escape hatch in the floor. In line with Hitler's aircraft preferences, it carried the markings "D-2600" and was named "Immelmann III" in honour of World War I flying ace Max Immelmann. As the war progressed it changed designation to "WL+2600" and finally "26+00"; it was destroyed at Berlin Tempelhof Airport in an Allied bombing raid on 18 July 1944. FW 200s of various types were configured as VIP transports, for the use of Hitler and his staff, and also other aircraft assigned to Heinrich Himmler, Albert Speer, Hermann Göring, and Karl Dönitz.[10]

Allied tactics used against the Condor[edit]

Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm pilot Captain Eric Brown's plane was attacked and seriously damaged by a Condor in 1940, and he narrowly survived. After this, he studied the design of the Condor seriously for some time. He managed to work out that the forward firing machine gun positions could swivel, but could only fire in a certain arc otherwise they would hit the fuselage of their own plane. Brown worked out where the arc was, and realised this was a blind spot, if one attacked the front of the plane. He used this to successfully destroy a Condor, then informed his fellow squadron pilots who used the tactic to destroy others.[11]

Variants[edit]

A former Fw 200 A airliner used as a Luftwaffe transport.
The ASV radar-equipped Fw 200 C-4, showing the twin-wheel main gear used for all production Fw 200Cs and enlarged dorsal turret of the C-3/U1

There were three variants of the aircraft: the Fw 200A, B, and C. The Model A was a purely civilian variant used by Deutsche Luft Hansa, DDL in Denmark, and Syndicato Condor in Brazil. The Fw 200B and Fw 200C models were used as long-range bombers, reconnaissance, troop and transport aircraft.

Fw 200 V1
First prototype. Converted to a Fw 200 S-1 in 1938.
Fw 200 V10
Military prototype developed for Japan, but held in Germany due to the start of WWII. Served as the basis for the C-series.
Fw 200 A-0
Pre-production batch of fourth to ninth prototypes.
Fw 200 B-1
Transportation aircraft fitted with four BMW 132Dc engines; one built.
Fw 200 B-2
Transportation aircraft fitted with four BMW 132H engines; three built.
Fw 200 C-0
Pre-production batch of 10 aircraft, structural strengthening, the first four were manufactured as unarmed transports, the remaining six were fitted with armament.
Fw 200 C-1
First military production version, BMW 132H engines, fitted with full-length Bola ventral gondola which added a narrow bomb bay to the airframe, increased defensive armament, provisions for four 250 kg (550 lb) bombs.
Fw 200 C-2
Similar to C-1, but featured a recessed underside to the rear sheet metal of each of the two outboard engine nacelles which reduced drag, where a hardpoint for a 250 kg (550 lb) bomb or a 300 L (80 US gal) capacity, standard Luftwaffe drop tank was placed.
Fw 200 C-3
Structurally strengthened, fitted with Bramo 323 R-2 radial engines.
Fw 200 C-3/Umrüst-Bausatz 1(/U1)
Featured an increased defensive armament, a 15 mm MG 151 cannon in an enlarged powered forward dorsal turret similar to those used for the BV 138's bow turret position, the 20 mm MG FF replaced by a MG 151/20 cannon.
Fw 200 C-3/U2
Fitted with original, "hemispherical" dorsal turret, and had the 20 mm MG 151/20 at the front end of the ventral Bola gondola replaced with a 13 mm (0.5 in) MG 131 machine gun, which allowed space for the installation of a Lotfe 7D bombsight.
Fw 200 C-3/U3
Fitted with two additional 13 mm MG 131s.
Fw 200 C-3/U4 Fernaufklarer
Had 7.92 mm (0.31 in) MG 15 machine gun replaced by 13 mm MG 131s and carried an extra gunner.
Fw 200 C-4
Similar to C-3, but carried FuG Rostock search radar, late production aircraft used FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band ASV sea search radar.
Fw 200 C-4/U1 (Werk-Nr 137)
High-speed transport aircraft, only one example built with shortened Bola gondola without bomb bay. Used to transport Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler and Karl Dönitz.[12] Bore the Stammkennzeichen alphabetic code of GC + AE. Captured by British and used as transport by them while based at Airfield B.164 Schleswig, flown frequently by Eric Brown - later to RAE Farnborough with Air Min number 94[13]
Fw 200 C-4/U2 (Werk-Nr 138)
High-speed transport aircraft with similarly shortened Bola gondola (with no bomb bay) to earlier C-4/Umrüst-Bausatz 1 version, with accommodation for 14 passengers, only one example built.[12]
Fw 200 C-6
Several aircraft were outfitted with an early version of the FuG 203 Kehl series missile control transmitter, to carry Henschel Hs 293 missiles and re-designated C-6.
Fw 200 C-8
Fitted with Lorenz FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band ASV sea-search radar as with some C-4 examples; some examples equipped with FuG 203b Kehl III missile control transmitter and fitted with capability to deploy Henschel Hs 293 MCLOS guidance, rocket-boosted anti-ship missiles from the pair of outer-engine nacelle hardpoints.
Fw 200 S-1
Special designation for Fw 200 V1 that was flown from Berlin to Tokyo.
MK-200
Two Fw 200C-4 re-engined with ASh-62IR engines, operated 1947 to 1950.[14]

Operators[edit]

Civil operators[edit]

Brazil Brazil
Denmark Denmark
 Nazi Germany
United Kingdom United Kingdom

Military operators[edit]

 Nazi Germany
 Soviet Union
Spain Spain
United Kingdom United Kingdom

Accidents and incidents[edit]

  • On 6 December 1938, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200S-1 (D-ACON, Brandenburg) ditched in Cavite Bay, Philippines following a loss of engine power due to a broken fuel line; all six on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. The aircraft was on a Berlin–Basra–Karachi–Hanoi–Tokyo publicity flight.[15]
  • On 22 April 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200S-10 "CB+FB" of I/KG 40 (former Deutsche Luft Hansa D-ABOD Kurmark) crashed during the invasion of Norway.
  • On 20 July 1940, two Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C KG 40 were lost-one (F8-EH) shot down over Sunderland (Crew 3 lost/2 POW); the other lost off Northern Ireland to cause unknown (Crew 2 Killed/3 POW)[16]
  • On 20 August 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+KH" of I/KG 40 crashed at Faha Ridge, Cloghane, Ireland; all six on board survived and were interned in Ireland.
  • On 22 October 1940, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-1 "F8+OK" of I/KG 40 went missing over the Irish Sea. Possibly unknown bomber which sank the Irish Vessel "Kerry Head" in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Clear Island, County Cork, Ireland;:[17] reportedly the bomber was brought down in explosion; no survivors from either ship or plane.[18]
A Focke-Wulf Fw 200C of KG 40 sinking in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, after being shot down by a Lockheed Hudson Mk V of No. 233 Squadron RAF 23 July 1941.
  • On 15 June 1941, Luftwaffe Fw 200A-0 "F8+CU" (former Luft Hansa D-ADHR) burned out at Aalborg Airport following an engine fire.
  • On 23 July 1941, a Deutsche Luftwaffe Fw 200C of KG 40 was lost in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland, after being shot down by a Lockheed Hudson Mark V of No. 233 Squadron RAF.[19]
  • On 22 October 1942, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4/U3 "F8+EK" of 1.(F)/120 and I./KG 40 was shot down by two USAAF P-38 Lightning fighters and crashed at Kleppatagl, Iceland, killing all seven on board.
  • On 9 July 1943, a Luftwaffe Fw 200 of III/KG 40 was shot down by a British fighter and struck a cliff near Aljezur, Portugal, killing all seven on board.
  • On 18 July 1944, Adolf Hitler's personal Fw 200 V3 [26+00] was destroyed in bombing.
  • On 27 September 1944, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200D-2 (D-AMHL) en route to Spain was shot down by an RAF Bristol Beaufighter night-fighter of No. 415 Squadron and crashed at Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, France, killing all nine on board.[20]
  • On 29 November 1944, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200A-0/S-5 (D-ARHW, Friesland) en route from Berlin to Stockholm, was accidentally shot down by a German patrol boat and crashed off Måkläppen, Sweden, killing all ten on board.[21]
  • On 11 October 1944, Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4 (radio code F8+ES, Werknummer 0163) of 8./KG 40 crashed at Kvanntoneset, Norway due to tail separation while flying over Lavanger fjord, killing all 21 on board.[22]
  • On 21 April 1945, a Deutsche Luft Hansa Fw 200KB-1 (D-ASHH, Hessen) crashed near Piesenkofen, Germany, killing all 21 on board.[23]
  • On 4 September 1946, a Danish Air Lines (DDL) Fw 200A-5 (OY-DEM, Jutlandia) crashed at Northolt Airport after landing in crosswinds; there were no casualties, but the aircraft was written off.[24]
  • On 13 December 1946, a Polyarnaya Aviatsiya ('Polar Aviation', a division of Aeroflot) Fw 200C-3 (СССР-N400) force-landed off Ostrov Litne due to engine problems; all 21 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.[25]
  • On 8 March 1947, a Cruzeiro do Sul Fw 200A-0 (PP-CBI, Abaitara) was struck by a Panair do Brazil Douglas DC-3 (PP-PCK) that was landing at Santos-Dumont Airport, there were no casualties, but the Fw 200 was written off.[26]
  • On 23 April 1950, a Polyarnaya Aviatsiya MK-200 (СССР-N500) overran the runway and crashed at Yakutsk Airport due to crosswinds; all nine on board survived, the aircraft was written off.[27]

Surviving aircraft[edit]

Focke Wulf 200 airplane at former airport Tempelhof 2023
Focke-Wulf 200 at Tempelhof 2023

Only one complete reconstructed Fw 200 exists today, an aircraft that ditched in February 1942 and sank to a depth of 60 m (197 ft). This aircraft was raised from Trondheim Fjord in Norway on 26 May 1999.[28] Although the airframe disintegrated while being lowered onto a recovery platform, the remains were transported to Airbus Bremen and spent 22 years being rebuilt.[29][30] A request from the Berlin museum for a set of separate wings to be recovered from the Kvitanosi mountain near Voss in Norway to complete the rebuilding was at first denied, because the local population wanted the wings to be left in situ as a war memorial. A compromise was reached in 2008, where parts not needed for the restoration would be left on the mountain. In 2009, parts were moved down by helicopter and made ready for transport to Bremen.[31] Other wrecks were also found, but in extremely poor conditions, one at 68 m deep. The aircraft was finished in June 2021, then dismantled and transported to the former Berlin Tempelhof Airport for final assembly as an exhibit in Hangar 7.[32]

Specifications (Fw 200 C-3/U4)[edit]

Data from Warplanes of the Luftwaffe[33]

General characteristics

  • Crew: five
  • Capacity: 30 fully armed troops in transport configuration
  • Length: 23.45 m (76 ft 11 in)
  • Wingspan: 32.85 m (107 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 119.85 m2 (1,290.1 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 17,005 kg (37,490 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 22,714 kg (50,076 lb)
  • Powerplant: 4 × Bramo 323R-2 9-cylinder single-row air-cooled radial piston engine[a], 809 kW (1,085 hp) each
  • Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 380 km/h (240 mph, 210 kn) at 4,800 m (15,700 ft)[34]
  • Cruise speed: 335 km/h (208 mph, 181 kn) at 4,000 m (13,000 ft) (Max cruise)
  • Range: 3,560 km (2,210 mi, 1,920 nmi)
  • Endurance: 14 hours
  • Service ceiling: 6,000 m (20,000 ft)

Armament

  • Guns: ** 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in Drehkranz D-30 forward dorsal turret with 1,125 rounds
    • 1 × 13 mm (0.51 in) MG 131 machine gun in aft dorsal turret with 1,000 rounds
    • 1 × 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151 cannon in forward ventral gondola position with 800 rounds
    • 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in rear ventral gondola position with 750 rounds
    • 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in flexible mountings firing laterally, one on each side of the fuselage with 1,500 rounds
  • Bombs: Up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs internally or up to 5,400 kg (11,900 lb) externally on four PVC 1006 underwing racks[35]

See also[edit]

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ with 'C3' 96 octane fuel injection at take off

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Friend or Foe? Two Four - Engined Bombers With Single Tails". Flight. 16 October 1941. p. a (between pages 256 and 257). Archived from the original on 2015-04-12.
  2. ^ Wheeler 1992, p. 40
  3. ^ a b Karl-Dieter Seifert "Der Deutsche Luftverkehr 1926 - 1945" Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1996 ISBN 3-7637-6118-7 (in German) p. 303-304
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II" Compiler: David Mondey, Temple Press Aerospace 1984 ISBN 0 600 35027 4 p. 73-74
  5. ^ "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 D-2b". 1000aircraftphotos.com.
  6. ^ "Joachim von Ribbentrop in Moscow 1939". www.youtube.com.
  7. ^ Pimlott 1998, p. 52
  8. ^ Stanaway 1998, p. 43
  9. ^ Scutts 2008, pp. 220–252
  10. ^ "What Happened to Nazi Leaders' Luxury Planes?". youtube.com. Mark Felton. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  11. ^ The Pilot Who Flew 487 Different Aircraft & Landed 2,271 Times On A Carrier! Eric "Winkle" Brown, retrieved 2022-12-29
  12. ^ a b Brown 1993, p. 15
  13. ^ Brown 2006, p. 115.
  14. ^ Kotelnikov, V. Stalin's Captives article in Fly Past magazine, February 2017 p.105
  15. ^ Accident description for D-ASHH at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  16. ^ [Mason "Battle over Britain". p. 183]
  17. ^ "Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  18. ^ "FW200 F8+OK lost 22 October 1940". 12 O'Clock High! Forum. 8 October 2009.
  19. ^ "233 Squadron". The Pegasus Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  20. ^ Incident description for D-AMHL at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  21. ^ Incident description for D-ARHW at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  22. ^ "Accident Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-4 Condor F8+ES, 11 Oct 1944". 18 July 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  23. ^ Accident description for D-ASHH at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  24. ^ Accident description for OY-DEM at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  25. ^ Accident description for СССР-N400 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  26. ^ Accident description for PP-CBI at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  27. ^ Accident description for СССР-N500 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  28. ^ "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 'Condor': Rebuilding the Fw 200 'Condor' is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe." Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung. Retrieved: 29 December 201.
  29. ^ "Rebuilding the Fw 200 "Condor" is one of the most significant aircraft restoration projects in Europe". DLBS.
  30. ^ "[Homepage]". Restaurierung Fw 200 Condor (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  31. ^ "The removal." trefall.net. Retrieved: 19 September 2010.
  32. ^ "Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor" – Die Restaurierung der legendären "Condor" in Bremen".
  33. ^ Donald 1994, p. 90
  34. ^ Green 1967, p. 79
  35. ^ "Focke-Wulf FW 200 C-3/U4". Retrieved 27 March 2018.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Brown, Eric (1993). Wings of the Luftwaffe. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-85310-413-8..
  • Brown, Eric. Wings On My Sleeve: The World's Greatest Test Pilot tells his Story. London: Orion Books. 2006, ISBN 0-297-84565-9.
  • Donald, David, ed. (1994). Warplanes of the Luftwaffe. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-874023-56-5..
  • Green, William (1967). War Planes of the Second World War: Volume 9 Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft. London: Macdonald..
  • Lawrence, Joseph (1945). The Observer's Book Of Airplanes. London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co.
  • Munson, Kenneth (1978). German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour. Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press. ISBN 0-7137-0860-3.
  • Pimlott, Dr. John (1998). The Illustrated History of the German Air Force in WWII. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-0-7603-0516-4..
  • Poolman, Kenneth. Focke-Wulf Condor: Scourge of the Atlantic. London: MacDonald and Jane's, 1978. ISBN 0354011642.
  • Scutts, Jerry (2008). The Fw 200 Condor. Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85979-131-1..
  • Stanaway, John C. (1998). P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO. Aircraft Of The Aces No. 19. New York: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-698-1.
  • Wheeler, Barry C. (1992). The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings. London: Chancellor Press. ISBN 1-85152-582-3.
  • Goss, Chris (2016). Fw 200 Condor Units of World War 2. Combat Aircraft No. 115. UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781472812674.

External links[edit]

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