1945-04-24

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10, Werk # 490137

15./J.G. 51

Color Profile by Claes Sundin

Hptm. Waldemar W.A.G. Wagler, Flugzeugführer

"White 14"

- Text by Nicklas Östergren -

On April 24, 1945 at 16:45 Hauptmann Waldemar Wagler landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 at Rinkaby airfield near Kristianstad. Wagler (born May 9, 1916) was a squadron leader of Jagdgeschwader 51, that had its base on the island of Usedom on the German Baltic coast. This morning the unit received orders to move its 28 machines to East Prussia, but Wagler, who left the base later than the others, decided to fly to Sweden instead. After having flown in over the Swedish territory, he found Rinkaby airfield and made a perfect landing. The machine, which was copletely intact, was put away in the hangar along with two other 109´s (Werk Nr. 770093 and 770261), that had landed there almost two weeks before. The three planes stood there until September 21, when the test pilot of Försökscentralen, Fred Lambert-Meuller flew the plane with Werk Nr. 770093 to F17 at Ronneby. Three days later, on September 24, he flew the other two aircraft 770261 and 490137 "White 14" to F5 at Ljungbyhed. The next day, September 25, he flew on with 490137 "White 14" to Trollhättan. Lambert-Meuller returned to Ljungbyhed and the next day he flew on also with 770261 to Trollhättan. Contact has been obtained with Fred Lambert-Meuller, and in a letter of February 24, 1990 he says the following about the two machines, which he flew to Trollhättan:

"These two 109's were equipped with Daimler-Benz DB605 engines with "Metanolwassereinspritzung" (a sort of turbo charging). This meant that you for max. 1 minute could make extra throttle, giving an additional 250hp to the normal maximum power of 1.475hp. These approximately 250hp had a very marked effect contribution for a plane that weighed just under 4.000kg. Svenska Flygmotor in Trollhättan disassembled the engines for study. They were of course a more modern type than the engines manufactured for the aircraft types SAAB B18B and SAAB J21. Unfortunately, and against all common sense, the aircraft I had left in Trollhättan were scrapped, after Svenska Flygmotor had taken the power plants..."

"White 14" outside the hangar at F5, Ljungbyhed. Photo F10-archive via Andreas Samuelsson

"White 14" outside the hangar at F5, Ljungbyhed. Photo: F10-archive via Andreas Samuelsson

Lambert-Meuller in the cockpit of "White 14". Photo via Nicklas Östergren

"White 14" before being scrapped in Trollhättan. Photo via Bo Widfeldt

Fred Lambert-Meuller
Bo Widfeldt, The Luftwaffe in Sweden, 1939-1945, Singapore 1988

Article previously published in ÖFS (Östergötlands Flyghistoriska Tidskrift)