Germany's Messerschmitt Me 323 "Gigant" transport

Photos

Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:
Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:
Messerschmitt Me 323D-0 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323D-1 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323D-1 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323E-2 Gigant transport:
Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:	Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport:

Design

The Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant originally started out as a glider (Me 321) that was to deliver troops and vehicles into combat zones.¹ With its large size special aircraft had to be developed to tow the Me 321, but there weren't enough.^1,4 It was decided to make the Gigant powered with six engines.^1,3,4,5

Engines

Large quantities of the French Gnome-Rhône engines were available after the fall of France in 1940.¹

Undercarriage

Early models of the glider version of the Messerschmitt Me 323 had wheels the jettisoned after takeoff and then landed on skids.¹

Powered Me 323s had multiple wheels that were useful during landings on rough fields.¹

Fuselage

The fuselage was made from steel tubes and fabric coverings.¹

The nose of the Me 323's cargo hold had clamshell doors and a low bed that made it easy to load large cargos.^1,5

Wings

The wings were wooden framed with a fabric cover.¹

Tail

The Me 323 was difficult to fly as the flaps and rudders required a lot of force to operate.¹

Rocket Boosters

To get a loaded Messerschmitt Me 323 into the air rocket boosters were used.¹

Prototype

The Me 323V1 prototype first flew in May 1942.²

Production

Production stopped in March / April⁴ 1944.³

• Messerschmitt Me 323: 198^2,4
  • Manufacturer: Messerschmitt A.G.⁴

Variants

• Messerschmitt Me 321: Glider.¹
• Messerschmitt Me 323V1: Prototype.² Had four Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines (1,140 HP).²
• Messerschmitt Me 323V3: Prototype.² Had six Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines (1,140 HP).²
• Messerschmitt Me 323: Powered.¹
• Messerschmitt Me 323D-1: First production version.^2,4 Arrived at units in September 1942.^2,4 Had five 7.92 mm MG in the nose and ten 7.92 mm MG in the sides of the fuselage.²
• Messerschmitt Me 323D-5: Arrived in January 1943.² Had five 13 mm machine guns in nose.²
• Messerschmitt Me 323D-6: Arrived in December 1942.⁵
• Messerschmitt Me 323DF-1: First used in November 1942.²
• Messerschmitt Me 323E: Had more armor protection.³ Structure was strengthened.^3,4
• Messerschmitt Me 323E-1: Had six Gnome-Rhône 14N engines (1,200 HP).² Had 20 mm guns in turrets on top of each wing.²
• Messerschmitt Me 323E-2: Had two turrets in upper wing.³
• Messerschmitt Me 323E-3: Had Junkers Jumo engines (1,340 HP).² There was a nose turret.² Inboard and outboard of the engine nacelles were four 13 mm guns in turrets.²

Usage

The Gigants were used on the Eastern Front as well as in North Africa.¹

Unfortunately for the crews, the Me 323s were slow and not maneuverable so were fairly easy to shoot down.^1,4

Sicily

In November 1942 the Me 323DF-1 first joined the Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 323.^2,4

During the evacuation of soldiers back to Italy, one Gigant carried 140 soldiers in the cargo hold and then another 80 in the wings.¹

North Africa Supply

The Me 323s were used to supply North Africa but suffered heavy losses.³ Fourteen were shot down by Beaufighters in one mission.³

Eastern Front

Me 323s were sent to the I/TG 5 and II/TG 5 on the Eastern Front in 1944 to be used in supplying the retreating soldiers.²

Specifications