Germany's Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport1,2
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:
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 It was decided to make the Gigant powered with six engines.1
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
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
- Total: 1982
Variants
- Me 321: Glider.1
- Me 323V1: Prototype.2 Had four Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines (1,140 HP).2
- Me 323V3: Prototype.2 Had six Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines (1,140 HP).2
- Me 323: Powered.1
- Me 323D-1: First production version.2 Arrived at units in September 1942.2 Had five 7.92 mm MG in the nose and ten 7.92 mm MG in the sides of the fuselage.2
- Me 323D-5: Arrived in January 1943.2 Had five 13 mm MGs in nose.2
- Me 323DF-1: First used in November 1942.2
- 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
- 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
Sicily
In November 1942 the Me 323DF-1 first joined the Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 323.2
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
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
| Messerschmitt Me 323D-6 Gigant2 | Messerschmitt Me 323E Gigant1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Heavy Transport2 | Transport1 |
| Crew | 52 | 171 |
| Passengers | 1302 | 1201 |
| Engine (Type) | 6: BMW 801A piston2 | 6: Gnome-Rhône 14N 48/491 |
| Cylinders | Radial2 | Radial1 |
| Cooling | Air1 | |
| HP | 1,600 each2 | 1,140 each1 |
| Propeller blades | 3 each1 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Span | 180' 5.5"2 55 m2 |
180'1 55 m1 |
| Length | 92' 4.25"2 28.15 m2 |
93'1 28.5 m1 |
| Height | 31' 6"2 9.6 m2 |
31'1 9.6 m1 |
| Wing area | 3,229.3 ft2 2 300 m2 2 |
3,228 ft2 1 300 m2 1 |
| Weight | ||
| Empty | 60,251 lb2 27,330 kg2 |
69,932 lb1 29,060 kg1 |
| Loaded | 94,797 lb2 43,000 kg2 |
99,000 lb1 45,000 kg1 |
| Performance | ||
| Speed @ sea level | 177 mph2 285 kph2 |
|
| Speed @ 4,900' / 1,500' |
157 mph1 253 kph1 |
|
| Climb | 708'/minute2 216 m/minute2 |
|
| Service ceiling | 18,730'1 4,500 m1 |
|
| Range | 683 miles2 1,100 km2 |
682 miles1 1,100 km1 |
| Armament | 5: 13 mm MG2 10: 7.92 mm MG2 |
|
| Wing turrets | 1: 20 mm each1 | |
| Nose doors | 2: 13 mm MG1 | |
| Flight deck | 5: 13 mm MG1 | |
| Cargo | 35,030 lb2 15,890 kg2 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
