Jetrader - Winter 2016 - 46

Somewhere in Tunisia, a six-engined Me 323 unloading its cargo. The
half-track truck in the foreground and the bulldozer did not arrive on
the Gigant; they are just there to drag the cargo out of the aircraft.
Photo: MilitaryImages.net.

these powered models, landings no longer had to be flown dead-stick;
they didn't have to worry about landing short of the runway or going
around for a second approach if they were not lined up properly.

Gigants in Action
With so many large guns, half-track trucks, tanks and mules to
be moved to the fronts, and with no quick, easy alternative ways
to cross rivers and mountains, the fleet of Gigants saw intensive
use. For back-haul loads, they could be fitted with medical litters
to carry the wounded back to hospitals in the Fatherland.
The first operations for the Gigants were to support the Eastern
Front against the Soviets in the springtime mud - where even
tanks were getting bogged down. Most of the Gigants were withdrawn from the Eastern Front in early 1942 to support the planned
capture of the Mediterranean island Malta, but that had to be
postponed. The unpowered Gigants were towed back to Russia

to rescue the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad but could not be
deployed there for want of suitable airports.
Beginning in the Autumn of 1942, with Axis shipping in the
Mediterranean suffering heavy losses, both types of Gigants provided
much-needed airlift to North Africa to bring supplies to Rommel's
Afrika Korps. But these airborne operations suffered heavy losses as
well. In April 1943, despite an escort of German fighters protecting
them, a formation of 27 fully loaded Gigants were intercepted by British
Spitfires, resulting in the loss of 21 of the Gigants. With their top speed
of only about 150 knots, they were easy pickings for the fighters.

Postscripts
None of the 400 Gigants survived. Many of the unpowered
aircraft landed "off airport" and were damaged or impossible to
recover. Others were shot down or lost in accidents, and many
others were destroyed on the ground by bombing raids during
the war, or destroyed by Allied armies as they overran Germany.
As for the Heinkel 111Z Siamese-twin tow planes, two prototypes
were built, plus 10 more production units. Some sources say an
additional nine units were cobbled together from standard He 111s.
In any case, only four remained by the time hostilities ended; all
were scrapped and none are to be found in museums.
Even now, some 70 years since the World War II ended, the lessons learned by the Gigant operations are still valid. Today's military
heavy-lift freighters, like the Lockheed C-5 and Boeing C-17, would
be no safer in a wartime scenario than were the Gigants in the 1940s.
They simply cannot run or hide when zealous fighter aircraft are
out to get them.

Over 50 Years of
Aviation Expertise
icf.com/aviation

The World's Leading Aviation Consultancy
Valuation-Make more informed decisions with current
and future values of assets provided by ICF's ISTAT
Senior Appraisers.
Aircraft Remarketing and Management-Receive end-to-end
aircraft management support for maintenance, transition,
remarketing, and transaction negotiation.
Financial Services-Obtain objective insight and transaction
support when buying or selling aviation assets or optimizing
the financial structure of aviation operations.

Asset Management and Technical Services-Focus on the most
strategic goals with ICF who can help reduce complexity and
deliver advisory, lease management, due diligence, and technical
services support for all phases of the aviation asset lifecycle.
MRO Advisory Services-Lower costs and boost impact
in areas that matter most with ICF's strategy, operational
improvement, and financial advisory
services to buyers and providers of
MRO services.

About ICF
ICF is a global consulting and technology services provider focused on making big things possible for our clients. Since 1969, government and
commercial clients have worked with ICF to overcome their toughest challenges on issues that matter profoundly to their success.
BIS ADV 0916 0497

46 834199_ICF.indd
The official publication
of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading
1

30/09/16 8:45 PM

http://www.MilitaryImages.net http://www.icfi.com/aviation http://www.icf.com/aviation

Jetrader - Winter 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jetrader - Winter 2016