Junkers Ju 388

Junkers Ju 388
Company type	Combat aircraft
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	December 22, 1943; 82 years ago
Headquarters	Germany, Germany
Products	High-altitude fighter, bomber, and reconnaissance aircraft

The Junkers Ju 388 Störtebeker was a versatile German combat aircraft developed late in World War II by the Luftwaffe. It evolved from the Junkers Ju 88 series, specifically through the Junkers Ju 188. Engineered for operations at high altitudes, it incorporated a pressurized cockpit to improve crew efficiency. Introduced during the war’s final phase, its production was constrained by operational difficulties and worsening wartime circumstances.

Background

By late 1942, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) had identified the threat posed by the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a concern that intensified by early 1944 when the YB-29 "Hobo Queen" appeared at RAF Bovingdon. The B-29’s performance—cruising near 360 km/h (225 mph) at extreme altitudes—surpassed that of existing Luftwaffe aircraft, presenting a significant challenge to German air defenses.

In response, the Luftwaffe initiated development of new high-altitude interceptors and bomber destroyers. Notable fighter projects included the Focke-Wulf Ta 152H, equipped with a high-altitude Junkers Jumo 213E engine, and the Messerschmitt Me 155B, developed by Blohm & Voss. The twin-engine Dornier Do 335 also showed promise for operating at elevated service ceilings but remained in prototype form with production anticipated late in 1944.

For roles such as bomber interception and night fighting, aircraft like the Focke-Wulf Ta 154 and Heinkel He 219 offered adequate performance but were limited by their low-aspect-ratio wings, which reduced efficiency at higher altitudes. Earlier high-altitude adaptations of the Ju 88 (S and T variants) failed to meet requirements.

The Ju 188 was modified into high-altitude versions (Ju 188J, K, L), featuring a simplified "stepless" pressurized cockpit design with fewer glazed panels than previous models. Additionally, these variants incorporated wing and elevator de-icing systems to sustain prolonged flights at altitude. These enhancements laid the foundation for the Ju 388 program.

Development

To improve overall performance, most defensive weaponry was removed from the Ju 388. Unlike its predecessor Ju 88—equipped with numerous manually operated guns around the cockpit—the Ju 388 employed a single remote-controlled tail turret armed with two 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, aimed through a periscope located inside the cockpit. This design discarded the earlier nose "Bola" defensive compartment, thereby enhancing aerodynamic efficiency.

The Ju 388 maintained the experimental designations inherited from the Ju 188: J, K, and L. The J variant served as a fighter outfitted with two 30 mm MK 103 cannons and two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons intended for daytime bomber interception. For night operations, its MK 103s were replaced by lighter 30 mm MK 108 cannons, complemented by an additional pair of upward-firing MK 108s installed in a Schräge Musik configuration behind the cockpit. The K model functioned as a dedicated bomber featuring an expanded bomb bay pannier, while the L was designed for photo-reconnaissance missions, equipped with cameras and extra fuel tanks to extend its range.

Each variant was produced in three sub-models distinguished solely by their engines:

-1 utilized a turbocharged BMW 801J radial engine producing 1,331 kW (1,810 PS)
-2 was intended to be powered by either a 24-cylinder Junkers Jumo 222A/B or improved Jumo 222E/F engine delivering approximately 1,864 kW (2,500 hp)
-3 mounted a Junkers Jumo 213E liquid-cooled inverted V12 engine equipped with a supercharger

Because the Jumo 222 failed to progress beyond testing phases—with fewer than three hundred units produced—all operational Ju 388s were powered by either BMW 801 or Jumo 213 engines.

Fighter models fitted with BMW 801J or Jumo 213E engines achieved speeds up to 616 km/h (383 mph) in their bomber-destroyer role; this speed decreased roughly by 25 km/h (16 mph) when equipped with late-war VHF-band Neptun radar and Schräge Musik armament for night fighting duties. These speeds matched contemporary Luftwaffe night fighters but were sustained at higher altitudes. The version powered by the Jumo 222 was projected to reach about 700 km/h (435 mph). Bomber configurations varied in speed depending on payload weight; reconnaissance variants were typically around 25 km/h faster.

The initial prototype—Ju 388 L-0/V7—constructed primarily from Ju 188 components—conducted its maiden flight on December 22, 1943. It demonstrated superior handling at altitude due to enlarged tail surfaces compared to the Ju 88S. Subsequently, six additional prototypes were developed. However, production delays caused by engine shortages coincided with shifting strategic priorities as B-29 operations focused on Asia-Pacific rather than Europe. Allied air defense advancements limited German photo-reconnaissance capabilities, resulting in production concentrating mainly on the L variant.

Deliveries commenced in August of 1944 but remained modest: approximately forty-seven L models (mostly -1 versions powered by BMW engines alongside three -3 units equipped with Jumo engines), fifteen K-1 bombers, and only three J-1 fighters were completed.

Production

Determining the precise quantity of Ju 388 aircraft manufactured proves difficult due to the involvement of prototypes, damage caused by Allied air raids, and incomplete or contradictory documentation.

Confirmed production numbers include:

Six Ju 388 prototypes (two each for J-1, K-1, and L-1 variants)
Twenty Ju 388L-0 models, encompassing prototypes V7, V8, and V30 through V34
Ten initial Ju 388K-0 units, with two converted into Ju 488 V401/V402 prototypes that never took flight
One Ju 388K-1 constructed solely for static testing in July 1944
Forty-six Ju 388L-1 aircraft assembled by ATG during 1944
More than eight Ju 388L-1 units built by ATG in 1945
Up to ten Ju 388L-1 manufactured by Weserflug (WFG), originally designated as K-1

Additional production plans or partially finished units included:

A second batch of ten Ju 388K-0s, some serving as prototypes
A third batch of thirty Ju 388K-0s, with only a few completed

By the conclusion of the conflict, several Ju 388L-1 and Ju 388J models were in advanced stages of assembly.

Proposed export to Japan

In August 1944, Major-General Osamu Otani of Japan—associated with Tripartite Pact delegations in Berlin—showed interest in acquiring licenses for Ju 388 manufacturing. Although comprehensive blueprints and licensing agreements were prepared, there is no record of their actual transfer. Otani was apprehended by Allied forces in May 1945.

Variants

Ju 388J: Designed as a heavy fighter and night fighter.
Ju 388K: Configured for high-altitude bombing missions.
Ju 388L: Adapted for photographic reconnaissance roles.
Ju 388M: A proposed torpedo bomber variant derived from the Ju 388K.
'145': A captured Ju 388L modified with an early fly-by-wire system to support Soviet OKB-1’s development of the 150 jet bomber.

Operators

Luftwaffe
- Erprobungsstelle Rechlin
- Erprobungsstelle Werneuchen
- Erprobungskommando Ju 388
- 3./Versuchsverband O.K.L. operated the Ju 388 V32, W.Nr 300295, T9+DL
- Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 utilized four Ju 388J-0 night fighters during April and May of 1945 under operational testing conditions; these were pre-production prototypes.

Surviving aircraft

Only one example of the Ju 388 remains: a Ju 388L-1 reconnaissance model bearing construction number (Werknummer) 560049, the eighth unit produced at Weser Flugzeugbau’s facility in Nordenham. Parts were also fabricated at ATG in Altenburg and at Niedersächsische Metallwerke Brinckmann & Mergell located in Hamburg-Harburg. Finished early in 1945, it was seized by American forces at the Junkers factory in Merseburg in May that year and subsequently flown to Kassel/Waldau.

Undergoing evaluation by "Watson's Whizzers", led by USAAF Colonel Harold E. Watson, this aircraft was transported on June 17, 1945, to Cherbourg, France before being shipped to the United States aboard a Royal Navy escort carrier for thorough examination.

The Ju 388 completed approximately ten hours of flight testing at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, registered as serial FE-4010 (later redesignated T2-4010). It was presented to the media in September 1945 and showcased at the Dayton Air Show in 1946 alongside other captured German planes.

On September 26, 1946, it was relocated to Orchard Place Airport near what is now O'Hare International Airport, housed inside a former Chrysler manufacturing plant. The aircraft was donated to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air Museum on January 3, 1949, and moved to storage at Silver Hill, Maryland, in November 1954.

Presently disassembled but well-preserved—especially its cockpit instruments—this Ju 388 is among a collection of rare German aircraft awaiting restoration at the National Air and Space Museum’s Paul E. Garber Facility in Silver Hill. Plans exist to transfer these airplanes to the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center restoration annex located at Dulles International Airport.

External Resources

www.ju388.de