The Zirkus Rosarius was a unit of the Luftwaffe tasked with evaluation of captured Allied aircraft, in the same way that units such as No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight evaluated captured Axis aircraft.
History[]
The unit was formed by Theodor Rosarius in 1943 and was part of the 2./Versuchsverband Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe. The Zirkus also toured operational airfields showing Luftwaffe pilots the captured aircraft and training them in techniques to counter these aircraft. The Zirkus Rosarius seemed to have merited the use of its own Geschwaderkennung ("Geschwader code") of "T9", with a few of the unit's aircraft coming from KG-200, which already used the "A3" identification code of that wing.
Known captured aircraft[]
| Type | Model | Serial number | Luftwaffe call sign[N 1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed P-38 | L (F-5E) | 44-23725 | T9+MK | ex 354th Air Service Sq-Delivered intact by USAAF deserter Martin James Monti 13/10/1944 |
| Lockheed P-38 | G | 43-2278 | T9+XB (duplicated) | 15th Air Force—accidentally landed at Capoterra Italy 12/061943. |
| Supermarine Spitfire | LF.IX | MK698 | T9+EK | ex-No. 412 Squadron RCAF |
| Supermarine Spitfire | PR.XI | possibly MB945 | T9+BB | ex 14th Photo Squadron/7th PRG USAAF |
| North American NA-64 | ? | Armée de l'Air No. 44 | DR+XD | ? |
| North American P-51 Mustang | B or C | 42-103458 | T9+CK | *My Lady/Miss Marilyn*. Ex 325th Fighter Group's 318th Fighter Squadron. Captured 9 December 1944 |
| North American P-51 Mustang | B | 43-24825 | T9+HK | "Jerry" Ex 334th Fighter Squadron. Captured 6 June 1944 |
| Hawker Typhoon | Ia | EJ956 | T9+GK (duplicated) | Ex "SA-I" No. 486(NZ) Sqn. |
| Hawker Typhoon | ? | JP548 | T9+GK (duplicated) | Ex No. 174 Sqn. |
| Republic P-47 Thunderbolt | D | 42-22490 | T9+FK | ex 358th Fighter Sq/355th FG - captured 7/11/1943 |
| Republic P-47 | D-16-RE | 42-75971 | 8+6 then T9+LK | ex 301st Fighter Sq/332nd FG - captured 29/5/1944 |
| de Havilland Mosquito | B Mk IV | Believed to be DZ466[3] | T9+XB (duplicated) | Missing from PR sorties to Paris area 20.2.43[N 2] |
| Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | F | 41-24585 | A3+AE | "Wulf Hound" from KG 200; ex 360 Bomb Sq/303rd BG captured 12/12/1942 |
| Boeing B-17 | F | 42-30713 | "Phllis Marie" ex 568th Bomb Sq/390th Bomb Gp. Captured 8/3/1944 | |
| Boeing B-17 | F | 42-30048 | A3+CE | "Flak Dancer" ex. 554th Bomb Sq/384th Bomb Gp. Captured 26/6/1943 |
| Boeing B-17 | F | 42-5714 | DR+PB | "Old Faithful" ex 332nd Bomb Squadron. Captured 14/10/1943 |
| Boeing B-17 | G | 42-39974 | ? | "Punchboard" ex 731st Bomb Sq/452nd Bomb Gp. Captured 9/4/1944 |
| Bell P-39 Airacobra | N(?) | ? | GE+DV | ? |
| Curtiss Kittyhawk Mark III | ? | ? | 10+KH | ? |
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator | D | 41-23659 | I-RAIN | "Blond Bomber II" ex 343rd BS, 98th BG, USAAF 20/2/1943 |
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator | G | 42-78106 | NF+FL | "Sky Pirate" ex 758th Bombardment Squadron USAF captured 9/6/1944 |
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator | G | 42-78247 | CL+XZ | ex 765th BS, 461st BG, USAAF 4/10/1944 |
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator | H | 41-28641 | A3+KB | ex 735th BS, 453rd BG, USAAF 4/2/1944 |
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator | H | 42-52106 | "Sunshine" ex 719th BS, 449th BG, 47th BW, 15th AF, USAAF 29/2/1944 | |
| Short Stirling | Mk.1 | N3705 | 6+8 | ex No. 7 Squadron RAF |