Watch Rare Footage of Captured German Ju 88 in Allied Training and Highlights Early OPFOR Tactics

Steve Greene / YouTube

A Captured Enemy Plane in Allied Skies

In a rare piece of World War II footage from the National Archives and Records Administration, a captured German Junkers Ju 88 is seen flying with a British roundel on its fuselage. Although officially labeled in the archive as an “unidentified British light bomber,” aviation enthusiasts will quickly recognize the aircraft as a Ju 88—a widely used German twin-engine plane. The aircraft shown is not part of any combat mission, but rather a captured unit used by the Allies for training purposes. In the scene, it is chased through the sky by both a U.S. P-47 Thunderbolt and a British Spitfire.

The Ju 88 in this film carries an “M” squadron code, a marking often linked to flying schools or advanced pilot training programs. This suggests the aircraft was assigned to a unit that specialized in familiarizing Allied pilots with enemy designs. The objective was to allow combat pilots to see the aircraft they would face in battle and better understand how to counter them.

Steve Greene / YouTube

Early OPFOR Training in Action

This training approach was an early form of what is now called OPFOR, or Opposing Force, tactics. By flying actual captured enemy aircraft, Allied instructors gave pilots firsthand experience in identifying the shape, speed, and behavior of enemy planes under realistic conditions. Pilots could observe how the Ju 88 turned, climbed, and dove—all valuable details when developing air combat strategies. The sight of a German aircraft flying under Allied control was rare, and this footage provides a brief but meaningful look at how training evolved to keep aircrews prepared for real combat encounters.

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