Zirkus Rosarius was an Erprobungskommando

Erprobungskommando

An Erprobungskommando was a Luftwaffe unit tasked with the testing of new aircraft and weaponry under operational conditions.-Erprobungskommando 16:...

-style special test unit of the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

, specifically of the Luftwaffe High Command, tasked with testing captured British and American aircraft, all of which were repainted in German markings. The purpose of testing allied aircraft was to discover any strengths or vulnerabilities in their design or performance. This information was highly useful in enabling German service personnel to develop tactics designed to counter strengths and exploit any vulnerabilities.

The unit was formed by Theodor Rosarius in 1943 and was part of the 2./Versuchsverband Ob.d.L.. 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 of T9, with a few of the unit's aircraft coming from KG 200

KG 200

Kampfgeschwader 200 was a Luftwaffe unit during World War II. The unit was the Luftwaffe's special operations wing that carried out long-distance reconnaissance flights, tested new aircraft designs, and operated captured aircraft....

, which already used the A3 identification code of that wing.

Known captured aircraft

Type	Model	Serial number	Luftwaffe call sign	Notes
Lockheed P-38	L (F-5E)	44-23725	T9+MK	ex 354th Air Service Sq-Delivered intact by USAAF deserter Martin James Monti Martin James Monti Martin James Monti was a United States airman who enlisted in the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet. Monti reported for training and later was commissioned as a Flight Officer. He subsequently qualified in the P-39 Aircobra and the P-38 Lightning, and was promoted to second lieutenant, when he...  13/10/1944
Lockheed P-38	G	43-2278	T9+XB (duplicated)	13th Air Force—accidentally landed at Capoterra Italy 12/061943.
Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...	IX-B	MK698	T9+EK	ex-412 RAF Squadron
Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...	PR XI	possibly MB945	T9+BB	ex 14th Photo Squadron/7th PRG USAAF
North American AT-6 Harvard			DR+XD
North American P-51 Mustang	B or C		T9+CK
North American P-51 Mustang	B	43-24825	T9+HK	"Jerry" Ex 334th Fighter Squadron/4th Fighter Group-captured 6/6/1944
Hawker Typhoon Hawker Typhoon The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...	Ia	EJ956: Ex SA-I 486(NZ) Sqn.	T9+GK
Republic P-47	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 De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...	IV-B		T9+XB (duplicated)
Boeing B-17	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 Sq/91st Bomb Gp. 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			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 BS, 459th BG, 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 Short Stirling The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...	Mk.1	N3705	|6+8	|ex 7th RAF Squadron

Note: all-alphabetic codes were Stammkennzeichen form, individual to the aircraft; any codes containing one number somewhere to the left of the Balkenkreuz were combat wing-specific Geschwaderkennung codes.

See Also

• Air Fighting Development Unit
  Air Fighting Development Unit
  The Air Fighting Development Unit was an air technical intelligence part of the Royal Air Force which developed operational tactics and tested captured enemy aircraft. It was based at Royal Air Force Stations at Northolt, Duxford and Wittering....
  
  , the RAF unit that tested captured German aircraft.
• No. 1426 Flight RAF
  No. 1426 Flight RAF
  No. 1426 Flight RAF, nicknamed "the Rafwaffe", was a Royal Air Force flight formed during the Second World War to evaluate captured enemy aircraft and demonstrate their characteristics to other Allied units. Several aircraft on charge with the RAE Farnborough section were also used by this unit...
  
  , the RAF unit that flew captured German aircraft.
• Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit
  Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit
  The Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit was a joint group of the United States Navy, United States Army Air Forces, Royal Australian Air Force, and Royal Navy formed in November 1942 to recover Japanese aircraft to obtain intelligence on their technical and tactical capabilities...
  
  , the combined Allied unit that evaluated Japanese aircraft.
• Kampfgeschwader 200 German special operations unit that operationally flew captured, Allied aircraft.

Note

• For photos, see http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/aircraft/FAACapturedAircraftHomepage.html