Four P.108Cs and five P.108Ts were handed over to the "Luftwaffe" and used on the Eastern Front, notably during the 1944 evacuation of Axis troops following the Crimean Offensive. The P.108C (civil airliner, with 32 seats) and T (military transport) were more reliable than the bomber variants, and their capability of carrying heavy loads (such as two dismantled fighters) was important, as the "Luftwaffe" did not have many heavy transport aircraft, relying mainly on the smaller Ju 52s. These aircraft also had four 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns as defensive armament, with one in a dorsal turret, one in a ventral position, and two waist positions.