German Marine & Transport Aircraft of World War 2

100 Pages·2016·30.17 MB·English

by  Wheeler Barry C.

German Marine & Transport
Aircraft of World War 2
INCLUDING
Me 323 Gigant
Junkers Ju 52
Heinkel He 115
BV 222 Wiking
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INTRODUCTION 3
German Marine & Transport
Aircraft of World War 2
This third Aviation Archive on German aircraft reviews the no longer with us – Hans Redemann, Alfred Kruger, Gerhard Patt, and
flying-boats, seaplanes, transports and gliders operated by respected historian, William Green.
the Luftwaffe. The format follows that of the previous books More than 20 different types are described and their stories provide a
on German Fighters and Bombers in dealing with the types in the fertile ground in tracing the progress of the wartime Luftwaffe, from its
order of first flights in each section, supported by cutaway drawings initial successes from 1939 through to 1942, the stalemate and gradual
by John Weal of some of the most significant machines to see service retreat in North Africa and the first strong resistance in Russia, until the
between the mid-1930s and 1945. decimation of the transport units over the last two years of the conflict,
Where possible, the Archive series has included detail photographs and the whittling away of the already diminished marine elements.
taken by the magazines Aeroplane and Flight, but the majority of Compared with the combat units that received the majority of new
the illustrations in this edition come from other sources. The author designs through the six years of war, there were no new seaplanes or
acknowledges the kind assistance of the Bundesarchive and various flying-boats introduced after 1940 and very little new on the transport
friends in Germany including Klaus Peters as well as those who are front after the Junkers Ju 352 flew in October 1943. Barry C. Wheeler
Aviation Archive Series
German Marine & Transport Aircraft of World War 2
• Editor: Allan Burney • Author: Barry C. Wheeler • Design: Key Studio
• Publisher and Managing Director: Adrian Cox • Executive Chairman: Richard Cox • Commercial Director: Ann Saundry • Distribution: Seymour Distribution Ltd [phone]
• Printing: Warners (Midlands) PLC, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH.
All rights reserved. The entire content of Aviation Archive is © Key Publishing 2015. Reproduction in whole or in part and in any form whatsoever is strictly prohibited without the prior permission of the Publisher. We are unable to guarantee the
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4 CONTENTS
German Marine & Transport Air craft of World War 2
CONTENTS 5
German Marine & Transport Air craft of World War 2
MARINE AIRCRAFT
6 INTRODUCTION
7 HEINKEL He 59
10 HEINKEL He 60
12 ARADO Ar 95
14 DORNIER Do 18
21 HEINKEL He 114
24 BLOHM & VOSS HA 139
28 ARADO Ar 196
34 BLOHM & VOSS BV 138
41 HEINKEL He 115
46 DORNIER Do 24
54 DORNIER Do 26
58 BLOHM & VOSS BV 222
63 BLOHM & VOSS BV 238
TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT
64 INTRODUCTION
65 JUNKERS Ju 52
72 JUNKERS Ju 90/290/390
76 MESSERSCHMITT Me 321
78 ARADO Ar 232
81 MESSERSCHMITT Me 323 GIGANT
88 JUNKERS Ju 252
90 DFS 230
92 GOTHA Go 242/244
96 SECOND-LINE TRANSPORTS
98 AXIS AIRCRAFT
6 MARINE AIRCRAFT
German Marine Aircraft
With a long coastline on the Baltic important component aboard Germany’s major Typical of a German Marine base in 1942 was
and another facing the North warships, spotting for them and flying over-the- Skaramanga in Greece, pictured when the
chances of an enemy attack were low. In the
Sea, Germany traditionally horizon missions in search of enemy shipping.
foreground is a Dutch-built Fokker T.VIII, one of
maintained an air component to patrol these Alongside the Navy’s Seeluftstreitkrafte, the
a number taken over by the Germans in 1940,
and support its naval forces, initially during Luftwaffe offered longer-range aircraft such as while scattered along the quayside are Heinkel
World War 1 and then from the beginning of the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor and torpedo- He 60s, a type then well past its front-line status.
the establishment of the Third Reich in 1933. carrying bombers to strike at enemy vessels
Under the control of the Kriegsmarine, the in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and it was
Seeluftstreitkrafte (Fleet Air Arm), comprised the air force which absorbed the marine units air superiority and losses eventually forced
seaplanes and flying-boats used mainly for from 1942, integrating the relatively small force them into an ineffectual force.
reconnaissance and air-sea rescue. However, into the Luftwaffe organisation. From northern Air-sea rescue duties were flown by
with the advent of war in September 1939, Norway to North Africa, supply operations were Seenotstaffeln and Seenotflugkommandos
the 240 marine aircraft on strength – largely flown by the long-range six-engined Bv 222 which began forming pre-war but became an
made up of Heinkel He 59 floatplanes with flying-boats, supported by other types assigned important element with air battles over the
increasing numbers of more modern He 115 to mine-clearance, communications and mail sea, particularly during the Battle of Britain in
torpedo bombers and Dornier Do 18 flying- delivery for the ground forces. 1940. Aircrew of both sides were rescued by the
boats – took a more active role in support of As Germany moved into Russia and Germans and the British, but it became clear
the surface fleet as well as coastal patrol duties overwhelmed countries in southern Europe, that the He 59 floatplanes on humanitarian
which expanded as mainland Europe fell under so specialised maritime flying groups were missions were also reconnoitring British
Nazi occupation. Later, the two-seat, twin-float established in designated areas, such as shipping and the RAF was ordered to engage
Arado Ar 196 took on combat duties when they Aufklarungsgruppe 126 (See) for operations and destroy these aircraft. Subsequently, the
presented themselves, and the strange-looking in the Mediterranean. However, as Germany’s obsolete biplanes in this role were replaced by
three-engined Blohm & Voss Bv 138 joined North African venture was repulsed, the more efficient three-engined Dornier Do 24
the force and became a supply component already thinly-numbered maritime units found flying-boats and this type remained in service
for the U-Boats. The sturdy Ar 196 was also an themselves outclassed by the Allies’ increasing until the German surrender in May 1945.
HEINKEL He 59 7
Heinkel He 59
When designed in 1930 by subsequently switched to licensee Arado, also for shot-down airmen with the result they
Reinhold Mewes, the He 59 at Warnemünde, which built a further 140 became fair game for RAF fighters. Their
biplane was the largest aircraft He 59Bs. In 1936, the Küstenfliegergruppen side-line activities rumbled, the ponderous
to emerge from Heinkel’s Warnemünde took delivery of the type for coastal patrol biplanes took on darker colours and regular
factory. It was offered both as a general duties with 10 B-2s transferred for service fighter protection.
purpose landplane and a seaplane for use with the Legion Condor in Spain (the Spanish The type was also key to preventing the
by the Reichswehrministerium (Ministry of nicknamed them Zapatones or ‘Big Shoes’ due Dutch from blowing bridges over the Maas
Transport), but with interest increasingly to their large floats). in Rotterdam during the German invasion of
shown for the sea-going variant, the By 1939, the He 59 was considered obsolete the Netherlands when 12 He 59s loaded with
wheeled He 59A was abandoned in favour for combat use, but its reliability saw its German troops landed on the river early on
of the twin-float He 59B design, the retention in second-line duties, firstly as 10 May, six approaching from the east and
prototype of which made its initial flight in navigation and torpedo-dropping trainers, west simultaneously, to secure the vital
January 1932. but more importantly as a Seenotflugzeug or Willems Bridge. Four aircraft were destroyed in
Flight trials demonstrated good handling air-sea rescue aircraft. the operation.
and while cruising speeds in the region of Modified with extra dinghies, medical Examples of this floatplane continued to
112mph were sedate, the He 59B proved a equipment and additional access ladders, the be found on utility duties in remote areas of
workmanlike machine and when the wraps large biplane successfully switched to its new German-controlled Europe until late in the
came off Hitler’s expansionist Government life. These engaged in the rescue of downed war and both Spain and Finland operated
in 1935, the type appeared with guns in the aircrew during the early invasion of the Low examples. The roles of the He 59 were taken
nose, dorsal and ventral positions. In addition, Countries and France and more especially over by the Dornier Do 18 and later by the
torpedoes, bombs and mines could be carried during the Battle of Britain in mid-1940. larger Do 24.
in the internal weapons bay. Initially painted overall white with large Red
In 1934, the He 59B entered service Cross markings, the type was allowed a certain Summer 1942 and in Finland the Germans were
still using He 59s for both air-sea rescue as well
with the Deutschen Verkehrsfliegerschule freedom to fly on humanitarian missions, but
as agent-dropping in the partisan support role.
(German Commercial Flying School) at List, a the British subsequently suspected them of
Seenotstaffeln 9 operated this example and
camouflaged title for the naval aviation school, observing shipping movements on behalf of the basic design remained the same through a
16 Bs following 14 He 59As with production the Stuka units while engaged in searching decade of flying.
8 MARINE AIRCRAFT
Heinkel He 59B-2
Crew: Four
Powerplant: T wo 660hp BMW VI
liquid-cooled engines
Max Speed: 130mph at 3,280ft
Cruise Speed: 115mph at sea level
Range: 585 miles
Empty Weight: 11,023lb
Loaded Weight: 20,062lb
Armament: One 7.9mm MG 15
machine gun in open
nose and dorsal
positions, plus one
7.9mm in ventral position
Max Bomb Load: Four 551lb bombs in
Above: Registered to Heinkel GmbH at Warnemünde in June 1932, D-2215 was the second prototype
ventral fuselage bay
He 59a and originally flew with a wheeled undercarriage, but with abandonment of the land-based
version the wheels were exchanged for two large floats, each containing fuel. Later changes to form Wing Span: 77ft 9in
the He 59B included a cut-out in the upper wing trailing edge and similar cut-outs in the lower wing Length: 57ft 1in
to improve the view from the open dorsal position, and the large tab on the rudder trailing edge was Height: 23ft 4in
incorporated into an enlarged vertical fin.
Above: Photographed in 1934 from the top
Typical of the badges worn by He 59 units are the following: 3./Seenotgruppe formed at Boulogne of a large crane installed at the Travemünde
in June 1940; LN.Schule See training unit based at Dievenow/Wollin; 3./Küstenfliegergruppe 106 experimental establishment on the Baltic
based at Borkum until 1939. coast, one of the prototype Heinkel He 59B-2
floatplanes taxies out for a flight. Its quasi-
civilian use was underlined by the prominent
commercial registration D-ATYP with red-white-
black national colours across the fin and rudder
before the swastika became the official tail
marking from September 1935. The B-2 was also
fitted with military equipment, which included
the nose and dorsal gun positions seen here. The
two-bay biplane was of mixed construction and
proved a durable design, with open cockpit and
two gunner positions in a layout harking back to
World War 1.
HEINKEL He 59 9
Above: Another ageing He 59, this one operated by Seenotflug 3 based at Cherbourg and operated
by the Luftwaffe with standard camouflage of two greens on the upper surfaces and light blue
underneath. Coded DA+WT, it was lost in an accident on 7 September 1940.
Right: Shooting down He 59s was not always straightforward. Although slow, a competent pilot could
use this to his advantage to force over-enthusiastic enemies to overshoot and frustrate their aim
by sharp turns at low-level. Nevertheless, the result was usually a foregone conclusion. These stills
illustrate the beginning of the end for an example caught off the German North Sea coast.
Below: Operated by the Seenotdienst for air-sea rescue mainly around the European coastline, white-
painted He 59Cs carried the Reichsdienstflagge (State Service Flag) on the fin, sometimes with the
eagle emblem as here on D-AFFA, but indicating they were flown on Government duties and not by
the Luftwaffe. To assist with the retrieval of downed aircrew, access ladders extended from the ventral
hatch and from the centre fuselage, in addition to ‘grab ropes’ along each side of the floats.
10 MARINE AIRCRAFT
Heinkel He 60
Designed for catapult operation and
short-range reconnaissance, the Heinkel He 60
two-seat Heinkel He 60 single-bay
Crew: Two (pilot observer)
biplane first flew in early 1933. Of mixed
Powerplant: One BMW VI 6.0
construction with metal floats and fabric-
water-cooled V12 engine
covering overall, it had an open cockpit and
of 660hp
an observer’s position behind with a single
Max Speed: 149mph at sea level
7.9mm MG 15 machine gun. The engine was
Cruise Speed: 134mph
a 660hp BMW VI.
Range: 513 miles
Delivery of the He 60C production model
Empty Weight: 6,018lb
was made in 1936 to Küstenfliegergruppen 106
Loaded Weight: 7,495lb
at List, with 206 and 306 at Norderney, but
Armament: One 7.92mm MG 15 in
while pleasant to fly the type remained under- flexible mount for observer
powered for the job it was designed for with Wingspan: 44ft 4in
a top speed of 129mph at 6,500ft. The He 60D Length: 37ft 9in
marginally improved things with better radios Height: 17ft 5in
and the addition of a single forward-firing
7.9mm MG 17, but after 1940 the type was
Right: A workmanlike design, the He 60D
largely consigned to second-line duties in the
exhibited shades of World War 1 with its biplane
Baltic and the Aegean. No 3 Staffeln of See- layout and open cockpits, but it gave the German
Aufklärungsgruppen 127 in the Gulf of Finland Navy experience with catapult operations off its
finally withdrew its He 60s in October 1943. new warships in the late 1930s. In this pre-war
view, German crews practice fixing retrieval lines
The Spanish Nationalists received six He 60Es
to an He 60D, lending scale to the size of this
in 1936, the survivors remaining in use until
coastal patrol floatplane.
their retirement in 1948. Production reached 84
aircraft, 48 by Arado and 36 by Weser. Below left: Fourth prototype He 60V-4 and the
first of 14 pre-production examples seen during
development trials.
Below: A camouflaged He 60D of Ku.Fl.Gr 106
taxiing on its beaching trolley to a slipway at List,
with a little help from a groundcrew party.