Another interesting photograph currently on offer to the highest bidder, a very nice photograph of an Heinkel He 59 in a Norwegian Fjord.
The aircraft obviously originated from the Küstenfliegerstaffel 3./106 - as revealed by the code M2 + YL.
But there is another identifying feature in this photograph - the vertical bar with a superimposed number (seen in the photo as a ligth reflecting white spot on the vertical bar). This identifies the aircraft as belonging to Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 108, one of the units composed for transport to Norway during the Operation Weserübung - the invasion of Denmark and Norway on April 9th 1940.
According to the war diary Quartermaster General (Generalquartiermeister) of the General der Luftwaffe beim Oberkommando der Marine, the 3./106 was one of several units that were to allocate aircraft for "Weserübung". On March 2nd 1940 the number of aircraft that were possible to allot to this "training exercise" were:
In addition, four He 59 D was at the Bachmann company, and two at the wharf at Pillau. These were counted as being ready for operations by April 1st, while two He 59 E from the Blindflugschule See at the wharf in Schleswig was not going to be ready for operations by the above given date.
So all in all 84 He 59 were supposed to be ready for operations in the airlift during the invasion of Norway by the count at beginning of March 1940.
All the He 59 was to be gathered at three locations, Wittensee, ZA Travemünde and Parow, while the crew were to be sent to Kiel were they would be briefed and then distributed to the above mentioned locations.
The available aircraft were to be distributed in 7 Staffeln of approximately 10 aircraft each - and the individual aircraft marked with coloured rings (we have seen that they ended up using vertical bars) and numbers. (Bezeichnung der Staffeln durch Farbringe und Nummern as it is written in German).
This aircraft was photographed in Bergen in western Norway. The order for the use of He 59 from the I./108 stationed at Norderney on Wesertag - April 9th 1940 - a unit consisting of 1/108 and 2/108 equipped with He 59 and 8/108 with Ju 52/See - was to transport an army infantry company consisting of 150 to 150 personnel from Norderney to Bergen.
You can in fact see a He 59 taking off - showing the same backdrop as in this photograph - in the following film on YouTube:
The aircraft obviously originated from the Küstenfliegerstaffel 3./106 - as revealed by the code M2 + YL.
But there is another identifying feature in this photograph - the vertical bar with a superimposed number (seen in the photo as a ligth reflecting white spot on the vertical bar). This identifies the aircraft as belonging to Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 108, one of the units composed for transport to Norway during the Operation Weserübung - the invasion of Denmark and Norway on April 9th 1940.
According to the war diary Quartermaster General (Generalquartiermeister) of the General der Luftwaffe beim Oberkommando der Marine, the 3./106 was one of several units that were to allocate aircraft for "Weserübung". On March 2nd 1940 the number of aircraft that were possible to allot to this "training exercise" were:
| 1) | He 59 D | |||
| 3/106 | 11 | |||
| 1/906 | 9 | |||
| 3/906 | 10 | |||
| Schule Pütnitz | 2 | |||
| Schule Parow | 2 | |||
| Schule Bug | 4 | |||
| Nachschub: | ||||
| LP Holtenau | 7 | |||
| Za Tr'de | 1 | |||
| 2) | He 59 E | |||
| Schule Warnemünde | 11 | |||
| Schule Pütnitz | 7 | ) | Zusatztank und Rumpf_MG eingebaut bzw. einbaubereit | |
| Schule Parow | 1 | ) | ||
| Schule Bug | 2 | ) | ||
| Schule Dievenow | 8 | |||
| Ergänzungs Gruppe | 3 |
In addition, four He 59 D was at the Bachmann company, and two at the wharf at Pillau. These were counted as being ready for operations by April 1st, while two He 59 E from the Blindflugschule See at the wharf in Schleswig was not going to be ready for operations by the above given date.
So all in all 84 He 59 were supposed to be ready for operations in the airlift during the invasion of Norway by the count at beginning of March 1940.
All the He 59 was to be gathered at three locations, Wittensee, ZA Travemünde and Parow, while the crew were to be sent to Kiel were they would be briefed and then distributed to the above mentioned locations.
The available aircraft were to be distributed in 7 Staffeln of approximately 10 aircraft each - and the individual aircraft marked with coloured rings (we have seen that they ended up using vertical bars) and numbers. (Bezeichnung der Staffeln durch Farbringe und Nummern as it is written in German).
This aircraft was photographed in Bergen in western Norway. The order for the use of He 59 from the I./108 stationed at Norderney on Wesertag - April 9th 1940 - a unit consisting of 1/108 and 2/108 equipped with He 59 and 8/108 with Ju 52/See - was to transport an army infantry company consisting of 150 to 150 personnel from Norderney to Bergen.
You can in fact see a He 59 taking off - showing the same backdrop as in this photograph - in the following film on YouTube:
