He 59 loss
 

Hi,

Can anyone help me identify these two losses:

Firstly this one. Failing identification of the aircraft, does anyone recognise the background which may help narrow the loss to either KFlGr 906 or 706?

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...-59-Damage.jpg


The second one is:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...enotdamage.jpg

I'm assuming this is from Seenotfligkommando./Cherbourg - there is a date on the back as "07.08" with no year given, but it is given as on the Channel.


If anyone can shed light on these two aircraft and how they came to be in their respective states, I'd appreciate it

TIA

Adam

Re: He 59 loss
 

Hi,
The scene is in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
According to the recent published book "Les hydravions de la Luftwaffe" Volume 1, this He 59B was 20% damaged on August 2nd, 1940. Note the insigna (3/906), but the plane belonged to Seenotzentrale Boulogne.

Heve a good Sunday,

Von Alles

Re: He 59 loss
 

Thanks for the info.. Is there any further details on either the aircraft (WNr, S/Vkz) or how the damage was incurred? Likewise, any information on how long the aircraft had been detached (?) from 3./906?

I don't suppose there is anything on the second picture?

Adam

Re: He 59 loss
 

About the second picture, not the same plane, but the same location.

I shall do more research.

Von Alles

Re: He 59 loss
 

I can confirm : location is Boulogne.
The second plane is registrated TY+HD.

Von Alles

Re: He 59 WNr (ex loss)
 

Guys

I notice the digits 176 on the fin of the second 59. In Les Hydroavions de la Luftwaffe there is also a photo of one with digits 177. Not sure what this really is since the digits does not correspond to any known Heinkel or Arado WNr. Did someone else build this type under license? If not a WNr what then could it be??

Cheers
Stig

Re: He 59 loss
 

Many thanks von Alles. I don't suppose it is mentioned in the work you cite how the first aircraft was damaged, or even its WNr or V/Skz?

Stig, I know nothing of TY+HD's history, but I've noted that numbers such as the '176' indicate the aircraft saw service with training establishments and as such, the number was an internal device as used by the schools. Whether that is true of this aircraft or not, I don't know.

Re: He 59 loss
 

Hi,
no Wk Nr are known for these planes, but the causes are the same : ""broke loose from mooring buoy and struck breakwater".
No He 59 are reported damaged on August 7th, 1940, but one the 2nd and one the 3rd. "07.08" refered probably to the date the photo was taken.
I aggree about the "school number" : 176 was probably not a WNr.
The first He came from 3/906 when this unit converted to He 115.

Hope that this will help.

Von Alles

Re: He 59 loss
 

Adam/von Alles

Thanks for the response. Sorry to say I am not convinced by your theory regarding the digits on the fin, although Luftwaffe are full of surprises...:) I cannot recall seing any such three digit numbers anywhere else except on the two He 59s stated. What other types used this system? As far as I know no author(s) has brought up such a subject before, which in itself means nothing, but I am listening, so please expand! How was it related to units??

Cheers
Stig

Re: He 59 loss
 

Hi von Alles/ Stig

I've attached pictures showing aircraft with a similar numbering system on the tail, this time an He 59 of 9 NSNSt and the tail of an He 115 from an unknown unit (unfortunately, I don't have any sort of program that may clear up the later image enough to see the number).

Of course, the use of such numbers on the tails may not have been for training units, but they don't correspond to a WNr and if instead it was a Seenot practice, then its odd that there is an He 115 with a number painted on the tail and/or other known Seenot a/c didn't display numbers in this way (perfect example, picture 1 from above). That leaves only training establishments. It's a long stretch, I know and the number on the He 115 may not be connected to the idea behind the He 59 numbers...

cheers

Re: He 59 loss
 

Thanks Adam

Very nice He 59 image!! Are you sure the He 115 really do carry digits on its fin? Now we have THREE He 59, 170, 176 and 177 and it really looks like we have a sequence 170 to at least 177 on our hands!

I checked Roba's book again and located on page 48 a He 60 with something that looks like 4xx, ie in the 400 digit range, but that is the only photo I can find showing these elusive digits. Roba's text is very hesitant and is useless to deduce unit etc...

So far everyone publishing a photo of an aircraft with these digits avoid even mentioning they are aware of the numbers. No doubt they haven't a clue what they mean....:rolleyes:

Seaplanes
Where are you??? :) Would be very nice to have your input!! Anyone else?

Cheers
Stig

Re: He 59 loss
 

He 59D (May have been a He 59E) W.Nr. 2584 and He 59E W.Nr. 2596 TY+HD both came from Fl.Waffenschule (See) 1 in Parow when they were taken over by Seenotdienst on 21.07.40. After a short period in List and Norderney respectively, both aircraft served for some time from Boulogne with Seenotflugkdo. 3. The fin-number seen on several photos of various seaplanes, all seems to be an internal number used by Fl.Waffenschule (See) 1 Parow.

Re: He 59 loss
 

Many thanks Seaplanes, very interesting!

Re: He 59 loss
 

Mange Takk Seaplanes

Cheers
Stig