He 111E pre-war code 56+D?? which unit?

[ChrisS]

On eBay http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Flugzeug...-/110814915699 and http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Flugzeug...-/110814908017

Both Heinkel He 111E's bear the code pre-war code 56+D (one is 56+D00). I can't find this code in any of my references, can anybody pin it to a unit?

Thanks in advance

Chris

[Doug Stankey]

The code appears to be that of KG 155 , second formation. See Volume 2 of our book: Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe.

As for a code of 56+000, this might be aircraft O of the Geschwader Stab/KG 155, but it might also be S6 + 000 of some unknown school unit.


I hope that that clarifies something.

DGS

[ChrisS]

Hi Doug

Thank you so much! It shows that I ought to read my library much more carefully rather than dip in and out

Cheers

Chris

[ianatheling]

Hi
I have seen the second photo of this He 111E before. 56 indicates the aircraft as from the 2nd formation of KG 155 in November 1938. The +DOO is the remains of the previous civil code, so previously D-ADOO.

A similar photo of an early He111 with this mixture of unit code and civil registration is a He111B-1 coded 71+GOK (Griehl, 2006, p.23)

Ian