He-59 & 3/Seenotgruppe

[Fairlop]

Hi,

Because of prepared article with colour profiles I search for photograph of He-59 of the 3/Seenotgruppe in 1941. This unit should have had D version of these Heinkel floatplanes. The picture is not for publication but for a master / basis of making the profile.
I´am a little bit at a loss if the unit was named as 3/Seenotgruppe in Spring 1941. According to my info there was Seenotkommando 3 from 07/1940 to 11/40 when it was disbanded and became 3/Seenotgruppe.
Did the 3/Seenotgruppe use codes M6+.L ?
Any help much appreciated.

Regards,
Michal

[Andy Mitchell]

Michal,

For what it's worth here is what I've found in Rosch:-

1) 3./Seenotgruppe - formed from Seenotflug.Kdo 3 - Nov 1940.

2) M6 +.L was assigned to Seenotstaffel 3 in March 1944 - Rosch then lists a number of examples associated primarily with Do 24T-3s. (e.g. M6+CL, M6+DL, M6+FL etc). Rosch also indicates that Seenotstaffel 1 was assigned the code W4 (Staffel letter H) during the same month.

3) 3./Seenotgruppe became Seenotstaffel 3, according to Rosch, in Apr 1942.

See also http://www.ww2.dk/air/seefl/seenot3.html

[hihotte]

Holá Michal, for nice colour photos of He 59D in 3. Seenotgruppe check
Luftwaffe im Focus, Spezial No1 and if you don´t have it send me an e-mail (copyright)
Cheers
hihotte

[Seaplanes]

Actually, this unit was formed as Seenotflugkommando 3 in Pillau in April 1940. The units first three Heinkel He 59s arrived at the seaplane station in List on 25 April 1940, joining the Seenotflugkommando 2 already at this base. Seenotflugkommando 1 was then located at Norderney. The Seenotflugkdo. 3 took over a fourth He 59, D-APIE, from Seenotflugkdo. 2 upon arrival in List.

On 20 July 1940 the Seenotflugkdo. 3 was ordered to send 2 He 59s from List to Boulogne. D-AROO and D-AXAL took off, but the latter suffered a 30-40% accident during take off in List. No casualties. D-AROO reached Amsterdam the same day and continued the following day to Boulogne.

On 30 July 1940, the whole Seenotflugkdo.3 was ordered to transfer to Boulogne instantly.

[Fairlop]

Hi,

Andy - thanks for your helpful and supplemental info.
Hihotte - a good news the picture(s) exist(s). I do not have that Special. Could you send me copies of the relevant pages to fairlop AT quick.cz address please ? Does the Special show the code too, or this question is remaining to reply ?

Regards,
Michal

[Fairlop]

Hi Seaplanes,

I believed you will be answering this questions too. A perfect detailed info. Thanks.
Is the unit name "3/Seenotgruppe" valid for Spring 1941 ?

Michal

[Seaplanes]

The Stab Seenotgruppe was ordered formed with immediate effect on 8 August 1940 in Norderney. The Stab moved to Schellingwoude near Amsterdam in the period 5-10. November 1940.

On 25.11.40 the Seenotflugkommandos 1,2,3,4 and 5 were redesignated Seenotstaffeln, keeping their old numbers. The correct designation would then be for example 1. Staffel/Seenotgruppe. At the same time the Führer of a Seenotflugkommando was given the title Staffelkapitän.

[Fairlop]

Thank you very much for the valuable info.
I believe the matter of codes will be clear when Hihotte send me (cross fingers) copies of the pages the LiF Special but ...
... were Stammkennzeichen used already or the civil code D-**** ?

Michal

[Seaplanes]

For the time you are interested in, about spring 1941, all Seenotflugzeuge used four-letter Stammkennzeichen. The use of civil regs. were abolished at the end of July 1940. However, it took a month or two before absolutely all Seenot aircraft had converted to Stammkennzeichen. Verbandkennzeichen were instroduced well into 1944.

[Fairlop]

Hello,

There is unreadable code on the 1. Staffel/Seenotgruppe He-59´s picture in the LiF according to caption kindly send by Horst today. Do you know unit´s Stammkennzeichen please ?

Michal