Ju52/3m(See)

[obdl3945]

Hi...

I'm wondering if anyone out there can help with my query. In Karl Ries' book The Luftwaffe, A Photographic Record 1919-1945 (Batsford), at the top of page 190, there is a photograph of a Ju52 floatplane which was apparently used during the landings on Leros on and after 12 November, 1943. This machine has an undecipherable parent Geschwader code in a light colour (grey?), which is 1/5th the size of the remainder of the code, HJ, the 'H' possibly being yellow and the 'J' black. The code on the left side of the rudder is 'Is' - these two letters sitting next to each other and the 'S' being slightly smaller in size - and underneath is the letter 'H', all of which are possibly also in yellow. A unit emblem is evident on the forward fuselage, positioned between the front of the canopy and the centreline engine, but again, is unfortunately undecipherable. A white Mediterranean theatre fuselage band is positioned immediately in front of the horizontal tailplane. There is also a high and very visible demarkation line between the dark greens and pale blue camouflage colours on the floats.

Can anyone determine for me, which unit this machine may have operated with, and what the parent Geschwader code was? Also, if the unit emblem could be identified, I would be most grafteful.

Thanks in advance...

Paul