Blohm & Voss BV 138 - successful pilots

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

There is too little data to draw any firm conclusions.

[knusel]

Happy Xmas to all !

For Xmas Eve I received OSPREY's "Dornier Do 24 Units", another interesting maritime type.
Cheers,
Michael

[James A Pratt III]

My source on the sub losses is from a post on the axishistoryforum.com The Soviet Union at war 1917-1945 section. post (from Soviet Empire): Updated chronology of Soviet submarine victories and losses in WW2 (2022)

M-118 (likely lost on 2 Oct 1942 by German seaplane Bv-138. Wreck not yet found, expeditions failed to locate it in claimed spot by attack with depth charges from Romanian gunboats NMS Sublocotenent Ghigulescu and NMS Locotenant Stihi Eugen on 1 October)
1/Oct/42 sunk German merchant Salzburg (1742 GRT) torpedo. Cargo of 840t of manganese ore. In addition, 2300 Soviet POWs, at least 1200 soviet prisoners were killed during the sinking.

Trying to find the fate of a MIA submarine can be a real headache. Until the wreck is found we will not know.

[knusel]

Info about German WW2 maritime pilots is also scarce, none of them ever received the Knight's cross, right?

[igorrB]

Of course not. Oblt. Barth from 3./506 first come to my mind. Received RK for success as torpedo-bomber at end of 1940

[knusel]

Cool.
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/...egergruppe.htm
He flew the Heinkel He 115, didn't he ?

[Chris Goss]

Beobachter with 3./506 and sank 6 ships up to March 1941 but did not transfer to the Luftwaffe from Kriegsmarine until October 1941

[James A Pratt III]

reply #19 mentions aircraft 7R+GH isn't this 1/ Aufkl. Gr 125 in Norway? according to luftwaffdata.co.uk 3/Auflk Gr 125 was in the Black Sea

[knusel]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

Beobachter with 3./506 and sank 6 ships up to March 1941 but did not transfer to the Luftwaffe from Kriegsmarine until October 1941

Was Karl Barth a pilot or an observer when flew the He 115 ?
This entry implies he was a pilot:
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/...egergruppe.htm
but this entry says his pilot training was 1942:
https://ww2.dk/Lw%20Offz%20-%20A-F%20Apr%202024.pdf

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Hello James,

Originally Posted by James A Pratt III

reply #19 mentions aircraft 7R+GH isn't this 1/ Aufkl. Gr 125 in Norway? according to luftwaffdata.co.uk 3/Auflk Gr 125 was in the Black Sea

In 1942 there were at least eight aircraft with the codes 7R+_H (i.e.1./125) on the Black Sea.

Perhaps the reason is as follows. In January 1942, according to the initial order, 1./125 was to be transferred to Lfl.4 to the Black Sea, and 3./125 was to operate under Lfl.5 (partly in Polar Norway against Soviet submarines).
However, given that the Black Sea is saltier (greater risk of corrosion), in the same month the Staffeln swapped places, as the aircraft of 3./125 had engines that were better suited to highly salty water.
It is possible that in 3./125 actually assembled the aircraft from both Staffeln that were best suited to the conditions of the Black Sea. For some reason, the codes were not changed.

Best regards,
Andrey