Arado Ar 66

Ski-equipped Arado Ar 66 trainer ??+?C. The use of Schneekufen [skis] instead of wheels during winter months was not uncommon in certain sections the Luftwaffe. Also visible is the typical Ar 66 tail section, consisting of a rudder placed aft of the fuselage-top mounted tailplane and elevators.

The fuselage panel between the cowling of Argus As 10 C engine and the transition to the fabric-covered, welded steel tube rear fuselage is noticeably brighter (painted?) than the surrounding fuselage. Moreover, there appears to be a bright fuselage band immediately aft of the Balkenkreuz. Unfortunately, further information regarding this photo is currently lacking. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

STANAVO Handbuch für Flieger

Front cover and sample pages of the STANAVO Handbuch für Flieger [Handbook for Aviators], a promotional aviation booklet published by the Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft (DPAG) [German-American Petroleum Company]. DPAG was a subsidiary of Standard Oil and one of the main fuel suppliers in Germany during the 1930s, and the Handbuch für Flieger was released in 1936.

Far from simply being an advertising stunt, the softcover Handbuch für Flieger comprised of 128 pages of concise information regarding all aspects of flying. As can be seen on the cover, the booklet consisted of eight chapters: "The Aircraft", "Fuels And Oils", "Flying Nationally And Abroad", "Sailplanes", "Navigation In The Air", "Weather", "Standard And Aviation", and "Tables And Information". The 21 by 14 cm booklet was illustrated throughout (drawings and photos) and provided densely written text that sometimes went into quite some detail, such as in the case of operation of aero engines and causes of engine defects, or adjustment of the aircraft's compass, to name but two examples. Moreover, the chapter on sailplanes makes use of information penned by legendary sailplane designer and pilot Wolf Hirth.

Tables, graphs, and mathematical formulae were included liberally, which undoubtedly served to make this booklet a versatile and conveniently sized learning aid for any student flyer. My copy of the Handbuch für Flieger has apparently been used exactly as such at the time; the original owner has left notes and annotations written by pencil on countless pages. (German Aviation 1919-1945 Collection)

Edmund Schneider ESG 29 / Grunau 9

A precarious treetop incident involving a stranded Edmund Schneider-designed ESG 29 (Grunau 9) Schädelspalter [skullsplitter] Schulgleiter [training glider]. The aircraft is equipped with the optional "boot" [boat], i.e., a lightweight aerodynamic fairing around the usually fully exposed pilot's seat.

Detailed examination of the airframe reveals Olympic rings on the vertical tail, signifying the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. According to the sketchy information available to me, this photo was taken in Neudorf/Oppeln, Silesia, in summer of 1939 (but an earlier year is possible). The pilot's fate is unknown to me. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Gotha Go 145

A beautiful (if incomplete) in-flight shot of Gotha Go 145 TH+FJ. According to the information available to me, this two-seat biplane trainer was operated by 3./JFS 2, Magdeburg-Ost, Germany, in the summer of 1940. Aircraft is likely finished in 02.

The Go 145 was designed by Albert Kalkert (subsequently of Go 242, Go 244, and Ka 430 fame) and powered by an Argus As 10 C engine. It remained operational with the Luftwaffe from the mid-1930s until the end of the war. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Embleme der Luftwaffe – Band 1

[Full title: Embleme der Luftwaffe – Band 1: Nah- und Fernaufklärer] Axel Urbanke, Peter Petrick, Gerhard Stemmer & Ulf Balke, Luftfahrtverlag Start, Bad Zwischenahn, Germany, 2018, ISBN 978-3-941437-30-2. Illustrated, hardcover, published in German & English.

Cover image © by Luftfahrtverlag Start, 2018.

It is likely that this book does not even need a review.

Nor do publisher and author require an introduction, for that matter. For almost two decades, Axel Urbanke and his Luftfahrtverlag Start have created invaluable specialist publications on German military history of the 1939 to 1945 period. Far from simply rehashing previously known material, Luftfahrtverlag Start has thankfully focused on discovering, collecting, and expertly interpreting previously unseen images and, if possible, placing them within a wider context. Moreover, Luftfahrtverlag Start is a publishing house that embraces corrections and amendments to their own published products, routinely featuring such in subsequent publications. In short, this publisher follows an exemplary manner of procedure that should serve as a shining example for others.

Against this background, a team of renowned experts comprising Axel Urbanke, Peter Petrick, Gerhard Stemmer, and Ulf Balke launched, in 2018, a new book series on one of the most fascinating aspects of the former German Luftwaffe: the countless and often peculiar emblems seen on so many aircraft of the service. And precisely because the scope of the topic is almost limitless, the authors are subdividing the instalments of their chronicle in accordance with specific fields of operations. According to the statement on the publisher's website, it is the intention to thus eventually create the most comprehensive guide to the emblems of the Luftwaffe, based on some 20 years of research. Given this initial release, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, it is easy to imagine that they will actually be able accomplish exactly this.

The first book of the series, Embleme der Luftwaffe – Band 1: Nah- und Fernaufklärer [Emblems Of The Luftwaffe – Volume 1: Short And Long-Range Reconnaissance Aircraft], therefore puts the spotlight on photo and weather reconnaissance units. One may be forgiven for thinking that this amounts to a few fringe units, but in actual fact, the resulting book is a substantial publication, at 320 pages, 412 photos, and a format of 24 by 30 cm. The book features an abundance of material, some of which previously unseen. It has been compiled in a clear, pleasing, and well-structured layout, as has become one of the hallmarks of Luftfahrtverlag Start. The emblems are presented by means of drawings (in black & white and colour), photos (also in black & white and colour), and bilingual text (German/English). Occasional colour profiles are interspersed. The text briefly but concisely describes the units and, if any, relevant facts regarding the emblem depicted. The photo reproduction, crucially important given the topic, is crisp and delightfully large.

There really isn't more one could say about this publication, other than that it further underlines the excellent reputation of its authors and publisher. It is a priceless work of reference that, assuming the future completion of the planned series, truly has the potential to supplant all previous studies of this subject area. What a beautiful, beautiful book.

Junkers G 38

The second Junkers G 38 b, D-APIS (earlier registered as D-2500), named, on 29 April 1933, Generalfeldmarschall von Hindenburg, flying as a passenger aircraft for Lufthansa. The photo was likely taken at Berlin Tempelhof airport; among the other Lufthansa passenger aircraft recognizable in the background are Junkers Ju 86 B D-AQER, Inselberg, Werknummer 0011, and several Heinkel He 111 fast passenger transports [Schnellverkehrsflugzeuge].

The windows of the G 38's unusual wing leading edge passenger cabins can easily be recognized. The aircraft is secured to the ground, and a canvas cover protects the cockpit windows.

G 38 D-APIS was later used as a Luftwaffe transport (then registered GF+GG) in Norway and Greece. It was destroyed on 17 May 1941, in Athens-Tatoi. Exact date photo was taken is currently unknown to me. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Henschel Hs 126

An apparent briefing between Luftwaffe flight crew and officers in front of a relatively pristine Henschel Hs 126 parasol-wing reconnaissance aircraft, coded ??+E?. Note that the aerodynamic fairings around the main wheels of the Hs 126 have been removed.

Parked in the background is Focke-Wulf Fw 58 trainer, transport, and liaison aircraft ??+FD. Exact date and location unknown. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Siebel Fh 104

A magnificently detailed photo of a Siebel Fh 104 Hallore (originally Klemm Kl 104) light transport and liaison aircraft. According to the handwritten inscription on the reverse side of the original photo, the aircraft's code is BA+KB, and the Luftwaffe officer standing on the wing is Uffz. Karl Köhn.

The aircraft appears to be camouflaged either in low-contrast standard 71/70/65 or in 71/65. Unfortunately, no other distinctive features or emblems are visible that would allow for further identification.

Sections of the photo were heavily damaged and have been restored. Exact date and location currently unknown. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Indulgent Retrospection: Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52

Bruno Lange, Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, Mainz, Germany, 1976, ISBN 3-87341-019-2. Illustrated, softcover, published in German & English.

Cover image © by Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, 1976.

Bruno Lange's Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52 [Aunt Ju - Everything On The Ju 52] was a compact little bilingual compendium of essential information on the iconic Junkers Ju 52 transport. In spite of its rather limited page-count and dimensions (111 pages, 19 x 14 cm), it was actually a fairly comprehensive summary of elemental facts on what was arguably Germany's most important civilian and military transport of the 1919 to 1945 era. Moreover, Lange's small book was a manifestation of a wider shift from a somewhat cursorily – at times even simply sensationalist – coverage of vintage German aircraft to a reliance on original documents and far more thorough research. Some of the other protagonists who spearheaded this shift at the time have often been mentioned in entries featured in this blog: Karl R. Pawlas, Heinz Redemann, Heinz Birkholz, Karl Kössler, and numerous others.

Much like Heinz Birkholz's publications at the time, Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52 features both German and English text, which makes it appealing to an audience far beyond German-speaking countries. Lange begins his documentation with an account of the Ju 52's development history, including a section on the early single-engine version of the aircraft. And even this short section on the single-engine Ju 52 is quite detailed; Lange lists eight subtypes with dedicated brief descriptions. The text then covers the subsequent Ju 52/3m (again with a surprisingly extensive list of subtypes), details on the export of the aircraft, special flights, and accidents.

Lange continues with details regarding the bomber and transport versions of the Ju 52 and then sheds light on the engines and airscrews utilized by the aircraft. Once again, both of these chapters feature lists and descriptions of the relevant aircraft and engine subtypes. The 67-page text section of the small book then concludes with a look at further developments of the Ju 52 and the (then) surviving examples of the aircraft.

The second part of Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52, comprising another 44 pages, contains a collection of often exceptional photos (with brief captions) and reproductions of period documents that serves to illustrate some of the points of the preceding text. These photos remain interesting even now, 44 years after the publication of Lange's book.

All in all, Bruno Lange created a competent, condensed, and handy primer on the Ju 52; it could be viewed as an initial gateway to a more serious study of the aircraft. If one used Tante Ju - Alles über die Ju 52 in concert with, for example, Karl Kössler's equally condensed and competent Transporter - wer kennt sie schon!, also published in 1976, it was indeed possible to quickly gain a proficient basic understanding of the development and operational use of the Ju 52.