Heinkel He-115 Seaplane RAF Special Operations Loss, Malta

Heinkel He-115 Seaplane captured and then used by the RAF for Special Operations, including transporting agents into occupied territory.
this one, belonging to RAF Z flight was lost near Malta in 1941
See: http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=30045

Information: http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Artikler/115.html

A good informative article on this interesting aircraft's use in Norway at: http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Artikler/115.html

 

Hi Fred , great story and great link to the lost aircraft site.

Btw. I tried the search engine there and was surprised that it automatically returns on the L.A. number option. So if you look for , place , pilot etc.. and don't pay attention , it won't tell you because it switched back each time.

 

Yeah, but its like only a 2 minute learning curve there.
Damned nice that ANYONE can pop in there and edit ANY loss record.

PS
wittyhawk has found some other captured aircraft losses.
Already added today at: http://lostaircraft.com/database.php

See: http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=30047
http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=30049


Plus the capture of a couple: http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=30046
http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?mode=viewentry&e=30047

It sure would be nice to flesh out these stories some... Anyone?

 

wittyhawk (admin / moderator over there) has taken my lead and inserted an ever increasing number of Luftwaffe captured aircraft
- and RAF captured airplanes lost in SOE Operations at: http://lostaircraft.com/database.php

For one, check out: Independent Flights, No. 1426 RAF Enemy Aircraft Rafwaffe Bf109 ES906

Amazing stuff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1426_Flight_RAF

For future visitors, this above url relates to todays date, so sort by date then look for late April 2014 entries.

FASCINATING STUFF.

Man oh man, I hope we can flesh out some of these stories. Anyone?
__________

I have invited wittyhawk to join us here and at ww2talk.com (if he has not already done so...)
- I hope he takes the offer up. Amazing work over there. Impressive stuff.

 

That photo presents the ex-Norwegian He-115 in Finnish Air Force colours during the Continuation War.

"Finnish Air Force
On June 8, 1940, the day after Norwegian forces were ordered to cease hostilities, one He 115 (F.50, deemed technically unfit to be flown to UK), was flown to Finland posing as a civilian aircraft LN-MAB. The plane was interned but the pilot, experienced line captain and naval lieutenant Helge Dahl, and crew were free to leave Finland. From Summer 1941 it was used by the Finnish Air Force's LLv.14, coded HE-115 and named "Jenny", to ferry sissi troops behind Soviet lines. In this role, it proved valuable in a terrain with numerous secluded lakes. It served in this role until ambushed behind enemy lines in East Karelia on 4 July 1943. It took off, but soon had to ditch and the crew was made POW. Two days later the still floating HE-115 was strafed by Finnish Morane-Saulnier 406 fighters. There are reports that the Soviets still salvaged the wreck for evaluation.[5] Two Luftwaffe He 115 C were borrowed for similar operations in 1943 - 44 and operated with German markings by Finnish crew. One was returned in 1944, but the other was surrendered to the Soviets after armistice."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_115

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=160660&f=69

 

Neat story Karjala. Thanks!

I have put in a request to have Finland added as a nation at: http://lostaircraft.com/

When done, I will add this lost HE-115 into their database.

- It is quite a learning curve to add all the necessary Commands (Air Regiments) Squadrons and Aircraft makes and models that are required to fully set up a new Nation there.

I am well tuned into doing this now... though even I make the occasional goof still. Challenging stuff, the first go around.
- For all who follow, usually dead easy.

I invite you to then start adding more Finnish aircraft loss reports there.

 

Thanks for the thanks!

Here's a start, all casualties in the beginning of the Continuation War, in 1941. The list includes all the losses, whether in action or more often not.

See link (in Finnish) for the loss chart:

http://personal.inet.fi/koti/juhani.putkinen/Jatkosotaa_ilmassa.htm

A short vocabulary:

Päivämäärä = date
Lentokone = aircraft (FAF designation)
Laivue = squadron
Henkilöstö = personnel
Henkilötappiot = personnel casualties
Kaatunut = KIA
tai = or
Kadonnut = MIA
Haavoittunut = WIA

Vänr. = vänrikki = Pilot Officer / 2nd Lieutenant
Ltn. = luutnantti = Flying Officer / 1st Lieutenant
Alik. = alikersantti = Corporal
Ltm. = lentomestari = Warrant Officer / Top Sergeant
Ltk.mek.= lentokonemekaanikko = Flight Engineer
Kers. = kersantti = Sergeant
Stm. = sotamies = (Aircraftman /) Private
Korpr. = korpraali = Leading Aircraftman / Private 1st class
Ylik. = ylikersantti = Flight Sergeant / Staff Sergeant

Here's another one (in Finnish), all victories and losses (in action) of the Flight Squadron 24:

http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luettelo_Lentolaivue_24:n_ilmavoitoista_ja_sotatoimitappioista

Similar comprehensive tables can be found of most (all?) of the Finnish squadrons.

 

Fred: If you need any assistance in searching for those squadron-tables (in Finnish) of victories and losses please let me know.

 

I will. The sole administrator over there has not had time to attend to this yet. Stay tuned!

 

I just ran across a very good film clim of the HE 115. See from the 26.5 to 35 minute mark at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMDB9md6ADQ

 

Nice! Thanks a lot!

 

My request to have Finland added as a nation at: http://lostaircraft.com/
has come to fruition. Bed time now, I am bagged. Will allocate tomorrow AM to geting the nation set up so it works effectively.

Karjala
Read here on how to add new Command Groups, squadrons, Aircraft Makes, Aircraft Models, Types (ie Mk.1, Mk,II) Cause of crash,,, etc etc.
- No sweat. Its only a 5 minute learing curve,,, so long as you avoid dupicating existing entries already in the database.
See: http://lostaircraft.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=30572

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2_Ze20ZLNg

 

Heads UP Karjala et all.
Folks: Finland has now been added as a nation at http://lostaircraft.com/database.php

- ready for loss report inputs. Giver er!

PM me if you need any coaching in order to add new Aircraft, Makes, Models, Serial types, Squadrons etc etc.

Tnx from Fried Ed.

Finnish to English translation is... gulp...
See: http://personal.inet.fi/koti/juhani.putkinen/Jatkosotaa_ilmassa.htm
and: http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luettelo_Lentolaivue_24:n_ilmavoitoista_ja_sotatoimitappioista

 

Hi Fred!

Thanks for your activity. Am afraid that personally I will not be taking part of adding the information to the lostaircraft site, but will be ready to give translating assistance to you or anybody else needing it. Although Finnish admittedly is relatively difficult to understand to non-Finnish speakers, the vocabulary needed to understand the victory/loss charts is quite limited.

Best of luck!

 

Could I talk you into entering ONE???

One you know HEAPS of details about?

That will help set it up for me.
Not to worry, anyone else (Like me) can step in and correct any glitches you might make. (Others do that routinely for me - here and there!)

 

Hi Fred!

I added one Finnish loss. The ranks of the pilots are missing from the database. Also the Finnish Air Force insignia is the modern one, not the original one used in 1918-1945.

 

I got the roundel from the WW2 wiki for Finland. If you can find the right one for me, post it here, or better yet, PM it to steffen at http://lostaircraft.com

Tnx for that!

Edit:
History of the Finland Swastika Roundel.
http://www.historicinsights.com/2012/07/swastikas-in-skies.html

 

That wiki-page is wrong then. Here's the correct one:

View attachment 20774

And no, it does not have anything to do with the Nazi-swastika...