An atmospheric photo capturing a Loire 130 being hoisted ashore by a crane. The hoisting cable was attached by the crewman seen standing on the wing, which required a degree of skill and courage during rough weather. In the background several seaplanes can be seen moored to buoys in the bay.A Loire on a beaching dolly. This photo provides a good view of details of the bomb rack under the port wing. Many of these photos show the aircraft with 165-pound (75 kg) bombs in place.An aerial view of a pair of Loire 130s in formation. After the French capitulation the Germans established a puppet French government in the city of Vichy under Marshal Philippe Petain. Under the surrender terms Vichy France was allowed to keep its navy and colonial possessions while remaining ostensibly neutral. The Vichy French aircraft were marked with alternating red and yellow stripes on their tail surfaces as a sign of neutrality, these aircraft also carry the stripes on their engine nacelles.A Loire being hoisted aboard a La Galissonière class light cruiser. In the foreground is the catapult shuttle which will be attached to the aircraft, securing it to the catapult.A Loire on calm seas. What makes this photo interesting is the aircraft is secured to a boom, likely from the seaplane tender Commandant Teste. This was a common method of mooring boats to a ship while at anchor but it is unusual to see a seaplane moored in this manner.A beautiful aerial view showing details of the two gun positions on the upper fuselage and French naval roundels on the wings.A Loire on the hoist, with tending pennants fore and aft. These lines would be tended by sailors to keep the aircraft steady. Compare details of the aft gun position on the fuselage to the previous photo.A Loire ashore providing details of the transport dolly. Two dolly designs appear in these photos, a three-wheeled version seen here and a different four-wheeled type.Three crewmen are visible in this photo. The prominent mast over the cockpit was offset to port and supported the pitot tubes which were used to measure airspeed.The catapult aboard the La Galissonière class light cruisers was mounted on top of the after 6-inch (152mm) gun turret. The crewman seen on the platform are at the catapult’s controls. This perspective also shows the cable connected to the launch shuttle.A pair of photos showing the interior of a Loire 130. These are two views of the same aircraft.
The Loire 130 flying boat entered French naval service as a ship-borne observation aircraft in 1937. It shared a broad design similarity with the contemporary Supermarine Walrus and Aichi E11A “Laura”, performance was also comparable with a top speed of 137 mph (220 km/hr).A Loire 130 being hoisted by a crane with the crew members visible. The aircraft was armed with two single 7.5 mm Darne machine guns in open positions on the upper fuselage and could carry a 165-pound (75 kg) bomb on the struts under each wing as seen here.An unusual overhead view showing the general layout to advantage. All the hatches are open but the defensive armament is not mounted.A Loire resting on her beaching gear ashore while her crew poses for a photo. Normal crew compliment was three, but up to seven people could be carried in the transport or SAR role.A frontal perspective of a Loire being hoisted by a crane shows the strut layout to advantage. In many of these photos the aircraft can be seen carrying a bomb load, such as it was.An atmospheric photo of a Loire being launched from a shore-based catapult. Production totaled 124 aircraft, which was deemed sufficient to provide scouting assets for the French fleet.A Loire in her intended role, running up her engine before launch from the Battleship Dunkerque. Note the badge under the cockpit, featuring a turret with four guns which was a feature of the Dunkerque class.A fine study of a Loire ashore on her beaching gear. Modelers note the unusual design of the ladder.A flight line of French floatplanes and seaplanes on the ramp. The presence of crewmembers visible in many of these aircraft implies an impending inspection.A 130 moored to a buoy, a standard procedure when being supported by a seaplane tender. Note the defensive machine gun in the after fuselage position.After the fall of France in 1940 the Loire 130 was evaluated by the Luftwaffe, who found the type to be obsolescent and did not impress it into general German service. Fuselage codes D1+XA have been applied by the Germans.Another Loire in German markings, this time B1+XA. Modelers note the different style of beaching gear as well as the variation in the radiator inlet faring at the front of the engine nacelle.
A fine view of a DO 26 kicking up spray in her Luftwaffe maritime scheme. Note the rear engines are in their elevated positions to help protect the propellers from the spray.A beautiful view of a Dornier “on the step”, gaining speed before lift-off. The hull had a hydrodynamic step which induced a planing effect at speed which in turn reduced the drag of the water but still supported the weight of the aircraft.P5+FH is seen moored to a narrow pier with crewmen alongside in a boat. The aircraft appears to have become entangled in some lines or a fishing net.The crew atop P5+FH, likely being towed to a mooring by a small boat. Note the canvas cover over the forward gun turret with the gun at full vertical elevation.P5+FH again, still elegant despite her defensive guns. This photo shows the splinter camouflage scheme to advantage with the color demarcations between the RLM 72/73 clearly visible.P5+DH in the air over the ocean’s vast expanse.P5+DH on the water with her pusher engines at full elevation.Here is a series of four photos which I cannot fully explain, this is Do 26V4 undergoing some sort of testing. Her bow turret has been removed and striping has been added to her port wing. The last letter of her fuselage code has been changed from “H” to “F”, which may indicate she is on loan to a testing organization, but I have not been able to find a definitive explanation in my references. It is known that Do 26V4 and V6 were used for testing purposes late in the war but their ultimate fates are not recoded.
When the Second World War began the Do 26s were impressed into Luftwaffe service as transports. Their civilian call letters were replaced with Luftwaffe codes – “P5” indicates the unit, in this case Kdo.d. Transportflieger Chief Norwegen. The first letter aft of the Balkenkreuze is the individual aircraft designation. These were assigned in the order of production A through F, so P5+AH is the former Do 26V1 “Seeadler”.The Dorniers were repainted in the standard Luftwaffe maritime camouflage of RLM 72/73 splinter on the upper surfaces over RLM 65 lowers. The RLM 72/73 were dark greens with a subtle blue tint, they were very close in hue and the color separation is often difficult to see in black and white photos.This is a useful series of photos taken of Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops) loading aboard a Do 26 during the Norwegian Campaign. As a miliary transport the Do 26 could carry two tons of cargo or eighteen personnel.Same scene, slightly different angle. It is possible these are men of 3/Gebirgsjäger Regiment (GJR) 138 loading at Trondheim on 08MAY40.Three branches of the Werhmacht represented in the same photo. A Kriegsmarine rating from the boat crew on the far left, a Gebirgsjäger Officer at the door supervising the loading of his men and their equipment, and a Luftwaffe pilot stands to the right.A Dornier moored to a buoy in calm waters. P5+BH was shot down on 08MAY40 by Blackburn Skuas of 803 NAS from HMAS Ark Royal near the Narvik area. On 28MAY40 P5+AH and P5+CH were caught on the water at Rombaksfjord by three Hurricanes of 46 Squadron which sunk them as they were unloading field guns. Therefore, the first three Do 26s all met their fate during the Norwegian Campaign.The standard method of boarding is demonstrated by the crew of Do 26V4, P5+DH. Obviously ferry service utilizing a proper boat would be preferred to rubber rafts, but these men are making do.A chilly winter scene of the crew hauling rubber rafts up onto the fuselage, presumably these would be deflated and stowed inside.P5+EH moored to a pier somewhere in Norway, 1940. Flying boats provide ample opportunities for the diorama maker, and these Do 26 photos are no exception! P5+EH was lost with her crew on 16NOV40 during a night launch from the catapult ship Friesenland in Brest, France. Not the best photo quality, but an interesting subject. During the war the Germans maintained a series of weather stations in Greenland. After the British discovered on of these stations in 1943 P5+FH was assigned to “Operation Holzauge” to evacuate the men before they could be captured. All 22 men and their sledge dogs were rescued. Here the aircraft is seen with temporary white camo over her splinter scheme. Modelers should note her armament had been removed at this time.
Here are a series of photos showing the interior layout of the Do 26. The interior finish was natural Aluminum, instrument panel is painted black, the cushioned crew seats are fitted with cloth covers. The hatches above the pilot & copilot opened and slid to the rear on the outside of the aircraft. The door visible underneath the throttle quadrant led to the nose compartment.Stepping to the rear of the crew compartment this photos shows the backs of the pilot’s and copilot’s seats. The engineer’s station is to the left and the radio operator’s position is to the right. Details of the engineer’s panel and engine controls. The chart table is visible behind the pilot’s seat.This view is looking aft in the crew compartment, the pilots’ seats are behind the photographer. A fire extinguisher is visible mounted to the bulkhead on the upper left. The chart table and radio operator’s table tops both are wood. The radio operator was provided with a swivel chair mounted in the passage. The hatch in the bulkhead leads to a passageway under the engines which in turn leads to the cargo hold.Past the cargo hold is a passenger compartment, or bunks for the crew if not outfitted for passengers. Behind that is the lavatory compartment, seen here. The exterior fuselage door behind the wing is out of frame over the photographer’s right shoulder. The two canisters contain drinking water. The circular hatch is the bulkhead leads to the aft fuselage interior.The Do 26 could be outfitted with a rather luxurious compartment for four passengers. Photographs show that Do 26V3 “Seemöwe” (Seagull) had the oval fuselage windows seen here, but it is not known if any of the others were ever equipped like this.During the war all six Do 26s were first used by the Luftwaffe as transports. They were fitted with a defensive armament of three MG 15 7.92mm machine guns facing aft and a single MG 151/20 20mm cannon in a turret mounted in the nose compartment. This photo also shows a mooring cleat on the side of the fuselage and the landing light in the nose.This Dornier is seen on top of a beaching dolly on a seaplane ramp, providing a rare view of the underwing radiators and wing details.A useful photo of the forward fuselage and propeller markings. The gun turret would obviously impair the view forward from the cockpit.A nice detail of the defensive armament mounted in blisters aft of the wing as a soldier exits the fuselage hatch. There was a single MG 15 mounted in each blister and a third which could be fitted in a tunnel under the fuselage.An unusual view of the pusher propeller from behind. Note the warning bands on the rear of the forward propeller blades.
The Do 26V1 shows her elegant lines for the camera. Deutsche Lufthansa employed several large flying boat designs as mail couriers on the trans-Atlantic routes to North and South America, and this was the intended service for the new Dornier. Lufthansa had developed some unique technical solutions to ensure the success of their flying boat fleet and Seeadler was selected demonstrate the Do 26s compatibility.While many nations employed catapults for launching aircraft from ships, for the most part the aircraft types were floatplanes or small seaplanes. Germany was unique in building ships whose primary purpose was launching large multi-engined flying boats. Before the war Lufthansa had seven of these catapult ships in service supporting the trans-Atlantic mail service. This is the Friesenland, a large ship displacing 11,500 tons with a length of 461 feet (140.5 meters).Early in 1939 Seeadler was assigned to catapult trials aboard Friesenland. The practice was for the seaplane to land on the water in a sheltered location and then be hoisted aboard the ship. While there the aircraft could be refueled and serviced, and the crew & passengers rested. Here is Seeadler’s flight crew preparing the aircraft for hoisting. Note the open hatches and mooring line at the nose.Cables are lowered from the Friesenland’s crane. Additional lines are secured to the aircraft, these lines will be tended to help keep the aircraft steady and prevent it from swinging.The Friesland’s crane had a rated capacity of twenty tons. This perspective shows the crane fitted with extra padding to prevent damage to the aircraft as well as a large floodlight fixed to the upper portion for night operations.Another view of Seeadler being hoisted aboard. The Friesenland’s huge catapult track is clearly visible.Seeadler positioned on the catapult running up her engines. In addition to servicing the aircraft, Lufthansa’s use of catapult ships allowed the flying boats to be launched without risk of damage due to rough seas, even while heavily loaded.Another view, evidently on a rainy day. An unusual angle, but one which shows the gull wings to advantage.Seeadler at the moment of launch. Catapult trials were a success!
The Dornier Do 26 flying boat was designed as a trans-Atlantic mail plane for Deutsche Lufthansa in the late 1930s. Its first flight was in May 1938. Three aircraft were completed before the war with another three completed for the Luftwaffe after the war began.One hallmark of many Dornier designs was a propensity to mount engines in tandem. The Do 26 mounted four Junkers Jumo 205C diesels on the upper wings. An unusual feature is rear engines could be angled upwards ten degrees to help reduce the amount of spray hitting the pusher propellers. Seen here is an unmarked Do 26 minus spinners with the engines raised.Like many flying boats the Dornier design featured gull wings with the engines mounted at the angle. This was an attempt to elevate the engines as much as possible above the water’s surface.The first aircraft (V1) was assigned the civilian call letters D-AGNT and named “Seeadler” (Sea Eagle). The call letters were repeated on the upper and lower wings as well as the fuselage sides. The outrigger floats retracted flush into the wings which gives us a view of the wing call letters.A fine portrait of D-AGNT in calm waters. The diesel engines exhausted through ports on the nacelle sides, the soot staining follows the course of the airflow over the wings.The Do 26 was intended to carry up to 500 kg (1,100 pounds) of mail across the Atlantic. It had a crew of four and could also carry four passengers.Earlier Dornier designs had relied on fuselage sponsons for stability on the water, the Do 26 utilized outrigger floats which were fully retractable into the wing while in flight.The V2 aircraft was named “Seefalke” (Sea Falcon) and featured black engine nacelles. Her call letters were D-AWDS as seen here.Seefalke is pushed from a beach. The rear engines are in their elevated positions.“Seemöwe” (Seagull) was the name given to Do 23 V3, the third production machine, registration D-ASRA.A view of Seemöwe on the water. Her pusher engines are raised and appear to be stopped. The radio call letters on the upper wing surfaces are clearly visible.
There was debate concerning where best to deploy the unit, designated the 10° Raggruppamento Artiglieria Controcarro da 90/53 Semovente. Experience on the Russian Front was the impetus for the design, but there were also those who wanted to see the Semovente used in North Africa where the open terrain would also favor the long range and penetrating power of the 90mm/53 gun. In the end the unit was deployed to help defend Sicily in the fall of 1942.The unit was re-organized into three Gruppo of eight Semovente each, the remaining six Semovente would be left behind at Nettuno for crew training. Each gun was provided with its own Carri Armati L6/40. In addition, each pair of guns was assigned a Carro Comando Semovente M.41, seen here, as well as a variety of trucks and liaison vehicles. This Carro Comando is marked with the Semovente silhouette of the CLXIII Gruppo. Note the shell cases in the foreground.A Semovente crew in action. The gun has just fired, while the loaders bring another round forward from the Carri Armati. Another crewman is bringing the Breda into service. This is likely a training exercise but it does give some idea of how the gun would be employed.This Semovente was knocked out by American troops, note the starboard track has been shed and the shell casing on the port fender. The gun has been camouflaged and the shield wears the clover insignia of CLXI Gruppo.The same vehicle from the opposite side. A round has impacted the hull just aft of the engine compartment. The thin armor and open fighting position left the gun vulnerable to almost any anti-tank weapon. Its optimum employment was to take advantage of the strengths of the 90mm/53 and ambush its opponents from a concealed position if possible.A CLXIII Gruppo M41M with the engine compartment door open. The weight of the gun placed a strain on the vehicle’s engine and suspension, breakdowns were common and the crews learned to drive slowly to reduce wear and tear on their mounts.A G.I. examines the barrel of this Semovente, likely destroyed by its crew. This was the fate of many of these vehicles as breakdowns occurred with some frequency.This Semovente has seen better days. It is missing its tracks and several hatch covers, as well as panels from its gun shield. This was the ultimate fate of most of the guns on Sicily.This CLXIII Gruppo vehicle was captured intact by the Americans. The left side of the gun shield has been painted over in a dark color but the unit emblem has been preserved. A close examination reveals that the writing says, “To Commanding General – Aberdeen Proving Grounds – Aberdeen, Maryland – Captured Enemy Material”. This vehicle is preserved at the Fort Sill Field Artillery Museum in Oklahoma today, the last of her kind.A pair of Semovente seen abandoned at the end of the Sicilian Campaign on a riverbank near Messina, along with other Italian vehicles. With no way to transport their vehicles to the mainland, any armor which survived combat in Sicily was abandoned as their crews were evacuated.All twenty-four Semovente sent to Sicily were lost, but the six vehicles left behind at Nettuno were taken over by the Wehrmacht after the Italian Armistice. In German service they were known as Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette 90/53 801(i). They were assigned to the 26th Panzer Division but it does not appear that they were ever used in combat.
The Semovente M41Ms were organized into three groups and sent to Nettuno for training in August 1942. There the crews learned to operate their new mounts as the Italian high command debated where best to employ them.Crewmembers pose for the photographer at Nettuno. Note the vehicle is still finished in overall Gray Green and the unpainted portion of the gun barrel. The radio antenna is folded to the side where it is stowed using a shepherd hook.A vehicle commander seated in his position. Neither he nor the driver were provided with vision slots or periscopes and had to open their hatches to see out. In the background are a pair of Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni which were allocated one to each Semovente.A Sevomente and its attending Carri Armati pass a group of Italian officers. The vehicles have received field-applied camouflage over the factory Gray Green. Note the canvas cover over the breach of the 90/53 gun and the Breda Model 1938 machine gun mounted to the carrier.A column of Sevomente and Carri Armati on a roadway with their crews standing by for inspection.A fully loaded Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni with a Breda mounted for self-defense.A crewman poses with a 90mm High Explosive round at Nettuno. The projectile weighed 21.7 pounds (10.3 kg). The 90mm/53 had a muzzle velocity of 2,790 ft/sec (850 m/s) which compared quite favorably to contemporary guns.A souvenir photo of Sevomente crewmen posing next to their vehicle, an excellent reference for uniform details! The vehicle has also gained an additional camouflage color.
The Semovente M41M da 90/53 Tank Destroyer was built in response to an urgent request from the Italian Army for a weapon capable of countering Russian tanks such as the T-34 and KV-1. Italian tanks deployed to the Eastern Front were armed with guns of 47mm or less which had proven incapable of penetrating the armor of the Russian types.The Semovente was designed using the hull of the Carro Armato M14/41 as a starting point. The chassis was lengthened by 17 inches and the engine was moved to the center of the hull. At the rear of the vehicle a powerful Cannone da 90/53 Modello 1939 anti-aircraft gun was fitted. Pictured here is the modified chassis fitted with a wooden mock-up of the gun and shield outside the Ansaldo-Fossati factory in January 1942.The design was approved with improvements made to the gun shield to increase protection for the gunners. Here is a line-up of Semovente M41Ms outside the Ansaldo-Fossati plant.A rooftop view of the same vehicles. Ansaldo-Fossati produced a total of thirty conversions.An overhead view showing the general layout. The driver and commander sat in the center of the vehicle with the engine behind them, the gun pointer and trainer sat on either side of the gun behind the shield. The gun was loaded from the rear by additional crewmen standing on the ground. The factory finish is overall Gray Green with a standard white air recognition circle painted on the gun shield roof.While the vehicle had a low profile, armor was thin with maximum thicknesses of only 30mm on the transmission cover and front-facing plates making the Semovente vulnerable to artillery and even the smallest anti-tank guns. The 90mm/53 gun was the vehicle’s strong point, it compared quite favorably to the German 88mm FlaK and the American M1 90mm guns.Another photo taken on the Ansaldo-Fossati grounds showing the Semovente from the rear. The two rectangular hatches on the rear of the hull held ready service ammunition, a total of eight rounds were all that was carried on the vehicle. The base of a single round is visible in the right storage bay.A slightly different perspective taken of the same vehicle, this photo has all the hallmarks of an airbrush-enhanced illustration for a manual. The Semovente’s radio equipment was mounted inside the vehicle on the port side of the shield and is clearly visible in this view.The paltry on-board ammunition capacity was a recognized deficiency, in order to correct this a specialized ammunition vehicle was modified to accompany the gun. This is the Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni. It carried twenty-six rounds of 90mm ammunition and a crew of two who served as loaders. One round protrudes precariously from the rack on the side. This vehicle is also seen on the cobblestones outside Ansaldo-Fossati.Another view of a Carri Armati L6/40 Trasporto Munizioni. The specially-designed trailer seen here could carry an additional forty rounds, giving the combination a total capacity of sixty-six rounds.
WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS (LIFE,LIBERTY,AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS) IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR ABOLISH IT, AND TO INSTITUTE A NEW GOVERNMENT― Thomas Jefferson
Inch High Guy 