German flying boats???

I just wanted to get my Kamaraden's input with regards to a question. I'm well aware that the German Air Service operated float planes in the first World War. I'm curious though...did the Fatherland ever operate any form of flying boat during the Great War (as did the Americans and British)? Look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks!

Prost!

[Rod_Filan]

Good question.
I recently came upon this a/c and have been meaning to bring it up. I believe it to be a 1915 Dornier Rs I ...but I have no confirmation of that other than simple deduction. Perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong and/or elaborate on this sea-giant.

[Volker_Nemsch]

Here is what I found in connection with the abbreviation "Flbt" (Flugboot / flying boat):

Hansa-Brandenburg CC --- 35 aircraft was/were delivered
Hansa-Brandenburg FB (CFT) --- 6 aircraft was/were delivered
Hansa-Brandenburg W.18 --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Hansa-Brandenburg W.20 --- 3 aircraft was/were delivered
Oertz W.4 --- 2 aircraft was/were delivered
Oertz C (W.5) --- 5 aircraft was/were delivered
Oertz G (W.6) --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Oertz C (W.7) --- 2 aircraft was/were delivered
Oertz C (W.8) --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Oertz FB 3 --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Grigorowitsch M.9 --- 2 aircraft was/were delivered (captured aircraft)
Sopwith Bat Boat II --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered (bought in 1914)
AEG F.I --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Curtiss F --- 2 aircraft was/were delivered (bought in 1914)
Friedrichshafen FF 11 --- ? aircraft was/were delivered
Lohner L --- 2 aircraft was/were delivered
Rumpler 4E --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Dornier Rs.II --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Dornier Rs.III --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered
Dornier Rs.IV --- 1 aircraft was/were delivered

This results in only about 70 flying boats used by the Germans.

Hope this helps a bit ...

[Volker_Nemsch]

I forgot to mention the source for the list mentioned above.

"Die deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910 - 1919"
by G. Kroschel and H. Stützer
ISBN 3-89350-693-4
Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn in Herford/Germany

Rod Filan

Howdy. The aircraft in your photo is a Dornier Rs.III. In the book, THE GERMAN GIANTS: The German R-Planes 1914-1918 by G.W. Haddow and Peter M. Gross, the same photo as yours has the caption;

"Dornier Rs.III at the Norderney Seaplane Station on 28 August 1918."

THe Dornier Rs.III was the only giant seaplane to achieve active service with the Navy, even if it was only limited operational duty.


Moggie

[Volker_Nemsch]

Hello!

"Dornier Rs.III at the Norderney Seaplane Station on 28 August 1918."

Just a short question: if this photo was taken on 28 August 1918, why are the German national markings of the "old style", often seen on aircraft in 1914-16 ? Did the German Navy not use the "Balkenkreuz" (see attached photo) like we all know it from Jastas and other units between late spring and EOW?

So probably this might be a photo of an earlier Dornier Rs.-type?

Volker_Nemsch

Howdy. Good question as I'd been wondering about that myself. The only information I found said;

"Colour Scheme and Markings

Until the late spring of 1918 the Rs.III carried the cross Patee superimposed on a square white background; these crosses were painted on both surfaces of the wing near the tips, on the upper and lower tailplanes at about two-thirds of the span and on the middle of the fuselage. The wing square on the wing only utilizewd half the wing chord. Later a standard narrow Latin cross, that also only spanned half the chord, was carried on the wings. The latin cross with a large white border was painted on the tail planes. A U.S. Navy Technical Note stated that the exterior duraluminium surfaces were painted but the interior was left bright."


(Also the Dornier Rs.I was a biplane. The photo in question doesn't look like a biplane to me.)

Moggie

[Volker_Nemsch]

Hi Moggie,

the only thing I knew about the Dornier Rs-series is that they were built. I´ve never seen such a good photo of these giants. That´s the problem.

And if you don´t know about the aircrafts "very special" markings it is easy to go wrong. Sorry!

[Rod_Filan]

Thanks for the information Moggie. Even if it is contradictory..

However, the fact the Do. Rs.I was a biplane, would certainly rule this one out as being one. My prelim id of this giant was based, in part, on the crosses.

At this webpage... http://www.russian.ee/~star/air/germany/dorn_rs-3.html ..what is noted to be a Rs.III appears to have a different empenage. Rs.II perhaps ?

Volker, drop me a line and I will email you the hi-res scan of the original litho.

VBR
Rod

Rod & Volker,

Howdy. Thanks for the feed back! I'll drop this in the mix;

"The design of the all-metal Dornier Rs.I was begun in August 1914 and by January of the following year the actual assembly work began. Former Dornier test pilot, Erich Schroter, recalls that Graf Zeppelin followed with deep interest every detail of the Rs.I assembly. In spite of his advanced years, he would not hesitate to climb an extended ladder to watch the huge wings being towered on to the hull. The Rs.I was a private venture, and as such it was not assigned an official Navy identification number."


Moggie

PS.(The Rs.I never achieved flight. It was wrecked in a storm on Lake Constance on the 27th of December 1915.)