German Hangar Crew

Ritterton · 12 September 2009, 07:09 PM

Ok - ever have one of those images that just keeps grabbing you...you can't explain why, it's not something super special, but it just keeps grabbing your eye...

Well on ebay.de, this image has been up for "buy it now" at various prices for jeez...I would say six weeks or so...

Finally, I told myself ok - just buy the dang thing. Here it is...

Maybe it is the fact that it proved the old adage about dozens of folks on the ground for every person in the air...

Or that it is a picture showing pride as a group...

Now I noticed that we have half of one side of the prop. Originally, I thought that it was broken off. If so, wonder why they hadn't changed it out prior to the picture?

Of course - no details on the back. There is a marker above the door but no matter how much I play with image, I can't make it out.

So, a mystery picture in a lot of ways. Still, there is something about it...

stevedrew · 12 September 2009, 07:29 PM

Ritterton,

I can answer one of your questions... The one about why they didn't change the broken prop.

If a prop was damaged by mishandling etc by ground crews/mechanics, they would obviously stow it in the pile of broken props they keep for making pilot grave markers (did the Germans do that? I've actually never seen it on the German side - anyway, it's a two-bladed prop...grave markers were mostly four bladed props). Perhaps they have other uses for them. I'm sure if they were simply tossed out, they would have been souveniered by someone to carve something or other for a momento. Even burned to chase away the cold in the mess.

The reason they decided to NOT change it for this photo would be obvious I think...that someone actually LANDED this plane with such a badly damaged prop. I've seen a few inches missing from the tip, and that causes massive vibrations that threaten to dislodge the engine from its mountings. Whether the ground crew were quite proud of the pilot's achievement due to their great engineering skills or not, they thought it was a good photo opportunity.

There doesn't seem to be a pilot present in the photo. Perhaps he was wounded and in hospital.

Ritterton · 12 September 2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevedrew

Ritterton,

....

The reason they decided to NOT change it for this photo would be obvious I think...that someone actually LANDED this plane with such a badly damaged prop. I've seen a few inches missing from the tip, and that causes massive vibrations that threaten to dislodge the engine from its mountings. Whether the ground crew were quite proud of the pilot's achievement due to their great engineering skills or not, they thought it was a good photo opportunity.

There doesn't seem to be a pilot present in the photo. Perhaps he was wounded and in hospital.

Great explanation that I hadn't even thought of at all.

It also looks like this plane is a Hansa-Brandenburg D-1 "star-strutter" - explains the guy laying/lounging on the struts!

Thanks Steve!

R

Varese2002 · 13 September 2009, 02:51 PM

Interesting picture, sure a Hansa Brandenburg D.I (Heinkel designed) with the typical strut arrangement. Besides the tip of the propeller also the metal covering of the engine is missing, may be possible that paty of it is against the wall of the shed at left. The typical machine gun 'turret' above the wing is missing.

I am no expert on Austro-hungarian uniforms, but this does look at 'low rank' personnel (no offence), some may even be civilians. It might be we are looking at another nationality (Italian ?), may be a captured plane brought down. Sure just a guess, but worth the effort to seek out the uniforms. The capture of the plane would also explain that the propeller is shown in somewhat damaged state

A last point is the shed, which could not be comfortably used for aircraft. Even the small Hansa Brandenburg could not be rolled in straight. Due to the extra wood at the sides it is also too low to roll machines in.

Just some thoughts about this interesting picture. Will try to see what is on the marker above the door.

Cheers

Kees

Varese2002 · 13 September 2009, 11:14 PM

A fresh day and new chances for this enigma picture.

Looking again I noticed the two men sittng in the front

On the evidence of their caps comparing these to pictures of Austro-hungarian military personnel this turns out to be definitely Austro-hungarian military. So no capturing by the Italians or some other adversary.

The standard English language study on the Brandenburg D.I is

Quote:

Meindl, Karl, and Walter Schroeder. 1997. Brandenburg D.I. Great war aircraft in profile, 2. [Stratford, CT]: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 9781891268014

It lists for all built machines the Known operational history. I looked though those pages, but in most cases the more severe endings (crashes, damages beyond repair etc.) are given. So no exact identification of this one.

There were different models of the Brandenburg D.I, the Phönix built Series 28 and the Bandenburg built Series 65. Perhaps it can be dissected at what model we are exactly looking at.

To come back on the title of this thread, this is not a German hangar crew, the men on the picture are Austro-hungarian. If they are an hangar crew cannot be stated as such, it seems more a souvenir picture. Surely there will be more prints around somewhere in the world, hidden deep in a cabinet

Cheers

Kees

John McKenzie · 14 September 2009, 01:49 AM

Hi all... Looks a little bit close to the ground !..Maybe some ( or a lot of ) damage to landing gear or wheels ..Something going on with some sort of wooden structures under / in front of nose ...Tressle of some kind ?

Cheers John

Ritterton · 14 September 2009, 07:39 AM

Kees -

Thank you for the great information. At least I can now note what country this was from.

It also has a pin hole and some slight rust residue up at the top center. So, someone had this tacked to their wall, shop, or such. Like you said, the answer to why the picture was taken could be tucked away in a cabinet somewhere out there.

Also, I agree that there is some part for the plan on the left.

John -

Good note about the height of the plane as well.

Part of me is wondering if this is the rear part of a hangar. The shadow from the roof covers about half the building's height from the looks of it.

Thanks folks - really appreciate the discussion.

R