Heinkel He 115
Encyclopedia
The Heinkel
He 115 was a World War II
Luftwaffe
seaplane
with three seats. It was used as a torpedo bomber
and performed general seaplane duties, such as reconnaissance
and minelaying
. The plane was powered by two 720 kW (960 hp) BMW 132
K nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
s. Some later models could seat four, had different engines, or used different weapon setups.
(Reichsluftfahrtministerium or RLM) produced a requirement for a twin engined general purpose floatplane
, suitable both for patrol and for anti-shipping strikes with bombs and torpedo
es. Proposals were received from both Heinkel Flugzeugwerke and from Blohm & Voss' aircraft subsidiary, Hamburger Flugzeugbau
, and on 1 November 1935, orders were placed with both Heinkel and Hamburger Flugzeugbau for three prototype
s each of their prospective designs, the He 115 and the Ha 140
.
The first prototype Heinkel flew in August 1937, with testing proving successful, with the He 115 being selected over the Ha 140 early in 1938, resulting in an order for an additional prototype and 10 pre-production aircraft. Meanwhile, the first prototype was used to set a series of international records for floatplanes over 1,000 km (621 mi) and 2,000 km (1,243 mi) closed circuits at a speed of 328 km/h (204 mph).
Armament varied, but included a 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns, 20 mm MG 151 cannon
s, 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun
s and 20 mm MG FF cannon
s. Other weapons used by He 115 variants include LTF 5 or LTF 6b torpedoes and SD 500 500 kg (1,100 lb) or SC 250 250 kg (550 lb) bombs. Some also carried LMB III or LMA mines.
was also a prime target.
However, the aircraft had its finest moment when operating in the anti-shipping role against the Arctic convoys
from bases in Northern Norway. Because these convoys initially lacked air cover, the low speed and comparatively light armament of the He 115 was not such a big problem as it had been over the heavily defended English coastline. Later on, with the appearance of carrier
s and escort carrier
s, coupled with new Soviet heavy fighter
s like the Petlyakov Pe-3
bis, the air superiority over the convoys was challenged, and as a result, the torpedo bomber losses increased.
Apart from its use as a minelayer
and torpedo bomber, it was also used in the coastal reconnaissance role.
_f.60_of_the_royal_norwegian_navy_air_service.jpg)
Seven He 115A-2 (Five of them He 115Ns) served in the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
against the Germans during the Norwegian Campaign
of April–June 1940.
In response to the rising tensions in Europe, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence
had ordered six He 115Ns on 28 August 1939. From 14 July-13 November 1939, all six ordered aircraft were delivered to the Norwegian authorities. The He 115N order was intended to replace the RNoNAS' fleet of 1920s vintage Douglas DT
torpedo bombers.
The Norwegians signed another order of six He 115Ns in December 1939, with delivery estimated to March/April 1940. The delivery of this second order was however pre-empted by the German invasion of Norway
on 9 April 1940.
At the outbreak of hostilities, the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service had six He 115Ns in service (F.50, F.52, F.54, F.56, F.58, F.60) spread along the coast from the naval air stations at Sola
and Flatøy
in the south to the one at Skattøra Naval Air Station outside Tromsø
in the north. At the beginning of the invasion
, the aircraft at the seaplane base at Hafrsfjord
near Stavanger
(F.60) was captured by the Germans, but two of the Luftwaffes He 115s (given the codes F.62 and F.64 in Norwegian service) were in turn seized by an improvised militia
unit of Norwegian riflemen
at Ørnes
in Glomfjord
, Nordland
and by police
officers at Brønnøysund
, Nordland. The two aircraft were seized after they ran out of fuel and had to make emergency landings on 10 April. Manned by Norwegian aircrews, they served against their former owners for the duration of the campaign.
Norwegian He-115s were employed against German and German-controlled ships (see: HNoMS Uller
), as well as providing ground support
to the Norwegian Army
's offensive on the Narvik Front. Four of the Norwegian aircraft (F.52, F.56, F.58 and F.64) made the journey to the United Kingdom
after the 10 June 1940 surrender, a fifth (F.50) escaping to Finland
, landing on Lake Salmijärvi in Petsamo
. A sixth He 115 (F.54) also tried to make the journey to Britain, but was lost over the North Sea
. The last of the Norwegian He 115s, F.62 (one of the two captured German aircraft), was unserviceable at the time of the evacuation and had to be abandoned at Skattøra, later being repaired and flown by the Germans.
Group under Commander
Bugge.
The exiled Norwegian Cabinet Nygaardsvold
made plans soon after arriving in the United Kingdom
to use the four He 115 aircraft to perform leaflet
dropping missions over Norway. The leaflet mission was to deliver a declaration to the occupied Norwegian people
, stating that the Norwegian authorities were re-established in the UK and were rejecting any Nazi German overtures proposing a German-Norwegian peace deal. All four Norwegian He 115s were ordered from Helensburgh to Scapa Flow on 3 July 1940 to carry out the mission, although one had to return to Helensburgh due to engine problems. The three He 115s assembled at Scapa Flow
were ordered to fly to Norway and drop the declaration over the cities of Oslo
, Bergen
and Trondheim
. Shortly before the mission was to get under way the British Air Ministry
intervened and stopped the expedition, insisting that such an undertaking would be suicidal to attempt with the slow flying He 115s. Three days later, the three Norwegian aircraft returned to Helensburgh.
Three of the Norwegian He 115s (F.56, F.58 and F.64) were subsequently used in covert operations with Norwegian crews off Norway and in the Mediterranean Sea. In British service, the three received new serial numbers
: BV184, BV185 and BV187. BV184 was attacked and damaged by two Polish Spitfire
fighters over the Bay of Biscay
in the spring of 1942 while cooperating with French fishing boats, and later lost in a refuelling fire in the UK. BV185 was destroyed in an Italian air raid on Kalafrana, Malta
after flying just one clandestine operation to North Africa. BV187 flew several missions on the North African coast from its base in Malta before finally being attacked and destroyed by two German Bf 109s.
's LLv.44 to ferry sissi
troops. In this role, it proved valuable as it did not require a vast open space to land on, but instead could touch down on lakes. It served in this role until it was shot down behind Soviet lines in East Karelia
on 4 July 1943. Two others were leased from Germany for similar purposes in 1943 - 44.
operated 12 He 115A-2s under the local designation T 2, with Air Force numbers 101-112. Another six aircraft were ordered, but never delivered due to the outbreak of World War II. They were sturdy and well liked by their crews, and were not taken out of use until 1952. The Swedish T 2s were kept on duty throughout World War II and made a valuable contribution to protecting and enforcing Swedish neutrality. The T 2s replaced the outdated T 1s (Heinkel HD 16s) in the torpedo bomber role and also served as a regular bomber, for smoke screening and for long-range reconnaissance missions. Five of the 12 T 2s were lost in accidents during their service with the Swedish Air Force.
Bulgaria
Germany
Heinkel
Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
He 115 was a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
with three seats. It was used as a torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
and performed general seaplane duties, such as reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and minelaying
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
. The plane was powered by two 720 kW (960 hp) BMW 132
BMW 132
|-See also:-External links:...
K nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
s. Some later models could seat four, had different engines, or used different weapon setups.
Development and design
In 1935, the German Reich Air MinistryReich Air Ministry
thumb|300px|The Ministry of Aviation, December 1938The Ministry of Aviation was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany...
(Reichsluftfahrtministerium or RLM) produced a requirement for a twin engined general purpose floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
, suitable both for patrol and for anti-shipping strikes with bombs and torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es. Proposals were received from both Heinkel Flugzeugwerke and from Blohm & Voss' aircraft subsidiary, Hamburger Flugzeugbau
Hamburger Flugzeugbau
Hamburger Flugzeugbau was an aircraft company, located in the Finkenwerder quarter of Hamburg, Germany. Originally established in July 1933 as a subsidiary of the Blohm & Voss shipyards, it has managed to survive under different names as part of different consortia from its German national...
, and on 1 November 1935, orders were placed with both Heinkel and Hamburger Flugzeugbau for three prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s each of their prospective designs, the He 115 and the Ha 140
Blohm & Voss Ha 140
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 4th impression 1979, p. 70-71. ISBN 0-356-02382-6.* Schneider, H. Flugzeug-Typenbuch. Herm. Beyer Verlag, Leipzig, 1940...
.
The first prototype Heinkel flew in August 1937, with testing proving successful, with the He 115 being selected over the Ha 140 early in 1938, resulting in an order for an additional prototype and 10 pre-production aircraft. Meanwhile, the first prototype was used to set a series of international records for floatplanes over 1,000 km (621 mi) and 2,000 km (1,243 mi) closed circuits at a speed of 328 km/h (204 mph).
Armament varied, but included a 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns, 20 mm MG 151 cannon
MG 151 cannon
The MG 151 was a 15 mm autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser starting in 1940. It was in 1941 developed into the 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon which was widely used on many types of German Luftwaffe fighters, fighter bombers, night fighters, ground attack and even bombers as part of or as...
s, 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun
MG 17 machine gun
The MG 17 was a 7.92 mm machine gun produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use at fixed mountings in many World War II Luftwaffe aircraft.- History :...
s and 20 mm MG FF cannon
MG FF cannon
The MG FF was a drum-fed, 20 mm aircraft autocannon, developed in 1936 by Ikaria Werke Berlin of Germany. It was a derivative of the Swiss Oerlikon FF F cannon, itself a development of the German World War I Becker 20 mm cannon, and was designed to be used in fixed or flexible mountings, as...
s. Other weapons used by He 115 variants include LTF 5 or LTF 6b torpedoes and SD 500 500 kg (1,100 lb) or SC 250 250 kg (550 lb) bombs. Some also carried LMB III or LMA mines.
Luftwaffe
At the beginning of the war, the He 115 was used for dropping parachute mines in British waters, normally aiming for narrow passages in close vicinity of heavily trafficked ports on the English south coast. The River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
was also a prime target.
However, the aircraft had its finest moment when operating in the anti-shipping role against the Arctic convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
from bases in Northern Norway. Because these convoys initially lacked air cover, the low speed and comparatively light armament of the He 115 was not such a big problem as it had been over the heavily defended English coastline. Later on, with the appearance of carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s and escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
s, coupled with new Soviet heavy fighter
Heavy fighter
A heavy fighter is a fighter aircraft designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges. To achieve acceptable performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engined, and many had multi-place crews....
s like the Petlyakov Pe-3
Petlyakov Pe-3
The Petlyakov Pe-3 was the long-range, night fighter version of the successful Petlyakov Pe-2 high-speed bomber used by the Soviet Union during World War II....
bis, the air superiority over the convoys was challenged, and as a result, the torpedo bomber losses increased.
Apart from its use as a minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
and torpedo bomber, it was also used in the coastal reconnaissance role.
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force.- History :...
against the Germans during the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
of April–June 1940.
In response to the rising tensions in Europe, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence
Norwegian Ministry of Defence
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo,...
had ordered six He 115Ns on 28 August 1939. From 14 July-13 November 1939, all six ordered aircraft were delivered to the Norwegian authorities. The He 115N order was intended to replace the RNoNAS' fleet of 1920s vintage Douglas DT
Douglas DT
|-References:* René Francillon, "McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I", ISBN 0-87021-428-4...
torpedo bombers.
The Norwegians signed another order of six He 115Ns in December 1939, with delivery estimated to March/April 1940. The delivery of this second order was however pre-empted by the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
on 9 April 1940.
At the outbreak of hostilities, the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service had six He 115Ns in service (F.50, F.52, F.54, F.56, F.58, F.60) spread along the coast from the naval air stations at Sola
Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station in Sola municipality in Norway is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Air Wing 134 is stationed at Sola along with helicopter Squadron 330....
and Flatøy
Flatøy
Flatøy is one of two smaller islands that together with the larger island Holsnøy make up the municipality Meland Kommune, in the district of Nordhordland, north of Bergen, in western Norway....
in the south to the one at Skattøra Naval Air Station outside Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
in the north. At the beginning of the invasion
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
, the aircraft at the seaplane base at Hafrsfjord
Hafrsfjord
Hafrsfjord is a fjord or bay located in the municipalities of Stavanger and Sola in Norway. Stretching 9 kilometres. Hafrsfjord fjord is bounded by Tananger, Sola and Madla...
near Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
(F.60) was captured by the Germans, but two of the Luftwaffes He 115s (given the codes F.62 and F.64 in Norwegian service) were in turn seized by an improvised militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
unit of Norwegian riflemen
Rifleman
Although ultimately originating with the 16th century handgunners and the 17th century musketeers and streltsy, the term rifleman originated from the 18th century. It would later become the term for the archetypal common soldier.-History:...
at Ørnes
Ørnes
Ørnes is a small village in the municipality of Meløy, Norway. Its population is 1,538. It is a station on Hurtigruten between Nesna and Bodø.The place can be traced back hundreds of years, but the year 1794 is recognized as the beginning of Ørnes as we know it, when Elling Pedersen was allowed to...
in Glomfjord
Glomfjord
Glomfjord is an industrial community at the head of a small fjord of the same name in Meløy municipality, northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. The population is 1,204.-Heavy industry:...
, Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
and by police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officers at Brønnøysund
Brønnøysund
is a town and the administrative centre of the municipality of Brønnøy, Norway. It is also a former municipality in Nordland county. The village of Brønnøysund received town status in 2000. The city lies along the coast and is often called "the coastal town in the middle of Norway." Brønnøysund...
, Nordland. The two aircraft were seized after they ran out of fuel and had to make emergency landings on 10 April. Manned by Norwegian aircrews, they served against their former owners for the duration of the campaign.
Norwegian He-115s were employed against German and German-controlled ships (see: HNoMS Uller
HNoMS Uller (1876-1940)
HNoMS Uller was a Vale-class Rendel gunboat constructed for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard in Horten in 1874-1876 and had yard build number 55...
), as well as providing ground support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
to the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
's offensive on the Narvik Front. Four of the Norwegian aircraft (F.52, F.56, F.58 and F.64) made the journey to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after the 10 June 1940 surrender, a fifth (F.50) escaping to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, landing on Lake Salmijärvi in Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
. A sixth He 115 (F.54) also tried to make the journey to Britain, but was lost over the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. The last of the Norwegian He 115s, F.62 (one of the two captured German aircraft), was unserviceable at the time of the evacuation and had to be abandoned at Skattøra, later being repaired and flown by the Germans.
Royal Air Force
The four escaped aircraft were at first reformed into the Norwegian HelensburghHelensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
Group under Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Bugge.
The exiled Norwegian Cabinet Nygaardsvold
Cabinet Nygaardsvold
Nygaardsvold's Cabinet was appointed on 20 March 1935, the second Labour cabinet in Norway. It closed the brought to an end the non-socialist, minority Governments that had been dominating politics since the introduction of the parliamentary system in 1884, and replaced it with stable, Labour...
made plans soon after arriving in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to use the four He 115 aircraft to perform leaflet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
dropping missions over Norway. The leaflet mission was to deliver a declaration to the occupied Norwegian people
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
, stating that the Norwegian authorities were re-established in the UK and were rejecting any Nazi German overtures proposing a German-Norwegian peace deal. All four Norwegian He 115s were ordered from Helensburgh to Scapa Flow on 3 July 1940 to carry out the mission, although one had to return to Helensburgh due to engine problems. The three He 115s assembled at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
were ordered to fly to Norway and drop the declaration over the cities of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
and Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. Shortly before the mission was to get under way the British Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
intervened and stopped the expedition, insisting that such an undertaking would be suicidal to attempt with the slow flying He 115s. Three days later, the three Norwegian aircraft returned to Helensburgh.
Three of the Norwegian He 115s (F.56, F.58 and F.64) were subsequently used in covert operations with Norwegian crews off Norway and in the Mediterranean Sea. In British service, the three received new serial numbers
United Kingdom military aircraft serials
In the United Kingdom to identify individual aircraft, all military aircraft are allocated and display a unique serial number. A unified serial number system, maintained by the Air Ministry , and its successor the Ministry of Defence , is used for aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force , Fleet...
: BV184, BV185 and BV187. BV184 was attacked and damaged by two Polish Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
fighters over the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
in the spring of 1942 while cooperating with French fishing boats, and later lost in a refuelling fire in the UK. BV185 was destroyed in an Italian air raid on Kalafrana, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
after flying just one clandestine operation to North Africa. BV187 flew several missions on the North African coast from its base in Malta before finally being attacked and destroyed by two German Bf 109s.
Finnish Air Force
One Norwegian aircraft (F.50) escaped to Finland, where it was interned, and later used by the Finnish Air ForceFinnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
's LLv.44 to ferry sissi
Sissi (Finnish guerrilla)
Sissi is a Finnish term for light infantry which conducts reconnaissance, sabotage and guerrilla warfare operations behind enemy lines. The word sissi, first attested in the modern meaning "patrolman, partisan, spy" in 1787, comes to Finnish from Slavic and refers either to a forest bandit or his...
troops. In this role, it proved valuable as it did not require a vast open space to land on, but instead could touch down on lakes. It served in this role until it was shot down behind Soviet lines in East Karelia
East Karelia
East Karelia , also rendered as Eastern Karelia or Russian Karelia, is a name for the part of Karelia that since the Treaty of Stolbova in 1617 has remained Christian Orthodox under Russian supremacy. It is separated from the western part of Karelia, called Finnish Karelia or historically Swedish...
on 4 July 1943. Two others were leased from Germany for similar purposes in 1943 - 44.
Swedish Air Force
The Swedish Air ForceSwedish Air Force
The Swedish Air Force is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.-History:The Swedish Air Force was created on July 1, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalating international tension during the 1930s the Air Force was reorganized and expanded...
operated 12 He 115A-2s under the local designation T 2, with Air Force numbers 101-112. Another six aircraft were ordered, but never delivered due to the outbreak of World War II. They were sturdy and well liked by their crews, and were not taken out of use until 1952. The Swedish T 2s were kept on duty throughout World War II and made a valuable contribution to protecting and enforcing Swedish neutrality. The T 2s replaced the outdated T 1s (Heinkel HD 16s) in the torpedo bomber role and also served as a regular bomber, for smoke screening and for long-range reconnaissance missions. Five of the 12 T 2s were lost in accidents during their service with the Swedish Air Force.
Prototypes
Five prototypes were used in the development of the aircraft:- He 115 V1 August 1937, set eight payload/speed records.
- He 115 V2 November 1937, similar to V1.
- He 115 V3 March 1938, introduced glassed cockpitCockpitA cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
, which became standard. - He 115 V4 May 1938, production prototypePrototypeA prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, introduced struts in place of wires between fuselageFuselageThe fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
and floats. - He 115 V5 1939.
Production
The basic design of the aircraft remained remarkably unchanged during the type's long career. The main differences, with a few notable exceptions, were changes in armament and avionics. Also to note is that the 'new' 'E' version, launched when production restarted in 1941, is in fact similar to the 'C'-series, again with the exception of armament changes.- He 115A-0 10 pre-production examples, armed with a single machine gunMachine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
. - He 115A-1 added a nose-mounted machine gun.
- He 115A-2 similar to A-1, exported to Norway and Sweden.
- He 115A-3 modified weapons bay and changes to the radio equipment.
- He 115B-0 the 'B'-series introduced the ability to trade fuel and bomb load, as well as the possibility to carry a 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) magnetic mine.
- He 115B-1 added increased fuel capacity.
- He 115B-1/R1
- He 115B-1/R2
- He 115B-1/R3
- He 115B-2 had reinforced floats for operation from ice or snow.
- He 115C-1 introduced additional armament.
- He 115C-1/R1
- He 115C-1/R2
- He 115C-1/R3
- He 115C-1/R4
- He 115C-2 reinforced floats in same manner as B-2.
- He 115C-3 minelayer version.
- He 115C-4 torpedo bomber version.
- He 115D one aircraft fitted with BMW 801BMW 801The BMW 801 was a powerful German air-cooled radial aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II. The engine's cylinders were in two rows of seven cylinders each, the bore and stroke were both 156 mm , giving a total capacity of 41.8 litres...
C engines rated at 1,193 kW (1,600 hp) each. - He 115E-1 similar to the 'C'-series, but with revised armament.
Operators
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