World War II AircraftThe Heinkel He 115 was built to fulfil a 1935 Luftwaffe requirement for a twin-engined general-purpose floatplane suitable for patrol and anti-shipping strikes with bombs or torpedo. The first prototype was used to set a series of international records for floatplanes; production versions entered Luftwaffe service in 1938; and the basic design of the aircraft remained unchanged during the type's career. The main differences; with a few notable exceptions; were changes in armament and avionics; the original defensive two 7.92 mm machine guns being augmented by an additional 7.92 mm machine gun fixed in the nose and one each in the engine nacelles firing rearwards; the nose gun was eventually replaced in some He 115s by a MG151 15 or 20 mm cannon. Two 950 hp BMW 132K 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines produced a maximum speed of just over 200 mph in the B-1 variant; service ceiling was 17;100 feet and combat range was 1;300 miles. Offensive warload was up to five 550 lb bombs; or two such bombs and one 1;800 lb torpedo; or one 2;030 lb sea mine. The type was used to lay magnetic mines off the British coast at the beginning of the war and for anti-shipping strikes during the Norwegian campaign; from which four Norwegian He 115s escaped to subsequently serve with the RAF on clandestine operations until 1942. Others were flown by the Bulgarian and Finnish air forces; and the Swedish air force had twelve; some of which it operated until 1952. The B-2 and C-2 variants had their floats strengthened to enable operation from ice or snow-bound land bases; one of the latter which operated on the Eastern Front is illustrated here. The He 115 proved vulnerable to fighter opposition and was eventually succeeded in the maritime strike role by the He 111 and Ju 88.The Heinkel He 115 illustrated here is a C-1 operated by I/ Ku.fl.406 [No.406 Coastal Aviation Group] from bases on the Baltic coast in 1940-41: K6 identified the main Luftwaffe unit; E; the specific aircraft within the unit; this letter often being painted in the Staffel colour; H identified the Staffel and group.Illustration (Tim Brown); 2019.