Chapter 26

Spy Plane: The Heinkel 115 Floatplane

Bibliography with Notes plus Bonus Content

McKenzie, Alastair. Malta Mystery. Mechtraveller.com. https://mechtraveller.com/2017/07/malta-mystery/

“I came across the anecdote in Stuart R. Scott’s 1996 book: Battleaxe Blenheims – 105 squadron RAF at war 1940-1 *

“… The airfield was at Luqa where the airport is now. Their barracks and mess were down at Marsaxlokk Bay where seaplanes used to be based, and where they used to swim from the seaplane slipway. Inside the hanger next to the slipway was kept a captured German Heinkel HE 115 floatplane in matt [sic] black camouflage…

“According to Wikipedia, it looks as if the Heinkel was one of a pair operating from Malta. Originally from a group of six Norwegian Air Force HE115s that escaped to the UK as Norway was invaded by Germany…The former flew one clandestine mission to North Africa before being destroyed in an Italian air raid on Kalafrana, Malta. The second, ‘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.’

“Information on these clandestine activities is, not surprisingly, thin on the ground. The subject has been raised in a few WW2 special interest forums & blogs, but many of those have also disappeared.”