4thGordons Posted 3 June , 2021 Share Posted 3 June , 2021 Part of a lot of photos I recently acquired some of which appear to have been taken in Varna. There is an internal shot of what I think is a sea-plane with the number 529 on the side, and a crewman in the rear cockpit Beneath is a chalk-board which appears to give the name of the crew Flugzeug 529. Nr 1. - Dietrich Nr 2 .- Nestler (?) klar. (?) There is an additional picture which also shows a float-plane on the water (I cannot see a number although crosses are visible on the wings) and a rather chilly looking man in a waterproof (?) suit. The back is annotated " ???? im hafen von Varna" (I assume "floatplane" in Varna harbour) Can anything more be gleaned from these regarding the crew and or a/c type? I am substantially out of my area of knowledge so any pointers would be much appreciated. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 3 June , 2021 Share Posted 3 June , 2021 Looks like it could be a Friedichshafen FF33. MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 3 June , 2021 Share Posted 3 June , 2021 Mate, Its an area I am not sure of but do record a number of airmen there Kessel Walter LtzS Marine Pilot Aircrew Airforce I. Seeflieger-Abteilung and German Seaplane Sqn (Wasserfliegerabteilung) at SFS Varna to SFS Constanza to SFS Chanak to SFS Sevastopol 1916-18 (born 1893 died 22-6-29) from SMS "Mecklenburg" to pilot training 12-15 to 4-16 to Seaplane Tender "Santa Elena" at Stralsund awarded EK II & EK I shown in Klaus Wolf's Book (not identified)? Pohrt Hermann ObltzS deR Marine Airforce German Seaplane Sqn (Wasserfliegerabteilung) - I Seeflieger-Abtl Seeflugstation Varna Bulgaria 9-16 to Kommandiert zur SFS in der Türkei 4-18 1917-18 from Marineinfanterie awarded EK II & EK I and Lübeck Hanseatic Cross and Ottoman Medijde Order and Silver Imtiaz Medal with swords and War Medal Redern Claus von LtzS Marine commander of the Assault in special forces 9-15 in SMS Goeben (Yavuz) 11-15 in Varna 12-16 - Sdr-Kdo (Sonderkommando) - Hücümbot komutani (Powerboat commander) 1915-16 (not identified)? shown in book by Klaus Wolf Weber Eugen Flugzeugober maat Marine Airforce possibly German Seaplane Sqn (Wasserfliegerabteilung) - I Seeflieger-Abtl Seeflugstation Varna Bulgaria 1916- (1892 at Barop-Hörde died 17-10-16) at Mic Tatlage Varna (Bulgarien) cause not stated The German Seaplane unit in Turkey opened up a number of sub bases along the Black Sea coast, one of these was at Verna. I have no record of the two men you show, I will need to check them out, but these small units, mostly around two planes, were all over the Black Sea coast, others along the Turkish coast were Ottoman. These German bases were at Außerdem:ChanakConstanzaKawakOdessaSt. StefanoVarnaXanthi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 3 June , 2021 Share Posted 3 June , 2021 Mate, Known German Aircraft FRIEDRICHSHAFEN FF 33L (150HP Benz Bz III) -26- 934 12.Feb.16 GNSG/Chanak 1085 Oct.16 GNSG/Chanak 9.Apr.18 crashed 1086 Oct.16 GNSG/Kavak 1087 Oct.16 GNSG 1088 Oct.16 GNSG/Kavak 1120 Oct.16 GNSG/Kavak 1124 13.Apr.17 GNSG/Chanak 17.Jan.18 shot down 1125 13.Apr.17 GNSG/Chanak 17.Jan.18 shot down 1158 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1159 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1160 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1161 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1162 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1163 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1164 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1165 5.Apr.17 GNSG/Chanak 25.Mar.18 crashed 1166 5.Apr.17 GNSG 1172 1917 GNSG/Kavak 1255 14.May 17 GNSG/Mersin 1256 14.May 17 GNSG/Kavak/Mersin 1.may.18 wrecked 1257 14.May 17 GNSG/Mersin 1258 1917 GNSG/Mersin 1.may.18 wrecked 1275 11.Jun.17 GNSG 1276 11.Jun.17 GNSG 1277 1917 GNSG/Chanak 1585 1917 GNSG 1595 1917 GNSG/Chanak Cheers S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 4 June , 2021 Share Posted 4 June , 2021 12 hours ago, 4thGordons said: ???? im hafen von Varna" (I assume "floatplane" in Varna harbour) The missing word is Marineflugzeug = Naval aircraft, a floatplane is a Wasserflugzeug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 4 June , 2021 Author Share Posted 4 June , 2021 (edited) KizmeRD - thank you for the ID Stevebecker - Thanks very much for all this, excellent stuff. Charlie2 - yes I see that now you point it our-- thank you! There are a lot of pics for me to go through but I did not see any others with a/c on the quick initial review. Thanks again, Chris Edited 4 June , 2021 by 4thGordons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 4 June , 2021 Share Posted 4 June , 2021 Flugzeug 529 was a FF33e stationed at the German Seaplane Station located at Peynerdjk (near Varna) in 1916. It (and others) were handed over to the Bulgarian Navy in June 1918. MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 5 June , 2021 Share Posted 5 June , 2021 (edited) Mate, I've not seen the air unit call Flugzug 529 any where at Varna? Where they part of the I Seeflieger-Abtl Seeflugstation Varna Bulgaria shown there? These are the known planes set to Turkey? FRIEDRICHSHAFEN FF.33E/H/J/K (150HP BzIII) -7- 724 FF33E 13.Jul.16 GNSG 733 FF33H 28.jul.16 GNSG 20.Sep.16 crashed 737 FF33E 13.Aug.16 GNSG 819 FF33H 7.Sep.16 GNSG 928 FF33J 12.Feb.17 GNSG R/T equipped 931 FF33J 12.Feb.17 GNSG R/T equipped 932 FF33K 12.Feb.17 GNSG Like wise I could not find these two men? S.B Edited 5 June , 2021 by stevebecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 5 June , 2021 Share Posted 5 June , 2021 (edited) Steve, You are obviously not a German speaker. ‘Flugzeug 529’ simply translates into English as ‘Aircraft 529’ (the subject of the OP), it is not an air unit, but rather one of the reconnaissance seaplanes flown from the naval air station that was located near to Varna during the war. There was an old post some years back detailing the career of Wilhelm Albert Karl August Müldner, born in Berlin 07.11.1887. He was a German seaplane pilot (Leutnant d.R. der Matrosenartillerie) who served in Bulgaria from 23.01.16 to 12.10.16 and again from 01.05.17 to 16.06.17. And in his personal account, he claims to have flown aircraft numbers 507, 529, 530, 723, 738, 780, 835, 861 & 862 during his time at SFS Varna. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/79799-matrosenartillerie/ MB Edited 5 June , 2021 by KizmeRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 5 June , 2021 Share Posted 5 June , 2021 SFS Varna - present day Chayka Naval Air Base. https://www.worddisk.com/wiki/Chayka_Naval_Air_Base/ MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 5 June , 2021 Share Posted 5 June , 2021 Mate, Yes your right, I mix up the word form "Zeug or Zug" to be a small unit in the German Military I forget that the SFS Varna was not part of the German Seaplane unit in Turkey (Wasserfliegerabteilung), even if men and some planes, were sent, and used there from Turkey. While they were all still part of the I Seeflieger-Abtl, which covered a large area, from Germany to the Eastern Front (Poland to Bulguria and Turkey, then latter Romania and Southern Russia). S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jth Posted 20 November , 2021 Share Posted 20 November , 2021 (edited) During an internet research I came across this post. This is my first post on this forum. #529 was a Fdh FF 33e out of the lot #529 - 533. This plane was sent to Varna on January 1916 and arrived at Varna on 23.01.1916. The airplane was damaged on 28.08.1916 during a landing. It was one of 4 airplanes (529, 530, 534, 507) when the unit was established under the command of Olt.z.S. Hellmuth Riensberg. The names on the board Dietrich (Nr. 1) and Nestler (Nr. 2) are not the crew of this plane. This are the "Flugzeugwarte" the mechanics. "Klar" means that the airplane is ready. Quote The German Seaplane unit in Turkey opened up a number of sub bases along the Black Sea coast, one of these was at Verna. This statement is not correct. The SFS Varna was formed as part of Sonderkommando Bulgarien and was named "Seeflugzeugsonderkommando Bulgarien". On 14.02.1916 renamed to Seeflugstation Bulgarien and later Seeflugstation Varna. Edited 20 November , 2021 by jth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 20 November , 2021 Share Posted 20 November , 2021 Mate, Thanks for the up date. Yes, as I said its not an area I'am clear on, and the sources can be confusing here. So any details can only help all of us. While it was in Bulgaria, other German naval bases on the Black Sea seam to be mixing personal during the war. A number show up in Turkey, while other go to Bulgeria. So any details on the known members of this unit or any others on the Black Sea or Turkey would be of interest. Cheers S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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