Those Ju.52/3m equipped with floats for water-based operations were designated as Ju.52/3m See (Sea). They had their tailwheel removed and the main landing gear was replaced by two floaters. The floats were designed by Junkers. They were made out of metal and had a displacement of 9.500 L (2.509,6 gal), but they were soon replaced by larger, Heinkel-designed ones as they were 11,34 m (37 ft 2,4 in) long and displaced 11.000 L (2.905,9 gal). Four V-shaped struts attached each float to the wing undersurface, with wire bracing giving additional support.
An access ladder linked the rear entrance door to the port float's upper rear section and no ladder was mounted at the other side. Handhold rails were also mounted under the windows on both sides of the Ju.52/3m See. Rails which were retained on those which were later converted for land operations.
Its gross weight on floats was 11.500 kg (25.352,7 pounds), 500 kg heavier than a regular Ju.52/3mg8e landplane, due to its floaters. It had a water take off run of 845 m (2.772,3 ft) which could accomplish it in 53 seconds, during type's evaluation trials. It could also reach an altitude of 3.000 m (9.842,5 ft) in 21 minutes and had a maximum speed of 231 km/h (143,5 mph), which was 55 km/h (34.2 mph) slower than its land-based counterpart, given the aerodynamic drag produced by the floaters and their struts. Its cruising speed at low altitude was 173 km/h (107,5 mph), 42 km/h (26,1 mph) slower than the regular Ju.52/3mg8e, which made the type very vulnerable to fighter attacks.
As we wrote in a previous post, many Ju.52/3m See were assigned to the KGrzbV 108 in early 1940 to take part in invasion of Norway and later, they were redeployed to eastern Mediterranean theatre. In October 1943 an unit entirely composed of Ju.52/3m See was formed, the Seetransportstaffel 1, with base in Athens-Phaleron, from where they performed various patrol flights over the Aegean Sea and kept connections with Crete. This island was turned into a Festung (fortress) by the Germans and was partitioned in two, with most of the island under German occupation, with headquarters in the city of Chania, and the Easternmost part of the island under Italian control, with headquarters at the city of Lasithi. From October 1943 many resupply flights were flown to Heraklion from Athens, which were kept until October 1944 when the Germans retreated from Greece, although Crete was kept. The last resupply flight to Crete took place in that month, October 1944. After that, the Seetransportstaffel 1 was redesigned as 17/TG.4 and was disbanded shortly before the end of the war.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_52
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 186 - Junkers Ju-52 in Action
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_Crete
4. http://www.ww2.dk/air/transport/trspsee1.html
5. https://www.asisbiz.com/Luftwaffe/trspsee1.html
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