Junkers Ju.52, some European users

 

The Junkers Ju.52/3m is a German cargo and passenger aircraft so successful that it was exported to many countries, among them, the following European ones:

• Austria: The ÖLAG (acronym for Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG - the main Austrian airline between the years 1923 and 1938) ordered a total of 7 Junkers Ju.52/3m between 1935 and 1938 as part of their joint venture with Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH). One aircraft, registered as OE-LAL was lost to an accident on 16th March 1936 and the remaining six machines were taken over by DLH when ÖLAG was bought by Lufthansa on 31st December 1938.
  The Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte (Austrian Air Force) had three Ju.52/3m in service. They formed the core of I. Nachtbomberstaffel (1st Night Bomber Flight) based in Vienna. After the Anschluss (the annexation of Austria into Germany) they were all pressed into the Luftwaffe.
• Belgium: The Belgian Société anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne (SABENA - Belgian national airline) bought five Junkers Ju.52/3m in the mid 1930s which constituted the backbone of their passenger fleet. One was assigned for operations in the Belgian Congo (as we saw in a previous post).
  They were used in most of their European routes which, using Brussels Haren airport as the main hub, went to Copenhagen, Malmö, Berlin and other European destinations. One of them, registerd as OO-AUB crashed close to the the town of Ostend, at the Belgian coast on 16th November 1937 killing all 12 people on board the airplane, some of which were members of the Hesse royal family. The airplane was on its way to London from Munich when, because of bad weather, it had to be diverted to Steene aerodrome to land. The airplane hit the chimney of a brick factory, crashed and bursted into flames. 
  
• Bulgaria: In 1938, the main Bulgarian airline, Bulgarski Vuzdushni Linii (BVL) acquired two Ju.52/3m, which after the outbreak of the World War 2, they were pressed into service with the Royal Bulgarian Air Force. Those were followed by two more during 1942 and by several captured ones at the end of the conflict (some sources claim that in January 1945 the Royal Bulgarian Air Force had up to 12 Ju.52/3m in inventory). 
  After the War, they were the backbone of the Air Communications Directorate, the forerunner of TABSO, the main Bulgarian Airline of the post-war, and served in various aerial routes until they were gradually replaced by the Russian Lisunov Li-2, with the last Ju.52/3m being replaced in 1950.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Junkers_Ju_52_operators

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabena

3. https://www.flugzeugforum.de/threads/erstes-oesterreichisches-bundesheer.60691/ (translated)

4. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ÖLAG (translated)

5. https://rzjets.net/aircraft/?page=5&typeid=354

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1937_Sabena_Junkers_Ju_52_Ostend_crash

7. http://www.airgroup2000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3314

8. https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Гражданска_авиация_в_България (trnaslated)

9. https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Дирекция_„Въздушни_съобщения“ (translated)

10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkan_Bulgarian_Airlines

Messerschmitt Bf.108, part one

The Messerschmitt Bf.108 was a German single-engine sport and touring aircraft that was used for military liaison purposes during the World War 2. It was designed and developed by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in the 1930s and was exported to many countries:

• Austria: A single Bf.108 was ordered by the Austrian government on 22nd April 1937 and was delivered on 27th July. It was the only Bf.108 to serve with the Austrian Air Force and when Germany annexed Austria, it went back to serve with the Luftwaffe.
• Bulgaria: During the war Bulgaria bought a total of six Bf.108 in 1941. They were assigned to the 1st Courier Squadron but were used mainly for training purposes.
• Independent State of Croatia: The 15.(Kroat)/JG.52 squadron composed by Croatian pilots who fought in the Eastern Front, used some Bf.108 for liaison purposes outside combat zones. The one depicted below was used by four Croatian pilots on 19th September 1942 to fly to Uman, in the USSR, where they were based.
• Hungary: In 1937 the Royal Hungarian Air Force bought a total of seven Bf.108 which were used in a wide range of duties. From liaison, communications and even trainer. They served through the war on the Eastern Front and until the end of the war.
• Romania: The Royal Romanian Air Force had at least one Bf.108 at the beginning of the war. It was assigned to the 11th Courier Squadron which belonged to the 1st Air Corps. During 1943 and 1944 it was still in service.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_108

2. http://www.warbirdalley.com/bf108.htm

3. Wydawnictwo Militaria 149 - Messerschmitt Bf-108 Taifun