| Original caption: “German Heinkel He-111s Roar Over the English Channel with Full Bomb Loads on a Mission in England.” Often mistaken for a Battle of Britain photo from late summer 1940, these Heinkel He-111H-16s of Kampfgeschwader (Bomber Wing) 53 “Legion Condor” (KG 53) are operating in the Soviet Union, probably during the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. After fighting in the Battle of Britain, KG 53 transferred to the Eastern Front for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, and fought in the Battle of Moscow in 1941-1942 and resupplied Stalingrad until early 1943. In July 1943, KG 53 fought in the Battle of Kursk, flying out of Olsufievo from July to October 1943. The Heinkel He-111H-16 was the last mass-produced version of the Luftwaffe’s heavily used medium bomber, which saw action in every theatre. The H-16 variant had the Jumo 211F-2 engine, increasing power by 34 percent over the Heinkel He-111E’s original Jumo 211A-1. This image is probably 1 of a series taken by Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Kriegsbehrichter (War Reporter) Heinz Ritter (August 6, 1912 – July 22, 1958). His work appeared in Die Deutsche Wochenschau. After his arrest by American troops in 1945, Ritter was an art dealer and immigrated to Argentina, where he died in a plane crash while making 1 of the 1st color films of the Andes. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0302.jpg |
| Image Size | 3.10 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 3659 x 2413 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | July 1945 Air Force Magazine |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 1, 1940 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | |
| Country | France |
| Archive | United States Air Force |
| Record Number | 342-FH-3A06233-81282AC |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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