1 Förderverein Technikmuseum „Hugo Junkers“ Dessau e.V.

Förderverein Technikmuseum „Hugo Junkers“ Dessau e.V.
Kühnauer Str. 161 a, 06846 Dessau-Roßlau
Tel.: 0340 – 6611982
Fax: 0340 – 6611193
E-Mail: technikmuseum-dessau@online.de
Internet: www.technikmuseum-dessau.de
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East-West Trans-Atlantic Crossing
In 1927 Charles Lindberg, an American, overflew the Atlantic in his Ryan NYP “Spirit of St. Louis” in west-east
direction.
Inspired with the idea of crossing the Atlantic in the opposed direction, from east to west, the initiator of the
BREMEN flight baron von Hünefeld set everything in motion in order to put his thoughts into practise. His
reason for going on this journey was solely to improve international understanding and not to create a sensation
out of it. Ten years upon completion of the First World War, he wanted to set an example with this flight, which
should have helped to encourage understanding between both former opponents of war, Germany and the
United States of America. As a spokesman of North German Lloyd at that time, he had the appropriate relations
to find money for this flight. Today one would say: the sponsors were generous.
As an adviser for aeronautical affairs, he was able to win the Bremen pilot Cornelius Edzard over. After the
money for this flight was available, both of them started to look for an appropriate aeroplane. A new machine of
Junkers aeroplane works from Dessau, Junkers W33, was chosen.
During the inspection of the chosen aeroplane in Dessau, Hünefeld got to know Herman Köhl, a flight expert
and a pilot from Lufthansa. Hünefeld managed to inspire the Junkers pilots, Ristisz and Loose, with his idea.
The representative of the American Hearstpresse in Germany offered himself as a new investor for that project.
Thus, enough money was available to send two aeroplanes on the journey to America.
Because one of the main investors of this project was North German Lloyd , both Junkers W33 were named
after the passenger steamers, BREMEN and EUROPA.
W33 was built as a cargo aircraft and a long haul aircraft. Its fuselage offered, therefore, enough space for
additional tanks needed for the long reach to America. Corresponding reconstruction and test flights were
carried out. On the basis of positive results obtained at the test flights, the appointment for crossing the Atlantic
was fixed for 14.08.1927.
Around 18:25 both machines, one after another, took off in direction Newfoundland. Due to bad weather and
problems with Junkers L5 engine, both machines were forced to return back rapidly. The aeroplane EUROPA
was broken down as it tried to land. As a result of those negative happenings and disposition within the
population, North German Lloyd and Hearstpresse gave up supporting this project. However, von Hünefeld
succeeded in inspiring traders from Bremen for his project, so that he could buy the aeroplane BREMEN for that
money. The pilot, Cornelius Edzard, was no longer available for an anew flight, this means that the way was
free for Herman Köhl. Already in winter Hünefeld and Köhl began preparations for an anew crossing of the
Atlantic. Technical changes were carried out extensively on W33 BREMEN. Because disposition in Germany
was still against this undertaking, both of them were looking for aerodromes abroad. The most suitable
aerodrome for them was Baldonnel, in Ireland. The airfield was peered and the airport commandant, major
James C. Fitzmaurice, offered a full support to them. In the early morning of 26 March, BREMEN took off from
Berlin airport Tempelhof
in Baldonnel direction. The flight target given to the authorities was, however, Dessau. The reason for that, the
mechanic Spindler and baron von Hünefeld were on board. If the authorities had known that von Hünefeld was
on board as an official member of the crew, they would not have granted a permit for that flight, so he had to
hide on board to take part in this flight. The flight went according to plan.
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Though, the three crew members - Köhl, von Hünefeld and Spindler - were put to acid the test. Because of foul
weather, the take-off had to be consistently postponed. During that time of everlasting waiting, Köhl and von
Hünefeld made friends with Fitzmaurice. Both of them decided to take him on the journey instead of Spindler.
Shortly after the weather became
better, the BREMEN took off with
Köhl and Fitzmaurice at the helm,
and von Hünefeld in the freight
behind of the additional tanks, on
12.04.1928 around 05:38 local
time. Although the soil was
softened, due to foul weather,
Fitzmaurice was able to manage
the circumstances. In the end the
machine gained on speed and
could start in direction America. At
a rate of about 200 km/h, the
BREMEN covered a distance of
1,500 km with its crew. Foul
weather emerged suddenly and
caused technical problems, which
made the navigation in the night
difficult. On 13.04.1928 the crew
was surprised to find forested hills
beneath them. They flew over that
inhuman wilderness for hours.
The fuel was running short when
Fitzmaurice discovered a
lighthouse suddenly. It was the lighthouse of the small island Greenly Island situated between Labrador and
Newfoundland. The opportunity for landing on the island was immediately put into action. Köhl landed the
machine on a small pound covered with snow and ice.
Unfortunately, the ice was not hard enough and the machine broke into the pound. Chassis and propeller were
damaged. But that did not bother the crew that much because they knew that their common purpose was
already achieved. The keeper of the lighthouse and his family offered their hospitality to the crew of BREMEN
and provided them with necessary things. Thousands of spectators were waiting in vain for the arrival of
BREMEN in New York few thousands kilometres away, more precisely 1,800 km.
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No more than four hours later, people in Europe also came to know by means of radio and media, that
BREMEN would not reach New York anymore, but that it had landed in Canada.
The attempt to fly the repaired BREMEN from Canada to New York was miscarried. It broke down at the same
place. On 28 April 1928 three crew members, Köhl, Fitzmaurice and von Hünefeld, were accepted
enthusiastically by the population of New York. In their honour a ticker-tape parade was arranged.
On the basis of their particular aeronautical performance, one law was modified, so that the president of the
United States of America gave the highest distinction for a pilot, “the Distinguished Flying Cross”, to them. The
three pilots were welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd in Bremen on 19 June 1928 and honoured by the senate
of Bremen. The damaged BREMEN was brought back to Germany on board of a cargo ship of North German
Lloyds. It was repaired at the Junkers works in Dessau and ,after that, it was never flown again.
Baron von Hünefeld searched vainly for a place, where that historical aeroplane could be housed. He was
rejected everywhere. Even the German museum in Munich was not interested in BREMEN. Von Hünefeld was
appalled at much ignorance, so that he finally gave BREMEN to the American people. The machine was
returned to America on board of COLUMBUS. There, it was exhibited at several museums till finally it was
bought by Henry Ford for his Museum in Dearborn and remained there till 1997. It was brought back to
Germany by the association “Wir holen die BREMEN nach Bremen e.V”, a union of Bremen citizens. By June
1998 it was restored at the shipyard of Lufthansa Flight Training in Bremen.
Biographical Information
James C. Fitzmaurice
was born in the capital of Ireland, Dublin, on 6 January 1898. After his sortie, he was trained to a pilot. He
proved himself by flying to Germany as a pilot of the post. During the Irish Civil War, he flew for the freedom
army. Already in 1926 he became Commandant of the Irish aeronautical corps. He died in Dublin on 26
September 1965.
Ehrenfried Günther Baron von Hünefeld
was born in Königsberg, Germany, on 1 May 1892. He got gravely injured in the First World War, after that he
joined the foreign service. In 1923 he accepted office as the promotional director of North German Lloyd. In
autumn 1928 he flew together with a Swedish pilot in EUROPA to Tokyo. Von Hünefeld died in Berlin on 5
February 1929 and was buried at Seglitzer cemetery.
Hermann Köhl
was born in New-Ulm on 15 April 1888. In the First World War, he was a commandant of a bomb squadron. In
1926 he was in charge of the night flight traffic of Lunfthansa.
He addressed himself to different aeronautical tasks after the Atlantic flight.
On 7 October he passed the way and was entombed in Pfaffenhofen an der Roth.
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What has remained?
Only a vague reminiscence of the ocean-flight? Only the names of three pioneers of air traffic?
Well, valuable exhibits from the aircraft captain’s inheritance can be seen in the town hall of Pfaffenhofen a.d.
Roth at Hermann-Köhl museum.
Grüttert-Uhren museum in Bremen, Sögestraße 70, attends to the Junkers W 33 Bremen- archive.
Furthermore, a wooded relief in the Hansestadt at the Böttcherstaße reminds of this daring attempt.
Visitors of the New Town Hall can already read on the left side of the entrance, appreciation words written on a
memorial tablet, formulated by the German chancellor Schröder.
A picture of Alex Kircher gives an impression of BREMEN, as it overflew the Atlantic.
At the airport there are three streets named after Hermann Köhl, von Hünefeld and Fitzmaurice.
At the public record office contemporary books, reports, newspaper announcements and photographs are
accumulated.
Sources:
Karl-August Blendermann “Atlantikflug D1167” Publisher H.M. Hauschild GmbH- Bremen
Horst Brinkmann „Airport Bremen Restaurierung der Junkers W33 in Bremen“, Publisher: Stedinger Verlag –
Lemwerder
„Die Deutsche Illustrierte“ (The German Magazine) Sondernummer vom (special number of) 14. April 1928;
Berlin
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