Bremen (aircraft)

The Bremen

Company type	Aircraft
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1928
Headquarters	Bremen , Germany
Products	Junkers W 33 aircraft

Template:More footnotes

Template:Infobox aircraft The Bremen is a German-made Junkers W 33 aircraft renowned for completing the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight traveling from east to west on April 12–13, 1928.

Following a delay due to unfavorable weather lasting over two weeks, the Bremen departed from Baldonnel Aerodrome, Ireland, on April 12. It reached Greenly Island, Canada the next day after enduring challenging conditions and navigational difficulties involving the compass.

The aircraft’s owner, the affluent German nobleman Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld, alongside pilot Captain Hermann Köhl, had previously attempted this transatlantic crossing in an all-German effort in 1927 but were forced to halt due to inclement weather. For the successful flight, they were accompanied by a third crew member, Irish navigator Major James Fitzmaurice. Fitzmaurice had earlier tried the crossing as co-pilot of the Princess Xenia (aircraft) with Robert Henry McIntosh; however, that attempt was abandoned because of strong headwinds in September 1927.

Flight log

The Bremen preparing for departure at Baldonnel

• April 12, 05:09 GMT: Engine ignition of the Bremen commenced at Baldonnel Aerodrome, situated approximately 19 km (12 mi) southwest of Dublin.
• April 12, 05:38 GMT: The aircraft took off from Baldonnel Airport and set course westward.
• April 12, 07:05 GMT: Passing the Slyne Head Lighthouse in County Galway, the Bremen began its transatlantic journey aimed for Mitchel Field on Long Island, New York, maintaining an altitude near 1,500 feet (460 m) and cruising at around 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph).
• April 12, 09:00 GMT: The crew enjoyed their first in-flight meal consisting of hot bouillon and sandwiches.
• April 12, 13:45 GMT: Crossing the 30th meridian west, the Bremen achieved a surface speed exceeding 90 knots (170 km/h; 100 mph).
• April 12, 16:00 GMT: The plane ascended to an altitude of 610 m (2,000 ft).
• April 12, 21:00 GMT: The final drift calculation was made by the crew. After losing sight of the sun and with cloud cover blocking stars, the Bremen climbed to approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 m). Köhl estimated their proximity to land as about three hours away. Had they maintained their intended course, this estimate would have been accurate; however, lacking visibility of Polaris and relying solely on a magnetic compass led them significantly off track toward the north.
• April 13, 06:50 GMT: Upon sighting Polaris again, Fitzmaurice deduced that their magnetic compass was off by roughly 40 degrees. Köhl then altered course southwestward to follow North America's eastern coastline toward Mitchel Field on Long Island, roughly 1,500 miles (2,400 km) south of their position. Flying over Labrador’s Torngat Mountains (then part of the Dominion of Newfoundland), they failed to identify landmarks and consequently followed the upper reaches of the George River in northeastern Quebec. To counteract strong southwest winds, Köhl descended into the George River Valley flying at an altitude near 10 feet (3.0 m).
• April 13, 14:00 GMT: The Bremen passed lakes near the George River’s source. Although no one was visible on the ground from above, locals observed the aircraft overhead.
• April 13, 15:00 GMT: The plane re-entered Labrador airspace and was spotted flying above North West River beside Lake Melville.
• April 13, approximately 17:50 GMT: With around two hours’ fuel remaining and only a rough idea of their location, the crew identified a lighthouse on an island accompanied by four individuals and a pack of dogs. This was Greenly Island in the Strait of Belle Isle, which separates Newfoundland from Labrador and Quebec on mainland Canada. Greenly Island spans just about 1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi), located roughly 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) off Quebec’s coast.

Landing

Greenly Island is a small, rocky, and desolate landmass. Fortunately for the crew, the aircraft touched down in a peat bog, which cushioned the impact and prevented serious injury, although the plane sustained damage.

The lighthouse clock, as recalled by the lighthouse keeper’s family, indicated 2 p.m. Atlantic Time when the Bremen was initially spotted from the shore. Captain Köhl and Baron von Hünefeld reported an airborne duration of 36½ hours. Assuming their timing was accurate to within a minute—which is doubtful—the landing time would correspond to 18:08 GMT, 13:08 EST, or 14:08 Atlantic Time.

Gretta May Ferris, a nurse stationed at Grenfell Medical Station in nearby Forteau and originating from Saint John, New Brunswick, journeyed approximately 15 miles (24 km) by dogsled to provide medical assistance to the crew. She was the first to document the event, which quickly gained international media attention confirming the Bremen had landed safely and its crew were unharmed.

Map from the April 16, 1928 New York Times illustrating relief efforts for the Bremen and pinpointing its landing site

Alfred Cormier of Long Point (Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon), who managed the local telegraph office from his residence, established communication with Marconi station VCL at Point Amour in Labrador—situated roughly 18 miles (29 km) east of Long Point. His message was relayed through St. John's at 6:30 p.m., then forwarded via Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, traversing landlines across Canada and transmitted through the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) station WCC in Chatham, Massachusetts, ultimately reaching New York City.

The initial dispatch stated: "German plane at Greenly Island, wind southeast, thick [fog]."

Shortly thereafter, a follow-up message declared: "German plane Bremen landed Greenly Island, noon, slightly damaged, crew well."

By 7:15 p.m., news of the landing had permeated all major newsrooms along the eastern seaboard.

New York City’s celebratory parade honoring the Bremen crew (April 30, 1928)

The first Canadian airplane to arrive at Greenly Island was flown by Duke Schiller; two days later, Canadian Transcontinental Airways (1927–38) Chief Pilot Romeo Vachon reached the site accompanied by media personnel. Both pilots operated Fairchild FC-2W aircraft—Schiller flew G-CAIQ and Vachon piloted G-CAIP. Eventually, around 60 journalists gathered on the island to cover this historic crossing. The Bremen crew remained on Greenly Island for two weeks attempting repairs on their aircraft but ultimately failed.

Rescue came via a Ford Trimotor piloted by seasoned aviators Bernt Balchen—who would later lead the first flight over the South Pole—and Floyd Bennett, famed for piloting the initial flight over the North Pole in 1926. Bennett was afflicted with pneumonia during this mission and passed away in hospital afterward. Upon their arrival in New York on April 30, the Bremen crew were celebrated with a ticker-tape parade.

On May 2, authorization was granted by the 70th United States Congress empowering President Calvin Coolidge to award the United States Distinguished Flying Cross to the Bremen Flyers. Later that year on June 30 in Ireland, they were granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin as recognition for their transatlantic aviation accomplishment.

In late 1928, they authored a book titled The Three Musketeers of the Air, recounting their transatlantic journey.

Status

The Bremen today

The Bremen is part of the collection at the Henry Ford Museum located in Dearborn, Michigan. It is exhibited within a hangar at the museum adjacent to Bremen Airport.

See also

• P. A. Ó Síocháin
• Spirit of St. Louis
• Cape Cod
• Miss Veedol
• Plus Ultra
• Bird of Paradise
• British airship R34, noted as the first aircraft to complete an east-west transatlantic crossing from July 2–6, 1919

Further reading

• Hermann Koehl, James C. Fitzmaurice, Baron Guenther von Huenefeld, The Three Musketeers of the Air: Their Conquest of the Atlantic from East to West, 1928
• Fred W. Hotson, The Bremen, Toronto: CANAV Books, 1988
• Crew and Date updates sourced from Chronicle of Aviation, JL International Publishing, Missouri, 1992
• Thomas Keane, The Weather and the First Successful Non-Stop East to West Trans-Atlantic Flight of 1928

External links

• Historical newsreel footage (Internet Archive)
• Digital Aviation Museum
• Bremen Recently Restored in Bremen
• The Henry Ford Museum