The BV 222's Norway flights show why a large flying boat could be valuable in a theatre with few usable land bases. Seven flights between Hamburg and Kirkenes carried about 65 tons of supplies and 221 wounded personnel. The aircraft were unarmed during these operations and needed Messerschmitt Bf 109 escorts. A single BV 222 could carry up to 92 troops or 72 stretcher cases, remain aloft for 28 hours, and ferry roughly 3,300 nautical miles. German planners even considered flights to Japan. Its lift and range opened routes that conventional airfield infrastructure could not support.
Chapter · 21:43-24:13
Blohm & Voss BV 222: Norway airlift and long-range transport
Seven Hamburg-Kirkenes flights show how the BV 222 moved supplies and wounded personnel through a theatre where water access outmatched runway infrastructure.