Gotha WD 15

The Gotha WD 15 was a German World War I two‑seat reconnaissance and patrol seaplane produced by the Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha). Development began in 1916 as an enlarged version of the earlier WD 11, incorporating a more powerful Mercedes D.IIIa straight‑six engine of 120 hp. The aircraft featured a conventional biplane layout with equal‑span wings braced by N‑struts, a wooden fuselage covered in doped canvas, and twin floats mounted beneath the lower wing for water operation. Its crew sat in tandem open cockpits; the forward position housed a forward‑firing LMG 08/15 machine gun, while the rear observer managed a flexible Parabellum MG14 and could handle radio equipment for naval liaison.

The WD 15 entered service with the Imperial German Navy’s Marineflieger in early 1917, operating from coastal bases and naval vessels around the North Sea and Baltic. Although only a few dozen were built, the type demonstrated the practicality of a dedicated floatplane for maritime reconnaissance, anti‑submarine patrols, and artillery spotting. Its design influenced later Gotha and other manufacturers’ floatplanes, marking a step toward more capable naval aviation platforms that foreshadowed interwar seaplane development.

Gotha

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