Tirpitz...arado float plane photo album

[hornetsfan]

I would appreciate some help with a recently purchased photo album . It belonged to a man who served with the Kriegsmarine aboard the Tirpitz ...there are a good number of photos of the ships Tirpitz float plane ..Album was sold to me as being the pilots album , but I doubt this ...
Its a very nice album ,there are early pics of the mans early naval / basic training . Service photos , good images of the ship , one of Topp . Our man is also pictured in several images as a post war POW .
I would like help with his rank , likely role in relation to the Arado float planes ...and its a long shot ,but if anyone could put a name to his face ..this would be fantastic .
jim

[hornetsfan]

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[hornetsfan]

Our man at end ..POW Photo ? any comments on his uniform here ?scan0938.jpg

[hornetsfan]

Our man on topof float planescan0904.jpg

[Steve P]

Sorry mate, I can't help you out but love the pics...would love to see more if you are feeling generous!

[Norm F]

Leutnant

Hi Jim,

I think you need a high resolution blow-up of his shoulder boards from the portrait. I can't tell if I see a pip or a career cypher. He's either an Oberleutnant with one pip (I think I see under the letter of your watermark) or a Leutnant with a career cypher in that location.
Also a closeup of his medals would be good but he seems to be wearing a close combat clasp so, combined with his Luftwaffe insignia, it does seem likely he was the pilot, doesn't it. He's certainly hanging out with the Navy guys.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Leroy]

I believe he is a Luftwaffe pilot assigned to the KM. The clasp he wears appears to be the Recon clasp, which would be normal for this. The KM did have some qualified pilots, but they were few and far between and in most photos of KM flight-related personnel they wear an Observer badge and a Recon clasp.

[hornetsfan]

Hello Norm ,I had anote that he was uberleutnant ..flying officer ..hopefully you can confirm this ..and would this make him a pilot on the Tirpitz ?...steve I will add some pics from the album in due course ..some nice images of ship and Arado planescan0017.jpg

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[Leroy]

Now that I see the close-up, he is not a pilot, but an observer.

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