The Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 ended WW-I. The treaty forbid Germany's
involvement in military aviation. German aeronautical engineers and designers concentrated on
passenger-carrying aircraft. The Dornier works at Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance were
producing a freight/passenger twin engine seaplane called "Wals" (whales). Wolfgang von
Gronau was convinced that the Dornier Wals could be used to establish a commercial air route
between Germany and the United States. The German government was not convinced of von
Gronau's ideas even after he had made two successful round trip Atlantic crossings. To prove
his case, von Gronau decided to make a third crossing. Once started, he decided to extend his
3rd trip to a round-the world flight. He hoped for world-wide recognition to get the
attention of the German government for his air route ideas.
On July 22, 1932 in a Donier seaplane called the "Gronland-Wal" (Greenland Whale) he took
off from List, Island of Sylt (northern most part of Germany) for his Atlantic crossing flight
which he changed to a round-the-world flight. He was accompanied by his co-pilot, Gerth von
Roth and mechanic, Franzl Hack and radio operator, Frtiz Albrecht. They returned to Germany
touching down at Lake Constance on November 9, 1932 visiting the Dornier works and then
returned to List to make their mark completing a round-the-world flight.
Itinerary:
Departed List, Germany 07/22/32
Seydisfjordur, Iceland
Reykjvik, Iceland
Ivigtut, Greenland
Cartwright, Labrador 07/26/32
Montreal, Canada
Ottawa, Canada 07/30/32
Lake Saint Clair, Detroit, MI
Chicago, IL 08/02/32
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Winnipeg, Canada
Prince Rupert, Canada
Juneau, Alaska
Yakutat, Alaska
Cordova, Alaska
Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands
Kanaga, Aleutian Islands
Attu, Aleutian Islands
Paramuschir, Russia
Nemuro, Japan
Tokyo, Japan 09/04/32
Nagoya, Japan
Kagoshima, Japan
Shanghai, China 09/24/32
Hong Kong
Manila, Philippines 09/29/32
Zamboanga, Borneo
Surabaya, Indonesia
Batavia, (Djarkarta) Indonesia
Rangoon, Burma
Akyab, Burma
Chilka Lake, India
Colombo, Ceylon
Bombay, India
Karachi, Pakistan
Bander Abbas, Iran
Basra, Iraq
Baghdad, Iraq
Cypern, Turkey
Athens, Greece
Rome, Italy
Genoa, Italy
Lake Constance, Germany 11/09/32
Arrived List, Germany 11/23/32