1941 Göppingen Gö 3 “Minimoa” German Glider over the Rhön Hills – WWII AP Wirephoto – Linked to Crete Airborne Invasion

This original Associated Press Wirephoto, dated May 21, 1941, shows a Göppingen Gö 3 “Minimoa” soaring over the Rhön Hills in Germany, bearing the Nazi swastika insignia and registration D-11-94. The “Minimoa” was one of the most advanced and beautiful gliders of the 1930s, designed by Martin Schempp and Wolf Hirth. Known for its graceful gull wings, it set multiple world records and dominated prewar competitions.

The Rhön Hills, home to the famous Wasserkuppe, were Germany’s premier soaring site and the center of both competitive and military glider training. The press caption connects this aircraft to the German airborne assault on Crete, launched just the day before on May 20, 1941. In that operation, glider-borne troops were used in one of WWII’s first large-scale airborne invasions.

Although the photograph itself was taken in peacetime, its wartime issue date and caption tied it directly to the breaking news of the Crete campaign, illustrating the role gliders played in Nazi military strategy.

• Date: May 21, 1941 (prewar image issued with wartime caption)

• Location: Rhön Hills, Germany

• Aircraft: Göppingen Gö 3 “Minimoa”

• Registration: D-11-94

• Photographer/Source: Associated Press (AP Wirephoto)

• Dimensions: Approx. 7" x 9"

• Condition: Very good vintage condition; light handling wear consistent with archival press use; full original caption intact.

• Provenance: From a historical news photo archive.