Germany, Luftwaffe. A Rare Wartime Photo of an Me 323 Gigant in the Field, with Certificate of Authenticity

(Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant Foto). A rare and unpublished wartime photo depicting a Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant (“Giant”), its cargo doors open with Luftwaffe personnel loading materiel, the reverse bearing a handwritten caption, measuring 6 cm (w) x 9 cm (h), accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Helmut Weitze and dates 5 February 2016, in overall extremely fine condition.

Footnote: The Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant was a heavy military transport aircraft, and the largest land-based transport aircraft to see service during World War II. Developed from the Me 321 glider, it featured six radial engines, a high-wing twin-boom design, and a large cargo hold capable of carrying up to 12 tons of materiel or 130 troops. Entering service in 1942, it was used primarily for transporting troops and supplies to fronts such as North Africa and the Eastern Front. Despite its large capacity, the Me 323 was slow, lightly armed, and highly vulnerable to enemy fighters, and consequently suffered heavy losses (particularly during supply missions to Tunisia). Around 198 were built (some repurposed from similar aircraft) before being withdrawn from service by 1944. There are no intact examples of the aircraft in existence today.