Though it was designed in late 1916, it wasn’t until July 1917 through March 1918 that the Hansa-Brandenburg W.13 was delivered to KuK Kriegsmarine. Shortages of the Type 21000 Daimler engine led to planes being delivered without engines, where they sat in storage until engines could be procured. Like the ubiquitous Brandenburg C.I, the W.13 was delivered by its parent company and by UFAG and Phönix, with the last of these arriving in mid-1918. Around 130 W.13’s were built overall.
The powerful 350hp V-12 engine gave the W.13 good bomb-carrying capacity, and it was used on bombing missions starting in August of 1917 over both land and sea. Its long range gave it distinct advantages in the reconnaissance and patrol roles.
A paintable 1:144-scale Hansa-Brandenburg W.13 is now available from Great War Planes by Reduced Aircraft Factory.
