Arado Ar 196 2./SAGr 125 (7RAK) based in Crete Greece and used for escorting merchant ships in the Mediterranean 1941-42

Profiles and Photo Data: Some of the convoy escort duties were later taken over by Ar 196 floatplanes, this photo of aircraft coded 7R+AK from Aufkjarungsgruppe 125 in harbor.

Arado Ar 196 2./SAGr 125 (7RBK) escorting merchant ships Mediterranean 1942

Arado Ar 196 2./SAGr 125 (7RCK) on patrol near Brest

Photograph Source: Flugzeug Classic 2011-10

Arado Ar 196 A-3 2./SAGr 125 (7RGK) Crete Greece 1942

Photo source: Avions 139 Page 45

Arado Ar 196 2./SAGr 125 (7RGK) escorting merchant ships Mediterranean 1942

Profiles and Photo Data: Some of the convoy escort duties were later taken over by Ar 196 floatplanes, these photographs showing aircraft coded 7R+GK and 7R+GK from Aufkjarungsgruppe 125 escorting merchant shipping.

Arado Ar 196 A-3 2./SAGr 125 (7RHK) escorting merchant ships Mediterranean 1942

Profiles and Photo Data: Some of the convoy escort duties were later taken over by Ar 196 floatplanes, these photographs showing aircraft coded 7R+HK and 7R+GK from Aufkjarungsgruppe 125 escorting merchant shipping.

Arado Ar 95 A-13./SAGr 125 (7RDL) Baltic Coast 1941

Profiles and Photo Data: Some of the costal recon duties were done by Ar 95A-1 floatplanes, this photographs showing aircraft coded 7R+ML from Aufkjarungsgruppe 125somewhere in moored in the Baltic Coast.

Arado Ar 95 A-13./SAGr 125 3./SAGr125 (7RML) WNr 952350 Baltic Coast 1941

Profiles and Photo Data: Some of the costal recon duties were done by Ar 95 floatplanes, this photographs showing aircraft coded 7R+ML from Aufkjarungsgruppe 125somewhere in moored in the Baltic Coast.

Arado Ar 196 A-2 2./SAGr125 over the destroyer Marasti built in Italy for the Romanian Navy

NMS Mărăști: In 1913, the Romanian government ordered a class of four large destroyers from the Pattison yard in Naples, Italy. The four ships were named Vifor, Viscol, Vârtej and Vijelia. The Italian government requisitioned the ships in 1915 upon entering World War I, renaming them Aquila, Falco, Nibbio and Sparviero. These ships were significantly larger than contemporary Italian destroyers and were rated as Esploratori or scout cruisers. The armament comprised three single 6 inch and 4 x 3 inch guns.

After the end of the First World War, two of the ships (Sparviero and Nibbio) were re-sold to Romania, arriving in Constanța in 1920. The other two ships were retained by Italy until sold to the Nationalist faction of Spain in 1937. The six inch guns proved too heavy for the Romanian Navy and were replaced by two twin 120 mm guns in powered turrets and a single 120 mm gun.

Both ships were active during the Naval war in the Black Sea in World War II. Chiefly convoying supplies between Romania, the Crimea and the Bosphorus. Mărașești sank the Soviet M class submarine M-31 in July 1943. Both ships were surrendered to the Soviets in August 1944 on the Capitulation of Romania and were incorporated into the Black Sea Fleet as the Lovkiy (Ловкий, ex-Mărăști) and Lyogkiy (Лёгкий, ex-Mărășești) but were returned to Romania in October 1945, served in Naval Forces of Romanian People's Republic under the numbers D12 and D11 and scrapped in the 1960s.

Aquila and Falco were sold to the Nationalist Spanish Navy, which, in 1937 only had one destroyer available (Velasco). They were renamed Melilla and Ceuta, and saw heavy service, in spite of their poor condition. To conceal the fact that Italy was selling ships to Franco's side, they were often referred as Velasco-Ceuta and Velasco-Melilla. After the war, they were retained by the Spanish Navy.

Photograph Source: Avions 139 Page 46