Formed in 1926, the Svenska Flygvapnet issued a requirement in 1927 for an aircraft to be used for the defense of coastal fortifications and ships of the Navy.
The specification determined the engine (the Bristol Jupiter VI) and the configuration of the aircraft, which should have been a seaplane with boots.
Meanwhile, the Swedish branch of Heinkel, the Svenska Aero AB based in Lidingö (an island in the Stockholm archipelago), made an offer for the Swedish air force and in October 1928 an order was made for four additional aircraft (serial numbers 282-285).
The first HD 19 carried out the tests at Warnemünde in July 1928 and entered service at Wing F 2 in Hagernäs a few months later.
In particular, the floats limited a lot of operation and performance even if the HD 19 was initially designed with an alternative landing gear that could mount wheels or skis depending on the case.