NARA T-312, Roll 629 for family research

[SebastianJG54]

Hello everyone,

I am searching for my great-uncle who got lost in Second World war. He was Luftwaffe pilot and crashed with his plane in Latvia on 5th August 1944. I am right now in Latvia to search for him and it seems like I found his plane wreck. By now, I couldn´t find any data plate for identification but location of crash and technical details of plane fit the story of my great-uncles loss.

The location of crash was German territory that day so there is slim chance that German units noticed the crash and reported the event. So I need to check records for that period and for this I need T-312 Roll 629.

I hope somebody can help me with this important issue.

Thank you very much.

Best regards
Sebastian

[Larry D.]

Hallo Sebastian -

I think that roll contains AOK16 records? I have researched through hundreds and hundreds of the T-312 rolls over the past 41 years and they rarely ever mention downed Luftwaffe aircraft and pilots. It is a level of detail that just did not get included in the AOK's KTB und Anlagen. There are a few exceptions but they are very, very rare. Generally speaking, the Heer and the Luftwaffe were adversaries of sorts in the sense that the Heer left the Luftwaffe to tend to its business while the Heer focused on its business.

L.

[SebastianJG54]

Hello Larry,

thank you for your reply. Yes, it should be AOK16 reports. But where else could I find such informations? Mabe in military police reports?

Right now I am paying all my attention on this crash site and the reports could help me to figure out if I am on the right way. I have only 8 days left here in Latvia to find my relative so I need more informations about 5.8.44 as soon as possible. Maybe you have an idea which reports could contain the required information.

Thank you very much.

Best regards
Sebastian

[Larry D.]

Hallow Sebastian,

I just posted this for you on a web site where they may be able to help:

This just in from a German fellow. Can anyone help with NVM information that hopefully includes details as to location, pilot's unit (possibly JG 54), markings, cause of the loss, etc.?

Quote:
I am searching for my great-uncle who got lost in Second World war. He was Luftwaffe pilot and crashed with his plane in Latvia on 5th August 1944. I am right now in Latvia to search for him and it seems like I found his plane wreck. By now, I couldn´t find any data plate for identification but location of crash and technical details of plane fit the story of my great-uncles loss.

The location of crash was German territory that day so there is slim chance that German units noticed the crash and reported the event. So I need to check records for that period and for this I need T-312 Roll 629.

I hope somebody can help me with this important issue.

Thank you very much.
Thank you,

L.

NVM = Namentliche Verlustmeldung.

[SebastianJG54]

Hello,

maybe somebody knows in which kind of reports plane crashes were reported? For example, a Russian or German plane crashed near the German frontline. Which units or authorities reported this kind of events?

Any information could help.

Thank you.
Best regards
Sebastian

[Larry D.]

Crashed aircraft, enemy and own, were investigated and extensively reported on by the nearest Fliegerhorstkommandantur (Fl.H.Kdtr.) under the supervision of the nearest Kommando Flughafenbereich (Koflug). Between them, a single crash would generate a number of reports, perhaps a total of 10 to 25 pages in all. The Koflug and Fl.H.Kdtr. records are at BA-MA Freiburg in Signaturen RL 20 and RL 21, but very few of these records survived the war, especially for those engaged on the Eastern Front. Those records concerning the German investigation of downed British, American and other Allied aircraft did survive the war for the most part and are currently held by NARA College Park, Maryland. It's a huge collection covering reports on a good 20,000+ aircraft. The collection is extensive for the Western Allies but very poor for Russian aircraft, probably covering some 10% of VVS aircraft shot down, if that.

L.

[igorr]

In documents of AOK 20, XIX AK, 2 and 6 (geb.) ID i found many mention about crashed planes (soviet and germans). Sometimes there is even pilot's name, when he survive. Most informative are Berichte von unterstellte Verbande. I think you can find something useful in roll 629 in items 60283/4 and 5. But more interesting may be corps and divisions rolls which contains Morgen-, Zwischen- and Abendmeldungen. Perhaps you can find this rolls on J. Calvin's ftp (jccalvin.ddns.net).

[Sam Wren]

Sebastian,there are also occasional mentions of crashed planes in the Ultra decrypts, but decrypts from the Eastern Front are relatively rare. I can check what I have but don't think I have anything from august.

[SebastianJG54]

Hello everyone,

I am still searching for my lost relative Paul Heinz Friebel. Next month I will do one last trip to Latvia to find him. So right now I am doing research on the events of 5th August 1944. Unfortunately, I was not able yet to identify the crash site I found on my last trip. So I still don´t know if it was my uncles plane. There are two possible sources which might help to identify the crash:

-The Sovjet claim reports of the pilots who claimed a Fw 190 in Mitau area on 5th August (most likely MLt. Konstantin Kuzmich Noskin, 761. IAP)
-Sovjet aerial reconnaissance pictures of the German frontline north of Mitau around the 5th August 1944

As far as I know, both sources should be available in TsAMO. But how can I find them?

I hope, that somebody here can help.

Thank you very much.

Best regards
Sebastian

[GregSingh]

The Sovjet claim reports of the pilots who claimed a Fw 190 in Mitau area on 5th August (most likely MLt. Konstantin Kuzmich Noskin, 761. IAP)

He was reported missing on that day, so I doubt he managed to write a report.

[SebastianJG54]

Hello,

thank you for your message. I have Noskins personal file and as far as I know, he managed to get back to his unit, although he was wounded. Also it seems like he survived the war. Can you translate the text in your picture?

Best regards
Sebastian

[GregSingh]

Yes, he was awarded an Order of the Red Star, according to document from 6th of November 1947.