Operation Marita

[Benoit Douville]

This thread is dedicated to the Luftwaffe in Operation Marita in Yugoslavia. The Luftwaffe opened the assault on Yugoslavia by conducting a Bombing raid on the capital (Belgrade) on 6 April 1941. On the first day 234 German bombers (74 Stuka's and 160 other Bombers) and about 100 fighters participated in that Battle.

For the whole operation they had:

- 280 Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju88 and Heinkel He 111,
- 240 Junker Ju 87,
- 280 Messerschmitt Me 109E
- 80 Messerschmitt Me 110.

Are those infos correct? I am trying to get the exact info about the involvement of the Luftwaffe in Operation Marita.

Was there any particular Aces who emerge from the Luftwaffe in that campaign? How many casualties that they have during the whole campaign?

[Pips]

Is it just the air operations against Yugoslavia you are interested in? Or does it include the flow on to the Greek air campaign as well?

I have some sources, but they are intermixed. Knowing what you are interested in will help me sort them out is all.

[Ron Klages]

Benoit,

Here is some information from the book by Christopher Shores and Brian Cull with Nicola Malizia titled AIRWAR FOR YUGOSLAVIA, GREECE AND CRETE 1940-1941.

LUFTFLOTTE 4
• Order of Battle on 5 April 1941

4(F)/121 in Seyring, Austria with Ju 88Ds
Stab, I. and III./KG 2 in Zwölfaxing, Austria with Do 17Zs
III./KG 3 in Münchendorf, Austria with Do 17Zs
II,/KG 4 in Aspern, Austria with He 111Ps
Stab, I. and II./KG 51 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria with Ju 88As
III./KG 51 in Schwechat, Austria with Ju 88As

FLIEGERFÜHRER GRAZ
II./JG 54 less the 4. Staffel in Graz, Austria with Bf 109Es
II./StG 77 in Graz, Austria with Ju 87Bs
Stab/StG 3 in Graz, Austria with Ju 87Bs
I./JG 27 in Graz, Austria with Bf 109Es

FLIEGERFÜHRER ARAD
III./JG 54 in Arad, Rumania with Bf 109Es
Stab, I. and III./StG 77 in Arad, Rumania with Ju 87Bs
4./JG 54 in Arad, Rumania with Bf 109Es
I./ZG 26 in Szeged, Hungary with Bf 110s
Stab, II. and III./JG 27 in Deta, Rumania with Bf 109Es

Attached 2 Armee, Austria/Hungary
2(H)/31 serving XIV Korps with Hs 126s
3(H)/13 serving XLIX, LI and LII Korps with Hs 126s
4(H)/13 serving XLI Korps with Hs 126s
3(H)/21 Pz serving 11. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
3(H)/41 Pz serving 5. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
3(H)/12 Pz serving 5. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
2(H)/32 Pz serving 14. Panzer Division with Hs 126s

FLIEGERKORPS VIII
2(F)/11 in Sofia-Filiporci, Bulgaria with Do 17s
Stab, I. and III. StG 2 in Belica and Krainici, Bulgaria with Ju 87Bs
I./StG 3 in Belica, Bulgaria with Ju 87Bs
Stab, II. and III. JG 27 in Belica and Sofia-Vrba, Bulgaria withBf 109Es
I.(J)/LG 2 in Sofia-Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with Bf 109Es
I./LG 1 in Krumovo, Bulgaria with Ju 88As
II.(Sch)/LG 2 in Sofia-Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with 2 staffeln of Bf 109Es and I staffel of Hs 123As
7./LG 2 in Sofia-Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with Bf 110s
10./LG 2 in Krainici, Bulgaria with Hs 123As
II./ZG 26 in Krainici and Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with Bf 110s
7. Seenotdienstaffel in Varna, Bulgaria with various floatplanes
IV./KgzbV 1 in Krumovo, Bulgaria with Ju 52/3ms

Attached to 12 Armee in Bulgaria
5(H)13 serving the XXX Korps with Hs 126s
2(H)10 serving the XVIII Korps with Hs 126s
4(H)22 serving the XL Korps with Hs 126s
4(H)32 serving the XI and L Korps with Hs 126s
1(H)14 Pz serving the 2. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
1(H)23 serving the 9. Panzer Division with Hs 126s


On the first day of the invasion of Yugoslavia, 6 April, the following victories were claimed by the Luftwaffe:

1. Oblt. Erwin Clausen from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0611 hours
2. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0612 hours
3. Fw. Wilhelm Schneider from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0612 hours
4. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0615 hours
5. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0615 hours
6. Uffz. Otto Riedl from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0615 hours
7. Oblt. Erwin Clausen from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0617 hours
8. Uffz. Josef Quatember from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0619 hours
9. Oblt. Erwin Clausen from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0620 hours
10. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0620 hours
11. Uffz. Werner Schleritz from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0620 hours
12. Fw. Erwin Riehl from 9./JG 77 credited with a IK-Z at 0815 hours
13. Obfw. Olaf Dyk from 4./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845
hours
14. Oblt. Erich Friedrich from Stab./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
15. Fw. Ludwig Fröba from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
16. Oblt. Berthold Jung from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
17. Fw. Armin Köhler from 4./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
18. Oblt. Patz from 4./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
19. Obfw. Werner Petermann from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
20. Obfw. Werner Petermann from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
21. Oblt. Armin Schmidt from 9./JG 77 credited with a Bf 109E at 0845 hours
22. Oblt. Joachim Müncheberg from 7./JG 26 credited with a Avia B.33E at 1205 hours
23. Oblt. Klaus Mietusch from 7./JG 26 credited with a Avia B.33E at 1210 hours
24. Lt. Emil Omert from 9./JG 77 credited with a Bf 109E at 1240 hours
25. Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann from7./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109E at 1243 hours
26. Oblt. Arnold Lignitz from Stab III./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1415 hours
27. Oblt. Günther Scholz from 7./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1415 hours
28. Uffz Stiegleder from I. ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at aound 1420 hours
29. Uffz Stiegleder from I. ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at aound 1425 hours
30. Fw. Richard Heller from 9./ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at 1602 hours
31. Oblt. Gerhard “Knall” Koall from 7./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1715 hours
32. Oblt. Hans-Eckart Bob from 9./JG 54 credited wih a Bf 109 at 1730 hours
33. Unknown crew from III./ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at unknown time
34. Unknown crew from III./ZG 26 credited with a IK-Z at unknown time


Luftwaffe losses this first day were:
+ Ofw. Heinz Eckhardt from I./ LG 2 in a Bf 109E listed as missing
+ Bf 109E from I./LG 2 crashed upon landing after action
+ Bf 109E from II./LG 2 crashed upon landing after action
+ Bf 109E from II./LG 2 crashed upon landing after action
+ Fw. Helmut Recker from II./ZG 26 in a Bf 110 shot down and killed along with gunner
+ Uffz. Adolf Sondermann from II./ZG 26 in a Bf 110 shot down and killed along with gunner
+ Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld commander of I./LG 2 was hit by small arms fire and crash landed his Bf 109E and became a POW until the conflict was over
+ Uffz. Hannenberg from II.(Sch)/LG 2 in a Hs 123 crashed after being hit by ground fire and he also became a POW
+ Ofw. Herbert Flor from 3./StG 2 in a Ju 87 was shot down.
+ additional losses were another Hs 123, another JU 87, two Bf 110s and 6 additional Bf 109Es although some of these were from accidents and no enemy action.
+ Fw. Ewald Bruns and Hptm. Hans Hoffman were reported missing in their Hs 126 from 1(H)/23 and another Hs 126 from 3(H)/21 was destroyed on the ground from bombs dropped by Yugoslavian aircraft.
+ 2 Do 17s from 8./KG 3 and 5 Bf 110 from I./ZG 26, 4 Ju 87s from II./StG 77 lost in the bombing of Belgrade
+ Another Hs 126 was shot down by Yugoslavian Hurricane
+ Flak shot down Oblt. Heinz Deuschle in a Bf 109E from III./JG 77


On 7 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victories:

35. Hubert Mütherich from 5./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1201 hours
36. Wolfgang Spate from 5/JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1201 hours
37. Hubert Mütherich from 5./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1202 hours
38. Josef “Joschi” Pöhs from 5./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1203 hours
39. unknown pilot from 5.JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1204 hours
40. Josef “Joschi” Pöhs from 5./JG 54 credited with a Hurricane at 1435 hours
41. Hans “Fips” Philipp from 4./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1605 hours
42. Maximillian Stotz from 4./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1605 hours
43. Hans “Fips” Philipp from 4./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1606 hours
44. unknown pilot from 5.JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1607 hours



Luftwaffe losses this day were:

+ 3 Ju 88As from I./KG 51 and 2 Do 17Zs from I./KG 2
+ II/KG 51 had a Ju 88A crash land and III./KG 51 also had a Ju bb A crash on landing
+ 2 Ju 87s from I./StG 77 collided over their base and another crashed and overturned on landing.
+ A Bf 110 from II./ZG 26 crash landed at its based from severe damage in combat
+ an Hs 126A was shot down by Yugoslavian fighters

On 8 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victory:

45. Lt. Hans “Beisser” Beisswenger from 6. JG 54 was credited with a Hurricane at unknown time

Also III./ZG 26 returned to its home in Sicily on this day.

On 9 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victories:

46. Oblt. Gerhard “Knall” Koall from 7./JG 54 credited with a IK-2 at 1425 hours
47. Erwin Leykauf from 9./JG 54 credited with a Hurricane at 1427 hours
48. Oblt. Hans-Eckart Bob from 9./JG 54 credited with a IK-2 at unknown time
49. Oblt. Kurt Görbing from 1./LG 2 credited wih a Hurricane at unknown time
50. Ekke-Eberhard Reinbrecht from 2./LG 2 credited wih a IK-2 at unknown time
51. Walter Schumann from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hurricane at unknown time

On 11 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victory:

52. Konrad Schönweiß from 1./JG 54 was credited with a Blenheim at 14.25 hours


Other known German aircraft lost were as follows:

11 April a Ju 88 from II./KG 51 was shot down by Yugoslavian fighter
8 April a Bf 109E from III./JG 54 was missing this day


By 15 April 1941 the action was over in Yugoslavia and Greece was where the action was but that is another story.

Hope this answers some of your questions. Look for the book, it covers the actions in the area in 1941 very well.

Best regards,

Ron Klages

[Benoit Douville]

Pips,

I am mainly interested in the Air War over Yugoslavia.

Ron Klages,

I really appreciated the info, I will try to find this book.

Best Regards to both of you

[tigre]

Hello Benoit, glad to greet you, here you will find a little more.

In the middle of march Stab, II and III/ JG 27 were transferred at Belica in Bulgaria. I/ JG 27 arrived at Graz in Austria on April 4.

Stab JG 27 Belica, Bulgarien Bf 109 E-4/ 7
2./ JG 27 Graz Bf 109 E-4/ 7
3./ JG 27 Graz Bf 109 E-4/ 7
II./ JG 27 Belica Bf 109 E-7
III./ JG 27 Belica Bf 109 E-7


On April 6 the campaign started, 6./ JG 27 loaded with single 250 kilograms bombs attacked the air base at Alexandrowo, seven enemy planes were destroyed. At 07:00 hours 3./ JG 27 was in the air and attacked the Yugoslavian air base at the border town of Laibach; one anti aircraft artillery round hit the plane of Ofhr Marseille but he reached his air base at Graz safely.

On the first day of "MARITA" III/ JG 27 lost four planes; OLt Becker (commander 8./ JG 27), Ofw Faltings and Ofhr Eckard were killed while Lt Faber was captured (freed a few days later) and Ofw Fromming was wounded.

On April 10 the Stab, II and III/ JG 27 were moved to a new air base at Bitojl. Around 16:00 hours the air base was attacked by six british Blenheims (211 Wing) but all were shot down by Me-109 of the 6./ JG 27 on patrol over the base; Hptm Gerlach, Uffz Gromotka and Fw Krenz were all credited with two victories.

On April 14 I/ JG 27 was moved back to Munchen-Riem, it was soon to fly over to North Africa. On this day Hptm Gerlach was shot down and captured by british troops.

On April 15, in the morning air combat west of Trikkala, OLt Rodel shot down a PZL P 24, one gladiator and one hurricane; OLt Wiesinger and Lt Borngen one gladiator each and OFw Schulz one PZL P 24.

On April 16 part of the JG 27 was transferred to the greek air base at Ptolemais.

Source: JG 27 vol I. M. Muraski and http://www.jg27.de/index.htm

Regards. Tigre.

[tigre]

Hi Benoit, Marseille at Graz, after he landed safely.

Source: JG 27 vol I. M. Muraski

Cheers. Tigre.

[tigre]

Hello Benoit, something more about "Ops 25".

Among the Luftwaffe units assembled for a combined assault on Yugoslavia and Greece was the II (Schl) / LG 2, equiped with Me 109 (two staffeln) and He 123 (one staffel). By the first week of April was transferred into Bulgaria. The main part at Sofia-Vrazdebna and the 10. Staffel (He 123) at Krainici. The operation started in the early hours on Apr 6; on this very day at least three of the Me 109's crashed on returning to its air base and one He 123 also was lost in this opening day, Uffz Hannenberg was shot down by a single rifle round. Despite this less than auspicious start, the gruppe soon proving thier worth in true schlacht style clearing a path for their own advancing forces.

Source: Luftwaffe Schlacht Gruppen. John Weal. Chapter three. Osprey publishing.

Cheers. Tigre.

[Benoit Douville]

This is really much appreciated Tigre. So, Joachim Merseille participated in this campaign, he is one of my favorite Luftwaffe Ace.

Best Regards

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more.....................

The II. Group of JG 27 (Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert) in the Balkans...............

On March 1, 1941 the group was eventually moved to Vrba by Radomir. With the beginning of the Balkan campaign on April 6, 1941, the group flew free hunting and bombing missions over the border triangle of Greece - Yugoslavia - Bulgaria. From April 10, 1941, the ground parts of the group were shifted to Bitola, the flying part followed on April 13. From there, the group flew strafing missions on Greek and British positions and escort missions for the bomber planes. On April 17, the group was relocated to Ptolemais in Greece and on April 20 to Larissa-Eleftherion. Furthermore, the focus of operations was in escort and low-flying attacks against British units.

Source: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... JG27-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more.....................

The II. Group of JG 27 (Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert) in the Balkans...............

I think they're Bf-109 E of the 5./JG 27 in Sofia-Vrba in March / April 1941 ......................... ...

source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Farbfoto-Me-109- ... 0782148227
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Farbfoto-Me-109- ... 2143611941

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more.....................

The II. Group of JG 27 (Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert) in the Balkans...............

Source: https://www.ebay.de/itm/foto-luftwaffe- ... 4221080772

Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Navidad - Feliz Natal - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas - Wesołych Świąt!.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more.....................

The II. Group of JG 27 (Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert) in the Balkans...............

Source: https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery ... kans-1941/

Cheers. Raúl M .