Looking for Luftwaffe River/water mines info? Stalingrad

[Russ Schulke]

Just returned from the Archives in Volgograd this week and recovered a lot Soviet info related to the Volga Flotilla and German Volga River mining operation during the Stalingrad battle.

Can someone help me related to the types of the River mines, plane types and units the Luftwaffe would be using in late 1942 against the Volga River?

Russ



http://www.fireonthevolga.com

[David Thompson]

From US Army Training Manual TM-5-223C, German Mine Warfare Equipment (March 1952). These are the only riverine mines listed in the publication:

[Russ Schulke]

Many thanks for looking David!

Here is a sample from a Soviet 1944 source book. It also states that there were three types deployed by the Luftwaffe during the Stalingrad battle:

1.) Magnetic
2.) Acoustic
3.) Acoustic with time delay and listening evaluation mode (for going after the big targets)




Russ



http://www.fireonthevolga.com

[ChrisMAg2]

Russ,
may i advice you that the mines David showes, would typically not be dropped from an a/c, but from land/ shore or from a boat/ ship. These are typically aquatic contact triggered mines.
If you are looking for air dropped devices (as the Lw would use) you would look for what is called "Grundmine" LMA or LMB (Luftmine Typ A, Typ B). Like the ones used i.e. on the harbors around the UK and on the mouth of River Thames. These are sound (acoustics), magnetism and/ or time triggered mines. Typically He 111 and Ju 88 bombers could carry upto a pair each of them.

[Russ Schulke]

Many thanks!

I’m getting closer, here are portions of what I have found so far on the net. It looks like the Heinkel He 115 is the main workhorse with these types of mines in the Luftwaffe and the silhouette from the Soviet book is clearly a He 115.



Depending on operational use, the He 115 B's had different adapters (Rüstsätze). The He 115 B-1/R1 had 2 cameras for reconnaissance. He 115 B-1 and B-2 were equipped with the adapter R 2 for bomb dropping (one 500 kg SC 500 or SD 500 "Sprengbombe"). Rüstsatz R 3 was used for mine dropping of a LMA III (500kg) or a LMB III (920kg) mine. Latter mine was only used in the Ice Sea.



Technical data He 115 C-1

Type:
Three-seat General-Purpose and Torpedo-Bomber Float-Seaplane

Power Plant:
Two BMW 132K nine-cylinder radial air-cooled engines each rated at 960 h.p. for take-off and 830 h.p. at 2790 ft

Armament:
One 7.9-mm MG 15 machine gun with 525 rounds on flexible mounting in nose, one fixed forward-firing 15-mm MG 151 cannon, one fixed aft-firing 7.9-mm MG 17 machine gun in each engine nacelle, and one 7.9-mm MG 15 machine gun with 1500 rounds on flexible mounting in dorsal position. (Offensive) One LTF 5 or LTF 6b torpedo, one 2028-lb LMB III or two 1102-lb LMA mines, three 551-lb SC 250 bombs internally and two 551-lb SC bombs externally, or one 1102-lb SC 500 or SD 500 bomb.

Models:
He 115B-1/R3: had release equipment for two 1102 lb. LMA III aerial mines or one 2028 lb. LMB III mine.
He 115C-1/R3: had release equipment for two 1102 lb. LMA III aerial mines or one 2028 lb. LMB III mine.
He 115C-3: 18 delivered, specially equipped for the minelaying role

Units:
Küstenfliegergruppe 106
Küstenfliegergruppe 406
Küstenfliegergruppe 506
Küstenfliegergruppe 706
Küstenfliegergruppe 906
Kampfgeschwader 200


Russ



http://www.fireonthevolga.com

[ChrisMAg2]

Russ,
sorry, but this info won't help you very much, as none of the KüFlGrp were assigned to the eastern front.To say the He 115 was the work horse for minelaying would be not quite correct, as 1. there weren't that many of them (He 115) around and minelaying was not their only or main duty and 2. units like i.e. KG 30 (Ju 88) did minelaying on a rather regular basis . AFAIK the KG 200 did no mine laying missions in the east either, as it was built up just late 1944.
You have to find the bomber units that operated in the Stalingrad area and in the time slot you were asking for. The units in question would be i.e. KG 1, 2, 6, 27, 51, 53 etc ...or parts of them.

[Karte]

Russ-

Take a look at the NARA finding aid pdf for the Von Rhoden collection. There are several reports held at NARA that detail German aerial mining efforts on rivers in the FSU. Although I dont think any specifically detail Sgrad they will give you a very good understanding of how they developed the methods, practiced them in Norway, and put the operational planning and results. I think I sent this pdf once before mentioning the KTB for one of the Stuka units at Sgrad. Good luck. PS how about a few posts of pics from your visit?!

http://www.archives.gov/research/captur ... m/t971.pdf

Matt A.

[Russ Schulke]

Many thanks for the information, it will help too!

Now if I just could find pictures and specs info on the mines that would be great.

Look here for picture of the Victory parade (May 9th) in Volgograd.

http://members.boardhost.com/stalingrad ... 1105725284


Russ