The Ju 88H operational use

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T. A. Gardner
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The Ju 88H operational use

#1

Post by T. A. Gardner » 20 Sep 2018, 07:37

Does anyone have details of the operational use of the Ju 88H long range maritime patrol plane? I know it was with 3(H)/123 and they had several assigned, but what I'm looking for is some idea of their actual flight operations and details of that. Thx.

Larry D.
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Re: The Ju 88H operational use

#2

Post by Larry D. » 20 Sep 2018, 14:21

Never an (H) Staffel - Always an (F) Staffel.

Aufklärungsstaffel 3.(F)/123 (2d Formation)
(Unit Code 4U+)

Also as: 3.(F)/Aufklärungsgruppe 123
3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 123

………………………………...
February 1944: Staffel took delivery of 4 or 5 Ju 88 H-1s, the extremely rare, ultra long-range reconnaissance version of the Junkers, theoretically capable of penetrating out some 2,575 kilometers (1,610 miles) into the mid-Atlantic.
20 June 1944: Staffel transferred from Rennes - St-Jacques to Corme-Ecluse/c.100 km north of Bordeaux on or about this date following orders to do so that were issued on 15 June.
10 July 1944: transferred from Corme-Ecluse to Cognac, about 50 km to the east.
1 August 1944: Staffel had 1 Ju 88 D-1, 1 Ju 88 H-1 and 1 Ju 88 A-14 on strength.
7 August 1944: Staffel had the dubious honor of flying the Luftwaffe’s last reconnaissance sortie over the Atlantic on this date.
16 August 1944: ordered to transfer from Cognac to Jüterbog-Waldlager as the Germans began evacuating France, and on arrival to begin re-equipping with Ju 188s, but it never became operational again after leaving France. From 1 January 1944 to its departure from France in the second half of August, 3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 123 had 10 operational losses: one each in February, March, April and May, 3 in June, 2 in July and 1 in August.
……………………………..
[Sources:
Tessin- Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939: Altes Heer, Freiwilligenverbände Reichswehr,Heer,
Luftwaffe, Landespolizei (Osnabrück); 1974 Ries- Luftwaffen Story 1935-1939 (Mainz, 1974); Défieux
Répertoire des Unités Aériennes de la Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Reconnaissance Aéronavale (Nanterre,
privately published, n.d. (c 1988-90?); PRO London: ADM 223/OIC-SI (Operational Intelligence Centre - Special Intelligence), a daily intelligence report based on ULTRA and other signals intelligence that began about January 1942, OIC/SI No. 204; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals, several; CX/MSS/R. 233 of 3.7.44; PRO London: PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence reports and lists based on “Y” Service intercepts, captured documents and PoW interrogations; AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents (other than signals intelligence); NARA WashDC: RG 242 (Microcopy T-971 roll 18/545); BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 4 II/32; BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart; R.Gastager/W. von Well - The Easter Bunnies: Long-distance Reconnaissance by the German Luftwaffe over Poland, France, England and the Atlantic 1938-1945 (Oxford: Trafford Publishing, 2006); J.R.Smith/A.L.Kay - German Aircraft Of The Second World War (London, 1972), p.453; U.Balke - Der Luftkrieg in Europa: Die Operativen Einsätze des Kampfgeschwader 2 im Zweiten Weltkrieg, 2 Bde (Koblenz, 1989-90), pp.394, 403; W.G.Ramsey (ed.) - The Blitz, Then And Now, 3 volumes (London, 1988-90), v.2, p.46 and v.3, p.103; S.Neitzel - Der Einsatz der deutschen Luftwaffe über dem Atlantik und der Nordsee 1939-1945 (Bonn, 1995), pp.85, 224; F.Kurowski - Seekrieg aus der Luft: Die deutsche Seeluftwaffe im Zweiten Weltkrieg (Herford, 1979), p.201; Flugzeug magazine, Heft 1/1990, pp.42-47 and 2/1990, pp.57-59; M.Holm web site ww2.dk.]

L.


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