Fieseler Fi 156 Storch

[Pips]

I know the Storch was used in the liaison, transport and medical evacuation role on every Front the Germans fought, and offensively in Yugoslavia to spot and attack Partisans.

Was it also used (and if so how successfully) in the front-line aerial reconnaissance and artillery spotting role? To what units would the aircraft be allocated, and anyone know of combat loss causes eg flak, fighter etc.

A really good book recommendation on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

[Cantankerous]

The very Erwin Rommel who commanded the Afrika Korps in North Africa used a Fieseler Fi 156 for aerial reconnaissance missions.

Link:
http://ww2colorfarbe.blogspot.com/2014/ ... erwin.html

[Alanmccoubrey]

There is film of Churchill being ferried around Normandy in one. The aircraft having been captured in North Africa and taken to Britain by some RAF bigwig.

[Larry D.]

Although used for special needs that cropped up from time-to-time (see below), I was unable to find any examples of Störche being used regularly for over-the-front reconnaissance or artillery spotting.


Verbindungsstaffel 57
(Unit Code: ?)

Formation. (May - Jun 41)
No information as to exact date and place of formation.

Central Russia, North Caucasia and South Russia. (Jun 41 - Sep 44)
22 Jul 41: Fw 58 crashed at Tsundry (not located), 1 killed and 1 injured.
22 Sep 41: Staffel attached to Koluft/Heeresgruppe Mitte.
Nov 41 – May 42: transferred to Germany and disbanded, with assets returned to the schools. Re-established c. April 1942 for assignment in South Russia.
25 May 42: based at Fp. Dnepropetrovsk attached to Luftgaukommando Rostow.
31 Jul 42: Fi 156 crashed at Kushchevskaya/76 km S of Rostov in N Caucasia, 80%, 2 killed.
3 Oct 42: Staffel mechanic reported WIA by machine gun fire at Khanskaya/14 km NW of Maikop.
Nov 42: one man reported MIA at Tuapse/N Caucasia.
4 Nov 42: with the 5 Fi 156 Störche available to it, the Staffel began medical evacuation flights from Maikop in support of AOK 17 and airlifting supplies and ammunition to forward outposts in the Caucasus Mountains. In the middle of the month it was temporarily reinforced with 10 more Störche bringing the total to 15.
Jan/Feb 43: based at Krasnodar in North Caucasia. (TsAMO) 500/12476/Akte 3/0109)
22 Jun 43: Fi 156 crashed at Novosilovka (Novosilyevka/86 km SE of Orel?), 100%, pilot injured.
24 Oct 43: Staffel pilot reported WIA by ground fire west of Krivoy Rog/140 km SW of Dnepropetrovsk.
1944: no information.
Sep 44: disbanded. Staffel’s Feldpost number deleted 19 Oct 44.


FpN: (L 38444, then L 15534)

Staffelkapitän:
Oblt. Scholz ( ? - ? ) 11/42


© H.L. deZeng IV, 2004

[Sheldrake]

A Couple of questions

1. Which units used the Fi 156? It partially replaced the Hs126 in close range recce units in 1942. Maybe as a liaison aircraft itb was available as a squadron hack within any Luftwaffe unit.

2. How did the F1 156 provide artillery observaton. THe US Army had L4 aircraft as an organic part of artillery units. The British had Taylor Craft Auster organised in RAF squadrons flown by artillery officers, tasked by Corps HQ RA. How did the Germans do this?

The Wikipedia page has some interesting statements e.g. claiming that the aircraft was used for Forward Air Control and that Liaison covered aerial artillery observation.

[Larry D.]

A Couple of questions

1. Which units used the Fi 156? It partially replaced the Hs126 in close range recce units in 1942. Maybe as a liaison aircraft itb was available as a squadron hack within any Luftwaffe unit.

2. How did the F1 156 provide artillery observaton. THe US Army had L4 aircraft as an organic part of artillery units. The British had Taylor Craft Auster organised in RAF squadrons flown by artillery officers, tasked by Corps HQ RA. How did the Germans do this?

The Wikipedia page has some interesting statements e.g. claiming that the aircraft was used for Forward Air Control and that Liaison covered aerial artillery observation.

Some of the (H) Aufklärungsverbände had Störche as well as the far more numerous Hs 126, Fw 189 and later (1943-45) the reconnaissance version of the Bf 109G. These Staffeln provided close tactical recce support to the Heer ground forces as well as artillery spotting. Go to the URL link below and you will find examples of these missions along and over the front lines.

https://www.luftwaffedata.co.uk/index.p ... _Histories

L. deZ.