Generalleutnant Karl Kettembeil (1890-1976)

[W.Vermeer]

Please read a little more above, we have already concluded the name of the person here is named Karl Kettembeil (July 28th, 2009 reaction of Dieter Zinke). There was no Luftwaffe officer Karl Kettenbeil, no Luftwaffe officer Hans Kettembeil or Kettenbeil (nowehere any record, also not with the Bundesarchiv, I checked), there as only Karl Kettembeil.
Named like that in the sources Traces of War, Lexikon der Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe Career Summaries and Genealogical sites, the only variation used is Karl or Carl.

I found for have Karl Kettembeil:
Koluft 2: 1.10.1939
Koluft 8: 2.5.40 - 20.12.40
Koluft 17: 20.12.40 - 14.12.41
Koluft 11: 1.6.41 - 9.41
This should mean he would have done 11 and 17 at the same time wich is possible beceause both units were part of Heeresgruppe Süd at that moment.
Koluft Mitte: 15.12.41 - 5.42

[CNE503]

Ok, it could make sense, but since the 11. and 17. Armeen were deployed that far (between them, there is Hungary and Carpathian mountains) and operated along separate axis at the start of "Barbarossa" until the middle of July, doesn't it look... weird to have the same officer in charge of the aerial recon tasks?
CNE503

[W.Vermeer]

This is what the sources state. He also was Koluft Heeresgruppe Mitte later in which capacity he also directed the units in a complete Heeresgruppe.
11. Armee was in that period towards Sevastopol and 17. Armee was above that operating around Tarnopol in the Ukrain. For air operations not that fat apart. we are talking about the period june 1941 - september 1941.

[graveland]

Please read a little more above, we have already concluded the name of the person here is named Karl Kettembeil (July 28th, 2009 reaction of Dieter Zinke). There was no Luftwaffe officer Karl Kettenbeil, no Luftwaffe officer Hans Kettembeil or Kettenbeil (nowehere any record, also not with the Bundesarchiv, I checked), there as only Karl Kettembeil.
Named like that in the sources Traces of War, Lexikon der Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe Career Summaries and Genealogical sites, the only variation used is Karl or Carl.

I found for have Karl Kettembeil:
Koluft 2: 1.10.1939
Koluft 8: 2.5.40 - 20.12.40
Koluft 17: 20.12.40 - 14.12.41
Koluft 11: 1.6.41 - 9.41
This should mean he would have done 11 and 17 at the same time wich is possible beceause both units were part of Heeresgruppe Süd at that moment.
Koluft Mitte: 15.12.41 - 5.42

Do you have the list of his awards, please?

[W.Vermeer]

Sorry have not been able to find any yet apart form the Gemeinsames Flugzeugfuhrer-Beobachter Abzeichen mit Brillianten
No sources mention any other.

I did find out the following on him:
On September 27th, 1915, Karl Kettembeil shot down the first Allied aircraft during the Battle at Gallipoli. He then served as Beobachter on board the Albatros C.III, with as Pilot Leutnant Ludwig Preussner.

He surely must have received several German Empire, Prussian and Turkish decorations.

[graveland]

Sorry have not been able to find any yet apart form the Gemeinsames Flugzeugfuhrer-Beobachter Abzeichen mit Brillianten
No sources mention any other.

Thanks again, mate.

[mattyboy]

Hi all,
He received the Liakat medal in silver for his 1915 victory. I believe this is the award document. He also had the EKI and HOH3x.

[graveland]

Thank you, Matt.

[W.Vermeer]

Mattyboy, do you have any sources for the decorations? Please share them with us.

[CNE503]

Ok, it was exactly what I thought about it : Koluft 11 wasn't the same officer than Koluft 17 (Kettembeil), it was Oberstleutnant Heydemeier according to NARA T405 R49 file 118.
CNE503

[W.Vermeer]

Ok, it was exactly what I thought about it : Koluft 11 wasn't the same officer than Koluft 17 (Kettembeil), it was Oberstleutnant Heydemeier according to NARA T405 R49 file 118.
CNE503

Great find, perfect thanks.

[CNE503]

Great find, perfect thanks.

You are more than welcome - I was happy to find this Hans Heydemeier too!
CNE503

[CNE503]

For what it's worth, Heydemeier was replaced as Koluft 11 somewhen in the second half of 1941 by Generalmajor Helmuth Mentzel. A document of August 28th, 1941 (NARA T405 R049 file 667) identifies him positively as Koluft 11 (so a long time before the Luftwaffe Officers Career Summaries that gives Mentzel as Koluft 11 as late as December 15th, 1941).
And I found a document with a mark for Koluft 11 that could have been Mentzel's one as early as August 3rd, 1941.
CNE503

[graveland]

Is there any pictures available of this General? Thank you!

[graveland]