2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

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CharlieZulu
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2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

#1

Post by CharlieZulu » 02 May 2010, 14:15

Hallo to all of you!

On the occasion of the 100th birthday of my father (May 14,2010), I am trying to follow his steps through the campaigns between 1940 and 1943. My father has been a member of 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10 at Neuhausen/East Prussia from October, 1938 till October, 1943. Any information on this subject and outfit is welcome.

In October, 1943, my father was transferred to 6./Flieger-waffentechnische Schule 3 at Großenbrode/Schleswig-Holstein. I would also appreciate any information on this school.

CharlieZulu

Larry D.
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Re: 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

#2

Post by Larry D. » 02 May 2010, 17:11

CharlieZulu wrote:Hallo to all of you!
On the occasion of the 100th birthday of my father (May 14,2010), I am trying to follow his steps through the campaigns between 1940 and 1943. My father has been a member of 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10 at Neuhausen/East Prussia from October, 1938 till October, 1943. Any information on this subject and outfit is welcome.
In October, 1943, my father was transferred to 6./Flieger-waffentechnische Schule 3 at Großenbrode/Schleswig-Holstein. I would also appreciate any information on this school.
CharlieZulu
This will give you a pretty fair "pocket" history of the Staffel's wartime activities:

2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 10 "Tannenberg"
(Unit Code: T1+)


Formation and Organization. (Nov 38 - Aug 39)
Formed 1 November 1938 at Neuhausen/East Prussia (ex-2.(H)/11) with He 46s. The Staffel converted to the Hs 126 during spring and summer 1939.

Polish Campaign and North Germany. (Sep 39 - Mar 40)
Moved forward from Neuhausen to Ganshorn/E Prussia with 12 Hs 126s for the invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, supporting I. Armeekorps/3. Armee (by another account: XXI. AK/AOK 3) from the Graudenz-Mlawa area east and south to the vicinity of Bialystok - Brest-Litovsk, and then probably returned to Neuhausen on conclusion of the campaign at the end of September. Evidence suggests it transferred to Luftflotte 2 in NW Germany at the end of 1939 or early 1940, Hs 126 crashes being recorded at Fassberg on 10 January 1940 and at Travemünde on 22 March.

Occupation of Denmark and Norway. (Apr 40 - Jan 41)
Assigned to X. Fliegerkorps to support XXI. Armeekorpsgruppe ground operations in Norway, moving north through Aalborg/Denmark on 20 April 1940 where two Hs 126s were involved in a mid-air collision killing both crews. After arriving at Oslo-Fornebu on 21 April, 4 Hs 126s were damaged on the ground during a RAF night raid on the airfield 22/23 April, and this was repeated during the night of 1/2
May at a cost of one Hs 126 destroyed. One further Hs 126B-l was lost to British AA-fire near Mo in Central Norway on 15 May, the pilot and observer both being captured. The Staffel departed Trondheim-Vaernes for Germany on 28 May, but its movements after that date are not known. One account states that it transferred to Belgium, possibly at the end of May, to support XXVI. AK/AOK 18 and continued on into North France, but this cannot be confirmed and appears doubtful. On 30 August 1940 the Staffel was based on the Channel coast under Koluft/AOK 9 in support of VIII. Armeekorps for the planned invasion of England. By November 2.(H)/10 was back in Germany. A fatal crash was recorded near Eschweiler, located a few kilometers from Aachen in NW Germany, on 17 December 1940, which suggests a presence at one of the airfields in that area.

Balkan Campaign. (Feb 41 - May 41)
In mid-February 1941 the Staffel was ordered to Craiova in Romania for assignment to VIII. Fliegerkorps, moving forward to Bulgaria by 5 April to support XVIII. Gebirgskorps/AOK 12 operations into Yugoslavia
and Greece beginning on 6 April. The first loss occurred on 14 April at Katerine/SSW of Salonika when a Hs 126 was shot down by a RAF Hurricane, wounding the observer, Oblt. Hans Wiedemann, followed on 21 April by Hs 126 (T1+KK), which was shot down by AA-fire in the Thermopylae area; on 11 May 2.(H)/10 was based at Larissa in Central Greece.

South Russia. (Jun 41 - Jun 42)
Ordered from Greece to the Zamość area in SE Poland in June 1941 and assigned to Koluft/AOK 6 under Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South) for the attack on the Soviet Union that began on 22 June. In a peculiar incident on 19 June, three Fi 156s (T1+NK, OK, PK) belonging to the Staffel were reported missing on a ferry flight east from Gleiwitz in Silesia after apparently getting lost en-route. By mid-September, after advancing via Zhitomir/W Ukraine, operations were in the Borispol area/SE of Kiev in support of XXIX. AK/AOK 6, and then in the Belgorod area/70 km NNE of Kharkov from December 1941 to March 1942 with station at Kharkov I under Koluft/AOK 6. on 1 March the Staffel reported 6 x Hs 126B-1s on strength. Transferred to Kharkov-Voichenko on 10 April 1942 for conversion to the Fw 189. No losses were reported for the first year of the campaign in Russia, but it is very difficult to believe that none occurred.

North Caucasia. (Jul 42 - Dec 42)
On completion of conversion to 8 x Fw 189As by the end of June 1942, assigned to NAGr. 9 for support of AOK 17’s offensive into North Caucasia. The Staffel's first recorded loss in Russia occurred on 18 July at Artemovsk/N of Stalino when a Fw 189 crashed, killing the crew of three, and the first combat loss on 5 September when another Fw 189 was shot down by ground fire at Borisovka/N Caucasia wounding Hptm. Rolf Köber and his crew. Based at Krasnodar/N Caucasia in November, 2.(H)/10 was ordered north to Millerovo in December to support the heavy fighting west of Stalingrad and eventually reassigned to NAGr. 12.

South Russia. (Dec 42 - Apr 43)
In the face of strong Soviet forces advancing west from the Stalingrad area, the Staffel was compelled to evacuate to the airfield at Rovenki/55 km S of Voroshilovgrad by 31 December and then to airfields in the Gorlovka-Stalino area in January and February 1943. On 13 February, Fw 189 (VX+NB) with Oblt. Hans Kraft and his crew failed to return from a sortie around Voroshilovgrad. With the front in the Donets
Basin area now more or less stabilized, the Staffel was ordered to Jesau/East Prussia on 22 February to begin conversion to the Bf 109G, but a few Fw 189s and their crews remained behind, one being shot up by AA-fire in the vicinity of Voroshilovgrad as late as 16 March. On 1 March the Staffel still had 8 x Fw 189As on strength. In April 1943 2.(H)/10 was renamed 2./Nahaufklärungsgruppe 12.

FpN: (L 06067)

Staffelkapitän:
Obstlt. Albert Thiet ( ? - ? ) 9/39
Hptm. Hans-Joachim Jäger ( ? - ? ) 5/40

[Sources: W.Dierich-VdL; G.Tessin-Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945. Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte; N.Kannapin-Feldpostübersicht; AFHRA Maxwell: Karlsruhe Collection K113.309-3/v.1; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-312 records of AOK 9); BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); M.Holm-website ww2.dk.]

© H.L. deZeng IV, 2004


As for Fliegerwaffentechnische Schule 3 at Großenbrode, there isn't much to tell. My guess is that he was sent there as an instructor. The school was stationary and he would have lived either on the Fliegerhorst or in off-base accomodations in the vicinity of the Horst.

Hope this helps,

Hotel Lima Delta

INT QSL


CharlieZulu
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Re: 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

#3

Post by CharlieZulu » 05 May 2010, 20:39

Hallo Hotel Lima Delta,

you provided much more information than I could expect, thanks a lot! Your info closed several gaps and confirmed some of my opinions, but also threw up further questions. I would like to list up my questions in order of time, according to the sequence of bases quoted at Michael Holm's website www.ww2.dk.

According to M.Holm, 2.(H)/10 was stationed at Neuhausen - Gansburg - Flensburg - Oslo-Fornebu - Eschweiler - Craiova - Novo Selczi - Larissa - Dub - Shitomir - Ivankow - Inkow - Charkow - Artemowsk - Borissowka - Krasnodar - Tazinskaja and Rowenki before being withdrawn to Germany and redesignated 2.(H)/NAG 12.

As to the Polish campaign in September 39, all information seems corresponding and complete.

My parents became engaged on Christmas, 1939, when my father was reported coming from Celle near Hannover on official trip to Neuhausen (which he interrupted at Stargard to visit his fiancé). This might indicate that 2.(H)/10 was based at Celle at this time, or perhaps at Fassberg which is not far from Celle.

My father did not take part in the operations in Denmark, Norway, Belgium and France as he was attending Fliegertechnische Schule at Halle/Saale, Sportschule der Luftwaffe at Berlin-Spandau and Waffenmeisterschule der Luftwaffe at Merseburg from 010240 until 161140. It is remarkable that there is no consecutive evidence on the whereabouts of the Staffel between end of May 40 and mid-February 41! My father is reported to have been in Bordeaux and Biarritz/France, close to the border of neutral Spain, from December 40 until January 41. I cannot find any evidence that 2.(H)/10 was based there. On the other hand, 2.(H)/12 and 2.(H)/41 were based at Biarritz about November 40 or January 41 according to M. Holm. Do you have any information on Aufklärungsgruppen in Southern France?

There are some opinions that 2.(H)/10 served as a kind of training unit for Romanian recce units before the Staffel went to Craiova. As to the Balcan campaign, "Novo Selczi" is spelled Novoseltsi today and can be found in Bulgaria in vicinity to the border triangle of Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. Larissa is complety o.k., followed by ominous "Dub" which I supposed to be Dub/Serbia and some other guy said Cesky Dub/Czech Republic, but according to your helpful information is Dub Komarow-Osada near Zamosc/SE Poland!

Russian campaign: Shitomir is o.k. As to "Ivankow", I assume that among the several Ivankovs the village in Boryspil district, 40 kms SE of Kiev might be the correct one. But then follows the biggest remaining question: Nobody seems to be able to identify "Inkow". You say that from December 41 till March 42 the Staffel was based at "Charkow I". Is that "Charkow roman one" or "Charkow eye" or "Charkow-Inkow"? Could you please specify this information, if possible?

This is only the first part of my questions, but I do not want to overload this mail. Don't hurry, you did already provide more info than I ever hoped to find on the internet before visiting Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv at Freiburg which I intend to do.

Best wishes from Sinzig/Germany
Charlie Zulu

Larry D.
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Re: 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

#4

Post by Larry D. » 06 May 2010, 16:01

Guten Tag Charlie Zulu,
My father did not take part in the operations in Denmark, Norway, Belgium and France as he was attending Fliegertechnische Schule at Halle/Saale, Sportschule der Luftwaffe at Berlin-Spandau and Waffenmeisterschule der Luftwaffe at Merseburg from 010240 until 161140. It is remarkable that there is no consecutive evidence on the whereabouts of the Staffel between end of May 40 and mid-February 41! My father is reported to have been in Bordeaux and Biarritz/France, close to the border of neutral Spain, from December 40 until January 41. I cannot find any evidence that 2.(H)/10 was based there. On the other hand, 2.(H)/12 and 2.(H)/41 were based at Biarritz about November 40 or January 41 according to M. Holm. Do you have any information on Aufklärungsgruppen in Southern France?
Comment: No, but when you go to Freiburg try and see if there are any records for VIII. Fliegerkorps covering the Dec 40 - Jan 41 period. This deployment to SW France was all about Unternehmen "Felix" and VIII. Fliegerkorps was made responsible for the Luftwaffe's participation in the operation.
There are some opinions that 2.(H)/10 served as a kind of training unit for Romanian recce units before the Staffel went to Craiova.
Comment: I have seen nothing on that so I cannot confirm it one way or the other.
But then follows the biggest remaining question: Nobody seems to be able to identify "Inkow". You say that from December 41 till March 42 the Staffel was based at "Charkow I". Is that "Charkow roman one" or "Charkow eye" or "Charkow-Inkow"? Could you please specify this information, if possible?
Comment: That's Charkow (Roman) I. Here is some additional information:

Charkow (UKR) (e. Kharkov) principal city in E Ukraine. Total of 11 airfield identified: Charkow I, Charkow II, Charkow III, Charkow-Alexejewka (e. Kharkov-Alekseyevka), Charkow-Besljudowka (e. Kharkov-Bezlyudovka), Charkow-Grobli I (e. Kharkov-Grobli I), Charkow-Grobli II (e. Kharkov-Grobli II), Charkow-Korotitsch (e. Kharkov-Korotich), Charkow/Nord (Kharkov/North), Charkow-Rogan (Kharkov-Rogan) and Charkow-Woitschenko (Kharkov-Voichenko). By all accounts, the Lw. used 7 airfields around Kharkov and these are listed below. In May 42 and at the end of 1942 there were only three (North, Rogan and Voichenko). This is confirmed in Luftgaukdo. Kiew document Nr.1791/42 of 6. Mai 1942 as well as other documents including a Feldluftgaukdo. XXV document dated 18 Jun 43.

Charkow/Nord (UKR) (e. Kharkov/North; a.k.a. Charkow I, Charkow-Stadt) (50 02 N – 36 16 E)
General: main airfield at Kharkov and located 7 km NNE of Kharkov city center. Lw. use from c. 1 Nov 41. Grass surface. Had 9 hangars but the Russians destroyed 7 of these when they evacuated the airfield in late Oct 41. New infrastructure built and existing infrastructure enlarged to accomodate two Gruppen. Airfield defensive perimeter with fortifications and pillboxes constructed Dec 42 – May 42.
Air Units: (go to Google and enter: Charkow and/or Kharkov site:ww2.dk ). Also: III./JG 52 (Nov 41, Mar 42); St.G. 77 (Feb 42); 2.(H)/Aufkl. 10 (Feb 42); 6.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21 (Feb 42); I. and II./JG 3 (Apr 42); I./JG 53 (Jul 42); II. and III./St.G. 2 (May - Jul 43).
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 29/IV (Nov 41 - Mar 43); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 61/XI (Jun 43); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 64/XI (Jun 43).
Station Units (on various dates): Koflug 1/IV (1942 – Feb 43); Wetterberatungszentrale A; Wetterberatungszentrale (mot) 7/XVII; 4. Flugh.Betr.Kp./KG 51; le.Werkstattzug 2/40; Flak-Abt. 297; Flak-Abt. 164; Flak-Abt. 774; Flak-Transport-Battr. 1/73; Lw.-Bau-Rgts.Stab 4/XI; II/Lw.-Schnellbaugruppe; Lw.-Bau-Btl. 9/VII; Lw.-Bau-Btl. 7/XII; Lw.-Bau-Ger.Zug 16/IV; Lw.-Bau-Ger.Zug 5/See; Nachschub-Kp. 5/XVII; Fl.Geräteausgabestelle 7/VIII; Fl.Geräteausgabestelle (mot) C; Feldmunitionslager 7/VIII; Kw.Werkstatt-Zug 58; m.Fl.Betr.St.Kol. 5/VII; m.Fl.Betr.St.Kol. 6/XIII; kl.Fl.Betr.St.Kol. 4/VII; Trsp.Kol. 45/XI; Trsp.Kol. 49/XI; Trsp.Kol. 3/XIII; Fahr-Kol.d.Lw. 2/VIII; Traktorenzug 51; Traktorenzug 52; Ldssch.Zug 147/VI; Ldssch.Zug 194/VI; Ldssch.Zug 253/VI; Ldssch.Zug 326/VI; Ldssch.Zug 3/VIII; OT-Einheit 35a, 321 and 457; Lw.-Feld-Bauamt II K; etc.
On 1 Jan 43: Lw.-Bau-Btl. 2/VIII; Lw.-Bau-Ger.Zug 12/IV; Lw.-Bau-Ger.Zug 7/VII; m.Fl.Betr.St.Kol. 5/VII; Trsp.Kol. 3/XIII; Fahr-Kol.d.Lw. 2/VIII; Ldssch.Zug 147/VI; Ldssch.Zug 194/VI; Ldssch.Zug 253/VI; Frontsammelstelle d.Lw. 2/VIII.

It is very, very difficult to piece these 120+ long-range and short-range Aufklärungseinheiten together because the Luftwaffe destroyed 96% - 97% of its records between August 1944 (Allied bombing of Potsdam and Berlin) and the first week of May 1945 (intentional destruction of all that remained on Göring's orders). So you may not be able to find much more than what you now have.

Hotel Lima Delta

CharlieZulu
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Re: 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

#5

Post by CharlieZulu » 06 May 2010, 20:14

Hallo Hotel Lima Delta,

thanks a lot for your info concerning the first part of my questions. Let us assume that "Inkow" can no more be identified or that perhaps someone misinterpreted a handwritten German source which is always difficult to read if the writer did not use latin letters but Deutsche Schreibschrift instead...

First of part two: a general question. Several of the places quoted by M. Holm as well as by you do not seem to have been airfields used by 2.(H)/10 but places where a plane crashed or was shot down, is that right? Eschweiler near Aachen obviously was not a base.
The Staffel's first recorded loss in Russia occurred on 18 July at Artemovsk/N of Stalino when a Fw 189 crashed, killing the crew of three
What about Artemovsk? Crash on an airfield or simply somewhere in the terrain?
and the first combat loss on 5 September when another Fw 189 was shot down by ground fire at Borisovka/N Caucasia wounding Hptm. Rolf Köber and his crew.
Being shot down by ground fire implies being airborne and not in the vicinity of your own airfield, so I assume that "Borissowka" isn't a base either, in contradiction to M.Holm. Besides, I could not find a village with that name in North Caucasia, but only on the Crimea peninsula, 45 05 N 36 13 E.

Krasnodar is definitely certain as this town has been mentioned several times by my father as being the most eastern point he reached in Russia.

From Krasnodar back to Tazinskaja (now Tatsinskiy) where several other Staffeln of Aufklärungsgruppe 10 were based according to M. Holm, or to Millerovo, according to your opinion?

As to Rovenki, you have confirmed my opinion: town 50 kms S of Lugansk (former Voroshilovgrad), captured by the Russians on 170243.

Airfields in the Gorlovka - Stalino area might have been near the town of Gorlovka (ukrainian Horlivka), 48 18 N, 38 02 E, or the village of Orlivka, 48 09 N, 37 39 E, not very far from Gorlovka.

2.(H)/NAGr 9 was withdrawn to the Reich for conversion to Bf 109 and renamed 2./NAGr 12 on 010443. As far as I know, conversion took place at Herzogenaurach/Bavaria. The date of being renamed almost conincides with the wedding of my parents. My father came back from Russia by train via Lemberg in early April 43. He married my mother on April 17, 1943; the couple had not seen each other for more than two years and my mother was afraid if she would be able to recognize the man she was going to marry! My mother cannot remember to where my father departed when he had to return to service, but she can remember the name of Herzogenaurach. According to M. Holm, the Staffel did not resume battle activities before November 1943, when my father had already been transferred to Flieger-Waffentechnische Schule 3. Do you have any information available on 2./NAGr 12 for the time between April 43 and October 43?

And the last question (as far as I can see today): What was being taught at a Flieger-Waffentechnische Schule? I take it as certain that my father was an expert on weapons, he had the rank of Waffen-Oberfeldwebel (and later in the west german Luftwaffe, he became a checker for the F-86 Sabre). But who would attend such a school? Young pilots before they went into combat? Anti-aircraft-gun-personnel? I've got no idea.

That's all my questions. I do not have my father's Soldbuch, there are only five different and incoherent documents left, and a list which my mother wrote down in 1949 in the course of the denazification process, and this list was from the pure remembrance of my father and full of gaps and contradictions. Not much for a six years' span of life!

Have a good time, and thank you very much for you help.

Charlie Zulu

Larry D.
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Re: 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

#6

Post by Larry D. » 07 May 2010, 01:20

Charlie Zulu -
Let us assume that "Inkow" can no more be identified or that perhaps someone misinterpreted a handwritten German source which is always difficult to read if the writer did not use latin letters but Deutsche Schreibschrift instead...
Comment: I have the identities of all Fliegerhorste im Osten used by the Luftwaffe and none begin with the letters "In...".
Several of the places quoted by M. Holm as well as by you do not seem to have been airfields used by 2.(H)/10 but places where a plane crashed or was shot down, is that right?


Comment: you are correct. Both Michael Holm and I had no choice but to use the Gen.Qu.(6.Abt.) Verlustmeldungen to plot the location of the units over the course of the war. So it is not always possible to determine if the loss mentioned occurred at or on the airfield at the location stated or in the vicinity of the town or village while on a Feindflug. However, it helps to know if the Luftwaffe had an airfield at the location stated:

Eschweiler: correct - not a Fliegerhorst.
Artemowsk: (RUSS/UKR) (e. Artemovsk) (48 34 09 N – 37 56 54 E)
General: Einsatzhafen (operational airfield) 95 km W Voroshilovgrad and 62.8 km N of Stalino in eastern Ukraine. Jun 43 belonged to Koflug 5/XVII (Stalino) but unoccupied.
Borrisowka: correct - not a Fliegerhorst.
Krasnodar: (RUSS) (e. Krasnodar) (c. 45 02 N – 38 58 E)
General: airfield in N Caucasia 225 km E of Kerch. Two runways. In Lw. possession from 9 Aug 42. Main airfield for the medical evacuation of wounded during the German pullback in Jan 43. Runways and building demolished and airfield evacuated just prior to the Soviet liberation of Krasnodar on 12 Feb 43.
Air Units: JG 52 (Sep 42); 3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 121 (Nov 42); NAGr. 9 (Dec 42);
Station Units: Koflug 2/XI; Fl.H.Kdtr. E 33/IV (c. Sep 42 – Jan 43).
Tazinskaja: (RUSS) (e. Tatsinskaya, Tatsinskiy, Talovski) (c. 48 09 N – 41 16 E)
General: complex of 3 operational airfields in S Russia 107 km SE of Millerovo (Tatsinskaya/West, T/South and T/North) and adjacent to major rail and road connections; in German use by 21 Jul 42; greatly expanded during October and the first half of November 1942 to serve out the winter as one of 7 major air bases around Stalingrad. 23 Nov 42 became the Ju 52 transport hub for the Stalingrad airlift. 1 Dec 42 orders issued for the basing of 7 Gruppen of Ju 52s and 2 Gruppen of Ju 86s at Tatsinskaya. 24 Dec 42 overrun by Russian tanks – 70 Ju 52s destroyed on the airfield or demolished together with all of the maintenance and ground handling equipment.
Air Units: II./St.G. 2 (West); I./St.G. 77 (South); III./ZG 1 (North); II./St.G. 1 (South); KG 76 (South); III./KG 51 (South); KGr.z.b.V. 900; 10./ZG 1;
Station Units: Koflug 4/XI; Fl.H.Kdtr. E 6/XI?; Fl.H.Kdtr. E 18/VI (Sep 42); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 34/XI. Other:
Millerowo: (RUSS) (e. Millerovo) (48 56 N – 40 23 E). Total of 5 airfields identified: Millerovo I, Millerovo II, Millerovo III, Millerovo IV and Millerovo V.
General: airfield complex in S Russia 90 km ENE Voroshilovgrad. 21 Dec 42 principal supply hub – ordered held at all costs by elements of 3. Gebirgs-Div. and local Luftwaffe units.
Air Units (some): II./KG 27 (Dec 42); I./ZG 1 (Dec 42); 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 10 (Dec 42);
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 10/VI (Dec 42 – Jan 43); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 14/VII (Dec 42)?;
Rowenki: (RUSS/UKR) (e. Roven’ki) (48 05 12 N – 39 26 37 E)
General: landing ground (Einsatzhafen) 122 km E of Stalino (Donetsk) and 55 km S of Voroshilovgrad (Luhans’k) in E Ukraine.
Air Units:
Station Units: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 2/VII (Jan 43).
Gorlowka: (UKR) (e. Gorlovka; today Horlivka) (c. 48 20 N – 38 02 E)
General: landing ground in E Ukraine 96 km SW of Voroshilovgrad (Luhans’k). Jun 43 belonged to Koflug 5/XVII (Stalino) but unoccupied.
Do you have any information available on 2./NAGr 12 for the time between April 43 and October 43?
Comment: yes, I do, and I will put it up in a separate post.

Hotel Lima Delta

Larry D.
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Re: 2.(H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 10

#7

Post by Larry D. » 07 May 2010, 01:33

Charlie Zulu -

Here is the part of die Geschichte des 2./NAGr. 12 you asked for:

2./NAGr. 12
(Unit Code Y9+)

Formation. (April 1943)
Ordered formed on or about 1 April 1943, probably at either Jesau/East Prussia or Herzogenaurach/Bavaria, using personnel from 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 10. By June it was definitely at Herzogenaurach and, as was the case with 1./NAGr. 12, the Staffel was unusually slow in coming into existence and did not have more than 5 older model aircraft until October when 13 Bf 109 G-6/U2 and 6 Bf 109 G-8s were delivered.

Germany, Albania, Croatia, Hungary and Austria. (October 1943 - May 1945)
25 September 1943: ordered to transfer to Albania this date for assignment to Fliegerführer Kroatien/Luftwaffenkommando Südost as part of a large buildup in the Balkans following the Allied landings in South Italy at the beginning of September and Italy’s capitulation on 8 September. Arriving at Tirana during the first week of October, NAGr. 12 proceeded south to Devoli airfield near Berat, but before it could begin operations in earnest the Allies commenced medium bomber and fighter-bomber attacks into the Balkan coastal area from newly acquired bases in southern Italy. The airfields in Albania were hit hard from 9 October and by mid-November it was decided to pull back and redeploy most of the air units based there. While 1. Staffel remained at Devoli, the Gruppenstab and 2. Staffel transferred north to Mostar in Herzegovina on 23 November. From Mostar, the Staffel was responsible for visual and photographic reconnaissance of the Dalmatian coastal area and islands, especially Vis, which had been occupied by Partisan forces in September 1943 and was quickly converted into an Allied naval and air bastion with a forward airfield that accommodated 50 Spitfires and other aircraft. Recce missions were also flown over Partisan-held areas inland and occasional flights were made across the Adriatic to the Italian east coast. November losses were unusually high for the Staffel, 4 Bf 109 G-6s and 1 G-8 being written off to enemy effect.

usw., usw., usw.

********************************************************************************

As for the curriculum of the Flieger-Technischeschule, I think you will find information on that at BA-MA and perhaps the criteria used to select students. Information on training at the various Luftwaffe schools is fairly plentiful at Freiburg.

Hotel Lima Delta

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