1./Kü.Fl.Gr. 106

1./Kü.Fl.Gr. 106

Formation and Early History. (Jul 36 - Mar 40)

Formed 1 July 1936 at Kiel-Holtenau (ex-1.(M)/F1iegergruppe (See) 106) with He 60s, and then transferred to List on the island of Sylt at the beginning of 1937. On 1 July 1937, it was renamed 1.(M)/Kü.Fl.Gr. 406, but re-established the same date at Norderney/East Frisian Islands with He59s by re-designating 1.(M)/Kü.Fl.Gr. 206. Remaining at Norderney, it soon reverted back to He 60s and retained these until September 1939, when it began converting to the He 115. From October 1939 through March 1940 the Staffel flew routine reconnaissance patrols over the North Sea and English Channel from Norderney, apparently without loss.

North Germany, Norway, France. (Sep 39 - May 41)

5 Sep 39: while flying reconnaissance patrols from Norderney with 8 He 115s, encountered and shot down a RAF Anson over the North Sea. This was the Staffel’s first action of the war.

12 Sep 39: shot down a Dutch Fokker T VIII W twin-engine floatplane east of Norderney.

7 Nov 39: He 115 (M2+FH) attacked by a RAF Anson off Texel Is. And shot down into the North Sea.

22/23 Nov 39: flew a night mine-laying mission off the Thames Estuary with 8 He 115s.

Apr 40: in early April 1940 it was assigned to X. Fliegerkorps for the occupation of Denmark and Norway, and it was heavily engaged for the next month.

9 Apr 40: on the opening day of the attack on Norway, transferred from Norderney to Stavanger-Sola in SW Norway and flew reconnaissance with 8 He 115s between Bergen/Norway and the Orkney Islands in search of enemy naval activity. Later that day, a He 115B destroyed in action at Trondheim during operations in Central Norway.

14 Apr 40: two He 115s were shot down by naval AA fire off the west coast of Norway while returned to Stavanger from the Narvik area. Both crews were listed as missing in action. The two Heinkels were from a formation of 4 that departed Stavanger on 13 April and flew an unsuccessful attack on the Royal Navy battleship Warspite near Narvik. However, postwar research by Norwegian aviation historians claimed the two planes had actually run out of fuel and force landed at Ornes and Bronnoysund where they were captured and pressed into service with the Norwegian forces.

14 Apr 40: He 115 strafed at its moorings in Bergen harbor and destroyed during an attack by Fleet Air Arm Skuas.

17 Apr 40: 4 He 115Bs were destroyed at their moorings during an attack on Stavanger harbor by the British cruiser Suffolk, and another was lost the next day when it failed to return from an operational sortie north to Narvik.

10 May 40: the Staffel was at Stavanger with 8 He 115Bs under Fliegerführer Stavanger/X. Fliegerkorps, but departed Norway sometime thereafter and returned to Norderney, where it was based on 13 August under Führer d. Luft West (Wilhelmshaven) with 12 He 115Cs.

25 Aug 40: at Norderney - Staffel ordered to cease air-sea rescue operations over the channel and begin flying anti-shipping missions armed with aerial torpedoes, which were to be flown at dusk or during a full moon.

Sep 40: now a direct combatant in the Battle of Britain, 1./Kü.Fl.Gr. 106 flew armed reconnaissance patrols and night mine-laying operations over the English Channel and North Sea from Norderney as part of 9. Fliegerdivision, with losses reported on 7 and 8 September 1940. The first of these, He 115 (M2+FH), was possibly shot down over the sea by a Lockheed Hudson, while the second (M2+JH) went down off the English coast, probably after being shot up by AA fire. Both crews were rescued, although two men were wounded.

6 Oct 40: toward the end of September or the beginning of October (probably 6 Oct) the Staffel is stated as having moved to the seaplane base at Brest-Hourtin on the Bay of Biscay in Brittany to carry out maritime operations along the south coast of England. However, it flew mainly coastal reconnaissance, escort for ships and anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay from Brest.

17 Jan 41: Brest-Hourtin operating under Stab/Kü.Fl.Gr. 406.

Jan - Feb 41: two He 115s (M2+IH and M2+AH) were written off in accidents at Brest-Hourtin on 22 February 1941. Both crews were listed as missing, including the latter which was under the command of Hptm. Günter Grützmacher.

26 Apr 41: still at Brest-Hourtin with He 115s.

May 41: transferred to Barth and began converting to the Ju 88.

1 Jun 41: 1./Kü.Fl.Gr. 106 was renamed 1./Kampfgruppe 106 on or about this date.

FpNs:(L 19251, L 19547)

Staffelkapitän:

Hptm. Hermann Freiherr von Schroetter (15 Nov 38 - 9 Jul 40)

Hptm. Friedrich-Franz von Schrötter (1939 - May 40)

Maj. Wilhelm Emonds (Jun 40 - 1941?)

© H.L. deZeng IV, 2024

References

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