2.(H)/10 Tannenberg

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

© H.L. deZeng IV, 2021

Aufklärungsgruppe 10

Additional Notes & Losses

22/23 Apr 1940 - Whitleys of 58 Sqdn RAF bombed Oslo/Fornebu airfield, damaging four Hs 126s of 2(H)10.

1/2 May 1940 - Three Whitleys of 77 Sqdn and two from 102 Sqdn RAF again struck Fornebu destroying one Hs 126 of 2(H)10.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
10 Jan 1940	2.(H)/10	Hs 126			Crashed at Fassberg when the aircraft's propeller disintegrated. Crew uninjured.
9 Jun 1940	2.(H)/10	Hs 126			Suffered severe damage caused by ground fire during an observation sortie over Avricourt, Compiegne. Oblt. G. Meuser (B) killed, pilot uninjured.
14 Jun 1940	2.(H)/10	Hs 126			Shot down by six D.520s of GC I/3 during a sortie east of Paris. Aircraft crashed at Grisy-Suines, which is to the South east of Brie-Comte-Robert. Lt.F. Baur(B) and Uffz. H. Krahe both killed.
14 Jun 1940	2.(H)/10	Hs 126			Returned damaged following combat with aircraft of GC I/3 during sortie over Lagny-le-Sec, northeast of Paris. Uffz. H. Bock (B) slightly wounded, pilot unhurt.
15 Jun 1940	2.(H)/10	Hs 126	T1+JK	3340	Shot down in combat with Bloch 152s of GC I/1 Mardié Rue des Moulins 10km northeast of Orleans