2.(H)/13 (2nd)

2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 13 (2d Formation)

Code: (4E + )

Formation and Training. (Nov 38 - Aug 39)

Formed 1 November 1938 at Göppingen (ex-2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 15) with Heinkel He 46s, but converted to the Henschel Hs 126 during the first half of 1939.1

West - Phony War. (Sep 39 - May 40)

8.39: at Göppingen until receipt of general mobilization orders 25-26 August and then deployed to a field airstrip at Huchenfeld/4 km S of Pforzheim and another at Malmsheim/18 km W of Stuttgart with a total of 12 Hs 126s in support of Corps Command Upper Rhine (Generalkommando Oberrhein).

10.39 – 11.39: Staffel may have moved and now at Böblingen/c.20 km SW of Stuttgart.

2.40: reportedly received a few Dornier Do 17Ms (or 17Ps).

29.2.40: Hs 126 crashed during a night flight at Fp.Göppingen, 100%, 2 killed.

19.4.40: Hs 126 shot down by a French fighter SE of Colmar while flying a recce mission for Koluft AOK 16, 100%, 2 WIA.

Campaign West - Attack on France and the Low Countries. (May 40 - 1941)

10.5.40: under Koluft AOK 16 for the attack on France this date with a mixed complement of Hs 126s and Do 17Ms or -Ps, and assigned to support VII. Armeekorps from the Trier area in the Eifel, across Luxembourg and South Belgium into the Sedan - Verdun sector and then to the Channel coast.

12.5.40: Hs 126 shot down by a RAF Hurricane over Bouillon/Belgium, to the east of Charleville in France.

11.06.40: supported the German advance over the Marne, to the Seine, to the Loire and then to Cher/15.5 km SSE of Bourges.

2.07.40: following 10 days on the demarcation line is C France, ordered N to the Channel coast (to 27.12.40).

7.40: the Dornier Do 17s were turned in after the conclusion of the campaign in the West.

13.8.40: West France with 7 Hs 126s under Stab/Aufkl.Gr.41 (IV.Fliegerkorps/ Luftflotte 3). Location and purpose unknown, but possibly being held in standby for the planned invasion of England. The Staffel’s basings in France have not been identified.

17.12.40: Hs 126B force landed at Pogny/14 km SE of Chalons due to icing, 80%.

28.12.40: returned to Germany to refit and regroup.

6-18.04.41: Balkan Campaign under Koluft AOK 2 - advanced to Zagreb (10 Apr 41) and then to Sarajevo by 13 Apr 41.

6.5.41: Staffel based at Zagreb.

North Russia. (Jun 41 - Nov 41)

22.6.41: on the East Prussian-Lithuanian border east of Insterburg under Koluft AOK 16/ Army Group North for the attack on the Soviet Union this date, and assigned to support II. Armeekorps along a line of advance through Lithuania (22-26 June), across the Daugava (Düna) River in eastern Latvia (27 June – 7 July), on to the Lake Ilmen area (to 9 August) and then to the Valdai Hills just east of Demyansk (September).

10.7.41: a Klemm KI 35B crash landed at Fp.Daugavpils-East, 20%.

25.7.41: Staffel operating from a forward strip 20 km SE of Opochka/120 km S of Pskov.

14.9.41: Hs 126 B-1 shot down by a Russian fighter near Kholm, 90%, 1 KIA and 1 WIA.

29.9.41: Hs 126 force landed near Demyansk, 30%, Hptm. von Höpfner (pilot) injured.

4.10.41: Hs 126 B-1 crashed at Molvotitsy, 100%, Oblt. Paul Hoffbauer (observer) injured.

4.11.41: withdrawn from operations after flying 311 operational sorties for II. Armeekorps at a cost of just 7 killed, wounded and missing.

11.11.41 – 5.42: Staffel departed Russia and returned to Germany (or the West) for rest, reorganization and conversion to the Fw 189. Where this occurred is not known.

1.3.42: Staffel reported just 3 x Fw 189 A-1s on strength, but during the month it received 7 more bringing it up to full strength by 1 April.

Central Russia. (Jun 42 - Nov 42)

14.6.42: Bryansk (had just arrived) - under Nahaufklärungsgruppe 15 and assigned to support XXXXVII. Panzerkorps/2. Panzerarmee.

23.6.42: 2 Fw 189s and 1 Fi 156 destroyed and 4 Fw 189s damaged during attack on Fp. Bryansk at 1530 hours by 13 Russian fighters and bombers.

4.7.42: Staffel flying anti-partisan reconnaissance in the Bryansk area in support of Area Command 532 (Korück 532)/2. Panzerarmee.

18.7.42: Fw 189 struck the ground and damaged at Fp.Karachev/75 km WNW of Orel, 25%.

19.7.42: Fw 189 shot up by AA-fire at Kotyr, 20%, Staka Hptm. Herbig WIA.

25.8.42: Fw 189 A-1 FTR from operations around Orel, crew MIA.

29.8.42: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by infantry and AA fire near Dubna/120 km NE of Bryansk and crashed, 60%, observer Lt. Richard Helmholtz WIA.

4.9.42: Staffel pilot WIA by enemy fire near Vosty/99 km NE of Bryansk.

1.10.42: Staffel reported 4 x Fw 189 A-1, 3 x Fw 189 A-2 and 2 x Fw 189 A-3 on strength.

c.11.42: renamed Nahaufklärungsstaffel 12./13 and continued operations under NAGr. 15.

FpN:2.(H)/13 (L 26453).

Staffelkapitän:

Hptm. Hans von Ploetz, acting (1 Oct 39 - 31 Oct 39)

Hptm. Hermann Fischer (  ? - Mar 40) 9/39

Hptm. Wolfgang Meder-Eggebert (  ? -  ? ) 5/40

Hptm. Hermann Herbig (  ? - Aug 42) 8/40

© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress). (1st Draft 2021)

Additional Notes and Losses

26.8.42: At Kusnezy under NAGr. 15, Pz.AOK 2.

References

Aufklärungsgruppe 13

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