3.(F)/11 (2nd)
3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 11 (2d Formation)
(Unit Code: 6M + )
also as: 3.(H)/11 (from April 1942)
Formation. (Nov 38)
Formed 1 November 1938 at Grossenhain (ex-3.(F)/23) with Do 17F’s and He 70’s. The He 70’s were turned in during the first half of 1939 and most or all of the Do 17F’s were replaced with Do 17P’s.1
Polish Campaign. (Sep 39)
8/39: at Grossenhain until general mobilization ordered 25-26 August, then deployed to an unidentified field airstrip in Pomerania by 1 September for the attack on Poland with 12 Do 17P’s under Koluft/AOK 4.
9/39: flew reconnaissance missions over objectives in the Bay of Danzig area and then generally over North Poland, presumably until the campaign concluded toward the end of September. Returned to Grossenhain at the end of September.
West -Attack on France and the Low Countries. (May 40 - Jun 40)
11.1.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P based at Koblenz-Karthausen intercepted by French fighters over Verdun and shot down, crew captured.
22.4.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P crashed in Belgium while on a recce flight and probably brought down by French fighters, 100%, Oblt. Wolfgang Kratzmann + 1 MIA, and 1 KIA.
10.5.40: assigned to Koluft/AOK 6 for the campaign in the West, following a line of advance through Belgium into NE France.
13.5.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P shot down by a fighter over NW Belgium.
25.5.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P crashed near Chimay/SW Belgium.
27.5.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P failed to return from a mission, no details.
Air Offensive Against England (Battle of Britain). (Jul 40 - May 41)
15.7.40: transferred to Trondheim-Vaernes in Norway where the Staffel was to a large degree converted to the Bf 110, although an unknown number of Do 17P’s were retained.
9.8.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P crashed at Oslo-Fornebu, 100%, 2 injured.
8/40 - 9/40: after returning to the Channel front, flew target spotting and range adjusting missions over the south coast of England for German coast artillery in the Pas de Calais area. Directly under Koluft/AOK 16 at this time.
22.9.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110C-5 (MJ+ZE) shot up and damaged by German Flak near Mardick in the Pas de Calais area, 15%.
25.10.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P landing accident at Zutkerque in the Pas de Calais area, 30%.
7.11.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110 (MI+ZC) crashed into the sea off Margate/Kent, 100%, Oblt. H. Kopetsch + 1 MIA.
18.12.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110 attacked by RAF fighters and severely damaged while flying recce near Ramsgate/Kent.
24.3.41: (Ob.d.H.) -Ju 88 shot up by fighters and force landed near Calais, 60%, 2 WIA. A few Ju 88’s were taken on strength in early 1941 as replacements for the Dornier Do 17P’s, the crews having received conversion training in Germany, but they were taken away in August 1941 and replaced with additional Bf 110’s.
South Russia. (Jun 41 - Aug 43)
22.6.41: based at Mielec/SE Poland, possibly, directly under Koluft/Heeresgruppe Süd for the attack on tbe Soviet Union.
24.6.41: (Ob.d.H.) -Ju 88A-5 crash landed at Fp.Mielec/S Poland, 60%.
10.7.41: Staffel now operating from Fp. Brody/W Ukraine.
26.7.41: (Ob.d.H.) -Ju 88D-2 crash landed at Fp. Berdichev, 25%. The Staffel’s few remaining Ju 88’s were turned in shortly after this.
9.8.41: transferred from Berdichev to Zhitomir and flew from there until 6 September.
6.9.41: moved forward to Aleksandria/56 km SSW of Kremenchug and then from there to Kremenchug on 18 September.
8.9.41: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110C-5 (6M+EL) FTR from the Lubny-Poltava area, 100%, 3 KIA.
24.9.41: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110C-5 damaged taxiing at Fp.Kremencbug, 10%.
25.9.41: moved forward to Poltava.
20.10.41: reassigned to Koluft/AOK 11 and ordered to support the attack to capture and occupy Crimea.
18.11.41: transferred from Kartmyshik/Crimea to Simferopol/Crimea.
26.12.41: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110E-3 sbot up near Marfovka, 10%, 1 WIA.
27.12.41: Staffel flying recce over Crimea, North Caucasia and the Black Sea, with some of the flights being staged from Sarabus.
9.1.42: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110C-5 crash landed at Fp.Simferopol, 10%.
19.1.42: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110E-3 crash landed at Fp.Simferopol, 15%.
1.2.42: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110C-5 (6M+BL) FTR from recce over Tamanskaya, 100%, 1 KIA while the other two members of the crew managed to get back.
1 Mar 42: Staffel reported 3 x Bf 110C-5 and 4 x Bf 110E-3 on strength.
18.3.42: (Ob.d.H.) -Bf 110 (6M+EL) FTR from recce over the Kerch Peninsula, 100%, Hptm. Elmar Hornung + 2 MIA.
11.4.42: Simferopol/Crimea.
19.4.42: officially re-designated 3.(H)/11 this date.
15.5.42: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110E-3 crashed at Kerch due to engine failure, 25%.
22.5.42: 3.(H)/11 at Simferopol under VIII. Fliegerkorps.
23.5.42: plans of this date called for the Staffel to be transferred to the Kursk area and assigned to NAGr. 14 for the support of 4th Panzer Army, but all evidence suggests that this was never carried out.
6/42: based at Simferopol under VIII. Fliegerkorps for the assault on the Soviet naval fortress at Sevastopol.
12.6.42: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110F-3 crashed near Simferopol, 60%, Hptm. Reinbold Tüttelmann and Oblt. Josef Stingl both injured.
20.6.42: Staffel reported 10(7) Bf 110’s on strength.
26.7.42: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110 (6M+FL) collided with a Ju 88 over Bataisk/SW of Rostov, 100%, crew of 2 MIA.
6.9.42: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110E (6M+AL) FTR from recce over tbe Grozny-Tbilisi area in Georgia, 100%, 3 MIA.
9.9.42: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110 bombed on the ground at Fp.Sabzov/N Caucasia, 25%.
15.11.42: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110 force landed at Fp.Soldatskaya/N Caucasia due to bad weather, 80%, 1 injured.
31.12.42: (Lfl.4) -1 Bf 110, 4 Fw 189’s and 1 Fi 156 destroyed at Balt. Raboizhiy (not located) to prevent them from falling into enemy hands during the German retreat from the Grozny sector.
30.1.43: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110E crashed at Fp.Krasnodar/N Caucasia - no details, 100%, 2 killed.
2/43 - 3/43: strong circumstantial evidence that at least some of the Staffel personnel, witbout aircraft, left Russia and returned to Germany for a long overdue rest and then re-equipped before returning to Russia. This is based on the Staffel’s relative inactivity during February and March.
1.3.43: Staffel reported 7 x Bf 110’s on strength.
16.3.43: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110F-2 crash landed at Fp.Neudorf/Silesia due to mechanical problems, 20%.
18.3.43: based at Stalino-North under NAGr. 14.
20.3.43: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110 crashed at Fp.Stalino-North due to engine failure, 45%, 1 killed.
29.3.43: at Stalino-North.
31.3.43: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110F-3 (6M+CL) FTR from recce over the Novocherkassk-Shachty area, 100%, Oblt. Helmut Mettler (observer) + 2 MIA.
14.4.43: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110C-5 force landed near Tarnov, 70%.
6.5.43: (Lfl.4) -Bf 110F-3 shot down by a fighter over Krasny Liman in the Kuban bridgehead, 100%, 2 WIA. The whereabouts and activity of the Staffel are unknown after this date. Until shown otherwise, it appears that it departed Russia for Germany in early June where it re-equipped with Bf 110G-3’s with 10 of these on strength by 1 July. On 9 August 1943, it was renamed 5./ZG 76.
FpN:(L 26022)
Staffelkapitäne:
Maj. Hans von Berchem? ( ? - ? ) 9/39
Maj. Hans von Berchem (9 Jul 40 - 14 Feb 41)
Hptm. Reinhold Tüttelmann (Aug 41 - ? ) 6/42
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2021