3.(F)/33
3.(F)/Aufk1.Gr. 33
Code: (8H + )
Formation and Training. (Mar 41 - May 41)
Formed or ordered formed second half of December 1940 or first half of January 1941 (new) at Kassel-Rothwesten and equipped with Junkers Ju 88s. According to at least one account, cadre personnel came from 1. and 2.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 22.[1]
North, South and Central Russia, then Germany. (May 41 - Jul 42)
5.41: after completion of training and work-up, transferred from Kassel-Rothwesten to Schippenbeil near Königsberg in East Prussia to stand by for the attack on the Soviet Union that began on 22 June.
22.6.41: the Staffe1’s exact assignment is not known, but it appears to have been under Koluft Heeresgruppe Mitte at least from mid-August.
27.6.41: Ju 88 A-5 (8H+FL) failed to return from a recce over the Po1otsk - Pskov area and subsequently forced down in enemy territory, 100%, 4 MIA.
7.41: as the front moved rapidly east, the Staffel transferred from East Prussia to Borisov/80 km NE of Minsk.
19.7.41: Ju 88 A-5 (8H+EL) reported missing while this brand-new aircraft was being flown from Schippenbeil to Borisov. The pilot, Lt. Hans-Joachim Hinrichs, and his crew MIA.
19.8.41: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+OL) failed to return (FTR) from a recce over the Chernigov-Po1tava area, 100%, Oblt. Hans Mühlen-Schulte + 3 MIA.
22.8.41: Ju 88 D-1 crash landed at Fp. Vitebsk, 40%.
2.10.41: Ju 88 A-5 crash landed at Fp. Vitebsk, 60%
7.10.41: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+NL) FTR from a recce over the Toropets area, 100%, 4 MIA.
12.10.41: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+YL) FTR from a recce mission to cover the area between Vitebsk and Tula, 100%, Oblt. Ludwig Seither (pilot) + 3 MIA.
16.10.41: Ju 88 D-2 (8H+KL) FTR from recce along route Orel-Tula-Kaluga, 100%, 4 MIA.
21.12.41: an air crew member WIA by machine gun fire near Orel.
18.1.42: a man from the Staffe1’s ground staff KIA by machine gun fire at Fp. Dugino/65 km S of Rzhev.
1.42: Staffe1 withdrawn from operations in late January or early February 1942 and returned to Germany without aircraft to re-equip and train for its new role - maritime reconnaissance in the West.
1.5.42: after reporting no aircraft on strength during February and March, it began receiving them in April and by this date it had 12 x Ju 88 A-5 on hand. Training for its new role was carried out during May and June.
France, the West and Germany. (Aug 42 - Mar 44)
8.42: transferred from Germany to Paris-Orly in July or August and assigned to Luftflotte 3 for maritime reconnaissance of the English Channel area. During August and September, the Staffel began to gradually replace the A-5s with Ju 88 D-1s and a few D-5s.
29.8.42: British sources claim a Ju 88 probably shot down into the Channel off East Sussex by a RAF Beaufighter night fighter during the night of 28/29 August.
19.9.42: Ju 88 A-5 shot up and belly landed at Amsterdam-Schipho1, 20%, 2 WIA.
19.10.42: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+KL) shot down into the sea off Norfolk by a RAF Beaufighter, 100%, Oblt. H. Dürr + 3 MIA.
15.11.42: transferred to Avignon-West in South France for assignment to 2. Fliegerdivision in response to the Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria the week before.
29.11.42: Ju 88 A-5 belly landed at Meze/SW of Montpellier due to engine failure, 30%.
13.12.42: Ju 88 crashed into the Mediterranean off Montpellier, 100%, crew safe.
9.1.43: based at Montpellier.
1.3.43: Staffel reported 9 x Ju 88 D-1 and 2 x Ju 88 D-5 on strength.
27.3.43: Ju 88 D-1 damaged landing at Montpellier, 45%.
20.4.43: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+EL) FTR - no details, 100%, 4 KIA.
24.6.43: transferred from Montpellier to Ottana/Sardinia this date, relieving 1.(F)/122 which moved to Montpellier.
28.6.43: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+NL) FTR and probably shot down by a fighter, 100%, 1 KIA and 3 rescued.
30.6.43: at Ottana with 7 aircraft.
7.43: from Ottana, the Staffel flew two or three recce sorties a day as part of maintaining a continuous watch on Allied convoys and warships in the western Mediterranean and in Algerian harbors.
11.7.43: Ju 88 (8H+KL) FTR - no details, 100%, 4 MIA.
11.7.43: 2 Ju 88s (both 100%), 1 Ju 88 (70%) and 1 Ju 88 (30%) destroyed or damaged at Ottana due to sabotage.
13.7.43: transferred to Frosinone/C Italy this date, leaving a single Kette of 3 Ju 88s behind at Ottana.
6.8.43: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+LL) FTR - no details, 100%, 4 MIA.
8.8.43: the Kette at Ottana reported 3(1) Ju 88s on strength.
18.8.43: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+CL) FTR - no details, 100%, 4 MIA. The crew of 4 were all from 2.(F)/122.
20.8.43: Frosinone flying day reconnaissance over the Straits of Messina area.
5.9.43: Ju 88 D-1 (8H+IL) FTR - no details, 100%, 4 MIA.
7.10.43: now at Perugia/C Italy.
17.10.43: Staffel ordered this date to transfer from Perugia to Königsberg/East Prussia without aircraft to begin conversion training on the Junkers Ju 188. The actual move did not take place until the last week of November, and some non-essential ground personnel may still have been at Perugia at the end of December.
6.1.44: at Gutenfeld/12 km ESE of Königsberg converting to the Ju 188.
1.3.44: Staffel reported 12 x Ju 188 F-1 on strength.
16.3.44: ordered to begin transferring from Königsberg to Athens-Kalamaki in Greece.
Balkans, Hungary and Austria. (Apr 44 - May 45)
1.4.44: conversion completed, arrived at Athens-Kalamaki this date with Ju 188s to relieve 1.(F)/122. Assigned to Fernaufklärungsgruppe 4.
4.44: assignment after arrival was to fly routine day and night photo reconnaissance over the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, Egyptian and Libyan ports and cover South Italy and Sicily. Over the following months, a bitter rivalry developed between the Staffel and 2.(F)/123, which was considered the better of the two. According to a PoW, 3.(F)/33 only had 4 operational losses from April to September 1944.
15.9.44: transferred from Athens-Kalamaki to Salonika-Sedes.
10.10.44: transferred from Salonika-Sedes to Skopje/Macedonia on or about this date; still under FAGr. 4, the Staffel had 9(5) Ju 88s and Ju l88s, the former being the high-altitude T-l and T-3 variants.
22.10.44: Ju l88 D-2 (8H+AL) crashed in Greece due to engine failure, or possibly shot down by a RAF Beaufighter, while on a long-range day reconnaissance flight to check shipping between Greece and Crete and then along the approaches to the Dardanelles on the return leg, 100%, 3 KIA and 2 captured.
2.11.44: now at Szombathely/W Hungary with a Kette detached at Skopje and still under FAGr. 4.
29.11.44: now at Zagreb-Pleso/Croatia with 6(2) Ju 88s and Ju l88s under Fliegerführer Nordbalkan.
1.12.44: Staffel reported 4 x Ju 188 D-2 and 2 x Ju 188 F-1 on strength.
10.1.45: Zagreb-Pleso with 13(10) Ju 88s and Ju l88s under FAGr. 4.
16.1.45: transferred from Zagreb-Pleso to Szombathely.
20.2.45: Ju 188 D-2 damaged landing at Fp. Szombathely, 10%.
26.3.45: Szombathely under FAGr. 4.
9.4.45: transferred to Kirchham/c.30 km SSW of Wels in Austria with 10(10) Ju 88s and Ju 188s.
10.4.45: ordered disbanded this date by OKL.
3.5.45: Kirchham in the process of being disbanded under FAGr. 4.
See also
FpN:3.(F)/33 (L 41313).
Staffelkapitän:
Oblt. Gert Greven, acting? ( ? - ? ) 5/41
Hptm. Heinrich-Peter Gehrken ( ? - ? ) 1941-42
Hptm. Hans-Ulrich Michael ( ? - 15 Feb 43?) 1942
Maj. Horst Freiherr Treusch von Buttlar-Brandenfels? (1 Jan 43? - 31 May 43?) 7/43?
Hptm. Westphal ( ? - ? ) c.1943-44
Hptm. Hans Bayer (22 Oct 43 - Jan/Feb 45)
Hptm. Rudolf Gruhle ( ? - ? ) 1944-45
Hptm. Christian Jährig (Mar 45 - May 45)
Also see:
ARNSWALD, Alfred, Lt.
BANGERT, Hans, Lt./Oblt.
BAUMANN, Franz, Lt.
BEYER, Reinhardt, Lt.
BRÜSSNER, Walter, Lt.
CELERIN, Albert, Lt.
CYMICH, Dr. Robert, Lt.
DABERKOW, Martin-Fritz, Oblt.
DÜRR, H., Oblt.
FIEBRANTZ, Hans-Jürgen, Oblt.
GERKEN, Johann, Maj.
GRUND, Ernst, Lt.
GUTTER, ?, Lt.
GYMNICH, Dr. Robert, Lt.
HASPEL, Erwin, Lt.
HEDERGOTT, Winfried, Lt.
HELMS, Ernst, Lt.
HINRICHS, Hans-Joachim, Lt.
JANETZKI, Johann, Oblt.
KÄHN, Kaspar, Lt.
KEREHMER, Hellmut, Lt.
KIRCHNER (KIRSCHNER?), Helmut, Oblt.
KLEIN, Wolfgang, Lt.
KNAPP, Arnold, Lt.
KRATTENMACHER, Franz, Lt.
KUHN, ?, Oblt.
LANGE, ?, Hptm.
LAUT, Wolfgang, Lt.
MAUVE, Bernhard, Lt.
MAY, Helmut, Lt.
MERTSCH, Gerhard, Lt.
MÜHLEN-SCHULTE, Hans, Oblt.
MÜHLICH, Friedrich (Fritz), Lt. (Tr.O.)
RANGERT, H., Lt.
RÖWERT, Gunter, Lt.
RÜHRSCHNECK, Hans (Hans-Georg), Oblt.
SCHMIDT, Gustav, Oblt.
SCHMIDT, K., Hptm.
SEITHER, Ludwig, Oblt.
SOWADA, F., Lt.
STENDER, Herbert, Lt.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress). (1st Draft 2021)
Additional Notes and Losses
18.1.42: 2 killed and 3 wounded at Fp. Dugino/65 km S of Rzhev.[2]
20.8.42: Ju 88 on an early morning sortie over the western part of the English Channel. No shipping was sighted.[3]
References
- ↑ G.Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, 16+ Bde., Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); W.Dierich - Die Verbände der Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Gliederungen und Kurzchroniken – Eine Dokumentation; N.Kannapin - Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945; W.G.Ramsey(ed.) - The Blitz, Then And Now, v.3, p.167; M.Rauchensteiner - Der Krieg in Österreich, 1945; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC A.289, A.489, A.490; AFHRA Maxwell: RAF 329 Wing Sigint reports; AFHRA Maxwell: Air Ministry Weekly Intelligence Summary 274/44; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-311 OB Südost (H.Gr. F) rolls); (T-32l roll 10); PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals QT6237, VM875, ML5l86, ML5797, ML7349, HP473, HP3099; HP5l21, HP8877, BT5051, K01516; PRO London: ADM 223/OIC-SI (Operational Intelligence Centre - Special Intelligence), a daily intelligence report based on ULTRA and other signals intelligence that began about January 1942; PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence reports and lists based on ULTRA, “Y” Service intercepts, captured documents and PoW interrogations; PRO London: AIR 40/1995; BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart and Qu 2 Nr.1650/45; BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); BA-MA Freiburg: Flugzeug-Bereitstellungen (Aircraft Availability Status Reports – FzB) in: M.Holm-website (ww2.dk); e-mail D.Wadman to H.L.deZeng dated 23 Jan 2007.
- ↑ RL -III/1180 26.2.42 -entry nr 20.
- ↑ RL7-III/749 – Einzelmeldung Nr 12 vom 20.8.42