3.(H)/13 (2nd)
3.(H)/Aufk1.Gr. 13 (2d Formation)
Code: (4E + )
Formation and Training. (Nov 38 - Aug 39)
Formed 1 November 1938 at Göppingen (ex-3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 15) with Heinkel He 46s, but converted to Henschel Hs 126s 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 the dispersal strip at Villingen/c.50 km E of Freiburg in SW Germany with 12 Hs 126s in support of V. Armeekorps.
c.10.39: Staffe1 either returned to Göppingen or moved north with V. Armeekorps and based at Golzheim/8 km NE of Düren.
c.12.39: received a few Dornier Do 17Ms.
20.1.40: a Do 17M belonging to Nachtkette 3.(H)/13 crashed near Pforzheim on return from a night sortie over France, 100%, crew KIA.
Campaign West - Attack on France and the Low Countries. (May 40 - 1941)
10.5.40: Golzheim under Koluft AOK 4 for the attack on France this date with Hs 126s, and assigned to support V. Armeekorps from the Düren area across Belgium to the Somme in NE France and then southwest to the Loire.
26.5.40: Hs 126 shot up - no details, 60%.
5.6.40: Hs 126 failed to return from a recce mission over N France, 100%.
15.6.40: Hs 126 crashed in N France, 100%.
7.40 – 10.40: the Staffel’s location after the campaign in the West is not known, but it was based in France. One source maintains that it was based at Bourg/NE of Lyon in eastern France from July through September 1940.
Balkan Campaign. (Nov 40 - May 41)
c.8.11.40: began transferring to Romania as one of the first Luftwaffe air units to be sent to the Balkans; assigned to DLM Romänien (Deutsches Luftwaffe Mission in Romania).
9.11.40: Hs 126 damaged taxiing at Fp. Arad/NW Romania, 20%.
13.12.40: Hs 126 crashed with a damaged engine at Fp. Bucharest-Pipera, 80%.
7.3.41: Hs 126 damaged taxiing at Fp. Bucharest-Pipera, 75%.
5.4.41: under Koluft AOK 2 for the attack on northern Yugoslavia and assigned to support XLIX. Gebirgskorps (Mountain Corps) (Austria) and LI. Armeekorps (western Hungary) in a pincer movement aimed at Zagreb. The campaign in northern Yugoslavia was over in 10 days.
South Russia. (Jun 41 - Aug 42)
22.6.41: Staffe1 at Vas1ui/25 km WSW of Huşi in eastern Romania under Koluft AOK 11/Army Group South for the attack on the Soviet Union this date, and assigned to support LIV. Armeekorps along a line of march through Bessarabia to Odessa - Antonovka - Perekop and into Crimea (October - November 1941).
3.7.41: Hs 126B-1 (4E+LL) failed to return (FTR) from a recce flight over the Balti area, 100%, 2 KIA.
18.7.41: now at Iaşi/E Romania under Koluft AOK 11.
20.10.41: commenced daily recce support for LIV. Armeekorps/11th Army as the attack into Crimea from around Perekop got under way.
18.11.41: at Kartmyshik/Crimea.
22.12.41: Hs 126 shot up by a Russian fighter near Bakhchisaray/Crimea, 20%.
2.42: Crimea and still under Koluft AOK 11.
18.2.42: Hs 126 crash landed at Fp. Kiev, 30%. Possibly there for minor repairs or to pick up spare parts or similar.
1.3.42: Staffel reported 12 x Hs 126 B-1 on strength.
13.3.42: based at Novo Zarizino (Novo-Charicyno) in east-central Crimea.
4.42: Crimea under Koluft AOK 11. From c.19.4.42, under Nahaufklärungsgruppe 8.
5.42 – 6.42: at Kartmyshik/Crimea under VIII. Fliegerkorps. Staffel took part in the conquest of eastern Crimea during the second half of May and the massive assault on Sevastopol during the second half of June.
14.6.42: Hs 126 shot down by AA-fire near Balaklava/Crimea, 100%, 2 KIA.
7.42: based at Simferopol/Crimea under NAGr. 8.
c.6.8.42: departed Simferopol for a long, circuitous transfer to the northern sector of the Eastern Front with NAGr. 8, other Luftwaffe units and elements of 11th Army for a planned offensive on Leningrad. Many of the personnel were able to get a few days leave in Germany during the move.
North Russia. (Sep 42 - Feb 43)
11-15.9.42: arrived at Krasnogwardiesk (Gatchina)/44 km SW of Leningrad with the rest of NAGr. 8.
9.42 – 10.42: the great offensive on Leningrad, one of Hitler's pet projects, was swiftly overshadowed by the desperate events taking place around Stalingrad and had to be cancelled. Consequently, 3.(H)/13 and most of the other units brought in for the offensive ended up having little to do.
26.10.42: Hs 126 ran out of fuel and force landed near Sekhino (Sechino?), 40%.
1.12.42: Staffel reported 10 x Hs 126 B-1 on strength.
12.42: Staffel transferred from Gatchina to Jesau/East Prussia to rest, refit and convert to Bf 109Gs. In January 1943 the Staffel was broken up at Jesau, with the pilots and observers going to Döberitz near Berlin and to Jüterbog-Damm to retrain on Bf 109Gs and the ground servicing personnel going to Regensburg for technical training on the Bf 109.
2.43: Staffel received 10 x Bf 109 G-4 after turning in its Henschels.
1.3.43: officially renamed 2./NAGr 4 on or about this date, possibly at Brandenburg-Briest.
FpN:3.(H)/13 (L 28377).
Staffelkapitän:
Hptm. Kurt Schulze-Wiehenbrauck ( ? - Aug 42) 9/39, 5/40
Hptm. Friedrich-Wilhelm Kahler (Aug 42 - Oct 42)
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress). (1st Draft 2021)
Additional Notes and Losses
23.5.40: Hs 126 (4E+FL) crewed by Uffz. Mossner (F) and Lt. Specht (B) flew a sortie from St. Quentin – Conty – Briteuil – Ailly – Amiens – Mesaulte – St. Quentin. The aircraft departed St. Quentin at 20.50hrs, was tasked with road reconnaissance of the area and landed back at St Quentin 21.50 hrs[2]
At 20.51 hrs another Hs 126 (4E+BL) departed on another road reconnaissance mission covering the area St. Quentin – Amiens – Le Mesnil(?) - St. Firmin – Montidier – Albert – St. Quentin. This aircraft was crewed by Uffz. Scheumann (F) and Uffz. Hoffmann (B). The aircraft landed at 22.16 hrs.[3]
24.5.40: Hs 126 (4E+CL), crew Gefr. Hahn (F) and Lt. Heidland (B) departed at 05.25 hrs, from St. Quentin, for an early morning road and rail reconnaissance sortie covering the area St. Quentin – Péronne – Roye – Tricet – Montidier – Corbie – St. Quentin. The aircraft landed back at St. Quentin at 07.00 hrs.[4]
At 05.50hrs a further Hs 126 (4E+GL) left on a road and rail reconnaissance sortie covering the area St. Quentin – Amiens – Conty – St. Just – Montidier – Amiens – St. Quentin. Sightings included: at Montidier a number of twin engined aircraft; on the road between Tricet and Montidier 21 armoured vehicles. The aircraft landed back at St. Quentinat 07.25 hrs.[5]
References
- ↑ J.-P.Défieux - Répertoire des Unités Aériennes de la Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Reconnaissance Aéronavale (Nanterre, privately published, n.d. (c 1988-90?); K.Ries - Luftwaffen Story 1935-1939; Tessin, Georg, Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939: Altes Heer, Freiwilligenverbände, Reichswehr, Heer, Luftwaffe, Landespolizei; 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; U.Balke - Der Luftkrieg in Europa: Die Operativen Einsätze des Kampfgeschwader 2 im Zweiten Weltkrieg, Teil I, p.397; C.Shores/B.Cull/N.Malizia - Air War For Yugoslavia, Greece, and Crete 1940-41, p.180; Jet & Prop magazine 6/1995:p.42; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin P/W interrogations, ADI(K) series, microfilm rolls A5400-05; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC A.525, 11 Jan 1945; AFHRA Maxwell decimal Karlsruhe Collection KC-Kl13.309-3/ v.1; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-312 rolls 386-409 daily reports, roll 846/377); (T-405 roll 49/140); (T-501 roll 63/893, roll 272/367); PRO London: AIR 40/1975, 1978; 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).
- ↑ 12474 - Armeekorps Akte 79 - Meldungen über die Ergebnisse von Aufklärungsflügen an den Fliegerverbindungsoffizier (Flivo) beim V AK
- ↑ 12474 - Armeekorps Akte 79 - Meldungen über die Ergebnisse von Aufklärungsflügen an den Fliegerverbindungsoffizier (Flivo) beim V AK
- ↑ 12474 - Armeekorps Akte 79 - Meldungen über die Ergebnisse von Aufklärungsflügen an den Fliegerverbindungsoffizier (Flivo) beim V AK
- ↑ 12474 - Armeekorps Akte 79 - Meldungen über die Ergebnisse von Aufklärungsflügen an den Fliegerverbindungsoffizier (Flivo) beim V AK