3.(H)/32

3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 32

Code: (V7 + )

Formation and Training. (Apr 40 - May 40)

Formed about April-May 1940 (new) with Henschel Hs 126s. Place of formation is unknown, but probably in southern Germany under Luftflotte 3.

Attack on France and the Low Countries. (May 40 - May 41)

10.5.40: not thought to be operational in time for the campaign in the West that commenced this date, but in June the Staffel is said to have been in support of XII. and XXX. Armeekorps/1st Army which were assigned to penetrate and cut off the French Maginot Line south of Saarbrücken toward Nancy. No losses are known to have occurred, although a Hs 126 was hit by AA-fire and slightly damaged at Baccarat/SE of Nancy on 28 June. The conclusion of the campaign in the West was followed by a long period of inactivity and routine training in North France. Listed under I. Fliegerkorps/Luftflotte 2 on 13 August with 8 x Hs 126s and possibly based in the Arniens area. On 30 August 1940 it was reported in the Belgium-North France area under Koluft AOK 9 and assigned to XXXVIII Corps for Operation “Sealion” (the planned invasion of England), which was subsequently postponed. Later, 3.(H)/32 was reassigned to VIII. Fliegerkorps and on 7 December 1940 was one of several close (tactical) reconnaissance Staffeln scheduled to take part in Operation “Felix”, an abortive plan to attack and capture the British bastion at Gibraltar. The plan was cancelled and the Luftwaffe units assembled in southwestern France returned to their bases by the end of the year. A Hs 126B belonging to the Staffel was destroyed in a forced landing near Quimper in Brittany on 9 January 1941, but the whereabouts of 3.(H)/32 after this date is not known.

South Russia. (Jun 41 - Jun 42)

22.6.41: assigned to Koluft AOK 17/Army Group South for the attack on the Soviet Union that began this date. The Staffel was to support the advance of LI Corps, but operations did not begin until the latter part of July because the Corps was still being assembled.

8.41 – 9.41: moved forward with the Corps through western Ukraine and took part in the sealing off and reduction of the Kiev Pocket during September. On 8 September the Staffel reported the crash of a Fiesler Fi 156 at Nikolayev that killed both the pilot and a passenger. After the reduction of the Kiev Pocket, the Corps and Staffel advanced toward Kharkov.

10.41: reassigned to support XXXXIX Mountain Corps/1st Panzer Army for the taking of the economically important Donets Basin around Stalino.

12.41 – 5.42: based at Stalino during the winter, initially under Nahaufklärungsgruppe Pz.AOK 1, and then from around 19 April under Nahaufklärungsgruppe l. No combat losses were reported for the Staffel during the campaign in Russia, but this appears unlikely and must be due to administrative shortcomings. In May 1942 the Staffel was in support of 17th Army in the Donets Basin together with two other (H) Staffeln under NAGr. l, but it was then disbanded in early June for reasons that remain unknown. The actual disbandment was postponed for several weeks because on 1 July 1942 it filed its final strength report giving 8 x Hs 126 B-1 on hand.

FpN:3.(H)/32 (L 33960).

Staffelkapitän:

Hptm. Wolfgang Ehlers (  ? -  ? ) 8/40, 3/41

Also see:

DRÄGER, Edgar, Lt.

HEYMANN (HEYNMANN?), Siegfried von, Oblt.

KÖNIG Reinhold, Lt.

MARQUARDT, Horst, Lt./Oblt.

PANSE, Heinrich, Lt.

PATTBERG, Rudolf, Hptm.

SCHÖBITZ, Ernst, Lt.

TIEDEMANN, Dr. (med.) Werner, Stabsarzt

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

References

Aufklärungsgruppe 32

Return to Aufklärungsverbände