5.(H)/12
5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 12
(Code: (H1 + )
Formation and Training. (Jan 41 - May 41)
Formed January 1941 at Antwerpen/Belgium with Henschel Hs 126s using assets taken from 1.(H)/12, although the date ordering the Staffel’s formation may have been several months before, possibly in November 1940.[1]
29.1.41: Fw 189 crashed near Nellingen while crew on retraining course, 100%, 1 killed.
14.3.41: Hs 126B-1 force landed near Griesheim, 50%.
5/41: Staffel departed Antwerpen for the East during the second half of May 1941.
Central Russia. (Jun 41 - May 42)
22.6.41: Białystok area/NE Poland under Koluft AOK 4/Heeresgruppe Mitte for the attack on the Soviet Union this date, and assigned to support XIII. Armeekorps along a line of advance toward Minsk, then Mogilev - Roslavl - Bryansk. An unconfirmed source places the Staffel at a forward strip in the vicinity of Kreczewo/NE Poland, but this place name is misspelled and cannot be located on maps.
7.41: used the airfields at Slonim/140 km E of Białystok and then at Orsha during the second half of July.
22.7.41: Fw 189A-1 failed to return (FTR) from operations in the Mogilev area - no details, 100%, 3 MIA; aircraft coded (H1+BN).
8.41: used the airfields at Bykhov/42 km S of Mogilev and then at Gomel-South during the second half of August.
26.9.41: Fi 156 taxied onto a mine at Fp. Seshchinskaya/40 km SE of Roslavl, 25%.
10.41: at Seshchinskaya-East (a.k.a. Radichi).
1.11.41: Staffel now based at Karachev/75 km WNW of Orel and now under Koluft Panzergruppe 2 in support of the advance on Moscow.
22.11.41: Fi 156 destroyed in crash landing at Fp. Bryansk, 90%.
23.11.41: Bü 131 destroyed at Fp. Bryansk due to engine fire, 100%.
6.12.41: 5.(H)/12 is believed to have departed Russia for the West around this date with rest of Koluft Panzergruppe 2 to rest and completely re-equip with Fw 189s. The initial stopover was at Dęblin-Irena/97 km SSE of Warsaw.
West. (Jan 42 – May 42)
1.42 – 3.42: personnel granted holiday leave and then reassembled at Antwerpen-Deurne to begin re-equipping and preparing for the 1942 campaign in Russia.
1.3.42: Staffel reported 6 x Fw 189A-1 on strength.
3.4.42: Staffel addressed at Fliegerhorst Antwerpen-Deurne.
7.4.42: Fw 189A-1 reported damaged at Fp. Antwerpen-Deurne due to engine trouble, 10%.
4.5.42: Fw 189 hit obstacle near Antwerpen and crashed, 100%, 2 killed and 1 injured.
c.17.5.42: Fw 189 crashed near Fp. Neuruppin in Germany due to engine failure, 100%, 3 injured.
South Russia. (May 42 - Feb 43)
22.5.42: Fw 189 reported engine trouble at Fp. Rovno/W Ukraine, 10%. This quite clearly took place during the transfer of the Staffel back to Russia.
23.5.42: Staffel being assigned to the Kursk area under NAGr. 16 to provide recce support to 4. Panzerarmee during the opening of the German summer offensive toward the Don at Voronezh.
31.5.42: Fw 189A-1 crash landed at Fp.Konotop, 25%.
1.7.42: Fw 189 FTR from recce flight east of Kursk, 100%, 2 KIA.
25.7.42: Fw 189 shot up and destroyed by a fighter near Morosovskaya/WSW of Sta1ingrad, 90%, 1 WIA and 1 MIA.
8.42: at Aksay/93 km SSW of Stalingrad and then moved south to Elista in the Kalmuk Steppe area that borders the Caspian Sea - flew recce for 16. Inf.Div. (mot) which attempted to push across the steppe to the Caspian in the vicinity of Astrakhan.
1.10.42: Staffel reported 2 x Fw 189A-1, 4 x Fw 189A-2 and 3 x Fw 189A-3 on strength.
10.42: now at Yashku1/E of Elista. There 9.42 to 11.42 in support of 16. Inf.Div.
15.10.42: a Staffe1 ground mechanic WIA in Russian bombing at Yashkul.
30.11.42: Oblt. Josef Kreutzer (observer) WIA by an attacking fighter at Utta.
12.42 – 2.43: at Gigant/13 km WNW of Salsk and then Rostov under NAGr. 16. Some sources place it at Kuteinikovo/125 km NW of Rostov during Jan and Feb 43 under NAGr.14 and then NAGr.2.
1.1.43: Staffel had just 4 x Fw 189A-2 remaining on strength.
22.2.43: decimated following the brutal fighting during the past three months around Sta1ingrad, turned in all remaining aircraft and transferred to Jesau/East Prussia with elements of NAGr. 2 to convert to the Bf 109G.
1.3.43: renamed 2./NAGr.2 on or about this date.
FpN:5.(H)/12 (L 42239).
Staffelkapitän:
Hptm. Seel ( ? - ? )
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2021
References
- ↑ J.-P.Défieux - Répertoire des Unités Aériennes de la Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Reconnaissance Aéronavale (Nanterre, privately published, n.d. (c 1988-90?); 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; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-312 roll 1660/066); (T-313 roll 93/486ff, roll 95/025); PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence reports and lists based on ULTRA, “Y” Service intercepts, captured documents and PoW interrogations; 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); AFHRA Maxwell decimal Karlsruhe Collection KC-Kl13.309-3/ v.1; Leyendecker Letter, 23.4.1993.