5.(H)/32
5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 32
Code: (V7 + )
Formation and Training. (Apr 40 - May 40)
Formed mid-April 1940 (new) at Weimar-Nohra with Henschel Hs 126s. On completion of formation and workup, transferred to Daigny/4 km NE of Sedan in NE France between 24 and 28 May.[1]
West - Air Offensive Against England. (Jun 40 - May 41)
28.5.40: flew reconnaissance support for 71. Inf.Div. as it advanced from Sedan to Nancy.
1.7.40: transferred from Nancy to Etaples, to Faches/Picardie and then to St.-Inglevert.
13.8.40: based at St.-Inglevert and Le Touquet on the Channel coast under Stab/Aufkl.Gr.30 with 9 Hs 126s. According to one source, since stated to be incorrect, the Staffel was equipped to lay smoke screens in conjunction with the planned invasion of England that was later cancelled, but another source, this one said to be correct, maintains that it was assigned as an air rescue unit, presumably to search for German crews shot down during the Battle of Britain. From its base at St.-Inglevert, the Staffel continued flying air-sea rescue search missions to 1 December 1940.
9.11.40: Hs 126 damaged at Flers in Picardie - no details, 50%.
11.11.40: Hs 126 landed at St.-Inglevert in the Calais area shot up, probably by enemy fighters, 25%.
Dec 40: personnel released for home leave.
Jan-Feb 41: training, possibly in the Metz/France area.
24.2.41: the Staffel’s assignment to XXXXVIII. Armeekorps (mot) at Bad Schandau near Dresden established this date for the forthcoming invasion of the USSR.
17.4.41: Staffel ordered to transfer from the Dresden area to Oels and was there by 28 April and still there on 8 June.
30.4.41: Bücker Bü 131 force landed near Karlstadt/NW of Würzburg, 20%.
South Russia. (Jun 41 - Dec 43)
22.6.41: Bug River area in southeast Poland under Koluft Panzergruppe I/Army Group South for the attack on the Soviet Union this date - assigned to support XXXXVIII. Armeekorps (mot) along a line of advance via Brody/W Ukraine - Uman Pocket (3 August) - Kremenchug - Kiev Pocket (16 September) - Bryansk (6 October - and now part of the forces assigned to Panzergruppe 2) - Kursk area and then forward to the line Kastornoye-Yelets-Yefremov (November) as part of the attack on Moscow.
26.6.41: Oblt. Herbert Rehfeldt reported missing on a recce mission, but he later returned.
28.9.41: Hs 126 (V7+5D) failed to return from a recce in the Panzergruppe 2 area, 100%, 2 MIA.
15.11.41: Oblt. Fritz Bartelt WIA by enemy fire at Fp. Shchigry/50 krn ENE of Kursk.
19.12.41: based at Orel - Hs 126 (V7+5A) failed to return (FTR) from a recce mission over Novosil/80 krn E of Orel, 100%, 2 MIA.
8.1.42: based at Fp.Kursk.
2/42: Kursk under Koluft AOK 2 - Staffel engaged in daily reconnaissance flights over the Livny-Tim-Stary Oskol area.
18.3.42: many of the ground personnel had been used earlier for a Luftwaffen-Gefechtsverband that was sent to defend the airfield at Anissowo-Gorodischtsche along with ground personnel of 5.(H)/11 and 3.(H)/21, all of which came under Gruppenfliegerstab 32. The Staffel reported heavy casualties while manning defensive positions in the nearby village of Troitzkyj (Troitskiy – not located) this date.
29.3.42: still at Kursk.
7.5.42: Kursk.
20.6.42: Staffel reported 12(9) Hs 126s on strength.
6.7.42: Hs 126 (V7+BL or 3L) from 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 32 (NAGr. 10) failed to return from a reconnaissance mission over the Livny area/south-east of Orel, 100%, crew of 2 MIA.
7.7.42: Hptm. Rudolf Mitscherlic WIA at Livny Makov.
10.7.42: Kursk area under Nahaufklärungsgruppe 10.
16.8.42: Hs 126 (V7+5N) FTR - no details, 100%, Hptm. Franz Lehmann (observer) + 1 MIA.
9.42 – 11.42: location unknown, but had probably been withdrawn from operations for a long overdue rest and refit since the Staffel had been in continuous action from June 1941. This may have occurred in the rear area of Lw.Kdo.Don (Kursk, Konotop, etc.). At least one uncorroborated source places it at Fp. Kantemirovka during this period.
14.12.42: Hs 126 shot up by AA-fire and crash landed at Fp. Stary Oskol, 40%.
18.12.42: 3 Hs 126s intentionally destroyed to prevent capture by the advancing enemy at Fp. Kantemirovka/60 km SSE of Rossosh.
22.12.42: Hs 126 crashed north of Fp. Stary Oskol due to ground fog, 100%, Oblt. Hans Zengel (observer) + 1 killed.
5.1.43: Hs 126 (VE+NL) shot down by a Russian fighter near Chertkovo/54 km NNW of Millerovo, 100%, Oblt. Karl Kramer (observer) KIA and 1 MIA.
16.1.43: Hs 126 (4E+LL) FTR from the Chertkovo-Kantemirovka area, 100%, 2 MIA.
31.1.43: still in the Lw.Kdo.Don area - Staffel reported 9(2) Hs 126s on strength.
2.43 – 5.43: location unknown, but probably resting and refitting after heavy losses along the Don front. The Staffel reported no aircraft on hand during most of this period and that almost always indicates that it turned over it remaining Henschels to other units in February and the personnel then returned to Germany by train for leave. After home leave, they would have reassembled at an air base in the Reich, re-equipped with new aircraft and then returned to the front.
28.5.43: Hs 126 (V7+5H) shot down by a fighter in Planquadrat 61442 (Kharkov- Belgorod area), 100%, Oblt. Erich Gosta (observer) + 1 MIA.
31.5.43: Hs 126 B-1 (V7+5K) shot down by AA-fire SE of Belgorod, 100%, Hptm. Wigbert Allitsch (pilot) + 1 MIA.
6.43: from this date on, all Staffel losses were reported under the NAGr. to which it was assigned, in this case, under NAGr. 6 in the Belgorod-Kharkov area.
7.43: Staffel supported the German offensive along the Kursk salient that began on 5 July.
1.8.43: Staffel reported 15 x Hs 126 B-1 on strength.
8.43: withdrew from operations around mid-August and returned to Germany for conversion to the Bf 109G.
1.12.43: renamed 1./NAGr. 14 on or about this date (date of change in the Feldpost directory was 17 December 1943).
FpN:5. (H)/32 (L 35128).
Staffelkapitän:
Hptm. Erich-Arndt Sieckenius (c. Feb 41 - Mar 42)
Hptm. Hans Artur Franz Anger (10 Mar 42 - ? ) 7/42
Hptm. Werner Christoph Schüle (Sep 42 - ? ) 4/43
Also see:
ALLITSCH, Wigbert, Hptm.
BACHMANN, August, Lt. (?)
BARTELT, Fritz Reinhold Max. Otto, Oblt.
BAUMANN, Uwe, Lt./Oblt.
DELP, Heinz, Oblt.
DRÄGER, Edgar, Lt.
GERTZ, Gerhard, Lt.
GOSTA, Erich, Oblt.
HOFFMANN, Dr. Sigmund, Lt.
HÜTTLINGER, Ernst, Oblt./Hptm.
KAPFF, Siegfried, Oblt.
KÖNIGSEDER, Josef (Joseph), Oblt.(Kr.O.)
KRAMER, Karl-Heinz, Oblt.
KRONEMANN, Karl-Heinz, Lt.
LAUTH, Werner, Lt.
LEHMANN, Franz, Hptm.(Tr.O.)
MASTALLER, Viktor, Lt.
MEYER, Artur, Oblt.
MITSCHERLIC (MITSCHERLICH?), Rudolf, Hptm.
MÜLLER-GROTTE, Gottfried, Oblt.
OBERSTE-LEHN, Ernst-Hermann, Lt.
REHFELD, Herbert, Oblt.
SCHLÜTER, Friedrich-Wilhelm, Lt.
ZENGEL, Hans, Oblt.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress).
(1st Draft 2021)
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; PRO (BNA) London AIR 40/1975, 40/1984; 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 – Karlsruhe Collection: decimal K113.309-3/v.1; NARA WashDC, RG 242. Microcopy T312 roll 1156, roll 1196/f.276, T-313 roll 89/f.234; Balke-KG 2 Teil I:407.