5. Seenotstaffel
5. Seenotstaffel
(Unit Code: 5W+ - assigned Mar 44)
Formation. (Jun 40)
Formed June 1940 at either Norderney or List/Sylt with List as its intended home station. The date of formation is based on circumstantial evidence and requires confirmation. At least one secondary source states that it was formed a full year later. Equipped with He 59s. Initially assigned to Seenotzentrale (L) Nord.[1]
North Germany and Norway. (Jun 40 - Aug 44)
25 Jul 40: He 59 belonging to Seenotflugkdo. 5 crashed while taking off from Norderney, 100%.[2]
17-18 Nov 40: Staffel at List/Sylt with a Kdo. (detachment) at Aalborg (Ålborg)/N Denmark - lost a He 59 on 17 November to British naval AA fire in an engagement over the North Sea, the aircraft crashing on return to List.[3]
11 Mar 41: He 59 shot down by a Lockheed Hudson near Esbjerg/SW Denmark, 100%, crew rescued.
28 Apr 41: Staffel reported 12 x He 59s and 10 crews on strength.[4]
15 Jun 41: He 59 crashed while taking off from List, 100%.
1 Sep 41: transferred from List to Stavanger-Sola See in SW Norway and assigned to Seenotzentrale (L) norwegischen Westküste.[5]
15 Apr 42: Stavanger-Sola See with He 59s.[6]
1 May 42: Staffel reported 5 x He 59D/E, 3 x Do 24 T-1, 1 x Do 24 T-2 and 1 x He 115B on strength.[7]
Jun 42: now under Seenotbereichskdo. VIII (ex-Seenotzentrale (L) norw.Westküste).
18 Aug 42: Stavanger-Sola See with He 59s and Do 24Ts.[8]
10 May 43: Fw 58 B-2 force landed at Arendal/S Norway due to bad weather, 80%.
14 May 43: Do 24 forced to ditch in the North Sea due to an engine fire, 100%, crew rescued.
13 Jun 43: Do 24 shot down into the sea southwest of Haugesund/SW Norway, 100%, 5 KIA and 1 WIA.
5 Jul 43: Fw 58 accidently shot down by a German patrol boat at Kristiansund/C Norway, 100%.
25 Jul 43: Fw 58B crashed in Sognefjord/c. 80 km N of Bergen, 100%, 1 KIA.
5 Aug 43: He 59 force landed in the North Sea, 100%, crew rescued.
18 Sep 43: Staffel transferred from Stavanger-Sola See to Tromsø/N Norway.[9]
21 Oct 43: following the transfer, had 2 Do 24s at Tromsø, 1 Do 24 at Billefjord, 2 Do 24s at Kirkenes and 2 Do 24s at a fourth (illegible) location in N Norway.[10]
30 Apr 44: at Tromsø and Kjevik with 8 Do 24s and 4 Ar 196s. The Ar 196s were often detached during the summer months and used for rescue work in swampy areas in Finland.[11]
31 May 44: Tromsø with 9 Do 24s and 4 Ar 196s.[12]
19 Aug 44: Tromsø with 11 Do 24s - renamed Seenotstaffel 51 of Seenotgruppe 51 this date.[13]
FpN:(L 14226)
Staffelkapitän:
Hptm. Franz Westphal (c. 1 Aug 41 or 1 Oct 41 - c. 1944)
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2024
References
- ↑ Dierich-VdL:283-97; N.Kannapin-Feldpostübersicht; M.Holm-website ww2.dk.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
- ↑ J.Foreman-Battle of Britain: The Forgotten Months, November and December 1940:107; Private correspondence from K.Maesel to H.L.deZeng, 1991-93.
- ↑ F.Kurowski-Seekrieg aus der Luft: Die deutsche Seeluftwaffe im Zweiten Weltkrieg:92.
- ↑ F.Kurowski-op cit:176; NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-77 OKW document.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: Flugzeug-Bereitstellungen (Aircraft Availability Status Reports – FzB) in: M.Holm-website (ww2.dk).
- ↑ ADM 223/OIC-SI – op cit.
- ↑ Jet & Prop magazine, Heft (issue) 3/1995:8.
- ↑ Jet & Prop-op cit.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart (“Aufmarsch die fliegende Verbände” order of battle map for this date); K.Maesel correspondence-op cit.
- ↑ RL 40/Kart-op cit.
- ↑ D.Jung/B.Wenzel/A.Abendroth-Die Schiffe und Boote der deutschen Seeflieger 1912-1976:195-96.
Return to Seenotdienstverbände