Aufkl. Gr. 122 Dec 1944
Dec 1944 – Approximately 14 daylight sorties were flown by Me 410s of 2(F)./122 during the month. Also FAGr. 122 received a number of Ju 188s and Me 410s from Reim.[1]
1(F)./122 is said to have transferred to Neuhardenberg/22 km W of Küstrin on the Oder, but this needs confirmation at time of writing.[2]
1 Dec 1944 – 1(F)./122 reported 5 x Me 410A-3 and 8 x Me 410B-3 on strength.
2(F)./122 reported 7 x Me 410A-3/B-3 on strength.
3(F)./122 reported 7 x Ju 188D-2, 1 x Ju 88T-1 and 3 x Ju 88T-3 on strength.
5(F)./122 reported 2 x Ju 188D-2, 5 x Ju 88D-1, 2 x Me 410A-1, 2 x Me 410A-3, 1 x Me 410B-2 and 6 x Me 410B-3 on strength.
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 1 Dec 1944 | 4(F)./122 | Ju 88T-3 | F6+FM | 330227 | Shot down by a fighter near Lodi/SE of Milan, 100%, Ofw. Erich Kramer WIA |
2 Dec 1944 – 2.(F) /122 resumed operations at midday following a three-day break – a 2 hour sortie was conducted by Me 410 F6+GK flown by Fhr. Sewald (F) and Ogfr. Wachtfeidl (Bf).
4 Dec 1944 – 2.(F)/122 sent F6+RK on a two and a half hour sortie.
9 Dec 1944 - 2.(F)/122 sent F6+VK on a two and a half hour over water sortie – the plane was crewed by Ofhr. Schiffels and Fw. Weber.
10 Dec 1944 – 2.(F)/122 sent our three sorties around midday – one photographed Livorno harbour. Aircraft F6+VK ( crewed by Uffz Wist and Uffz Rusch) and F6+MK ( crewed by Ltn. Galle and Fw Müller) were each up for approximately one hour – both returned safely. Unfortunately, the third aircraft fell foul of American P-47s, coming down near Mariana Mantovana, 6km SSW of Villafranca.[3]
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 10 Dec 1944 | 2(F)./122 | Me 410B-3 | F6+ZK | 190161 | Shot down by P-47s near Mariana Mantovana, 6km SSW of Villafranca, 100%, it’s crew of 2 – Lt Kurt Neumann (F) and Uffz Franz Meister (Bf) – were both killed.[4] |
11 Dec 1944 – Around midday a Me 410B-3 (W.Nr.190163, F6+MK, crew: Ofhr Ernst Spöntjes (F) and Fw Zielenkiewicz(Bf)) departed Ghedi for a 2½ hour sortie landing back at Villafranca. However, neither the plane nor the Bordfunker flew again. The plane’s fusalage was found at Villafranca by American forces when they arrived in April 1945.[5]
12 Dec 1944 – 2.(F)/122 sent up a two hour mission on this day, this was to be their last sortie for nine days.275
15 Dec 1944 – Me 410 (F6+MK), of 2.(F)/122, took off from Villafranca during the late afternoon. It had damaged a tyre on take-off and after a couple of circuits it landed suffering about 10% damage in the process. 275
A Ju 188 of 6.(F)/122 deployed from Villafranca to Ghedi in the morning returning the next day. 275
23 Dec 1944 – 6.(F)/122 sent a sortie on a night reconnaissance of Ajaccio harbour, the plan as noted below failed to return.[6]
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 23 Dec 1944 | 6(F)./122 | Ju 188D-2 | F6+HP | Crashed 20 km NW of Bergamo while en-route to or returning from a night recce over Corsica, 100%, crew safe. |
25/26 Dec 1944 – 6(F)./122 despatched F6+GP on a night recce flight over the Adriatic.
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 25/26 Dec 1944 | 6(F)./122 | Ju 188D-2 | F6+GP | 150533 | Reported missing overnight 25/26 Dec 1944, 4 crew MIA.Uffz. Hans Hartmann, Uffz. Georg Wilhelm Grabe, Obgefr. Hans Schnapp, Uffz. Gilbert Umbach.[7] |
28 Dec 1944 – 2.(F)/122 sent Me 410B-3 F6+GK (W. Nr. 190165) up for a short test flight – this plane was last used four weeks previously.[8]
29 Dec 1944 – 2.(F)/122 despatched F6+VK for an early sortie which lasted 2hrs. Later that day F6+GK left on a sortie, in the first 25 minutes of this sortie the crew were warned of enemy aircraft in its path, a short time later it was shot down.277
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 29 Dec 1944 | 2(F)./122 | Me 410B-3 | F6+GK | 190165 | Took off at 15.58 and failed to return - probably shot down by night fighters near Ancona, 100%, it’s crew of 2 including Ofhr Ernst Spöntjes (F) were killed.[9] |
| 30 Dec 1944 | 6(F)./122 | Ju 188D-2 | F6+EP | Crash landed 5 km S of Bergamo. 100%. 3 injured. |
31 Dec 1944 – The Gruppe strength in Italy was recorded as:-[10]
| Unit | Number of Aircraft on Strength | Number of Aircraft Servicable | Type of Aircraft |
| Stab/122 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2(F)./122 | 2 | 2 | Me 410 |
| 4(F)./122 | 5 | 5 | Ju 188D-2 |
| 3 | 2 | Ju 88T-3 | |
| 6(F)./122 | 5 | 3 | Ju 188D-2 |
Links
References
- ↑ Beale et al - p130
- ↑ LdZ - M.Holm-op cit.
- ↑ Beale et al - p135
- ↑ Wadman/Hopp – Me 410 Incidents (nb 06.01.91) aircrew names.
- ↑ Beale et al - p135
- ↑ Beale et al - p137
- ↑ HW 5 -640 – via Rod Mackenzie posted to TOCH 20101
- ↑ Beale et al - p139
- ↑ Wadman/Hopp – Me 410 Incidents (nb 06.01.91) aircrew name and wk. Nr. Also CSDIC (AIR)CMF Rep No A554(FN928)
- ↑ Beale et al - p141
- Wadman/Hopp – Me 410 Incidents (nb 06.01.91) aircrew name and wk. Nr. Also CSDIC (AIR)CMF Rep No A554(FN928)