DEFE3/129

DEFE3/129 covers the decryption period between 12th January 1944 and 15th January 1944 – however, some information relates to dates outside this period.

In the page below are some notes/summaries gleaned from the pages of DEFE 3/129 I hope that these are of assistance to any fellow researchers.

The link to DEFE 3/129 at the national archives is here should you need to refer to it.

To download the notes as a pdf document click here

Note the date of the event refers to a date in the message not necessarily the date of the message.

Flifue = FliegerFührer

Note –

1. Number of pages refer to “GAF sightings” - these are for the most part not included in the summaries below as they do not refer to specific aircraft types or units.
2. Flivos of Divisions are also not included below
3. Code “Yoke” appears to refer to “Y” service.
4. Times are direct from the message i.e. Zulu time.

Page	Report	Date of event	Notes
302	VL3766	12/01/44	JG 27 strength as at 11/01/44 – Stab: 3 (1 serviceable); IV Gruppe (Skoplje): 7 (4 serviceable; IV Gruppe (Mostar): 25 (21 serviceable)
301	VL3767	12/01/44	According to Flifue Croatia on 11/01/44 – when weather suitable IV./JG 27, less one staffel of 12 aircraft, to transfer to Skoplje and be subordinated on arrival to Stab./JG 27. Ground personnel will be ferried over by air transport.
291	VL3775	12/01/44	Western Med recce sorties for 11/01/44 - one Ju 88 from 07.30 hrs Z to 09.45 hrs Z clockwise flight around Tyrrhenian Sea. 2nd Fliegerdivision – one Ju 88 from 02.37 hrs Z to 08.35 hrs Z recce results “of attack of 10/01/44”. In area of attack from 02.50 hrs Z to 08.25 hrs Z, no shipping observed. Eight Arados from 06.00 hrs Z to 16.10 hrs Z anti-submarine patrol in sea area off Toulon, no sighting. Five He 111 sea rescue search from 06.45 hrs Z to 16.10 hrs Z – dinghies sighted, at least one recovered by Do 24.
287	VL3779	12/01/44	Air recce weather permitting requested for the morning of 11/01/44 by 117 Jaeger Division.
278	VL3785	11/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost - One Ju 88 weather and sea recce from 01.00 Hrs Z to 04.15 hrs Z. 2 Ju 88 between Benghazi and Malta (?) One Ju 88 in the Ionian Sea from 06.00 hrs Z to 10.00 hrs Z. Probing recce to Alexandria – in area from 12.15 hrs Z to 15.30 hrs Z. Unspecified aircraft recce sortie to Syracuse and Malta. 6 He 46 of 1./NSGr 7 up at 14.00 hrs Z to task. 3 Hs 126 in guerilla area and eight Me 109 scrambled in Croatia.
276	VL3787	11/01/44	Visual Recce San Panorazio airfield revealed 30-50 aircraft.
275	VL3788	11/01/44	Results of recce on 11/01/44 – detailed interpretation of Augusta and Valetta showed only slight changes compared to 10/01/44. Merchant shipping tonnage in Augusta had risen to 400,000 tons.
271	VL3792	11/01/44	Strength of 4./126 – nine aircraft with six serviceable; crews eleven with nine ready.
270	VL3793	11/01/44	From 12.25 hrs Z to 13.00 hrs Z 21 Me 109 and Me 109 “Mortar” aircraft of III./JG 53 scrambled , no interception.
269	VL3794	11/01/44	Evening fuel stocks Perugia Airfield. B4 156 tonnes C3 206 tonnes Consumed 4 tonnes B4 and 5 tonnes C3. 4.5 tonnes B4 issued to Foligno.
263	VL3798	11/01/44	1./ NAG 12 14 Me 109 (8 serviceable) Total included 7 replacement aircraft between 01/01 and 10/01. Crews 14 with 11 ready.
262	VL3799	11/01/44	3./126 had 6 aircraft serviceable at Leros and 1 serviceable at Skaramanga.
260	VL3801	12/01/44	III./JG53 36 aircraft and 16 mortar on airfield Serviceable 24 aircraft and 8 mortar.
252	VL3806	12/01/44	Flifue Luftflotte 2 recce orders for 13/01/44 issued at 20.00hrs Z as ordered for 12/01/44. Priority of Photo Recce Corsica stressed. If not possible to carry out tasks for 12/01/44 then photo recce road to Venafro.
240	VL3817	12/01/44	Flifue Luftflotte 2 intentions for 13/01/44 at 18.30 hrs Z 12/01/44. Recce airfields and harbours Corsica according to weather. Photo recce and battle recce Ground attack at half hours readiness from 07.00 hrs Z for direct support of army. Fighters at readiness from first light for escort, freelance patrol and air defence.
238	VL3819	11/01/44	“Battle” headquarters NAGr 11 interpreted in spotting for artillery of unit in 76 Korps
235	VL3822	11/01/44	Evening intentions Flifue Albania for 12/01/44 were as for 10/01/44 Strength 1./NAGr 12 – Aircraft 14 (serviceable 6); crews 14, ready 10. Adriatic Staffel 1 aircraft (1 serviceable); crew 1 (available 1)
227-228	VL3828	11/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost - Total sorties 81 – including 9 recce; 32 fighters; 21 escort; 18 transport; and one misc. Recce – 2 Ju 88 photo recce airfields Nicosia and Alexandria – both broken off. 1 Ju 88 probing Alexandria. 2 Ju 88 convoy route Benghazi – Malta. 1 Ju 88 Otranto – Spartivento 2 Me 109 visual recce Pancrazio Airfield. 1 Hs 126 Karlovac area. Fighters: 32 Me 109 scrambled against Piraeus raid.Lightnings prevented aircraft attacking allied bombers. One Me 109 burnt out on landing at Tatoi. Escort – 6 Ar 196 and one JU 88 with three convoys – 07.25 hrs Z near Piskopi Island 2 Ju 88 pursued 4 B-25 without success. 3 Ar 196 A/S patrol off Heraklion between 13.30 hrs Z and 15.30 hrs Z without result. Transport – 18 Ju 52 – Greece → Crete → Corfu. Misc – 1 Ju 52 Mausi operated forenoon in Bay of Eleusis without success. Additional information regarding 10/01/44 operations 2 Me 109 recce islands south of Split 5 Hs 126 recce area south of Banjaluka to WSW of Sarajevo 5 He 46; 1 Hs 126, 2 Fiat G50 and 2 Brequet attack concentrations area Prozor – Konjika. 8 Me 109 attacked shipping off Dalmatian Islands and W/T station Brac.
226	VL3829	12/01/44	Total Operations by Flifue Luftflotte 2 8 ground atack sorties against landing craft off Tiber mouth. Subsequently reported as 18 ground attack sorties at 14.00 hrs Z on concentrations in Cerasuolo and road exits with bombs with particular high explosive effect. Later operation by II./SG 4. 75 fighter sorties on thrusts and defensive patrols over front and recce of Gulf of Saeta. One Me 109 missing after low level attack on San Pietro. 2 sorties PR and 4 sorties battle recce in front of centre and left wing 14 Korps.
208	VL3842	11/01/44	Strength Luftwaffe Rumania evening report. III./JG 77 40 aircraft with 30 serviceable. 10./JG 301 11 aircraft with 9 serviceable. 10./ NJG 6;11./ NJG 6 and 11./NJG 5 – 23 aircraft of which 18 serviceable. Other items unclear.
205	VL 3845	12/01/44	Stocks in Tonnes evening Perugia. B4 – 143 tonnes C3 – 201 tonnes Consumed B4 – 9 tonnes C3 – 5 tonnes B4 – 4.5 tonnes issued Foligno whose stocks were 22 tonnes.
193-194	VL3852	12/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost - Sorties for day was 85 including: 12 Recce; 14 fighters; 26 escort; 31 transport and 2 Miscellaneous. Recce 1 Ju 88 convoy route Benghazi – Malta. 2 Me 109 Met Recce Bari area – not carried out. 1 Ju 88 Met and Sea Recce SW of Cyprus. 1 Ju 88 Met and Sea Recce off Nile Delta. 1 Ju 88 Met and Sea Otranto – Spartivento. 6 Ar 196 Sea Recce Crete – Rhodes Fighters 2 Me 109 scrambled 6 Me 109 sweep from Kalamaki in the afternoon without contact. 4 Me 109 and 2 Rumanian IAR 80 scrambled against Allied Recce aircraft at 07.15 hrs Z without contact. Escort 6 Ju 88 and 15 Arado 196 with two convoys in Aegean. Transport 21 Ju 52, 6 Arado and 4 SE 82 Greece → Crete → Rhodes → Aegean → Croatia Misc. 2 W34 supply.
178	VL3861	13/01/44	No ops in connection with air defence by II./JG 53 during December
177	VL3862	13/01/44	Unchanged as for 13/01/44 were intentions Flifue Luftflotte evening 13/01/44 for 14/01/44
173	VL3865	13/01/44	Luftwaffe sighted 10.15 hrs Z in position 3717,1005 E six large ships, slow speed.
171	VL3867	13/01/44	Luftwaffe sighted 07.30 hrs Z in position 3937, 1915 E one submerged submarine – unknown if Allied or Axis.
170	VL3868	13/01/44	Flifue Luftflotte intentions for the 14/01/44 – support of defensive battle of 10 Armee on demand. II./SG4 to operate from Littorio. I./JG53 and 1./JG4 air defence from first light, recce of airfields and harbours of Corsica and battle recce according to orders. On 09/01/44 signals station of I./ JG77 was closing down owing to transfer.
162	VL3874	13/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost – intentions for that night and 14/01/44. Photo recce of Malta, Port Said, Alexandria and Tobruk. Photo Recce harbours and airfields Apulia – weather permitting. Offshore Otranto- Spartivento.
160	VL3876	13/01/44	Flifue Luftflotte ordered late preparations for 14/01/44 If weather unsuitable for photo recce, for visual recce along roads Pozzili – Aqua Fondata, Pozzili – Filignano – San Biagio.
156	VL3880	13/01/44	Flifue Luftflotte – no operations in the morning due to ground mist. 57 fighters scrambled 10.40 hrs Z against approaching allied formations in Rome area. One Me 109 collided with a Lightning. Further details unavailable a units landed on ALGs. 16 Fw 190 took off for alternative airfield before the Allied attack. No further operations except fighters owing to continuous Allied attacks., scramble and transfer to ALGs.
138	VL3892	11/01/44	(Indications) JG 27 interested in Fighter Control Post Pojuristi (could be Bojurishte near Sofia).
127	VL3900	8-9/01/44	2 Officers and 304 men of I./JG 5 left Ploesti South for Sofia Vrasdebna by train.
126	VL3901	11/01/44	GAF Rumania strength return. Various codes and figures for total strength and serviceable items. Allied interpretation of units involved.
117	VL3909	13/01/44	Perugia evening fuel state B4 – 136 tonnes – consumed 6 tonnes C3 – 195 tonnes – consumed 4.5 tonnes.
115	VL3911	13/01/44	Orders by Stab./JG53 unnamed Gruppe to sent advanced detachment by rail to Aviano to report on arrival to Jafu Upper Italy.
114	VL3912	13/01/44	Fliegerdivision 2 – one Ju 88 06.30 hrs Z to 11.30 hrs Z security recce. Two Ar 196 from 08.00 hrs Z to 10.45 hrs Z security recce and anti-submarine patrol area Toulon- Marseilles as far as 42.40 N. Two Ar 196 from 13.15 hrs Z to 16.00 hrs Z security recce and anti-submarine patrol area Toulon- Marseilles as far as 42.40 N. Italian Area – one of “strong indications” Aufklgr (F). 122 offshore Civitavecchia to Naples. one of “strong indications” Aufklgr (F). 122 Tyrrhenian Sea recce. Unspecified aircraft of II./SG4 operated against “American Formation”.
111	VL3915	13/01/44	Flifue Croatia 10.30 hrs Z Operation “Putrid” began according to plan. After weak guerilla resistance Praznica already taken at midday.
99	VL3923	14/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost issued recce orders for 15/01/44 to Flifue Croatia – patrol of “enemy occupied islands and shipping traffic in the area” Battle recce connected to operations against guerillas.
91	VL3930	14/01/44	II./JG27 Wiesbaden operated on 11/01/44 claiming six Liberators, one Fortress and one Thunderbolt shot down, and two Liberators shot out of the formation.
89	VL3932	14/01/44	(Fair indications) Rome (Fiorentino?) again operational. Landing only on marked off runway. Bomb craters and unexploded bombs on landing area, not night serviceable.
88	VL3933	14/01/44	Recce orders for Flifue Albania 15/01/44 issued late 14/01/44. Met recce in area Bari- Brindisi to investigate photo recce and attack by Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost bombers. Photo Recce Bari and Taranto harbours and four engined bomber airfields in Apulia in that order of priority.
85-86	VL3935	14/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost orders for Fliegerkorps X - Photo Recce Port Said. For concentration of Allied naval forces, ( especially aircraft carriers) and landing craft formations. All serviceable high altitude Ju 88 to operate, if necessary several times, day and night screening of Dodecanese towards the Nile Delta to pick up the approach of shipping formations. Probing recce of shipping route Malta – Port Said for carrier group and observation of Allied shipping traffic. Observation of Turkish territorial waters and photo recce of Castelorizo for Allied Naval Forces. Offshore Otranto – Cape Spartivento. Flifue Albania - Met recce Bari-Brindisi to investigate possibility of photo recce for attack by Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost bombers. Photo recce Bari and Taranto harbours, airfields of four engined bombers in Apulia in that priority. Flifue Croatia - Observation of occupied islands and local shipping, battle recce in connection with anti-guerilla operations.
80	VL3938	14/01/44	20.00 hrs Z intention Flifue Luftflotte for 15/01/44 unchanged as for 14/01/44
73	VL3945	14/01/44	Bombing attack 10.00 hrs Z to 11.00 hrs Z on Mostar airfield, bomb carpet over landing area, three or four hangers and one fuel dump on fire, airfield unserviceable for landing. At alternative airfield, Mostar South about 8 bombs, airfield serviceable for landing. Above according to ARC Sarajevo on afternoon of 14/01/44. Information 19.00 hrs Z same day – Mostar 3 dead, eight injured, buildings (strong indication on airfield) 40% damaged, electricity works destroyed, on landing area only narrow strip clear.
71	VL3947	14/01/44	NAGr 11 ordered late 14/01/44 to transfer to Fabrica (Fabrica di Roma) with all aircraft to operate from there until Marcigliana is serviceable. Unit will no longer use Littoria airfield.
66	VL3951	14/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost considering the protection of Sofia with Me 109 night fighters (Bright Night Fighting?). JG 27 asked to state its views on employement of Me 109 night fighters after thorough training.
62	VL3954	14/01/44	JG 53 gave following as serviceable. Airfield Ciampino North, Airfield Fabrica and Viterbo and one other. Pilots advised to avoid overcrowding as impossible to give previous notification of airfield serviceability.
60	VL3956	14/01/44	Flifue Luftflotte intentions late 14/01/44 for 15/01/44 II./SG4 to be at half hour readiness after transfer back from Viterbo. Harbour recce Corsica.
53	VL3961	13/01/44	Adriatic Staffel Albania transferred to Skaramanga with one Arado. Serviceability of 1./NAGr 12 (evening) – 10 serviceable of 14. 10 ready of 14. 14/01/44 – 1./NSGr 7 at Banjaluka under orders to transfer immediately two He 46 to Zara, weather permitting.
49-50	VL3964	14/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost intentions 20.15 hrs Z 14/01/44 for night 14-15/01/44 and 15/01/44 X Fliegerkorps – Photo recce Malta, watch on shipping in Eastern Medand along southeast Italian coast. Night and day screening of Dodecanese in the direction of the Nile Delta, observation of Turkish territorial waters for allied naval forces. Bomber operations, weather permitting, against Allied harbours in Italy, Albania: Apulian Harbours and airfields. Croatia: support for army against guerillas, particularly for taking of Brac, attacks on guerilla shipping in Vis area. Rumania – protection of oil area. Bulgaria – defence, main effort Sofia. According to Panzer Army 2 at 22.30 hrs Z 14/01/44 Brac apparently “cleared of enemy”.
41	VL3969	14/01/44	3./126 (strong indication) to have three Ar 196 at readiness dawn 15/01/44 for recce against light Allied naval units.
40	VL3970	13/01/44	Evening GAF Rumania total strength. First figure total, second serviceable. Able – 40; 33 Baker 12;11 Charlie 23; 19 Dog 1;1 Easy 10;5 and 2;1 Comment – for suggested interpretation see VL3901
30	VL3976	14/01/44	Flifue Luftflotte 2 evening 14/01/44 ordered recce 15/01/44 of heavy traffic on road reported by ground observations.
24	VL3981	14/01/44	Early, Field Luftgau learned new railway station for motorised ammunition issuing station was Giuglianello near Velletri. Alternative Artena-Valmontone.
22	VL3983	13/01/44	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost – evening- operational orders for 14/01/44 X Fliegerkorps bombers according to weather against Allied occupied harbours on Italian East Coast. And east Sicilian coast. Flifue Croatia - ground attack with fighter escort if weather suitable on supply depots and military targets on Vis. Secondary support of army against guerillas.
13	VL3990	14/01/44	Perugia fuel in tonnes B4 received 11 consumed 9; stocks 138 C3 issued to Viterbo 45, consumed 5, stocks 146
7	VL3995	14/01/44	Western Med sorties. One Me 410 Gaeta Gulf – Capri from 11.15 hrs Z to 13.00 hrs Z (possible 14.01.44 Me410 F6+QK Gilger/ Steinke 12.08 14.08 742 Feindflug from Starkladde) Offshore mouth of Tiber to Ischia by unspecified aircraft 06.15 hrs Z to 07.15 hrs Z. One Ju 88 of Westa 26 up at 16.30 hrs Z for recce of the West Coast of italy. Two Arado of Fliegerdivision 2 security recce and anti submarine patrol Toulon area – 14.00 hrs Z to 16.15 hrs Z. 13/01/44 – Fliegerdivision 23 – Ju 88 between 3 and 8 degrees east to 40 degrees north 18.45 hrs Z to 23.30 hrs Z 2 Ar 196 Toulon area 14.00 hrs Z to 16.15 hrs Z.
2	VL4000	13/01/44	Return by JG 27 Nisch evening 13/01/44 Stab./JG 27 Aircraft 3 serviceable 3; pilots 5 ready 3. I./JG5 part detachment Aircraft 4 serviceable 4; pilots 4 ready 4. III./JG 27 Aircraft 12 serviceable 11; pilots 12 ready 12. IV./JG 27 (detachment at Skoplje) Aircraft 7 serviceable 5; pilots 12 ready 2 IV./JG 27 (Mostar) Aircraft 23 serviceable 18; pilots 23 ready 23. Return made to Luftwaffe Mission Bulgaria.

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