DEFE 3/16

DEFE 3/16 covers the period between 27th December 1943 and 1st Jan 1943– however, some information related to dates outside this period.

In the page below are some notes/summaries gleaned from the pages of DEFE 3/16 I hope that these are of assistance to any fellow researchers.

The link to DEFE 3/16 at the national archives is here.

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” (e.g. 176) - 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 – example see page 168 refers to Flivo 29 Panzer Grenadier Division.
3. Code “Yoke” appears to refer to “Y” service.

Page	Date of event	Notes
332	26/12/43	Strength returns for Stab./NAGr 12; 2./NAGr 12; IV./JG27 and SG 151
319-320	27/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost view on deployment of Parachute troops in Croatia.
318	27/12/43	Flifue Croatia unchanged recce orders for 28/12/43
314	26/12/43	(27/12/43) Strength and location of 3./126
306	27/12/43	(FliFue) Albania – intentions, strength and movements. I./LG 1 to Eleusis; 1./NAGr 12; 8./ JG 27; 1./JG 27; I./ LG 1; 13(?)./SG 151; Adriatic staffel(?) + status of airfields.
302	27/12/43	Luftflotte 2 orders for 28/12/43.
300	27/12/43	Flifue Croatia – recce results no unit mentioned.
299	27/12/43	And 26/12/4 – strength returns for III./JG 27 and IV./JG 27
291	27/12/43	Orders to 3./126 re AS patrol and escort for four Ju 52s.
286	28/12/43	Flifue Luftflotte (2) – orders re “battle” recce etc.
285	26/12/43	10 Me 109 left Villafranca for an airfield in NE Italy.
280	24/12/43	Borovo occupied by Croat Air Force.
278-9	27/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost – situation report – various sorties. Recce sorties by Ju 88s and patrols by Ar 196s.
267	27/12/43	Flifue Luftflotte (2) – sorties to 17.30 hrs
265	27/12/43	Fliegerdivision 2 – Ju 88 recce sorties including one for 1(F)./33. Also Ar 196 sorties Toulon and Marseilles Bay.
254	27/12/43	Flifue Croatia – Mre 109 and Ju 87 sorties.
253	27/12/43	3./126 and 4./126 strength returns.
248	26/12/43	Subordination of Koflug 7/VI to Flifue Albania cancelled
236	28/12/43	FliFue Luftflotte 2 intentions for 29/12/43
226	28/12/43	FliFue Luftfltte (2) ops report.
224	27/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost wished to know if Plevlja could be kept free of guerillas for a Schlacht Gruppe.
194	26/12/43	Me 109s arrived Villafranca from Woerishofen may have been I./ JG 4.
178-9	27-28/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost night operations. Ar 196; Ju 52; Ju 88 and Me 109. Also contains supplementary data for 24/12/43
175	29/12/43	FliFue Luftflotte 2 - Intentions for 30/12/43
172	28/12/43	Strength returns for III./JG 27 and IV./ JG 27
160	17/12/43	(?) NAG 12 requested replacements for lost Me 109s. Including two shot down on 05/12/43 and 17/12/43.
158	29/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost orders for Flifue Albania for 30/12/43 recce unchanged; Met Recce Bari and Brindisi. Flifue croatia for 30/12/43 unchanged.
157	29/12/43	Flifue Luftflotte (2) photo recce of centre and left wing of 14 Pz Korps broken off due to weather and technical difficulties.
147	29/12/43	Flifue Albania intentions for 30/12/43.
132-133	29/12/43	Western Med and Med sorties.Me 410 of ?(F)./122 sortie along east Coast of Corsica and to Perugia. Also Me 410 recce of Tyrranian Sea from Perugia. 11 Ar 196s on close escort sorties.
122-125	29/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost – Ju 88 recce sorties; Ar 196s; 1./NAGr 12; Ju 88 escort for convoy; Ar 196 escort for Ju 52s. Additional info regarding effort on 27/12/43. Flifue Croatia on 29/12/43 unspecified task carried out by unknown number of aircraft. Some sorties by IV./JG 27.
117	29/12/43	4./126 and III. & IV./ JG 27 strength.
104	24/12/43	Koflug Agram – report on airfields occupied by Luftwaffe around Agram. Status regarding Bombs and fuel. 28/12/43 – 8./JG 27 single Me 109 trasfered from Albania to Kalamaki. Strenth return 1./ NAGr 12. Reference to Adriatic Staffel (?)
100	28/12/43	X Fliegerkorps requested preparations to be made by FliFue Albania for possible return landing by night of Ju 88 on airfields that could handle night landings.
94	30/12/43	IV./JG 27 low level attack against shipping vicinity of Hvar.
93	30/12/43	Flifue Luftflotte 2 intentions for 31/12/43.
79	30/12/43	Flifue Luftflotte 2 intentions for 31/12/43
61	30/12/43	Flifue Luftflotte (2) operations to 16.00 hrs
60	29-30/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost operations – recce and night recce.
59	30/12/43	Fliegerdivision 2 – Ar 196 sorties Toulon and Marseilles. 4 Ar 196 close escort. (F)./122 sortie
40	31/12/43	Aircraft arriving Lavarano from Germany
39	30/12/43	Strength return of 3./126
29	30/12/43	9./ JG 53. III./ JG 53 transferred to Villaorba (?) on or about 24/12/43.
8	31/12/43	Base detachment of I./JG 53
6	31/12/43	Intentions Luftflotte 2 – includes orders for Westa 26 for 1/1/44
2	31/12/43	Luftwaffenkommando Süd-Ost – intended photo recce of Bari not carried out. Photo recce of brindisi carried out but could not be interpreted.

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