Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps Tunis
Gen.Kdo. FliegerkorpsTunis
(FpNs: L 00420)
Kommandierender General:
Gen.Maj. Hans Seidemann (6 Feb 43 - 14 May 43)
Probable Subordination:
Luftflotte 2 (6 Feb 43 - 13 May 43)
Subordinate Units:
Fliegerführer 1 (Nord)
Fliegerführer 2 (Mitte)
Fliegerführer 1 (Süd)
Fliegerführer Gabes
Formation. (Feb 43)
Ordered formed 6 February 1943 by renaming and expanding all or elements of Stab/Fliegerführer Afrika, and became operational at Gabes/Tunisia on 12 February. As a close support (Nahkampf-) Air Corps directly under Luftflotte 2, it was assigned to engage and destroy the Allied air forces over Tunisia in cooperation with II. Fliegerkorps (Sicily), and to fly ground attack missions in support of the Axis Armies in Tunisia.[1]
Tunisia. (Feb 43 - May 43)
12 Feb 43: Stab at Gabes - on commencement of operations, exercised control over Fliegerführer Tunis (also as Fliegerführer 1 and Fliegerführer Nord), Fliegerflihrer Mitte (also as Fliegerführer 2), and Fliegerführer Gabes (later this became Fliegerführer Süd or Fliegerführer 3).
25 Mar 43: Stab now at La Fauconnerie.
4 Apr 43: Stab now at Carthage, and this may be the date it transferred.
15 Apr 43: Stab took direct command over all air units remaining in the Tunisian bridgehead this date.
13 May 43: disbanded with the surrender of Axis forces in Tunisia, but most of its senior staff officers were evacuated to Sicily before they could be taken prisoner. Ob.d.L. Berlin ordered it renamed Fliegerkorps z.b.V. this date and transferred from Sicily to Braunschweig where its final disposition would be determined.
Flugbereitschaft Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps Tunis
Formation and Losses. (Feb 43 - May 43)
Formed 6 February 1943 at Gabes from Stabskette/Fliegerführer Afrika.[2]
19 Feb 43: Fi 156 crashed while taking off from Fp. La Fauconnerie, 80%.
13 Mar 43: Fi 156 damaged during a low-level Allied attack on Fp. La Fauconnerie, 20%.
4 Apr 43: Fi 156 crash landed at Carthage, 30%.
28 Apr 43: Flugbereitschaft Gen.Kdo. Fliegerkorps Tunis at Carthage with a total of 12 Fi 156s.
9 May 43: Fi 156 shot down by Italian AA fire on Pantelleria, 100%, pilot killed.
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2023
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References
- ↑ G.Tessin-Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945. Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte; K.Mehner/R.Teuber-Die deutsche Luftwaffe 1939-1945: Führung und Truppe; K.Gundelach-Die deutsche Luftwaffe im Mittelmeer 1940-1945:533, 538, 577; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals VM3823, VM7525, VM9180; BNA HW 5/249.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); ULTRA signal ML539.