I./TG 5

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I./TG 5


Formation. (May 43)

Formed 1 May 1943 at Pomigliano/13 km NE of Naples with a Gruppenstab, Stabsstaffel and 1 – 3. Staffel by renaming I./KG z.b.V. 323. Each of the flying components had an authorized allowance of 6 Me 323 transports for a total of 24.[1]


Italy. (May 43 - Jul 43)

6 May 43: Me 323 (KD+QR) blew up in the air while in-flight to the east of Ancona/Italy - sabotage suspected, 100%, 9 crew killed plus 6 passengers killed.[2]

10 May 43: Me 323 bombed on the ground at Fp. Trapani/W Sicily, 100%, 1 KIA and 2 WIA.

20 May 43: 4 Me 323s shot down by P-40 fighters from 325th FG over Fp. Villacidro/Sardinia and then the crash sites bombed, all 100%, 4 KIA and 10 WIA.

22 May 43: Me 323 bombed on the ground at Fp. Trapani, 100%.

22 May 43: Me 323 shot down into the sea by a fighter, 100%, 5 crew MIA and 4 WIA, plus 3 Army passengers KIA.

30 May 43: 3 Me 323s bombed on the ground at Fp. Pomigliano, all 100%.

5 Jun 43: Gruppe flew supplies of bombs from Fp. Pratica di Mare/28 km SSW of Rome to Fp. Castel Vetrano/Sicily under heavy escort by Ju 88C-6s from 10./ZG 26.[3]

16 Jul 43: 4 Me 323s bombed on the ground at Fp. Pomigliano, all 35%.

17 Jul 43: Me 323 bombed on the ground at Fp. Pomigliano, 100%.

18 Jul 43: Me 323 crashed while landing at Fp. Pistoia/32 km NW of Florence, 60%.

21 Jul 43: Me 323 severely damaged while landing at Fp. Pistoia, 50%.

21 Jul 43: Me 323 bombed on the ground at Fp. Grosseto, 70%.

26 Jul 43: 2 Me 323s shot down by fighters in the Cape Rera area, both 100%, 8 KIA and 10 WIA.

5 Aug 43: Me 323 damaged taxiing at Fp. Venafiorita (a.k.a. Olbia/Sardinia), 45%.

Aug 43: departed Italy and transferred to Leipheim/S Germany to rest, refit and re-equip.


Germany. (Aug 43 - Oct 43)

7 Aug 43: at Leipheim with one Staffel detached at Istres/S France.[4]

Sep 43: elements or individual aircraft from the Gruppe possibly at Pistoia and Pisa with Geschwaderstab and II./TG 5.[5]

17 Oct 43: 1. Staffel Me 323 force landed near Radinow (Radinovy)/47 km S of Pilsen (Plzeň) in W Czechoslovakia, 35%, 1 injured.

28 Oct 43: still at Leipheim.[6]

Nov 43: transferred from Leipheim to Warsaw.[7]


Poland, South Russia, Romania and Hungary. (Nov 43 - Aug 44)

12 Dec 43: Gruppe transferred from Kirovograd to Uman and still operating from there on 9 Jan 44.[8]

1 Jan 44: all or elements now at Biała Podlaska/E Poland.[9]

14 Jan 44: elements possibly at Nikolayev.[10]

29 Feb 44: Me 323 (C8+DF) force landed in Poland and later blown up to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

11 Mar 44: at Warsaw.[11]

20 Mar 44: Me 323 (C8+EE) crashed near Ottyn (Poland, but not located), 85%.

22 Mar 44: Me 323 (C8+BF) crashed on the Eastern Front - no details.

4 Apr 44: at Zilistea/15 km NE of Buzău in C Romania.[12]

9 Apr 44: Me 323 (C8+CG) lost in operations in the East - no details.

15 Apr 44: Me 323 (C8+BE) crashed at Fp. Belgrade-Zemun - no details, 85%.

16 Apr 44: Me 323 bombed on the ground during U.S. raid on Fp. Belgrade-Zemun, 5%.

17 Apr 44: Me 323 (C8+AE) bombed on the ground at Belgrade-Zemun, 20%.

28 Apr 44: transferred from Romania to Kecskemét/78 km SE of Budapest this date.[13]

9 May 44: Me 323 crashed at Fp. Balomir/14 km SW of Sebeš in C Romania, 85%.

14 Jun 44: 2 Me 323s (incl. C8+AF) strafed on the ground during a U.S. raid on Fp. Kecskemét.

23 Aug 44: Gruppenstab with 1. – 3. Staffel at Kecskemét.[14]

25-29 Aug 44: took part in the air evacuation of German troops from Romania. The following summary of losses very likely includes figures for II./TG 5.On the second day of hostilities between Germany and Romania (25 August), one Me 323 landed near the city of Alba-Julia and the crew was taken prisoner.

26 Aug 44: two Me 323’s were shot down by Romanian fighters from Grupul 7; two Me 323’s were shot down by Romanian AA fire near Ploesti; and one Me 323 was damaged by mortar fire at Targsorul Nou airfield.

27 Aug 44: three Me 323’s were attacked by Romanian-flown Bf 109 fighters or AA fire with the following results: (1) the first force landed at 0800 hours and 66 men were captured, (2) the second also force landed and 81 men were captured, (3) and the third crash landed and was burned out on the ground. 27 Aug 44: two Me 323’s were strafed by U.S. 15th AAF Mustangs on the ground at Prossnitz airfield near Olmütz.

29 Aug 44: five Me 323’s landed in the Bucharest area during the day while four others were captured on the ground in Romania with a total of 131 soldiers on board and one other managed to get away with only 31 soldiers evacuees.

31.8.44 The German bases in Hungary and Czeckoslovakia was heavily strafed by Mustang fighters and a large number of aircraft (100+ claimed) including several Me 323s were destroyed.

30-31 Aug 44: now nearly wiped out, ordered to return to Germany and disband. Two of the Gruppe’s Staffeln with an allowance of 12 Me 323s were used in the formation of the re-established 16./TG 4 while the rest of the Gruppe went to the reorganized 15./TG 4.[15]


FpNs:Geschwaderstab (L 43683)

1. Staffel (L 52104)
2. Staffel (L 54718)
3. Staffel (L 43683)


Kommandeur:

Maj. Günter Mauss (DKG) (1 May 43 - 30 Aug 44)

Maj.d.R. Oskar Unruh, acting (24 Jan 44 - ?)


Also see:

DITTEBRANDT, Hans, Oblt.

GRACHORNIGG(GRACHORNIG?), Konrad, Oblt. Staka 1./TG 5.

JACOB, Heinz, Hptm. Staka 2./TG 5 and later Staka 3./TG 5.

MÜLLER, Heinz-Emil, Oblt. Pilot. Staka Stabsstaffel I./TG 5.

QUIETZSCH, Gerhard, Oblt. Beobachter. Staffelführer in I./TG 5.

RETTLING, Günther, Lt.(Kr.O.).

SCHLEYER, Adolf, Oblt.

STANGL, Josef Peter ("Sepp"), Hptm. Techn.Offz. I./TG 5.

VENSKY, Karl-Heinz, Lt.(Kr.O.).


© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).

(1st Draft 2022)


References

  1. ↑ G.Tessin-Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945 - Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte; J-L.Roba-“The Messerschmitt Me 323 in 1942-1943”, in Luftwaffe Verband Journal No. 5, pp.15-21 (source used throughout and not individually footnoted).
  2. ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
  3. ↑ PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal ML3633.
  4. ↑ PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents based on ULTRA and “Y” Service intercepts.
  5. ↑ Air Ministry intelligence documents-op cit.
  6. ↑ Air Ministry intelligence documents-op cit.
  7. ↑ Air Ministry intelligence documents-op cit.
  8. ↑ PRO London: AIR 40/1984.
  9. ↑ Air Ministry intelligence documents-op cit.
  10. ↑ AIR 40/1978.
  11. ↑ ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
  12. ↑ ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
  13. ↑ ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
  14. ↑ AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin P/W interrogations, ADI(K) series, microfilm rolls A5400-05, interrogation ADI(K) 622/44.
  15. ↑ K.Kössler-wer kennt sie schon!: Die Kennzeichen der Transportfliegerverbände der Luftwaffe von 1937-1945.


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