KGr.z.b.V. 106

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KGr. z.b.V. 106

Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 106

(Unit Code: 4V+)


Formation. (Mar 40)

Formed on or about 15 March 1940 at Uetersen/Schleswig-Holstein using crews from the multi-engine FFS C schools and Ju 52s temporarily taken from the Regierungsstaffel, the Flugbereitschaft des RLM, FFS C 4, FFS C 8, FFS C 10 and a few others. The Gruppe was intended to be a provisional formation for use in the forthcoming occupation of Denmark and Norway (Operation Weserübung) that commenced on 9 April 1940.[1]


Denmark, Norway, West and Germany. (Mar 40 - Apr 40)

9 Apr 40: Uetersen assigned to X. Fliegerkorps.[2]

10 Apr 40: began supply flights from Uetersen and Hamburg to Stavanger, Kristiansand and Oslo in South Norway and then from 21 April to Trondheim in Central Norway. In the first two days of the operation, the Gruppe lost just 1 Ju 52 destroyed and 1 damaged while ferrying soldiers from II./Inf.Rgt. 193 to Stavanger/Norway.

1/2 May 40: Gruppe lost 10 Ju 52s destroyed and 23 damaged during a disastrous night raid on Oslo-Fornebu by 6 RAF Whitley bombers. Left with only 9 serviceable transports, the Gruppe had to borrow planes from KGr. z.b.V. 105 and 107 so it could continue operating in Norway.

7 May – 9 Jun 40: operating from Trondheim, dropped paratroops and supplies to Kampfgruppe Dietl at Narvik.

10-16 Jun 40: flew transport missions to Bardufoss and Tromsø in northern Norway.

17 Jun 40: departed Norway and transferred to Braunschweig.

23 Jun – Jul 40: underwent an overhaul of its aircraft at Braunschweig, transported paratroops on practice jumps and flew routine courier missions within Germany.

4 Jul 40: 2 Ju 52s struck by bombs during an RAF raid on Fp. Brussels-Evere and destroyed, both 100%, 4 KIA.[3]

Aug – Oct 40: moved to Köln-Butzweilerhof and flew missions to France and Belgium in support of Luftflotte 2 bomber and fighter units.

15-30 Oct 40: Gruppenstab transferred to Gutenfeld/East Prussia, 1. and 3. Staffel returned to Braunschweig to fly courier missions, and 2. and 4. Staffel moved to Insterburg/East Prussia to help BFS 7 train student crews in instrument flight.

26 Nov 40: Ju 52 crash landed on a flight from Schwerin to St-Omer, 20%.

Dec 40 – Mar 41: nothing worth mention found.


Balkan Campaign. (Apr 41 - Jun 41)

Apr 41: several aircraft and crews from 3. Staffel at Braunschweig-Waggum ordered temporarily to Italy in late March/early April to transport supplies to North Africa.[4]

May 41: entire Gruppe assembled at Braunschweig-Waggum at the beginning of May.

12 May 41: Gruppe (less 1. Staffel) transferred to Dadion, a primitive landing ground in a river valley 135 km NW of Athens, while 1. Staffel was ordered sent to Athens-Tatoi on 7 May and then to the island of Rhodes where it flew supplies and passengers to Syria and Iraq in support of Sonderverband Junck. Equipped with 10 Ju 52s, the Staffel was informally known as “Transportstaffel Rother” after its Staffelkapitän Hptm. Erhard-Harry Rother. The rest of the Gruppe transported paratroops for the airborne and air-landing assault on Crete that began on 20 May (Operation Merkur). From 14 May to the conclusion of the campaign on 3 June, the Gruppe lost a total of 9 Ju 52s with a further 12 moderately to severely damaged.[5]

12 Jun 41: departed Dadion and returned to Braunschweig-Waggum to rest and refit.


North and Central Russia. (Jun 41 - Apr 42)

23 Jun 41: assigned to Luftflotte 1 and ordered to Gutenfeld/East Prussia to transport ammunition, fuel and rations to Panzergruppe 4 advancing toward Daugavpils and Pskov, and evacuate wounded on the return flights.[6]

28 Jun 41: Ju 52 crashed at Kedainiai/C Lithuania due to pilot error, 40%.

10 Jul 41: began using Kaunas/Lithuania as a forward airfield as the German advance drove rapidly east.

16 Jul 41: 2 men from the Gruppe WIA at Pskov while flying supplies into the airfield there, which had been taken by the Germans just a few days before.

28 Jul 41: 2. Staffel Ju 52 ran out of fuel and force landed near Pskov.

1 Aug 41: Gruppe moved forward from Kaunas to Daugavpils and then to Ostrov on 11 August to support the advance toward Lake Ilmen and Leningrad.[7]

4 Sep 41: transferred from Ostrov via Königsberg to Oels/Silesia for rest and refit, many of the Ju 52s requiring urgent servicing.

25 Sep 41: returned to operations and ordered to Prowehren/East Prussia. Supported the advance on Moscow that commenced on 2 October, flying supplies into Orsha, Smolensk and other airfields on the central sector of the front.

28 Sep 41: took part in the airlifting of a Fallschirmjäger-Rgt. (paratroop regiment) and its equipment from rear assembly areas to forward airfields near Leningrad, particularly Lyuban. Also transported mines from Prowehren to Lyuban and returned with wounded.[8]

8 Oct 41: transferred from Prowehren to Orsha-East and then to Smolensk at the end of October or beginning of November and assigned to Luftflotte 2.[9]

11 Oct 41: 4. Staffel Ju 52 shot up and crashed at Fp. Orsha, 40%, 2 WIA.

18 Oct 41: Ju 52 (4V+DS) crashed at Velikiye Luki, 100%, crew safe. Also, several 4. Staffel crash landings at Fp. Smolensk were reported.

20 Nov 41: moved to Seshchinskaya to transport fuel to the armored spearheads driving rapidly toward the southwestern approaches to Moscow. From the end of November, the Gruppe came directly under VIII. Fliegerkorps.[10]

25 Nov 41: 1. Staffel Ju 52 shot down at Selmechnogorsk, 100%, Staffelkapitän Hptm. Gerhard Stellmacher WIA plus 2 KIA.

19 Dec 41: returned to Smolensk where aircraft maintenance services were better. For the next two months the Gruppe flew ammunition, fuel and supplies to the troops deployed in defensive positions east of Smolensk and brought out the wounded, frost-bitten and sick on the return flights.

12-18 Jan 42: 4 Go 242 gliders belonging to the Gruppe were lost at Sukhinichi/NE of Roslavl.

23 Jan 42: Ju 52 destroyed by enemy fire at Fp. Shikovka/SW of Yukhnov, 100%.

25 Jan 42: 2. Staffel Ju 52 bombed on the ground during enemy raid on Fp. Smolensk-North, 100%.

11 Feb 42: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Smolensk-North, 50%.

Feb 42: ordered from Smolensk to Vitebsk at the end of February, but the mission remained unchanged.

12 Mar 42: at Vitebsk.[11]


Conversion in Germany, South Russia. (Apr 42 - Nov 42)

15 Apr 42: departed Vitebsk and transferred to Hagenow in Mecklenburg where it turned in its Ju 52s and began converting to the new twin-engine Go 244 tactical transport, which in reality was little more than a powered version of the Go 242 glider.

27 Apr 42: Go 244 crash landed at Fp. Stendal, 15%.

22 Jun 42: conversion training completed, transferred via Kraków, Lvov and Proskurov to Kirovograd/C Ukraine with some 38 Go 244s and assigned to transport operations on the southern sector of the Eastern Front.

22 Jun 42: Go 244 reported damaged at Fp. Hagenow due to engine trouble, 10%.

12-13 Jul 42: 4 Go 244 crashes reported at Poltava, Kursk and Kharkov, including 2 at 100%.

Jul 42: from mid-July operated from Zaporozhye, Kherson and Kharkov to mid-August.

26 Jul 42: Go 244 crashed at Zaporozhye, 20%.

28 Jul 42: Go 244 crashed at Fp. Mariupol, 100%, 3 KIA and 1 WIA.

13 Aug 42: Go 244 belly-landed at Fp. Lvov/SE Poland, 10%.

16 Aug 42: returned to Kirovograd.[12]

24 Aug 42: Go 244 crash-landed at Politska, 40%, 3 WIA.

26 Sep 42: Go 244 crash-landed at Fp. Zaporozhye, 30%.

13 Oct 42: Go 244 crash-landed at Fp. Mariupol due to engine failure, 70%, 2 WIA.

2 Nov 42: departed Kirovograd and returned to Germany, mainly to Gotha, Diepholz and Oldenburg, where the Go 244s were turned in. They have proven to be woefully underpowered, unable to fly on one engine and highly susceptible to enemy ground fire.


Germany and Central Mediterranean. (Dec 42 - May 43)

Dec 42: from December to the end of February 1943, many of the Gruppe’s crews were attached to other transport units and flew during the Stalingrad airlift in South Russia.

Jan 43: KGr. z.b.V. 106 listed at Diepholz/40 km NNE of Osnabrück without aircraft.[13]

17-18 Mar 43: KGr. z.b.V. 106 transferred without aircraft to Naples-Capodichino on or about this date and re-equipped with 53 Ju 52s taken over from the disbanded KGr.z.b.V. ''Frankfurt'' and Wittstock, both located at Naples. A few days after arriving, began transport missions from Naples-Capodichino to Tunisia under KG z.b.V. “N”.[14]

23 Mar 43: Ju 52 damaged landing at Fp. Bizerte/Tunisia, 60%.

5 Apr 43: 5 Ju 52s (Incl. 4V+AC) shot down by fighters in the Tunis area, all 100%, 2 KIA, 4 WIA and 9 MIA. Same date, 4 Ju 52s bombed on the ground at Fp. Trapani during an afternoon raid on the airfield by 28 B-17s and 16 P-38s, all 100%, 1 KIA and 2 WIA.

10 Apr 43: 2 Ju 52s (4V+EN, FP) shot down by fighters in the Tunis area, both 100%, 8 MIA.

10-12 Apr 43: 2. Staffel, operating from Pomigliano near Naples, made several transport flights to Trapani and Tunis with Ju 252 (DF+BQ), possibly borrowed from Lufttransportstaffel 290.[15]

13 Apr 43: 2 Ju 52s bombed on the ground at Fp. Trapani, both 100%.

17 Apr 43: Ju 52 (4V+HP) failed to return from a flight to Tunis, 100%, 4 MIA.

18 Apr 43: 3 Ju 52s (H2C, H3H, H4C) FTR from a flight to Tunis, all 100%, 3 KIA, 4 WIA and 4 MIA.

18 Apr 43: 2 Ju 52s (incl. 4V+KS) shot down by fighters in the Tunis area, both 100%, 3 KIA, 1 MIA and 3 WIA.

28 Apr 43: Ju 52 rammed by another aircraft at Naples-Capodichino, 50%.

30 Apr 43: moved from Naples-Capodichino to Vibo Valentia/66 km NE of Messina during the second half of April.[16]

1 May 43: ordered renamed III./TG 2 with effect from 15 May.[17]

15 May 43: at Vibo Valentia with 15 Ju 52s in operation and another 11 in reserve.[18]


FpNs:Gruppenstab and 1. – 4. Staffel (L 35817, L 37517)



Kommandeur:

Hptm. Heinz Alewyn (c. 15 Mar 40 - 15 Aug 40)

Maj. Hugo Stolt (acting?) ( ? - ? ) Apr 40

Hptm./Maj. Kurt Handke (16 Aug 40 - Oct 40)

Maj.d.R. Peter Ingenhoven (acting) (17 Oct 40 - Dec 40?)

Maj. Otto Babekuhl (DKG) (20 Dec 40 - c. Apr 42)

Hptm. Hass (acting?) (Jun 41 - Jul 41)

Obstlt. Hugo Stolt (c. Apr 42 - c. Mar 43)

Maj. Walter Hornung (RK) (c. Mar 43 - 15 May 43)



Also see:

BERSCHWINGER, Hans, Oblt.

BETIN, Dr.(rer.pol.) Walter, Lt. Beobachter.

BIEDERMANN, Martin, Oblt.

BISCHOFF, ? , Hptm. Staka 1./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

BOESCH, Karl, Lt.

BORDELLÉ, Walter, Lt./Oblt.

CRAMER, ? , Lt. WIA.

DIETZE, Karl-Willy, Oblt.(Kr.O.).

EID, Robert, Lt.d.R. KIA.

ENGLER, ? , Lt. KIA.

FISCHER, Johannes, Maj.

FRIEDRICH, Gerhard, Lt. (RK) Pilot.

GERSTENKORN?, Albert, Hptm. Pilot.

GIEBELER(GIEBLER?), Ewald, Lt.(Kr.O.). Beobachter. WIA.

GÖSSEL?, Hans von, Hptm. Pilot.

GUNDLFINGER, Friedrich-Anton, Hptm. Pilot. Staka 4./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

HAGEMANN, Günter, Oblt. Pilot.

HANNEMANN, Ralf, Lt. WIA.

HILSENBECK, Klaus, Lt./Oblt.

HOFFMANN, Günther, Hptm. Staka 4./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

HÖHMANN, Heinrich, Oblt.d.R. MIA.

INGENHOVEN, Peter, Hptm.d.R. Staka 3./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

JESCHKE, Franz, Lt. Pilot.

KAINEDER, Leopold, Hptm.d.R.z.V.

KARGL, Ludwig, Lt.(Kr.O.).

KOHL, Georg, Lt. MIA.

MEINHOLD, Joachim, Oblt.d.R. MIA.

MOOG, Jakob-Heinrich, Hptm. MIA (POW).

PINAGEL, Oskar, Maj. Staka 1./KGr.z.b.V. 106?

PLIEFKE, Helmut Erich, Lt. WIA.

PUCHTA, Johannes, Oblt. Staka in KGr.z.b.V. 106. WIA.

REYMANN, Erich, Hptm. Staka 1./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

RIETHMÜLLER, Konrad, Oblt.

RISCHBIETER, Arnold, Oblt.(Kr.O.).

ROTHER, Harry (Harry Erhard), Hptm.d.R. Staka 1./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

SARNITZ, Franz, Oblt. Staka 1./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

SCHULZE, Johann, Lt. WIA.

SEIDLER, Gert, Lt. KIA.

SEIPP, Karl, Lt.(Kr.O.).

SLUZALEK, Paul, Oblt.d.R. Pilot. Staka 3./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

STELLMACHER, Gerhard, Hptm. Staka 2./KGr.z.b.V. 106 then Staka 1./KGr.z.b.V. 106. WIA.

VETTER, Erich, Lt.d.R.

WENNER, Arnulf (Karl-Arnulf), Oblt. Staka 3./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

WICHELHAUS, Heinz, Oblt. Staka Stabsstaffel/ KGr.z.b.V. 106, then Staka 3./KGr.z.b.V. 106.

WREDE, Reinhold, Oblt.d.R. Staka 1./KGr.z.b.V. 106.



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

(1st Draft 2022)


References

  1. ↑ K.Kössler-“Die Kampfgruppe zbV 106”, a 3-part article in Jet & Prop magazine, Heft (issue) 2/2002 (p. 46-51), 3/2002 (p. 46-50), 4/2002 (p. 48-56) [Note: unless otherwise indicated in a separate footnote, everything in this unit history comes from this outstanding article].
  2. ↑ G.Tessin-Tes; C.Shores et al-Fledgling Eagles:239.
  3. ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
  4. ↑ BNA HW 5/10.
  5. ↑ The Loss Reports give 7 Ju 52s destroyed and a further 20 damaged; Jet & Prop magazine, Heft (issue) 3/1991; C.Shores et al-Air War For Yugoslavia, Greece, and Crete 1940-41:337, 364, 375, 388.
  6. ↑ Flugzeug magazine, Heft (issue) 6/1995:52-53.
  7. ↑ PRO London: AIR 40/1975.
  8. ↑ AIR 40/1968, 1976, 1979.
  9. ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 20/288-92; AIR 40/1979.
  10. ↑ NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-312 roll 166, frame 526.
  11. ↑ AIR 40/1986.
  12. ↑ AIR 40/1975.
  13. ↑ G.Tessin-op cit.
  14. ↑ PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents, including A.I.3(E) study of the German Air Force transport organization in the Mediterranean dated 10 May 1943; G.Tessin-op cit; K.Kössler-Transporter – wer kennt sie schon!: Die Kennzeichen der Transportfliegerverbände der Luftwaffe von 1937-1945:25.
  15. ↑ AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC AFHQ A.28.
  16. ↑ PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal ML785.
  17. ↑ G.Tessin-op cit; N.Kannapin-Feldpostübersicht.
  18. ↑ ULTRA signal ML1120.


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