KGr.z.b.V. 172
KGr. z.b.V. 172
Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 172
(Unit Code: 4V+)
Formation. (Oct 41)
Formed October 1941 by renaming I./KG z.b.V. 172, possibly at Riga-Spilve/Latvia, with a Gruppenstab and 1. – 4. Staffel. Equipped with Ju 52 transports and assigned to Qu./Luftflotte 1 until 30 November 1941.[1]
North Russia and Mediterranean. (Oct 41 - Jun 42)
2 Nov 41: Ju 52 crashed near Riga/Latvia due to engine failure, 15%.[2]
24 Nov 41: Ju 52 crashed near Salamis (Koulouri)/c. 32 km W of Athens due to engine failure, 100%, crew safe.
5 Dec 41: one Staffel was based at Athens-Tatoi. It is not known if the entire Gruppe eventually redeployed from Latvia to the Mediterranean during December, but this appears unlikely.[3]
20 Dec 41: Ju 52 crashed near Heraklion (Iraklion)/Crete, 100%, 3 killed.
28 Dec 41: Gruppe based at Riga-Spilve and remained there through May 1942.[4]
11 Jan 42: Ju 52 for landed near Lyudyatino/120 km NE of Pskov in N Russia, 100%.
12 Feb 42: formally assigned to the Demyansk airlift operation this date, although the Gruppe had been active to the east of Pskov in the Lake Ilmen area since December.[5]
14 Feb 42: Fi 156 belonging to the Gruppe crash landed at Pskov, 25%.
23 Feb 42: Ju 52 (4V+ED) shot down near Demyansk, 100%, Gruppenkommandeur Maj. Hammer + 4 all MIA.
2 Mar 42: operating into the Demyansk pocket using Pskov-South as a forward airfield.[6]
16 Apr 42: Ju 52 damaged taxiing at Bonn-Hangelar, 10%.
4 May 42: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter near Demyansk, 100%, 1 WIA.
12 Jun 42: Ju 52 force landed near Dno/96 km E of Pskov.
Jun 42: withdrew to rest and refit for a month and a half, probably in Germany.
South Russia. (Jul 42 - Mar 43)
30 Jul 42: 2. Staffel (at least) based at Stalino in the Donets Basin.[7]
4 Aug 42: Ju 52 returned to Kremenchug/C Ukraine after being shot up by AA fire, 5%, 1 KIA.
29 Aug 42: Gruppe based at Stalino.[8]
23 Sep 42: Ju 52 (4V+ET) transported aircraft parts from an equipment depot at Sagan-Küpper in Silesia to Fp. Frolov-West near Oblivskaya on the front west of Stalingrad, and is typical of the missions flown by the Gruppe at this time.[9]
25 Sep 42: Ju 52 damaged taxiing at Fp. Stalino, 30%.
15 Oct 42: Gruppe still at Stalino.[10]
18-20 Oct 42: all or elements transferred from Stalino to Taganrog/60 km west of Rostov and assigned to Luftgaukdo. Rostow for operations, mainly in North Caucasia.[11]
23 Oct 42: Ju 52 bombed on the ground during Russian air attack on Fp. Maikop/N Caucasia, 100%.
15 Nov 42: 1. and 2. Staffel began transferring from Taganrog to Palermo/Sicily to transport personnel and supplies to Tunisia. The rest of the Gruppe was supposed to follow a little later, but the Russian Stalingrad counteroffensive on 19 November put an end to the plan. A day or two following the attack the Gruppenstab, 3. and 4. Staffel returned to Stalino-North.[12]
4 Dec 42: Ju 52 shot down at Kotluban/NW of Stalingrad, 100%, 5 KIA.
8 Dec 42: Ju 52 destroyed at Stalingrad-Pitomnik - cause not reported, 100%.
11 Dec 42: Ju 52 (4V+ET) shot down west of Lampione Is. in the C Mediterranean between Malta and Tunisia, 100%, 4 MIA.
16 Dec 42: operating from Fp. Tatsinskaya-South to the west of Stalingrad.
18 Dec 42: Ju 52 bombed on the ground at Stalingrad-Pitomnik, 100%.
19 Dec 42: 1. and 2. Staffel withdrawn from the Mediterranean and rejoined the Gruppe in Russia, the movement being completed this date.[13]
22 Dec 42: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Stalino-North, 80%.
24 Dec 42: 2 Ju 52s destroyed and 3 others severely damaged (40% to 50%) at Fp. Tatsinskaya during a Russian raid on the airfield.
29 Dec 42: 2 Ju 52s shot down by fighters over Fp. Basargino/22 km WSW of Stalingrad, both 100%.
30 Dec 42: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Basargino, 100%.
Jan 43: Gruppe moved from Stalino-North to Fp. Sverevo/85 km SE of Voroshilovgrad during the first half of January and then transferred to Salsk/165 km ESE of Rostov to around the end of the Stalingrad airlift (2 Feb 43).[14]
4 Jan 43: Ju 52 crashed and burned at Fp. Basargino, 100%, 3 KIA and 3 WIA.
8 Jan 43: Ju 52 crashed and burned at Fp. Stalingrad-Pitomnik, 100%, 4 KIA.
11 Jan 43: Ju 52 crashed at Stalingrad-Pitomnik due to iciing, 80%.
17 Jan 43: 3 Ju 52s bombed on the ground at Fp. Sverevo, all 100%.
Feb 43: withdrew to Mariupol/SE Ukraine in late January or early February where the Gruppe refitted and received replacement aircraft under VIII. Fliegerkorps. This was completed around mid-February and KGr.z.b.V. 172 was then assigned to the Kuban airlift into North Caucasia, particularly the Taman Peninsula.[15]
16 Feb 43: Ju 52 (G8+FH) reported missing on flight from Fp. Gorlovka/96 km SW of Voroshilovgrad to Fp. Bagerovo/E Crimea, 100%, 4 MIA.
22 Feb 43: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Simferopol/Crimea, 20%.
27 Feb 43: Ju 52 flew into the ground south of Pimorski (not located) and burned, 100%, 3 KIA and 1 WIA.
1 Mar 43: Ju 52 struck an obstacle while on a flight from Dnepropetrovsk to Kerch, 100%, 5 KIA.
7 Mar 43: 2 Ju 52 accidents reported at Fp. Mariupol/SE Ukraine.
23 Mar 43: Ju 52 bombed on the ground at Fp. Poltava/E Ukraine, 45%.
26 Mar 43: Ju 52 (1Z+KR) reported missing on flight from Kharkov to Pavlograd, 100%, 3 KIA and 1 WIA.
Germany and Central Mediterranean. (Mar 43 - May 43)
26 Mar 43: ordered from South Russia to Ludwigslust/N Germany to rest and refit after suffering 60% losses in the Stalingrad and Kuban airlift operations.[16]
18 Apr 43: at Ludwigslust - began transporting elements of the Division General Göring from France to Italy.[17]
20 Apr 43: Ju 52 crashed landed at Fp. Trapani/W Sicily, 45%.
20 Apr 43: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Capua/30 km NNW of Naples, 50%.
27 Apr 43: Ju 52 damaged taxiing at Fp. Capua, 25%.
28 Apr 43: Gruppe transferred from Ludwigslust to Capua with 37 Ju 52s and assigned to KG z.b.V. “N” for supply operations into Tunisia. Staging through Sicily, all flights were made between dusk and dawn with crews frequently flying two round trips a night.[18]
30 Apr 43: Ju 52 (4V+MV) reported missing on flight from Tunis to Fp. Capua, 100%, 4 MIA.
1 May 43: renamed IV./TG 3 with effect from 15 May.[19]
FpN:Gruppenstab and 1. – 4. Staffel (L 09727)
Kommandeur:
Maj. Walter Hammer (Oct 41 - 23 Feb 42) MIA
Maj. Erich Zähr (23 Feb 42 - 1 May 43) 8/42
Also see:
AHRENS, Paul, Lt.
ANDRESEN, Hansi, Oblt. Pilot.
BANKER, ? , Lt. KIA.
BASEN, Karl, Lt.
BITTER, Heini, Lt. KIA.
BÖNNING, Hermann, Oblt.
EHRHARDT, Fridemar, Oblt.(Kr.O.)? Pilot.
GROSSE, ? , Hptm. Staka 4./KGr.z.b.V. 172.
KRÄUSSEL, Oskar, Ofw. KIA.
KUNZE, Hans, Hptm. Staka 3./KGr.z.b.V. 172.
MÜLLER, Werner-Karl, Hptm. Staka 2./KGr.z.b.V. 172. POW.
NIEMANN, Heinz, Oblt. Staka 2./KGr.z.b.V. 172.
PETERS, ? , Oblt. Pilot.
RISCH, Paul, Maj.
WEISE, ? , Oblt. Pilot.
WINT, ? , Oblt. Pilot.
ZIEGLER, Armin, Lt.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).
(1st Draft 2022)
References
- ↑ N.Kannapin-Feldpostübersicht.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
- ↑ PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
- ↑ ULTRA signal CX/MSS/942/T16 and CX/MSS/897/T18; PRO London: AIR 40/1981; NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-311 (Heeresgruppe Nord) microfilms; F.Morzik-German Air Force Airlift Operations.
- ↑ F.Morzik-op cit.
- ↑ RG 242/T-311 (Heeresgruppe Nord) microfilms.
- ↑ AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC AFHQ A.32.
- ↑ AIR 40/1982.
- ↑ AIR 40/1970.
- ↑ AIR 40/1982.
- ↑ CSDIC AFHQ A.18; F.Morzik-op cit:183.
- ↑ CSDIC AFHQ A.32; AIR 40/1996.
- ↑ AIR 40/1982; PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents.
- ↑ AIR 40/1982; CSDIC AFHQ A.18.
- ↑ CSDIC AFHQ A.32; G.Tessin-op cit.
- ↑ ULTRA signal ML616; interrogation reports CSDIC AFHQ A.18 and CSDIC AFHQ A.32; AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents.
- ↑ CSDIC AFHQ A.18.
- ↑ ULTRA signal ML616; CSDIC AFHQ A.18; AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents.
- ↑ N.Kannapin-op cit.
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