KGr.z.b.V. 211

KGr.z.b.V. 211

Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 211

(Unit Code: none)

Formation and History. (Feb 42 - Apr 42)

Formed early February 1942 with a Stab and an unknown number of Staffeln as the second of two He 111 transport groups hastily assembled by activating instructor crews and aircraft taken from the multi-engine schools. Unlike its sister group, KGr.z.b.V. 111, which was sent to the Mediterranean, KGr.z.b.V. 211 was ordered to the northern sector of the Eastern Front to supplement the urgent air supply operation being mounted for German troops cut off in the pockets at Demyansk and Kholm. Based at Riga-Spilve

in Latvia from around mid-February with He 111 P-2s and H-2s, daily supply missions were flown to the Kholm pocket until the end of March. These flights were carried out together with KGr.z.b.V. 4, and mostly involved the dropping of supply containers since the airstrip at Kholm was essentially unserviceable for larger aircraft Losses were light, only 5 reports being filed and these being predominantly Heinkels that crashed or made belly landings after being shot up in the vicinity of the drop area. There are no records of the Gruppe’s activities after 31 March 1942, but it was either disbanded at the beginning of April, with the instructor crews returning to their respective schools in Germany, or the crews and aircraft were temporarily incorporated into KGr.z.b.V. 4 at Riga-Spilve.

FpN:(L 21315)

Kommandeur:

Obstlt. Walter Erdmann (acting?) (c. Feb 42 - Mar 42)

Also see:

DIETRICH, Gerhard, Uffz. Pilot. RK.

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

(1st Draft 2022)

References

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