KGr.z.b.V. 50
KGr. z.b.V. 50
Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 50
(Unit Code: 9P+)
Formation. (Mar 41)
Formed approximately March 1941 using aircraft and crews from the various training schools. The place of formation has not been discovered (Berlin area?), but on 26 March the Gruppe departed Oels/30 km NE of Breslau in Silesia for Austria to take part in the forthcoming Balkan Campaign under Luftflotte 4.[1]
Balkan Campaign. (Apr 41 - Jun 41)
Apr – May 41: during the Balkan Campaign beginning on 6 April the Gruppe transported personnel, equipment and supplies from the Reich, Romania and Bulgaria to forward airfields as German forces advanced through Yugoslavia and Greece. Being assigned directly to Luftflotte 4, and not to XI. Fliegerkorps, KGr. z.b.V. 50 did not take an active part in the airborne and air-landing operations to seize the Corinth Canal and later the island of Crete.
14 Apr 41: Ju 52 crashed at Fp. Arad/NW Romania, 100%, 2 KIA and 1 WIA.[2]
3 Jun 41: based at Salonika-Sedes - during the 3-week period covering the invasion of Crete (Operation Merkur), 14 May – 3 June, KGr. z.b.V. 50 reported the loss of just 1 Ju 52 destroyed and none damaged. This was a theater loss and not directly connected to Operation Merkur.
12 Jun 41: in transfer from S-Sedes to Wels/Austria.[3]
South Russia and Crimea. (Jun 41 - Apr 43)
Jun – Jul 41: still assigned directly under Luftflotte 4, the Gruppe departed the Balkans in early June, rested and refitted briefly in Austria and/or Germany, and then moved to South Poland for the attack on the Soviet Union beginning 22 June. Its main task was to transport personnel, equipment, fuel, munitions and supplies in support of Luftwaffe air units advancing through Ukraine and to evacuate wounded from both the Luftwaffe and Heer (Army) on return flights. It had a significant allocation of freight-carrying gliders parked at Oels in Silesia as part of its equipment authorization.[4]
25 Jun 41: Ju 52 struck an obstacle near Pasanov, 40%, 2 KIA and 2 WIA.
10 Jul 41: operating from Fp. Mielec/S Poland into forward airfields in western Ukraine.
Aug 41: transferred to Lvov/SE Poland and retained this as its permanent base until January 1942, although operations were staged from airfields in western, central and eventually eastern Ukraine.[5]
11 Aug 41: operating from Proskurov/W Ukraine directly under Luftflotte 4.[6]
30 Aug 41: DFS 230 glider assigned to the Gruppe bombed on the ground at Fp. Belaya Tserkov, 80%.
15 Sep 41: Ju 52 struck the ground near Bidovichi, 100%, 3 KIA.
16 Oct 41: for forward operations, transferred from Vinnitsa to Zaporoshye.[7]
10 Nov 41: Gruppe ordered to use Proskurov as its winter base for 1941/42.[8] This order apparently rescinded later.
8 Jan 42: entire Gruppe, including the rear echelon at Lvov, transferred to Kirovograd/C Ukraine where it spent the winter.[9]
15 Feb 42: Ju 52 damaged taxiing at Fp. Kirovograd-North, 30%, 3 WIA.
25 Mar 42: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter over Kharkov on or about this date, 100%, crew safe.
18 May 42: still based at Kirovograd.[10]
Jul 42: Gruppe’s main task was to transport VIII. Fliegerkorps personnel, equipment and supplies to constantly changing airfields behind the rapidly advancing front west of Stalingrad.[11]
8 Jul 42: had moved forward to Dnepropetrovsk-South by this date.[12]
11 Jul 42: Ju 52 flew into the ground near Chuguyev/SE of Kharkov, 80%, 1 KIA and 1 WIA.
17 Jul 42: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter over Fp. Morosovskaya, 100%, 1 KIA.
23 Jul 42: Ju 52 damaged its undercarriage landing at Fp. Tatsinskaya, 75%.
29 Jul 42: Ju 52 (9P+AN) crashed and burned – location and details not reported, 100%, Gruppenkommandeur Maj. Koops + 3 all MIA.
29 Aug 42: now based at Artemovsk in the Donets Basin.[13]
6 Sep 42: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Artemovsk, 30%.
24 Sep 42: Ju 52 rammed by another aircraft landing at Fp. Artemovsk, 40%.
8 Nov 42: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Saki/C Crimea, 40%.
9 Nov 42: Gruppe reported 35(13) Ju 52s on strength.[14]
15 Nov 42: now based at Tatsinskaya directly under VIII. Fliegerkorps.[15]
17 Nov 42: Ju 52 rammed by another aircraft while taking off from Fp. Taganrog-South, 80%.
23 Nov 42: began flying the first supplies to 6. Armee surrounded in Stalingrad, although the great Stalingrad airlift operation did not officially begin until 29 November.[16]
24 Nov 42: Ju 52 shot up by AA fire near Fp. Stalingrad-Pitomnik, 20%, 1 KIA.
24 Nov 42: Ju 52 shot up AA fire on a flight from Morosovskaya to Stalingrad-Pitomnik, 10%.
28 Nov 42: 2 Ju 52s destroyed and another severely damaged (40%) during air supply operations in the Stalingrad area.
30 Nov 42: Ju 52 damaged at Fp. Tatsinskaya, 20%.
5 Dec 42: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter over Fp. Stalingrad-Pitomnik, 100%, crew safe.
22 Dec 42: parked Ju 52 rammed by a Hs 123 at Fp. Bagerovo/E Crimea, 90%.
24 Dec 42: 3 Ju 52s blown up to prevent capture or destroyed by Russian tank fire at Fp. Tatsinskaya, all 100%.
24 Dec 42: 2 Kl 35s belonging to the Gruppe fell into enemy hands during the evacuation of Fp. Salsk.
26 Dec 42: Ju 52 shot up by AA fire near Stalingrad-Pitomnik, 30%.
31 Dec 42: Ju 52 collided with the ground and crashed while on flight from Stalingrad-Pitomnik to Salsk, 80%, crew of 4 + 10 troops all WIA.
5-9 Jan 43: Ju 52 reported destroyed and 2 severely damaged (50% and 60%) at Stalingrad and Salsk, 1 MIA and 2 WIA.
15 Jan 43: now based at Fp. Sverevo/85 km SE of Voroshilovgrad.[17]
17 Jan 43: 2 Ju 52s bombed on the ground during Russian air attack on Fp. Sverevo, both 100%.
31 Jan 43: 2 Ju 52 crashes at Fp. Taganrog.
Feb 43: transferred to Mariupol and still assigned to VIII. Fliegerkorps. Took part in air supply missions to German forces holding the Kuban bridgehead on the Taman Peninsula in North Caucasia.[18]
11 Feb 43: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter at Slavanskaya (Slavyanskaya?), 100%, 2 crew WIA and 2 soldiers KIA.
19 Mar 43: Ju 52 damaged undercarriage landing at Fp. Samorsk/28 km NW of Kerch in E Crimea, 25%.
19 Mar 43: Ju 52 damaged taxiing at Fp. Bagerovo/E Crimea, 25%.
29 Mar 43: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter SE of Kerch, 100%, 1 crew WIA, 1 soldier KIA and 2 more soldiers WIA.
Apr 43: departed Crimea during the first half of April and returned to Germany.
13 Apr 43: at Schwerin/Mecklenburg resting and refitting.[19]
22 Apr 43: Ju 52 crashed at St. Marco – Oginano (not located. Italy?), 75%, 1 injured.
1 May 43: ordered renamed II./TG 3 as part of the general reorganization of the air transport branch.
FpNs:Gruppenstab (L 36308)
Kommandeur:
Obstlt. Werner Krahl (Mar 41 - ? )
Maj. Hasso von Prince ( ? - ? ) 6/41, 1942
Maj. Heinrich Koops (1942 - 29 Jul 42) MIA
Maj. Otto Baumann ( ? - 1 May 43) 1/43
Also see:
ALTER, Hermann, Oblt. Staka 2./KGr.z.b.V. 50.
BACHER, Friedrich, Lt./Oblt. Wa.Offz.
BARTHA, Ernst, Lt. Beobachter.
BELZ, Josef, Oblt. Staka 4./KGr.z.b.V. 50.
BERGNER, Karl, Reg.Insp. KIA as passenger.
BETHKE, Otto, Oblt.
BLEY, Erich, Hptm.
ELLERMANN, Kurt, Hptm.
HARDT, Walther, Maj. Staka.
KEDING, Karl, Hptm.d.R.
KERN, Karl, Ofw.
KOLB, Fritz, Fw.
KRECKER, Lothar Bernard, Lt.
LANGE, Fritz, Oblt. MIA.
MEYER, Erwin, Oblt. Staka 3./KGr.z.b.V. 50.
RUNZE, Ernst, Oblt.
SCHWERDTFEGER, Helmut, Oblt. KIA.
WIRTH, Ernst, Lt. KIA
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).
(1st Draft 2022)
References
- ↑ G.Tessin-Tes; W.Green-Warplanes of the Third Reich:411; N.Kannapin-Feldpostübersicht; BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 20/281-84.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
- ↑ BNA HW 5/19.
- ↑ BNA HW 5/19.
- ↑ RL 20/281-84-op cit.
- ↑ NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-405 roll 49, frame 856.
- ↑ RL 20/281-84-op cit.
- ↑ PRO London: AIR 40/1980.
- ↑ PRO London: AIR 40/1975.
- ↑ AIR 40/1975-op cit.
- ↑ J.Prien et al-I./JG 3:229.
- ↑ AIR 40/1968.
- ↑ AIR 40/1965.
- ↑ J.Hayward-Stopped at Stalingrad:247.
- ↑ F.Morzik-German Air Force Airlift Operations:183.
- ↑ F.Morzik-op cit.
- ↑ G.Tessin-op cit.
- ↑ G.Tessin-op cit.
- ↑ PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents derived from ULTRA and “Y” Service intercepts.
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