Luftverkehrsgruppe Rangsdorf
Luftverkehrsgruppe Rangsdorf
Formation and History. (c. Jun 41 - Oct 44?)
Formed about June 1941 at Berlin-Rangsdorf as Luftverkehrsstaffel Rangsdorf under Luftverkehrsgruppe Berlin. Equipped with Ju 52s for auxiliary transport duties assigned by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) in Berlin. Also had at least one Ju 90 (including the V4 coded KH+XA) at the time of formation or shortly thereafter. It is not known when it was upsized from a Staffel to a Gruppe, but it was not before 1943 and probably not until 1944.[1]
Germany. (c. Jun 41 - Oct 44)
Aug – Sep 41: set up a glider-towing component that was temporarily known as Nottransportstaffel Rangsdorf (Emergency Transport Staffel Rangsdorf). During fall 1941 the component towed gliders for GS-Kdos. 1 and 4 in Russia. Other elements of the Staffel were detached in Greece and used to transport personnel and supplies to North Africa.[2]
2 Jan 42: Ju 52 damaged landing at Fp. Ohlau/28 km SE of Breslau, 40%.[3]
Feb – Apr 42: Staffel aircraft and crews took part in the Demyansk airlift operation in North Russia, ferrying in troop reinforcements and bringing out badly wounded, and flew missions to re-supply the Kholm garrison.
15 Apr 42: Ju 52 (1Z+BK) shot down near Kholm while flying supplies to the surrounded garrison there, 100%, 2 KIA, 2 MIA and 1 WIA.
7 Oct 42: Ar 79 crash landed at Fp. Paris – Le Bourget, 55%, 2 senior engineering officers of the Luftwaffe both injured.
20 Dec 42 Ju 52 crashed in fog at one of the Warsaw airfields, 30%.
24 Aug 43: 2 aircraft bombed on the ground at Fp. Paris – Villacoublay, Ar 79 (90%) and W 34 (90%).
May 44: Gruppe at Berlin-Rangsdorf with 30 to 40 Ju 52s. According to one of the Gruppe’s personnel, it was not divided into Staffeln as was the policy with virtually all flying units of the Luftwaffe of Gruppe size or larger. Also, up to this point in time the Gruppe had not been assigned a Feldpost number. One was only issued after the transfer to France in early June 1944.
27 May – 13 Jun 44: the Gruppe flew 14 Ju 52 sorties between Munich and North Italy. One of the aircraft was marked A7+HK.[4]
1-5 Jun 44: ordered to transfer from Rangsdorf to Romilly-sur-Seine/85 km SSW of Reims to support Luftflotte 3 in the West.
25 Jul 44: Gruppenstab at Romilly-sur-Seine directly under Luftflotte 3 and now with 3 unnumbered Staffeln divided between Romilly, Fp. Mourmelon/30 km SE of Reims and Fp. Mainz-Finthen in Germany.[5]
12 Aug 44: began two weeks of intense operations evacuating wounded and German Red Cross nurses from airfields throughout western France.
23-27 Aug 44: following heavy losses on the ground to Allied fighter-bombers that cost it some 10 Ju 52s between June and August, the Gruppe departed France and returned to Berlin-Rangsdorf. On 26 August a further 2 Ju 52s were destroyed on the ground at Fp. Cognac in SW France and 2 or 3 others were shot down by Allied fighters during a flight from Cognac to Metz.
Sep – Oct 44: disbanded at Berlin-Rangsdorf (FpN deleted 24 Nov 44).[6]
FpN:(L 62786)
Kommandeur:
Maj.d.R. Gerhard Heym ( ? - ? ) 11/42
Maj. Martin Claussen (DKG) ( ? - Oct 44?) 5/44, 8/44
Also see:
DETTINGER, Paul, Fl.Ob.Stabs-Ing. WIA in aircraft crash.
DÖRRENHAUS, Kurt, Hptm.d.R. Pilot. Stafü. Later, Staka/1.Staffel.
STÜBING, ? , Fl.Hpt.Ing. WIA in aircraft crash.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2023).
(1st Draft 2023)
References
- ↑ K.Kössler/G.Ott-Die großen Dessauer: Junkers Ju 89, Ju 90, Ju 290, Ju 390 – Die Geschichte einer Flugzeugfamilie:143 and 153.
- ↑ Kössler/Ott-op cit.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
- ↑ N.Beale et al-Air War Italy, 1944-45: The Axis Air Forces from the Liberation of Rome to the Surrender:47.
- ↑ NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-971 roll 18 (Luftflotte 3 order of battle list).
- ↑ N.Kannapin-Feldpostübersicht.
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