Schleppgruppe 1

Schleppgruppe 1

Code: (F7 + )

Ordered formed October 1943 by renaming Verbindungskommando (S) 1.

FpNs:

Stab/1(?): (none issued?)

1.(DFS) Staffel/l: L 49 381 (*11 Nov 1943 by renaming 1.(DFS)/Verb.Kdo.(S) 1).

2.(DFS) Staffel/l: L 52 038 (*29 Nov 1943).

3.(Go) Staffel/l: L 49 175 (*11 Nov. 1943 by renaming 1.(Go)/Verb.Kdo.(S) 2).

History

Constituted October 1943 in Yugoslavia from the former Verbindungskommando (S) 1, the Gruppe received a new DFS 230 Staffel formed in November at Langendiebach and a Go 242 Staffel that had previously belonged to Verb.Kdo.(S) 2 in Italy. It had a separate Stab element, but this does not appear to have had its own field post number. Throughout the Gruppe's service in the Balkans, 3.(Go) Staffel was detached from the main body and permanently stationed at Salonika-Mega airfield in Greece. In March 1944, all aircraft and gliders belonging to 1. and 2.Staffel were transferred from Belgrade-Zemun to Samos, a small grass strip in the Banat 50 km north-northeast of Belgrade, while the Stab remained at Zemun. The move was necessary because of congestion at Zemun and the increasing threat posed by Allied fighters and fighter-bombers belonging to Balkan Air: Force and 15th Air Force in Italy.

The Gruppe's first major operation came in late May 1944 when it was moved to airfields around Zagreb in preparation for the airborne and glider attack on Tito's headquarters at Drvar. It returned to Samos after the conclusion of the operation and continued to fly cargo missions throughout the Balkans. On 8 September, two of its He 111s towing Go 242s were shot down near Zemun, probably by P-51 Mustangs belonging to the USAAF 325th Fighter Group.

The next day, 9 September, Schleppgruppe 1 was ordered by OKL to leave Yugoslavia for

Germany where it was to be used as a special missions group for 1st Parachute Army (Fallschirm-AOK 1). With the entire Balkans now in a state of chaos brought on by the capitulation of Romania and Bulgaria, the rapid advance west by the Red Army, and the German withdrawal from Greece, it took the Gruppe two months to make its way back to Germany by way of Hungary. Arriving at Köthen without aircraft or gliders, it was rested and brought up to strength.

At the end of January 1945, it transferred to Sagan and then Alt-Lönnewitz, from where it flew a number of supply missions to Posen (Poznan), Glogau (Glogow), and Breslau (Wroclaw). On 13 April, it moved to Hohenmauth near Königgrätz (Hradec Kralove) and on 30 April flew the last DFS 230 glider sorties into the caldron at Breslau where a handful of defenders continued to hold parts of the city. The Gruppe destroyed all of its remaining aircraft and gliders on 8 May and withdrew west to surrender to U.S. forces.

Kommandeure (Commanding Officers)

Hptm. Walter Dittmar (10/43 - 12/44)

Hptm. Kurt Herzog (12/44 - 5/45)

Stations

Belgrade-Zemun/Yugoslavia (10/43 - 3/44)

Samos/Banat (Yugoslavia) (3/44 - 5/44)

Zagreb/Yugoslavia (5/44 - 6/44)

Samos /Banat (6/44 - 9/44)

Dombovar/SW Hungary (10/44 - 10/44)

Köthen/SE Magdeburg (11/44 – 1/45)

Sagan (Zagan)/Silesia (2/45 - 2/45)

Alt-Lönnewitz/NE Leipzig (2/45 - 4/45)

Hohenmauth(Vysoke Myto)/Czech. (4/45 - 5/45)

Equipment and Returns

1 Jan 1944: 5 He 111s, 4 Hs 126s, 6 He 45s, 34 DFS 230s and 3 Go 242s on strength;

the He 45 biplanes were replaced with Ju 87s in April-May 1944.

25 Apr 1945: 15 He 111s, 11 Do 17s, 3 Ju 87s, 13 DFS 230s and 6 Go 242s on strength.

Representative Losses Schleppgruppe 1

[The destruction or disappearance of the Luftwaffe General Quartermaster (Gen.Qu./6.Abt.) Loss Reports (Verlustmeldungen d. fliegende Verbände) for all of 1944 and parts of 1945 makes a listing of losses unworkable.]

Also see:

APEL, Norman, Lt. Pilot.

DITTMAR, Walter, Hptm. Kdr. (15.10.43 - 12/44)

DÖGE, ? , Oblt. Staffeloffizier in 3.(Go)/1.

HÄFNER, Johann-Peter, Hptm. Techn.Offz. WIA.

HERZOG, Kurt, Hptm. Kdr. (c. 10/44 - c. 2/45).

LEHMANN, ? , Oblt. Staka 1.(DFS)/1.

REICH, Hans-Joachim, Oblt. Staffeloffizier in 2.(DFS)/1. MIA.

ROM, (Martin?), Lt. Adjutant in Stab/Schleppgruppe 1.

SONNEBORN, Walter, Lt. Staffeloffizier in 1.(DFS)/1.

WAGENER, Josef, Hptm. Staka 2.(DFS)/1.

WERNER, Hermann, Hptm. Staka 3.(Go)/1.

Markings

See: Ketley, Barry. Luftwaffe Emblems 1939-1945. Manchester: Crécy Publishing Limited, 2012.

Distinctions and Remarks

The only glider group to survive the disbandment order of 9 September 1944 and finish the war.

© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2023).

(1st Draft 2023)

References

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