Sonderstaffel Transozean
Sonderstaffel Transozean
(Unit Code P5+)
Also as:Transozeanstaffel (to c. Sep 40)
Formation. (Dec 39)
Formed December 1939 at Travemünde with Do 26s and Ha 139s.[1]
North Germany and Norway. (Dec 39 - Jul 40)
12 Mar 40: Staffel assigned to Führer der Luft West this date in preparation for the forthcoming operations in the North.[2]
2 Apr 40: flew its first Do 26 reconnaissance mission, an 18-hour flight into the North Atlantic between Great Britain and Iceland to check the intended route of the outward bound auxiliary cruiser Atlantis.[3]
8 Apr 40: flew Do 26 reconnaissance over the North Sea west of Norway in search of British Home Fleet naval units that might interfere with the German attack on Norway that was scheduled to start the next day.[4]
9 Apr 40: at Travemünde with Do 26s under Führer der Luft West for the German occupation of Denmark and Norway During the campaign, the Staffel was attached to KGr.z.b.V. 108 with 3 and later 4 Do 26s, including: Do 26 V1 (P5+AH) and Do 26 V2 (P5+BH).[5]
13 Apr 40: the Staffel’s first Do 26 transport flights were flown this date to haul supplies from Travemünde to Narvik. A number of additional flights were made to the same destination over the next month and a half.[6]
10 May 40: Travemünde with Do 26s.[7]
28 May 40: 2 of its Do 26s (P5+AH and CH) were caught by 3 Hurricanes in Rombaksfjord near Narvik while unloading mountain guns, shot up and sunk.[8]
Jun – Jul 40: flew anti-submarine patrols from Travemünde and at least one long-range reconnaissance mission to the Denmark Strait area between Iceland and Greenland.[9]
29-31 Jul 40: transferred from Travemünde to Brest/W France.[10]
Western France. (Aug 40 - Jan 41)
13 Aug 40: at Brest with 2 Do 26s (P5+DH, EH), a Ha 139 (P5+KH) and a W 34 (P5+NH) under Führer der Luft West; later, a third Do 26 joined the Staffel (P5+FH). At its base at Brest, the Staffel was initially attached to Kü.Fl.Gr. 606 (and later Kü.Fl.Gr. 406) and used for long-range reconnaissance over the ocean area west of Ireland as far as the Denmark Strait. When convoys were sighted a message was sent by the aircraft to the U-boat command in western France so U-boats could be directed to the target. The Staffel was also employed on long-range air-sea rescue duties.[11]
11 Oct 40: the catapult ship Friesenland was ordered to Brest to support the Staffel by greatly increasing the maximum range of reconnaissance flights.[12]
Dec 40: transferred from Brest to Hourtin (near Bordeaux) at the end of December or beginning of January 1941 due to RAF attacks on Brest. At Hourtin the Staffel was briefly attached to I./KG 40.[13]
17 Jan 41: at Hourtin.[14]
31 Jan 41: Staffel ordered disbanded at Hourtin and all remaining Do 26s turned over to I./KG 40. A few weeks later this order was amended and the Do 26s were returned to Germany (probably Travemünde) in March 1941.[15]
FpN:(none found)
Staffelkapitän:
Maj. Friedrich von Buddenbrock (Dec 39 - Jul 40)
Hptm. Wilhelm? Brockmann (Jul 40 - Jan 41)
Also see:
(no additional names found)
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).
(1st Draft 2022)
References
- ↑ J-P. Défieux-Répertoire des Unités Aériennes de la Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Reconnaissance Aéronavale.
- ↑ Flugzeug magazine 5/1995, p.51.
- ↑ Flugzeug 5/1994, p.51.
- ↑ C.Shores-Fledgling Eagles:225.
- ↑ F.Kurowski-Seekrieg aus der Luft: Die deutsche Seeluftwaffe im Zweiten Weltkrieg:293.
- ↑ Flugzeug 6/1994:50.
- ↑ F.Kurowski-op cit:294.
- ↑ C.Shores-op cit:334; M.Meyer and P.Stipdonk-Von der Fliegerschule zum Einsatzverband: Ein Bildband der deutschen Luftwaffe 1933-1945:253; Flugzeug magazine 6/1994, p.51.
- ↑ Flugzeug 6/1994:51.
- ↑ Flugzeug 6/1994:52.
- ↑ F.Kurowski-op cit:294; U.Balke-KG 2/v.1:413; Flugzeug 6/1994:52; S.Neitzel-Der Einsatz der deutschen Luftwaffe über dem Atlantik und der Nordsee 1939-1940:75.
- ↑ Flugzeug 6/1994:54; F.Kurowski-op cit:295.
- ↑ Flugzeug 6/1994:54.
- ↑ F.Kurowski-op cit:295.
- ↑ Flugzeug 6/1994:54; S.Neitzel-op cit:76.
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