Stab/NAGr. 1
Nahaufklärungsgruppe 1
(Unit Code Q1+)
Stab/NAGr. 1
Formation and Background. (April 1942)
Ordered formed on or about 19 April 1942, probably at Stalino in the Donets Basin area of eastern Ukraine. The Stab had been informally assembled there in January 1942 and provisionally designated Nahaufklärungsgruppe Pz.AOK 1 to oversee tactical reconnaissance for 1st Panzer Army. On 19 April 1942 it was formalized under the above designation as part of the general reorganization of the reconnaissance branch of the Luftwaffe.[1]
Staffeln (Aufklärungsstaffeln known to have been subordinated to NAGr. 1 with the approximate dates): 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 11 (c.9/42 to 11.42); 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 11 (c.9/42 to 11/42); Nahaufkl.St. 13./14 (3/45, 4/45); 1.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 23 (5/42 to 7/42); 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 (5/43 to c.10/43); 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 32 (5/42 to 7/42); 1.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 41 (4/42); 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 41 (c.8/43 to 5/44); 7.(H)/L.G. 2 (5/42 to c.2/43), 1./NAGr. 2 (10/43); 2./NAGr. 16 (10/43 to 6/44); 1., 2. and 3./NAGr. 1.
[Note: unless otherwise stated, the aircraft losses noted below are those of the independently designated Aufklärungsstaffeln that were subordinated to NAGr. 1 at the time of the loss.]
South Russia and Romania. (May 1942 - August 1944)
15 May 1942: Stab at Stalino under Luftflotte 4 in support of AOK 17 (17th Army) with:
3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 32 and 7.(H)/L.G. 2.
17 July 1942: Stab transferred to Verkhnoye (not located – probably misspelled).
3 August 1942: Stab reported one man KIA by enemy tank fire near Novo Pavlovskaya (probably Novo-Pavlovskiy/163 km east of Stalino and near Shakhty). The Gruppenstab was in the process of moving forward to support the advance into North Caucasia and it has not been possible to determine its exaction location over the next two months.
30 September 1942: North Caucasia with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 11 and 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 11 - had 18(13) aircraft on strength.
9 October 1942: Stab reported one man WIA in bombing at Zaytsev airstrip, 95 km east of Pyatigorsk, in North Caucasia, along Pz.AOK 1’s (1st Panzer Army) line of advance toward the oil fields around Grozny.
17 November 1942: Stab ordered to transfer to Rossosh with 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 11 for reassignment to Luftwaffenkdo. Don. Order is believed to have been canceled before it could be carried out because the Russians began their powerful counteroffensive at Stalingrad just two days later instantly turning a relatively stable front area into chaos.
22 Nov 42: Stab NAGr. 1 at Balt Rapolshiy/N Caucasia in support of Pz.AOK 1.
24 January 1943: Fi 156 belonging to the Stab shot down by a fighter over Krasnodar in North Caucasia, 100%, pilot safe.
28 January 1943: Stab ordered to transfer immediately to Rostov-North.
22 February 1943: NAGr. 1 ordered to move to Makeyevka/12 km east of Stalino.
26 February 1943: NAGr. 1 ordered to transfer immediately to Shakhty/67 km north-north-east of Rostov.
March 1943: elements supposedly at Dnepropetrovsk, probably to support the retaking of
Kharkov. Also, during March the Stab received its first aircraft, a Ju 88 A-4, but this was turned in two months later after it began receiving a complement of Bf 110s.
2 April 1943: Ln.-Betr.Kp./NAGr. 1 (Ln.-Betr.Kp. = Luftnachrichten-Betriebs-Kompanie = Air Force Signals Operations Company) in Stalino area (Makeyevka?), so Stab probably there also.
7 May 1943: Stabskp./NAGr. 1 reported casualties from bombs at Kuteynikovo airfield/45 km south-east of Stalino during an enemy air attack.
28 May 1943: another air raid on Kuteynikovo caused the Stabskompanie further casualties.
June-July 1943: flew numerous photo recce flights over the Mius Front from Taganrog north.
1 June 1943: Stab reported 3 Bf 110 F-3 and 4 Bf 110 G-3 on strength.
12 June 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter over Rovenki/east of Stalino, 20%, 1 WIA.
21 June 1943: Fw 189 A-3 shot up by a fighter over Razhnayam (not located but probably in the Donets area of eastern Ukraine), 10%.
23 June 1943: Fw 189 A-2 crashed due to engine failure at Kalinovka, 60%.
2 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot down by a fighter over Sambek/53 km west of Rostov,
100%, Oblt. Hans Slacheimer (observer) + 2 KIA.
10 July 1943: NAGr. 1 in the Stalino area under IV. Fliegerkorps - reported 27(22) Fw 189s and Bf 110s on strength.
15 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 (15%) and Fi 156 (40%) damaged in bombing at Kuteynikovo.
16 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot down by a fighter over Novo Sakhmutskiy, 100%, 1 WIA.
19 July 1943: Oblt. Hans Schumann (observer) WIA at Dimitriyevka airfield/84 km east of Dnepropetrovsk during an enemy air raid.
19 July 1943: Fw 189 damaged due to engine failure at Bagerovo/Crimea, 10%.
27 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter in Pl.Qu.8825 (Stalino area), 10%,
Staka (of 2.(H)/31?) Hptm. Albert Wirges + 1 WIA and 1 KIA.
29 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up at Dimitriyevka airfield, 10%.
30 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by AA fire west of Dimitriyevka, 10%.
30 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 rammed by a shot up enemy plane and crashed at Orlova, 100%, Oblt. Heinz Fischer (observer) + 2 KIA.
31 July 1943: Bf 110 C-4 force landed near Alkmaar/north Holland, 100% (an error or perhaps a replacement aircraft being picked up in Holland).
4 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter west of Yasinovskiy/322 km north-east of Stalino, 10%, 2 WIA.
4 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter west of Dimitriyevka airfield, 10%.
13 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter south-west of Krasny-Luch, 60%, 2 WIA.
17 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 damaged in enemy bombing of Kuteynikovo airfield, 60%. 18 August 1943: Fw 189 A-3 shot up by a fighter over Uspenskaya/181 km east-north-east of Krasnodar in North Caucasia, 10%, 1 WIA.
19 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter over Nikolskoye, 90%, 3 WIA.
23 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter over Manuilovo, 80%, 1 WIA.
24 August 1943: Fw 189 A-3 shot up by a fighter over Petrovka, 10%, 1 WIA.
24 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter over Pomenko, 25%, 1 WIA.
25 August 1943: Fi 156 force landed at Pomenko due to engine failure, 35%.
27 August 1943: Fw 189 A-3 shot up by a fighter over Anastasiyevka/48 km north-north-west of Taganrog, 15%, 2 WIA.
27 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by AA fire over Yekaterinovka, 10%.
31 August 1943: Fw 189 A-3 crashed at Makeyevka airfield/12 km east of Stalino due to engine failure, 90%, 3 injured.
31 August 1943: Fw 189 A-3 shot up by AA fire over Kuybyshevo, 10%, 1 WIA.
1 September 1943: Fw 189 A-3 returned to Makeyevka shot up, 10%.
1 September 1943: Fw 189 A-2 destroyed in enemy bombing at Makeyevka, 100%.
3 September 1943: Fw 189 A-3 crashed at Stalino due to engine failure, 55%.
5 September 1943: Bf 110 belonging to the Stab damaged taxiing at Stalino-West, 35%.
7 September 1943: Fw 189 A-2 blown up to prevent capture at Poztyshevo-West airfield (not located, but probably another name for Stalino-West), 100%.
7 September 1943: Stalino evacuated by German forces this date.
8-11 September 1943: 5 Fw 189 A-2s slightly to moderately damaged by AA fire in operations over Oktyaabrovskoye, Anadol’, Voroshilovka and Kuibyshevo, all in south-east Ukraine.
15 September 1943: Fw 189 A-2 returned to Zaporozhye-South airfield shot up by a fighter, 35%, pilot KIA.
15-19 September 1943: 3 Fw 189s damaged by AA fire and fighters in vicinity of Grigoryevka, Petrovskiy and Melitopol.
19 September 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot down by a fighter over Orekhov/55 km south-east of Zaporozhye, 100%, 1 WIA.
20 September 1943: Bf 110 G-2 (or G-3?) belonging to the Stab damaged landing at Preobrashenka airstrip/55 km south-east of Zaporozhye, 20%. The G-2 was a heavily armed fighter-bomber version of the Bf 110, so it is unclear what it was doing with a reconnaissance group.
24 September 1943: photographed the Zaporozhye area.
25 September 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter over Melitopol, 10%, Oblt. Günther Gatzka (observer) + 1 WIA.
26 September 1943: NAGr. 1 at Preobrashenka.
29 September 1943: photographed the Melitopol’ area.
30 September 1943: Fw 189 A-3 crash landed in Pl.Qu.4952 (Dnepropetrovsk – Zaporozhye area) due to engine failure, 35%, Oblt. Gerhard Conrad (observer) injured.
6 October 1943: photographed the Melitopol’ area.
14 October 1943: Bf 110 G damaged at Apostolovo airfield/42 km south-east of Krivoy Rog due to technical problems, 10%, 1 injured.
19 November 1943: Bf 110 G-3 belonging to Stab/NAGr. 1 crash landed at Apostolovo-East, 70%.
10 December 1943: NAGr. 1 based at Apostolovo under IV. Fliegerkorps/Luftflotte 4.
19 December 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot down by AA fire over Verblyuzhka/52 km east-south-east of Kirovograd, 100%, 1 KIA and 2 WIA.
20 December 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up in low-level attack on Apostolovo, 80%.
January – March 1944: Stab possibly at Novyy Bug/69 km west-south-west of Krivoy Rog in central Ukraine and then withdrew west via Golta/190 km west of Krivoy Rog on 10 March.
11 January 1944: photographed the Nikopol’ area.
1 March 1944: Stab had 3 Bf 110 G-3 and 1 Fw 189 A-3 on hand.
25 March 1944: NAGr. 1 now based at Kishinev/Moldavia under I. Fliegerkorps/Lfl.4.
May 1944: Stab lost one of its Bf 110 G-3s in a non-combat crash or accident.
26.6.44: still at Kishinev.
11 July 1944: Stab/NAGr. 1 now at Zilistea/Romania. Between 1 and 11 July the Stab handed over its 3 Bf 110 G-3s to other units leaving it without aircraft. It is not known whether it departed for Germany shortly after that or if it remained there until 23 August when Romania changed sides and the Germans began a rapid retreat.
Germany. (September 1944 - May 1945)
18 September 1944: Stab at Bayreuth-Bindlach resting and refitting, and remained there at least through December 1944. The Stab was eventually equipped with one or two Junkers Ju 188s.
5 February 1945: Stab now at Herzogenaurach under Luftwaffenkommando West.
18 February 1945: Stab ordered to go to Hennef near Bonn, but did not depart for there until 2 March.
4 March 1945: en-route to Hennef, Stab ordered to go to Lippe instead.
13 March 1945: Stab transferred from Rhein-Main to Ailertchen.
23 March 1945: Stab ordered to move to Lechfeld to re-equip with Me 262 jets.
26 March 1945: Stab/NAGr. 1 now at Fritzlar.
30 March 1945: Stab ordered to transfer to Göttingen for assignment to 15. Fliegerdivision.
9 April 1945: Stab had no Ju 188s or other aircraft remaining.
11 April 1945: Stab transferred to Alt-Lönnewitz.
28 April 1945: Stab shown as being under 15. Fliegerdivision.
FpNs:Stab/NAGr. 1 (L 01902), Stabskp./NAGr. 1 (L 42742), Ln.-Betr.Kp./NAGr. 1 (L 06754).
Kommandeur:
Maj. Gustav-Wilhelm Pettenpaul (c.19 April 1942? - c.May 1943)
Maj. Gustav Nagel (c.May 1943 - September 1943)
Maj. Paul Liesenhoff (September 1943 - c.October 1944)
Maj. Werner Wilke (January 1945 - (8 May 1945)
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress).
(1st Draft 2022)
References
- ↑ W.Dierich - Die Verbände der Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Gliederungen und Kurzchroniken – Eine Dokumentation; G.Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); N.Kannapin - Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945, 3 Bde (I – III) (Osnabrück, 1980-82); J.-P.Défieux - Répertoire des Unités Aériennes de la Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Reconnaissance Aéronavale (Nanterre, privately published, n.d. (c 1988-90?); PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence reports and lists based on ULTRA, “Y” Service intercepts, captured documents and PoW interrogations; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals HP627, HP7208, BT7135, BT9031, KO310; PRO London: AIR 40/1965, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (Microcopy T-312 roll 568/314-19, document Genst.d.Heeres/Org.Abt.(II) Nr.1483/42g.Kdos., 19 Apr 1942 detailing the creation of the Nahaufklärungsgruppen); (T-314 roll 485); NARA WashDC aerial photo data via M.Abicht; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal K113 Karlsruhe Collection; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC/CMF A.446; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.625S (British Air Ministry) OKL document; BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 4 II/32; BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart; TsAMO 500/12476/Akte 28/091); M.Kehrig - Stalingrad: Analyse und Dokumentation einer Schlacht. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1974), p.660; Archiv Gruppe 66 magazine, No. 7/vol. 2, p.25; M.Holm-website ww2.dk.