Stab/NAGr. 10
Nahaufklärungsgruppe 10
(Unit Code ??+)
Stab/NAGr. 10
Formation and Background. (April 1942)
Ordered formed on or about 19 April 1942 at Lgov/62 km west of Kursk in South Russia. Initially and informally established in January 1942, the Stab was provisionally designated Nahaufklärungsgruppe AOK 2 and assigned to control tactical reconnaissance for 2d Army deployed in the Kursk sector. On 19 April 1942 it was ordered formalized under the above designation as part of the general reorganization of the reconnaissance branch of the Luftwaffe. The Stabskompanie was formed from personnel who had previously belonged to 6.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21. The Stab is not listed in Luftwaffe inventories has having an allowance of first-line aircraft, but it did have a few liaison aircraft and hacks (e.g., Bf 108, Bü 131, etc.)..[1]
Staffeln (Aufklärungsstaffeln known to have been subordinated to NAGr. 10 with the approximate dates): NASt. 12./13 (9/43 to c.5/44); NASt. 13./14 (c.5/44 to c.10/44); 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21 (c.10/42 to 7/44); 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 (5/42 to 11/42, 1/43 to 4/43); 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 32 (5/42 to c.12/42?); 1./NAGr. 4 (2/44 to c.6/44); 2./NAGr. 4 (6/44 to 10/44); 3./NAGr. 4 (c.6/44 to c.9/44).
[Note: unless otherwise stated, the aircraft losses noted below are those of the independently designated Aufklärungsstaffeln that were subordinated to NAGr. 10 at the time of the loss.]
South Russia and Central Russia. (April 1942 - December 1943)
May 1942: until the German summer offensive began on 28 June, 2d Army held positions along a stationary front in the Kursk sector.
16 May 1942: Stabskp./NAGr. 10, which had been formed elsewhere, ordered to Lgov this date.
28 June – 8 July 1942: 2d Army broken through the Russian defenses and advanced to Voronezh on the upper Don.
6 July 1942: flew reconnaissance mission over the Livny area/south-east of Orel.
7 July 1942: Stab/NAGr. 10 in transfer from Kosorzha/60 km north-east of Kursk to Kshen/105 km west-north-west of Voronezh.
9 July – 18 November 1942: 2d Army, to which NAGr. 10 was attached, held defensive positions along the upper Don River around Voronezh.
12 July 1942: at Kshen airstrip in support of AOK 2 (2d Army) with 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 and 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 32.
25 October 1943: photographed the Voronezh area.
30 October 1942: 4 men from the Stab KIA during enemy air attack on Kshen airstrip.
19 November 1942 – 13 February 1943: 2d Army continued to hold defensive positions along the upper Don after the Soviets began their counteroffensive around Stalingrad. In mid-January 1943 the counteroffensive broke loose along the 2d Army’s front and it was rapidly driven back toward Kursk.
25 January 1943: a Bf 108 assigned to the Stab belly landed near Krasnaya Polyana due
to engine failure, 100% (there are 50 inhabited locations in Russia by the name of Krasnaya Polyana).
31.1.43: withdrawing west of Kursk under Luftwaffenkdo. Don with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21 and 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31.
12 February 1943: now at Konotop with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21 and 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31.
14 February – 4 July 1943: NAGr. 10’s client, 2d Army, held a 200 kilometer defensive front centered about 100 km to the west of Kursk that curved southward to a point a few kilometers north-west of Belgorod.
16 February 1943: 2 Bücker Bü 131s belonging to the Stab captured intact when Kharkov overrun by advancing Soviet troops.
3 April 1943: still in support of 2d Army with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21 and 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31.
3 May 1943: Stab now at Stepanovka airstrip/38 km or 47 km east of Konotop near Buryn’.
14 June 1943: Fw 189 A-3 struck obstacle taking off from Stepanovka, 20%.
16 June 1943: Hs 126 shot down by a fighter over Kharkov, 15%, 1 WIA.
2 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter in Pl.Qu.4248 (west of Kursk), 15%.
3 July 1943: 2 Fw 189 A-2s shot up by fighters in Pl.Qu.5275 (Kursk area), both 15%.
5 July – 25 August 1943: Operation “Zitadelle” - the unsuccessful German counteroffensive to pinch off the Kursk salient between Orel and Belgorod and destroy all Soviet forces within it. The 2d Army held the broad front west of Kursk while armored forces attacked from Orel and the Belgorod area.
10 July 1943: NAGr. 10 reported a total of 20(16) Fw 189s and Hs 126s on strength under Luftflotte 6.
18 July 1943: Hs 126 damaged at Stepanovka, 25%.
25 July 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up over Kursk, 40%, 1 WIA.
2 August 1943: Fw 189 damaged taking off from Stepanovka, 25%.
3 August 1943: Fw 189 shot down by a fighter south-west of Miropol’ye/35 km east-north-east of Sumy, 100%, Oblt. Eberhard Cöster (observer) WIA and 1 KIA.
3 August 1943: Hs 126 shot up by a fighter and force landed at Tolokonnoye/46.5 km north of Kharkov, 15%.
4 August 1943: Hs 126 shot down by ground fire in Pl.Qu.6132 (Kharkov area), 100%. 7 7 August 1943: Hs 126 force landed in Pl.Qu.51843 (west of Kursk) and destroyed by
the crew to prevent capture by the enemy, 100%.
26 August – 14 October 1943: 2d Army withdrawal to the Gomel – Rechitsa and the Pripet (Pripyat) Marshes in south Belorussia where new defensive positions were taken up.
26 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by AA fire over Zhitnikovka in the Poltava-Mirgorod area, 35%.
28 August 1943: Hs 126 B-1 shot up by a fighter over Mikhailovka, 35%.
29 August 1943: Hs 126 shot down by ground fire south-west of Marchna-Buda, 100%, crew safe.
29 August 1943: Fi 156 missing - no details, 100%.
September 1943: NAGr. 10 still in support of 2d Army.
1 September 1943: Hs 126 crash landed in Pl.Qu.50553 (near Poltava), 75%.
2 September 1943: Hs 126 nosed over on landing in Pl.Qu.50553 (near Poltava), 30%.
9 September 1943: Fw 189 shot down by AA fire north-west of Zhotztoka (not found - misspelled), 100%, Hptm. Viktor Samwer (observer), Staka of (NASt. 12./13?) KIA plus 2 WIA.
14 September 1943: Fw 189 struck obstacle at Minsk airfield, 90%, Oblt. Erich Neck + 2 killed.
17 September 1943: Fw 189 A-2 crashed and burned at Novozybkov airstrip/72 km east of Gomel, 100%, 2 killed.
23 September 1943: Fw 189 A-1 crashed at Zlynka airstrip/50 km east of Gomel, 100%, Oblt. Hans Hannowski (pilot) + 2 injured.
2 October 1943: photographed the Gomel area.
13 October 1943: Stab/NAGr. 10 at Mozyr airstrip/120 km west-south-west of Gomel and still supporting 2d Army, which included reconnaissance support for anti-partisan operation “Barbara” around Zhlobin.
14 October 1943: Hs 126 force landed west of Pervomayskiy/50 km south of Zhlobin, 100%.
24 October 1943: Hs 126 B-1 crash landed west of Krasnoye-Ozero due to engine failure, 100%, 2 killed.
27 October 1943: Stab now at Kozinki airstrip/6 km south-west of Mozyr.
4 December 1943: Hs 126 damaged landing at Bobruisk-South airfield, 50%.
Central Russia and Poland. (January 1944 - October 1944)
5 January 1944: Stab in transfer to Pinsk airfield/215 km south-south-west of Minsk.
2 March 1944: Stab at Berezino/54 km south-south-east of Borisov with NASt. 12./13 and Nahaufkl.St. 3./21.
29 March 1944: Stab now at Luniniec airfield/47 km west-north-west of Dawidgrodek in eastern Poland.
April 1944: Stab now at Brest-Litovsk airfield/east Poland may have moved there on 1 April).
5 May 1944: Stab/NAGr. 10 relieved by Stab/NAGr. 4 at Biala Podlaska airfield/42 km west of Brest-Litovsk and no longer in support of 2d Army effective this date.
25 June 1944: Stab/NAGr. 10 ordered to transfer to Mogilev with 2./NAGr. 4 and 3./NAGr. 4 to support AOK 4. The massive Soviet summer Belorussian offensive along the central sector of the front had commenced three days prior to this.
26 June 1944: Stab identified at Tolochin/47 km west-south-west of Orsha.
28 June 1944: Stab now at Zhodino airfield/56 km north-east of Minsk under 4. Fliegerdivision in support of 4th Army with 2./NAGr. 4, 3./NAGr. 4 and NASt. 13./14. After this date and for the next month, Stab/NAGr. 10 retreated west, airfield-by-airfield, more than 400 kilometers. These included, according to unconfirmed sources: Ros’/110 km west of Baranowicze (c.3-12 July), several overnight stops in what must have been farm fields, and Raczki/13 km south-west of Suwałki in north-east Poland (15-25 July).
25 July – October 1944: Stab withdrew to Lyck/East Prussia (today Elk in north-east Poland) under 4. Fliegerdivision in support of 4th Army with 2./NAGr. 4 and NASt. 13./14.
20 October 1944: Stab/NAGr. 10 ordered disbanded this date.
FpNs:Stab/NAGr. 10 (L 00570), Stabskp./NAGr. 10 (L 45963), Ln.-Betr.Kp./NAGr. 10 (L 06521).
Kommandeur:
Obstlt. Werner Stein (May 1942 - September 1942)
Maj. Walter Pletke (September 1942 - c.4 October 1943) 9/43
Hptm. Karl-Theodor Pérignon (5 October 1943 - 20 October 1944?) 12/43
© 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); NARA WashDC: RG 242 (Microcopy T-311 roll 228/491); (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; roll 1196/482; roll 1242/451; roll 1304/644; roll 1311/313; roll 1312/024); (Microcopy T-501 roll 81/1344; roll 84/268); NARA WashDC aerial photo data via M.Abicht; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal K113 Karlsruhe Collection; PRO London: AIR 40/1975, 1977; PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence reports and lists based on ULTRA, “Y” Service intercepts, captured documents and PoW interrogations; BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart; W.Stein – letter to H.L.deZeng dated 17 April 1993; M.Holm-website ww2.dk.