Stab/NAGr. 13
Nahaufklärungsgruppe 13
(Unit Code: none known – used large single and double digit numbers on side of fuselage in Staffel colour)
[For additional details on this NAGr. See: http://www.ghostbombers.com/recon/109/nag13_1.html ]
Stab/NAGr. 13
Formation and Background. (April 1942)
Ordered formed on or about 19 April 1942, probably at either Siverskaya or Gatchina (a.k.a. Krasnogvardeisk) airfields south-west of Leningrad, and assigned to provide tactical reconnaissance support to AOK 18 (German 18th Army) that was deployed around Leningrad. The Stab originated from Gruppenfliegerstab 41 and the Stabskompanie from 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 13, both of which had been in south Russia until December 1941/January 1942. NAGr.13 is distinguished in being the first of the new tactical reconnaissance groups (NAGr. 1 - 16) to be reorganized with organic or internally-numbered Staffeln, this occurring in October 1942. Prior to the end of April, the Stab received 4 Fw 190 A-4s that had been taken from other units and maintained an allowance of 4 aircraft to the end of the war, although the number dropped to 3 or 2 at times until replacements could be obtained.[1]
Staffeln (Aufklärungsstaffeln known to have been subordinated to NAGr. 13 with the approximate dates): NASt. 13./14 (from 1/45 to 3/45); 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21 (5/42 to 11/42); 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 33 (5/42 to 11/42); 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 41 (5/42 to 11/42); 3./NAGr. 14 (6/44 to 8/44); 1./NAGr. 13; 2./NAGr. 13; 3./NAGr. 13.
[Note: unless otherwise stated, the aircraft losses noted below (if any) are those of the independently designated Aufklärungsstaffeln that were subordinated to NAGr. 13 at the time of the loss.]
North Russia. (April 1942 - November 1942)
31 May 1942: at Siverskaya/67 km south of Leningrad, probably having moved there at the end of April or beginning of May following formation. Assigned Staffeln were 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21 (with Hs 126s), 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 33 (Bf 110s), and 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr.41 (Hs 126s).
9 September 1942: also responsible for supporting AOK 11 (German 11th Army) from this date, which had just moved from Crimea to the Leningrad Front.
France. (November 1942 - August 1944)
15 November 1942: transferred from Siverskaya to Avignon-West in south France with 1. and 2./NAGr.13 for assignment to 2. Fliegerdivision in response to the Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria and the resulting German decision to occupy Vichy France. Stab and one of the Staffeln moved to Bizerte/Tunisia, arriving by 28 November. This movement was either never fully completed or it lasted for only a few days.
15 December 1942: ordered to St-Brieuc in Brittany after handing over all photo reconnaissance Fw 190s to II./JG 2 in Tunisia.
January – August 1943: as the only tactical reconnaissance group in France, remained at St-Brieuc until August, when it moved to Dinard/Brittany.
1 June 1943: Stab at St-Brieuc with 3 Fw 190 A-4 and 1 Fw 190 A-3/Ur on strength.
August 1943 – June 1944: Dinard - on standby with ground forces in France, trained and participated in maneuvers.
February 1944: the Stab began receiving a few Bf 109 G-6s to supplement its Fw 190s, but by November 1944 it was exclusively equipped with Fw 190s again.
1 June 1944: Stab at Dinard with 4 Bf 109 G-6s on strength.
c.7 June 1944: transferred from Dinard to Chartres a day or so after the Normandy (D-Day) invasion on 6 June, where it was located on 26 June under II. Fliegerkorps, and later under II. Jagdkorps. Flew daily missions over the Normandy invasion area in support of AOK 7, I. SS-Pz.Korps and other Heeresgruppe B ground forces engaged there. The stab lost 3 Bf 109 G-6s to the enemy during June, but none during July.
18 August 1944: moved to Creil approximately this date and then via Charleville and Belgium to Lachen-Speyerdorf/Germany at the beginning of September. The stab lost 3 Fw 190 F-8s to the enemy during August.
Germany. (September 1944 - May 1945)
27 November 1944: transferred from Lachen-Speyerdorf to Oedheim/ll km north-north-east of Heilbronn to fly recce support for Heeresgruppe G (Army Group G).
31 December 1944: Stab had 3 Fw 190 F-8s on strength.
February – March 1945: Stab at Gochsen/16 km north-east of Heilbronn and then moved to Beckhofen/6 km north-north-west of Donaueschingen on or about 3 April.
9 April 1945: Stab at Beckhofen under Luftwaffenkdo. West with 4(3) Fw 190s on strength.
21 April 1945: at Lechfeld by this date where the Stab received several Me 262 jets.
26 April 1945: Stab now at Bad Reichenhall and still there on 3 May under 7. Jagddivision where the remaining personnel most likely surrendered to U.S. forces a few days later.
FpNs:Stab/NAGr. 13 (L 00092), Stabs-Kp./NAGr. 13 (L 38682), Ln.-Betr.Kp./NAGr. 11 (L 47714).
Kommandeur:
Maj. Georg Warnat (c.May 1942 - 6 October 1942)
Maj. Hans-Friedrich Schultze-Moderow (c.October 1942 - June 1944)
Hptm. Gerhard Dickenbrock (July 1944 - 8 May 1945)
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress).
(1st Draft 2022)
Additional Notes and Losses
12 Jun 1944 – NAGr 13 could not fly sorties until the situation with an alternative landing ground was established.[2]
NAGr 13 aware that Villiers le Bois (7 km East of Chartres, south of the road) was an alternative landing ground to Chartres.[3]
15 Jun 1944 – NAGr 13 staffeln to co-operate with Army headquarters with immediate effect, as follows:-
1./NAGr 13 - I SS Panzer Korps.
3./NAGr 13 – LXXXIV Army Korps
3./NAGr 14 – LXXXI Army Korps (as of 20 Jun 1944)
Flivos to be detached.
Stab./NAGr 13 to join the Staff of 7th Army.
Locations to be reported to Luftflotte 3 via AufklGr. 123.[4]
8 Aug 1944 – NAGr 13 transferred to Villacoublay and Creil.[5]
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-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; various T-312 rolls containing AOK 18 records for 1942); 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; M.Holm-website ww2.dk.
- ↑ Ultra T.213/133
- ↑ Ultra T.213/134
- ↑ Ultra T.217/2
- ↑ Ultra T.271/29