Stab/NAGr. 3
Nahaufklärungsgruppe 3
(Unit Code J2+)
Stab/NAGr. 3
Formation and Background. (April 1942)
Formed on or about 19 April 1942, probably in Germany (ex-Gruppenfliegerstab 14). The Stab had no reconnaissance aircraft assigned to it until October 1944 when it received 4 Bf 109 G-8s, although it did have a small number of liaison aircraft and hacks throughout all or most of its existence.[1]
Staffeln (Aufklärungsstaffeln known to have been subordinated to NAGr. 3 with the approximate dates): 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 (5/42 to at least 1/43, 8/43); 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 23 (1943); 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 (c.6/42 to c.5/44?, 1/45 to 5/45); 1./NAGr. 3; 2./NAGr. 3; 2./NAGr. 4 (11/44 to 2/45); 1./NAGr. 8 (4/45).
[Note: unless otherwise stated, the aircraft losses noted below are those of the independently designated Aufklärungsstaffeln that were subordinated to NAGr. 3 at the time of the loss.]
South Russia. (May 1942 - November 1942)
16 May 1942: Stab in transfer to Stalino with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14.
30 May 1942: Ln.-Betr.Kp./NAGr. 3 ordered to Stalino this date.
6 Jun – 5 Jul 42: Stab/NAGr. 3 and Ln.-Betr.Kp./NAGr. 3 both at Barvenkovo airfield.
16 June 1942: Bücker Bü 131 from Stab/NAGr. 3 crashed at Barvenkovo airfield/south-east of Kharkov, 90%, 2 injured.
17 July 1942: Bü 131 from the Stab damaged taking off from Barvenkovo-East, 30%.
18 August 1942: NAGr. 3 in support of AOK 17 (17th Army) with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 and 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 - 17th Army was committed to the advance into North Caucasia via Rostov from the end of July 1942 and within two weeks or so the Stab was based at Maikop/101 km south-east of Krasnodar.
23 August 1942: Bü 131 from the Stab force landed near Maikop, 30%, pilot injured.
22 September 1942: a man from Stab/NAGr. 3 reported missing near Tulskaya, located a few kilometers south of Maikop airfield.
30 September 1942: North Caucasia with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 and 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 - had 18(14) aircraft.
28 October 1942: Junkers W 34 from Stab/NAGr. 3 crashed on take-off from Maikop airfield, 45%.
4 November 42: NAGr. 3 transferred from Maikop to Dretun airfield/83 km north-west of Vitebsk with 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 and 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 for reassignment to Luftwaffenkdo. Ost.
Central Russia. (November 1942 - January 1944)
11 November 1942: elements of NAGr. 3 operating from Smolensk-North.
21 November 1942: NAGr. 3 divided between Smolensk-North and Dretun, with the Stab at the latter.
9 December 1942: 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 operating over the Velikiye Luki area.
29 December 1942: 3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 continuing to fly missions over the Velikiye Luki area.
8 January 1943: 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 operating over the Velikiye Luki area.
January 1943: reduced activity and few losses from mid-January to the beginning of May 1943; air crews and other personnel were granted home leave.
13 April 1943: NAGr. 3 reported flying its 4,000th operational sortie this date.
May – June 1943: NAGr. 3 operating in the Velizh area/north-east of Vitebsk.
4 July 1943: Fw 189 belonging to one of the assigned Staffeln shot down by fighters over Lemekki, 100%, Oblt. Albert Buttke (observer) + 1 WIA and 1 KIA.
10 July 1943: NAGr. 3 reported 28(20) Fw 189s and Hs 126s on strength - during Operation “Zitadelle” (attack on the Kursk salient) in July, the Gruppe had one assigned
Staffel detached in the Luftflotte 4 area in South Russia.
14.7.43: (Lfl.6) - Fw 189 damaged taxiing at Dretun airfield, 10%.
25 July 1943: Bf 109 G-6 damaged due to engine trouble at Izyum airfield/113 km south-south-east of Kharkov, 30%. This loss report entry may be an error, as NAGr. 3 is not known to have any Bf 109s at this time nor any subordinated Staffeln equipped with this type.
4 August 1943: Fw 189 A-2 shot up by a fighter over Surazh/135 km west of Bryansk, 35%.
12 August 1943: Fw 189 shot down by fighters west of Senitsa (just south of Minsk?), 100%.
25 August 1943: operating in the Kirov - Spas Demensk area.
28 August 1943: Fw 189 shot up in the Roslavl - Spas Demensk area, 15%, 2 WIA.
14 September 1943: Gruko Maj. Boehm (Böhm) WIA when his vehicle drove over a mine south-east of Dretun.
18 October 1943: Stab/NAGr. 3 still at Dretun. Not long after this it moved to Orsha-South airfield, but the exact date is not known.
25 October 1943: mainly operating over the front east of the line Vitebsk-Orsha.
30 October 1943: Fw 189 A-3 shot up during enemy raid on Orsha-South airfield, 10%. 5 November 1943: Fw 189 A-3 shot down by AA fire east of Velidichi (not located), 100%, 3 KIA.
15 December 1943: Fw 189 A-2 struck trees while flying low north-east of Vitebsk, 10%. 15 December 1943: NAGr. 3 in the Orsha-Vitebsk area with 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 23 and 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31.
January 1944: Stab believed to have departed Russia for Germany to rest and refit, eventually going to Straubing in Bavaria where it remained through October 1944 supervising the formation, training and work-up of 1. and 2./NAGr. 3.
Germany and East Prussia. (February 1944 - May 1945)
5 April 1944: Stab at Straubing.
25 May 1944: Straubing.
18 September 1944: still at Straubing.
November 1944 – January 1945: Stab now at Arys-Rostken/East Prussia under 4. Fliegerdivision/Luftflotte 6 in support of Pz.AOK 4 (4th Panzer Army) with 1./NAGr. 3, 2./NAGr. 4 and Nahaufkl.St. 13./14. The front in East Prussia was relatively stable and quiet until the Soviet winter offensive began on 12 January.
10 January 1945: NAGr. 3 reported a total of 57(46) Bf 109s and Fw 189s on strength.
2 February 1945: Bf 109 G-8 crashed on take-off, 100%, Gruko Maj. Böhm killed.
5 February 1945: Stab at Seerappen/15 km west-north-west of Königsberg in East Prussia.
27 February 1945: Bf 109 G-14 from Stab/NAGr. 3 force landed near Pustchow (not located but in Pomerania or West Prussia).
1 March 1945: Stab now at Neubrandenburg/115 km north of Berlin under 1. Fliegerdivision with 1./NAGr. 3, Nahaufkl.St. 4./31 and probably one other Staffel - remained there to around 26 April when Soviet spearheads broke through west of Stettin and drove toward Neubrandenburg.
9 April 1945: NAGr. 3 reported a total of 37(22) Bf 109s on strength.
28 April 1945: Stab still under 1. Fliegerdivision and located in the Schwerin-Lübeck area as Soviet forces advanced rapidly westwards.
May 1945: Stab managed to withdraw to Schleswig-Holstein during the first several days of May and was at Leck as part of 15. Fliegerdivision on 21 May, two weeks after surrender.
FpNs:Stab/NAGr. 3 (L 20036), Stabskp./NAGr. 3 (L 43579), Ln.-Betr.Kp./NAGr. 3 (L 07044).
Kommandeur:
Maj./Obstlt. Harald Stainer (8 June 1942 - ? 8 September 1942?)
Maj. Herbert Boehm (Böhm) (1st appt) (9 September 1942 - 14 September 1943) WIA
Hptm. Paul Rau (acting) (15 September 1943 - 16 June 1944?)
Maj. Herbert Boehm (Böhm) (2d appt) (17 June 1944 - 2 February 1945) KIA
Hptm. Günther Neske (11 February 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); NARA WashDC: RG 242 (Microcopy T-79 roll 14), (Microcopy T-312 roll 203/394,roll 219/269, 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 701/641), (Microcopy T-313 roll 293/644), (Microcopy T-321 roll 50/876); AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.625S (British Air Ministry) OKL document; PRO London: AIR 40/1968, 1982, 2264; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal HP627; PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents; BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart; BA-MA Freiburg: Genst.d.Lw. document Ia Nr. 280/45; M.Kehrig - Stalingrad: Analyse und Dokumentation einer Schlacht. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1974), p.660; Archiv Gruppe 66 magazine, No. 6/vol. 2, p.25 and No. 7/vol. 2, p.23; M.Holm-website ww2.dk; http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=50483&page=13