Wettererkundungsstaffel 1

From Luftwaffedata Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Wettererkundungsstaffel 1 (Luftflotte 1)


Unit Code: (B7 + )

Formation

Formed at the beginning of July 1939 at Brandis/Saxony from instructors and graduates of Blindflugschule 1 Brandis specifically for assignment to Luftflotte 1. Equipped with Heinkel He 111J’s.[1] Another source agrees with the a foregoing, except for the place of formation which is given as Königsberg/East Prussia where Luftflotte 1 had its headquarters.[2]


East Prussia

1.9.39: Stargard/Pomerania directly under Luftflotte 1 with 3 He 111Js - flew weather reconnaissance over Poland during the campaign in September. [3]

11/39: transferred to Neuhausen/East Prussia near Königsberg. [4]

3/40: transferred to Jesau/East Prussia. [5]

10.5.40: Jesau/East Prussia directly under Luftflotte 1 with 3 He 111Js - not believed to have taken part in the May-June campaign in the West. [6]

6/40 - 8/44: Staffel remained in East Prussia, Latvia, and NW Russia fling routine weather flights in that area for Luftflotte 1. [7]

6/41: moved from Jesau to Jürgenfelde/East Prussia. [8]


The Baltic States and North Russia

22.6.41: at Jürgenfelde/East Prussia directly under Luftflotte 1 with 2 He 111H’s, 2 Ju 88A’s, 2 Do 17Z’s and 1 Ju 52 for the attack on the Soviet Union commencing this date.[9]

25.6.41: (Lfl.1) = Ju 52 (B7+AA) missing over the Baltic - no details, 100%, 3 KIA.

7/41: moved forward to Daugavpils (Dünaburg)/Latvia. [10]

8/41: forward again to Roshkopolje (Rozhkopolye).[11]

26.9.41: (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 D-2 crashed at Fp.Rozhkopolye/28 km S of Pskov, 50%, 1 killed and 2 injured.

12.11.41: transferred from Rozhkopolye and Korovye Selo to Luga-Gostkino. [12]

27.11.41: (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 A-1 crash landed near Tikhvin, 80%, 2 KIA and 2 WIA.

1/42: moved and now at Pskov-South.[13]

2.3.42: (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 D-1 shot up by AA-fire and belly landed at Fp.Pskov-South, 20%.

6.3.42; (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 A-5 crashed at Fp.Pskov-South due to engine failure, 100%, 2 injured.

21.4.42: (Lfl.1) = Ju 88 D-1 failed to return from a flight in the Kholm-Staraya Russa area, 100%, 4 MIA (but later made their way back).

23.5.42: (Lfl.1) - Staka Oblt. Harries KIA by machine gun fire at or over Chudovo/SE of Leningrad - not stated whether in air or on the ground.

7/42: Staffel transferred from Pskov-South to Fp.Dno/120 km E of Pskov around June/July 1942 to give the aircraft and crews an extra 120 kilometers of range for weather flights into Central Russia. [14]

21.8.42: Fp.Dno with a total of 6 aircraft. [15]

15.99.42; (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 D-1 belly landed at Fp.Dno due to engine failure, 70%.

26.10.42: (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 D-5 damaged during Russian air attack on Fp.Dno, 30%.

8.1.43: (Lfl.1) = Ju 88 D-1 shot up and force landed near Novoshkolniki.

14.6.43: (Lfl.1) = Ju 88 D-1 damaged taxying at Fp.Dno, 20%.

8/43: Staffel transferred from Dno back to Pskov-South. [16]

5.8.43: (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 D-1 shot down by a fighter in Pl.Qu.1064/36 East, 100%, Oblt. Eberhard Grampp (pilot) + 3 KIA.

22.9.43:; (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 D-1 crashed at Fp.Luga-Gostkino due to engine failure, 30%.

26.10.43: still at Pskov-South under Fernaufklärungsgruppe 1 (FAG 1). [17].

2.11.43: (Lfl.1) - Ju 88 D-1 crashed at Fp.Pskov-South due to engine failure, 55%, 1 killed and 1 injured.

26.1.44: Staffel transferred from Pskov-South to Jelgava (Mitau)/42 km SW of Riga in Central Latvia. [18]

29.2.44: at Jelgava (Mitau). [19]

3/44 - 7/44: no finite details, but the Staffel continued flying weather reconnaissance flights in support of Luftflotte 1 until the massive Soviet summer offensive in Belorussia and the Baltic States that began on 22 June 1944 rapidly forced the Wehrmacht back into a pocket in northwestern Latvia, thus rendering the Staffel's mission redundant. By or during June 1944, the Staffel transferred to Riga/Latvia, but in July moved forward again to Pernau (Pärnu)/SW Estonia. [20]

31.7.44: Staffel at Pernau (Pärnu) - ordered disbanded this date with all assets to be handed over to FAG 5. Its FpN was deleted on 29 Aug 1944.[21]


FpN:Westa 1 (L 32857).


Staffelkapitän

Oblt. Ernst Woyna (6/39 - 9/39) KIA 2.9.39

Oblt. Heinrich Kater (9/39 - 3/42)

Hptm. Heinz Harries (3/42 - 5/42) KIA 23.5.42

Hptm. Wilhelm Ohmsen (5/42 - 3/43) KIA-3.3.43

Oblt. Eberhard Grampp (6/43 - 8/43) KIA 5.8.43

Hptm. Wilhelm Dietz (8/43 – 2/44)

Hptm. Erich Huck (8/43 – 8/43; 2/44 - 9/44)


Special Note:

The history of the Luftwaffe Weather Service, this Staffel, all of the other Staffeln, the Wetterflugstellen, the Wetterketten and all other components engaged in meteorological reconnaissance activities are covered in extensive detail in: Kington, John A. & Franz Selinger, WEKUSTA – Luftwaffe Meteorological Rec onnaissance Units & Operations 1938-1945, Ottringham/East Yorkshire (U.K.), 2006. Accordingly, rather than repeat what has already been treated in considerable detail, the researcher/reader is encouraged to see this extraordinary study.



© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).

(1st Draft 2022)

References

  1. ↑ Dierich.
  2. ↑ F.Selinger letter dated 13 Feb 1992.
  3. ↑ Balke-I:393; Dierich.
  4. ↑ Dierich.
  5. ↑ Kington/Selinger – Wekusta.
  6. ↑ Balke-I:401.
  7. ↑ Kington/Selinger – Wekusta, op cit.
  8. ↑ Kington/Selinger – Wekusta, op cit.
  9. ↑ Balke-I:416.
  10. ↑ Kington/Selinger – Wekusta, op cit.
  11. ↑ Kington/Selinger – Wekusta, op cit.
  12. ↑ PRO AIR 40/1971; Kington/Selinger – Wekusta, op cit.
  13. ↑ Micros; Kington/Selinger – Wekusta, op cit.
  14. ↑ Micros.
  15. ↑ Micros.
  16. ↑ Micros.
  17. ↑ Micros.
  18. ↑ PRO AIR 40/1977.
  19. ↑ BA-MA RL 40/Kart; Tessin.
  20. ↑ Kington/Selinger – Wekusta, op cit.
  21. ↑ F.Selinger letter 13 Jan 1993; Dierich; Kannapin.


Return to Aufklärungsverbände

Retrieved from "http://www.luftwaffedata.co.uk/index.php?title=Wettererkundungsstaffel_1&oldid=4753"