Wettererkundungsstaffel 2 Ob.d.L.

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Wettererkundungsstaffe1 2 Ob.d.L.

(Unit Code: D7+)


Formation. (Jul 40)

Formed July 1940 at Oldenburg/NW Germany from elements of Wettererkundungsstaffel beim Ob.d.L. Initially equipped with Heinkel He 111Hs.[1]


France. (Jul 40 - Sep 44).

Jul 40: transferred immediately after formation from Oldenburg to Brest-South (a.k.a. Brest-Lanveoc/Poulmic).[2]

13 Aug 40: at Brest-South directly under Ob.d.L. with 5 He 111Hs - flew weather reconnaissance flights over the Bay of Biscay and over the Atlantic between Ireland and the coast of Portugal.[3]

23 Sep 40: He 111 H-2 (RH+NT) ditched in the Atlantic 800 km W of Brest due to engine failure. He 111 H-3 (GT+KA), sent to find the first Heinkel and drop a dingy, was shot down by a RAF Blenheim 432 km off Land's End, 100%, 2 KIA and 3 rescued.[4]

8 Feb 41: He 111 H-5 crashed near Brest, 100%, 4 killed.

7 May 41: He 111 (KG+UV) failed to return from a flight over the Atlantic, 100%, 4 MIA.

11 Jun 41: He 111 H-2 crashed at Fp. Brest-South, 40%.

28 Oct 41: Ju 88 D-2 crash landed at Fp. Brest-South, 80%, 1 injured.

26 Dec 41: Ju 88 A-5 (DE+DS), out of fuel, force landed near Waterville in County Kerry/Ireland and entire crew of 4 interned; the Junkers was destroyed by the Irish Army as salvage was not possible.[5]

6 Jan 42: Ju 88 D-2 damaged during Allied air attack on Brest-South, 40%.

18 Feb 42: Ju 88 D-1 damaged landing at Fp. Brest-South, 20%.

1 Mar 42: Staffel reported 1 x He 111 H-3, 1 x He 111 H-5, 2 x Ju 88 D-1, 1 x Ju 88 D-2 and 1 x Ju 88 D-5 on strength.[6]

3 Mar 42: Ju 88 D-1 (CN+OU) flew into a hill in County Cork/Ireland, 100%, 4 KIA.

11 Jun 42: Ju 88 D-5 (SL+GQ) failed to return - no details, 100%, 1 KIA and 3 MIA.

Jul 42: Staffel flew its last He 111H sortie and transferred from Brest-South to Nantes, now fully equipped with the Ju 88.[7]

4 Oct 42: Ju 88 D-1 crashed on Belle-Ile in the Bay of Biscay, 100%, 4 killed.

13 Oct 42: Ju 88 D-5 crash landed at Fp. Nantes, 30%.

1 Jan 43: Staffel reported 7 x Ju 88 D-1 on strength.

3 Feb 43: Ju 88D crashed at Fp. Nantes due to engine trouble, 30%.

12 May 43: Ju 88 D-1 (D7+EK) belly landed at St-Viaud-Frossay/50 km W of Nantes due to technical problems, 60%, 2 injured. Aircraft and crew had been dispatched in the early morning hours to observe Allied convoy activity off NW Ireland but had aborted the mission due to mechanical difficulties.

Jun 43: Staffel flew it 1,000th operational mission.[8]

1 Jul 43: Staffel reported 11 x Ju 88 D-1 on strength.

23 Jul 43: Ju 88 D-1 (D7+DK) crashed into a hill in southwest Ireland in poor visibility due to fog, 100%, 4 KIA.[9]

13 Sep 43: Ju 88 D-1 crash landed at Fp. Brest-South due to engine failure, 25%.

16 Sep 43: Ju 88 D-1 (15%) and He 111H-3 (10%) damaged during Allied bomb raid on Fp. Nantes.

1 Dec 43: Ju 88 D-1 shot up by enemy aircraft in Pl.Qu.14 West 486, 10%, 1 KIA and 1 WIA.

16 Dec 43: Ju 88 D-1 (D7+KK) failed to return -no details, 100%, 4 MIA.

1 Jan 44: Staffel reported 8 x Ju 88D-1 on strength.

20 Mar 44: Ju 88 shot down by enemy fighters while returning from a mission over the Atlantic, 100%, crew KIA, including Staka Oblt. Schmidt, but the radio operator survived.

Mar 44: Staffel turned over its Ju 88s to Westa 51 at the end of March and transferred from Nantes to Germany (Burg near Magdeburg) to rest and re-equip with Heinkel He 177s, this being an apparent attempt to provide the Staffel with an aircraft of greater range for longer flights over the Atlantic. The first He 177A-3 was received on 20 April, but after the Staffel returned to France in late June or early July

only one operational mission is known to have been flown with this type.[10]

27 Apr 44: the crew of a He 177 lost control while flying low over Burg airfield on a practice flight and dove into the ground killing all aboard, 100%.[11]

10 Jul 44: Staffel listed at Mont de Marsan/SW France.[12]

22 Jul 44: He 177 crashed while taking off from Mont de Marsan on a night mission, 100%, entire crew KIA.[13]

25 Jul 44: now at Bordeaux-Merignac with an operational detachment (Einsatzkommando) at Mont de Marsan.[14]

Jul 44: aside from the one flight noted above, the Staffel was never able to recommence operations due to the growing fuel problem and the constant difficulties encountered with the He 177, as well as the swarms of Allied fighters now patrolling the Bay of Biscay and over the western areas of France.[15]

31 Jul 44: Staffel reported 19 aircraft on strength.[16]

Aug 44: the last weather flights made by the Staffel reached a point almost half way out into the Atlantic between France and Newfoundland.[17]

19 Aug 44: evacuated France and in transfer to Germany.[18]

4 (7?) Sep 44: at Burg bei Magdeburg with a total of 17 He 177 A-3s on strength - Staffel ordered disbanded this date (FpN deleted 1 Nov 1944).[19]



FpN:(L 24693)



Staffelkapitän:

Hptm. Rudolf Prasse (Jul 40 - Dec 42)

Oblt. Karl(?) Schmidt (Dec 42 - 20 Mar 43 (44?)) KIA

Oblt. Hans-Joachim Schulze (Mar 43 (44?) - Jun 44)

Hptm. Heinz(?) Schröder (Jun 44 - 7 Sep 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 Reconnaissance 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. ↑ W.Dierich-VdL; F.Selinger letter to H.L.deZeng dated 13 Jan 1993.
  2. ↑ F.Selinger-op cit.
  3. ↑ U.Balke-KG 2/Teil 1:408; Dierich-op cit; PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents.
  4. ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, pp.56-57.
  5. ↑ LRs and Jet & Prop magazine, Heft (issue) 4/1992:12-17; Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.60.
  6. ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: Flugzeug-Bereitstellungen (Aircraft Availability Status Reports – FzB) in: M.Holm-website (ww2.dk).
  7. ↑ PRO London: ADM 223/OIC-SI (Operational Intelligence Centre - Special Intelligence), a daily intelligence report based on ULTRA and other signals intelligence that began about January 1942; Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.57.
  8. ↑ Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.60.
  9. ↑ LRs and Jet & Prop-op cit.
  10. ↑ F.Selinger-op cit; Dierich-op cit; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
  11. ↑ Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.60.
  12. ↑ NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-971 roll 18.
  13. ↑ Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.62.
  14. ↑ Luftflotte 3 OB list in RG 242/T-971-op cit.
  15. ↑ PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents.
  16. ↑ Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.62.
  17. ↑ ULTRA signal-op cit; Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.62.
  18. ↑ Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.62.
  19. ↑ F.Selinger letters 13 Feb and 5 Aug 1992; M.Griehl-He 177:143; Dierich-op cit; N.Kannapin-Feldpostübersicht; Kington/Selinger – WEKUSTA, p.63.


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