2.(H)/23 (2nd)
2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 23 (2d Formation)
Code: (6K + )
also as: 2.(H)/23 (Pz)
Formation and Training. (Nov 38 - Aug 39)
Formed 1 November 1938 at Eschwege/40 km SE of Kassel (new) with Henschel Hs 126s and 3 Heinkel He 46s.[1]
Polish Campaign. (Sep 1939)
1.9.39: on receipt of the 26 August general mobilization order, deployed from Eschwege to Gross-Lassewitz in Silesia and assigned to support 1. Panzer-Division from Grunsruh on the German-Polish border to Piotrkow (Petrikau) (5 September), Gora Kalwarja on the Vistula south of Warsaw (8 September), encirclement battles along the Bzura to the west of Warsaw (16-18 September), operating from Kacin 19 September) and Warsaw (19-23 September).
10.39: returned to Germany after the campaign to rest, refit and train, and also turned in the few remaining He 46s still in its possession.
West - Attack on France and the Low Countries. (May 40 - Mar 41)
4.40: at Göppingen near Stuttgart.
10.5.40: Bitburg area in the Eifel under Koluft AOK 16 for the campaign in the West assigned to 1st Panzer Division along a line of advance from the German-Luxembourg border - Sedan (13 May) - Amiens (20 May) - Gravelines on the Channel coast (24 May) Dunkirk (to 31 May); after redeployment south for the second phase of the campaign, Rethel (9 June) - area east of Dijon (15 June) - Belfort (18 June).
14.5.40: Staffel cited for spotting a large concentration of French armor poised to strike at German columns pushing south from Sedan; 1st Panzer Div. was thus able to attack first and in a battle lasting several hours destroy around 70 French tanks.
16.5.40: Hs 126 failed to return from a recce mission in the le Chesne area south of Charleville, 100%.
21.5.40: Hs 126 hit by bombs during Allied air attack, 100%.
22.5.40: Hs 126 FTR from a recce to the Allonville area, 100%.
30.8.40: Belgium-North France area under Koluft AOK 9 in support of XXIV. Armeekorps.
8.40: following the armistice on 22 June, the Staffel is thought to have returned to Germany.
North Russia. (Jun 41 - Aug 41)
4.41: transferred (probably from Germany) to Lautenburg/40 km S of Deutsch-Eylau (Ilawa) in East Prussia.
23.5.41: one man from the Staffel reported injured at Lautenburg.
22.6.41: at Tilsit under Koluft Panzergruppe 4/Army Group North with 9 Hs 126s and 2 Fiesler Fi 156s for the attack on the Soviet Union this date - assigned to 1st Panzer Division along a line of advance Tilsit - Jekabpils (Jakobstadt)/Latvia (2 July) - Ostrov (4 July) - Sabsk (Sabsko)/NW of Luga (14 July) to the suburbs of Leningrad (14 September).
24.6.41: spotted and reported the off-loading of Russian troops at Radviliskis, giving 1. Pz.Div. time to take countermeasures.
26.6.41: transferred from Tilsit to Ponyevezys (Poniewesch)/Lithuania.
4.7.41: flew recce along the Pskov-Ostrov road, alerting the Division to the movement of large Soviet reinforcements headed toward the key road and rail junction at Ostrov.
12.7.41: flew recce along the Luga River and reported on the buildup of Russian forces just west of the river and the construction of positions along the east bank.
23.7.41: 1 KIA and 6 WIA by bombs during enemy air attack on Ovishchi.
Central Russia. (Sep 41 - Apr 44)
9.41: transferred with 1st Panzer Div. from the outskirts of Leningrad to the Vitebsk area on the central sector of the front during the last days of September.
2.10.41: attack on Moscow (Operation “Taifun” or Typhoon) in support of 1st Panzer from the Belyy area/96 km SW of Rzhev toward Kalinin (23 October and then Klin (7 December).
20.10.41: one member of the Staffel's ground staff WIA by artillery fire on the outskirts of Kalinin.
29.10.41: Hs 126 reported damaged at Kalinin.
29.10.41: Fi 156 belonging to the Staffel crash landed at Kholm.
5.11.41: based at Kalinin.
13.11.41: Bü 131 belonging to the Staffel destroyed by bombs during enemy air raid on Fp. Staritsa/NE of Rzhev, 80%, 1 KIA.
14.12.41: Staffel personnel blew up 3 of their own Hs 126 B-1s at Fp. Klin/ 90 km NW of Moscow to keep them from falling into enemy hands as the airfield was about to be overrun.
24.1.42: at Vyazma under Aufklärungsgruppe (H) Nord.
1.3.42: according to the aircraft availability and readiness returns, the Staffel had no aircraft on hand on the first of the month. However, a month later on 1 April it reported 8 x Hs 126 B-1 on strength.
13.3.42: flew reconnaissance in the Drasovo area.
23.3.42: flew recce in the Velizh area/NE of Vitebsk.
9.4.42: Staffel thanked by Komm.Gen. 205. Inf. Div. For its valuable cooperation and support during the taking of the woods S of Velizh.
20.6.42: Vyazma-Gradina area under Nahaufklärungsgruppe 2 - Staffel reported 8(7) Hs 126s on strength.
15.9.42: pilot WIA by enemy fire near Demidov/85 km NE of Vitebsk.
30.10.42: Hs 126 destroyed during enemy bombing raid on Vitebsk, 100%.
19.1.43: at Vyazma under NAGr. 6/Lw.Kdo.Ost in support of 4th Army.
1.4.43: Staffel reported 11 x Hs 126 B-1 on strength.
1943: the activity, location and subordination of the Staffel during 1943 cannot be determined with certainty since only a few entries mentioning it have been found. Reportedly under NAGr. 3 and NAGr. 5 at various times, its losses cannot be separately identified.
23.3.43: Fw 189 A-2 damaged in enemy bombing at Fp. Konotop, 50%. This is the last loss entry for the Staffel, but it is believed to be a misidentification because the Staffel is not known to have converted to the Fw 189.
4.43: operating in the Donets Basin in South Russia, according to Allied intelligence, but this seems incorrect.
15.12.43: at Orsha or Vitebsk under NAGr. 3 (which was equipped entirely with Fw 189s, so this may be a misidentification also).
1.1.44: Staffel reported 6 x Hs 126 B-1 on strength.
1.44: returned to Germany, possibly East Prussia, converted to the Bf 109G, and renamed 3./NAGr. 13 in early April 1944 (some sources state that the re-designation occurred in February 1944).
FpN:2.(H)/23 (L 21727).
Staffelkapitän:
Hptm. Hubert-Horst Correns (26 Sep 39 - 31 Oct 39)
Maj. Werner Stein ( ? - Oct 39)
Hptm. Kurt Hildemann (Nov 39 - ? ) 2/40
Oblt./Hptm. Gerhard Lenke ( ? - ? ) 1/42
Hptm. Paul Rau ( ? - ? ) 11/42, 2/43
Also see:
ALLEXI, Josef, Lt.
BACH, Johannes, Hptm.d.R.
BERGIUS, Rudolf, Oblt.
BLOCH, Edmund-Georg von, Oblt./Hptm.
BÜTTNER, Ernst, Oblt.
ERLER, Hans, Oblt.
GAMBER, A., Lt.
HEMPEL, Arnfried, Oblt.
HUNDT, ? , Lt.
KÖRNER, Helmut, Lt.
LÖFFLER, Rolf, Oblt.
MODERSOHN, Hermann, Hptm.
OBERBERGER, Alois, Oblt. (Kr.O.)
PETERS, G., Lt.
RAPS, Wilhelm, Oblt.
ROESMANN, Bernhard, Lt.
SCHUH, Karl, Oblt.
SCHUMANN, F.J., Oblt.
SCHUMANN, Joachim(Johann?), Oblt.
WEISS, Erich, Lt.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress).
(1st Draft 2021)
References
- ↑ J.-P.Défieux - Répertoire des Unités Aériennes de la Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Reconnaissance Aéronavale (Nanterre, privately published, n.d. (c 1988-90?); K.Ries - Luftwaffen Story 1935-1939; Tessin, Georg, Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939: Altes Heer, Freiwilligenverbände, Reichswehr, Heer, Luftwaffe, Landespolizei; G.Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, 16+ Bde., Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); W.Dierich - Die Verbände der Luftwaffe 1935-1945: Gliederungen und Kurzchroniken – Eine Dokumentation; N.Kannapin - Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945; U.Balke - Der Luftkrieg in Europa: Die Operativen Einsätze des Kampfgeschwader 2 im Zweiten Weltkrieg, Teil I, p.399; R.O.Stoves - 1. Panzer-Division 1935-1945: Chronik einer der drei Stamm-Divisionen der deutschen Panzerwaffe (Bad Nauheim: Verlag Hans-Henning Podzun, 1961); AFHRA Maxwell decimal Karlsruhe Collection KC-Kl13.309-3/ v.1; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC (AFHQ) A.393; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-312 AOK 9 rolls for 1940; roll 205/032 and 450; roll 1156/1020); (T-321 roll 20/542); 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: Flugzeug-Bereitstellungen (Aircraft Availability Status Reports – FzB) in: M.Holm-website (ww2.dk); TsAMO 500/12452, Akte 658, f.40/58.