3./MSGr. 1
3./MSGr. 1
also as: 3. Minensuchstaffel (after 29 Feb 44)
Formation. (Dec 42)
Formed 1 December 1942 at Varna/Bulgaria (confirmation needed) using in part assets taken from the disbanded Sonderkommando “Mausi”. The Staffel operated mainly in the Black Sea area and Hungary until the end of 1944.[1]
Black Sea, Balkans, North Germany. (Dec 42 - May 45)
4 May 43: Ju 52 ditched in the western Sea of Azov due to engine failure, 100%, crew safe.[2]
13 May 43: Ju 52 severely damaged from a mine explosion and crashed into the Sea of Azov, 100%, 3 WIA.
3 Jul 43: Ju 52 crashed into the Sea of Azov (cause not reported), 100%, 3 WIA.
8 Jul 43: Ju 52 damaged at Fp. Galaţi/Romania when struck by a landing Romania aircraft, 40%.
10 Jul 43: Staffel reported that it was based at Bagerovo/E Crimea with 9 Ju 52s.[3]
Aug 43: from August 1943 to late 1944 the Staffel averaged between 12 and 24 Ju 52s.[4]
12 Sep 43: now at Kerch flying mine-clearing operations over the Kerch Strait in support of the German withdrawal from the Taman Peninsula.[5]
10-12 Oct 43: on conclusion of the Taman evacuation the Staffel transferred from Kerch to Odessa with 9(7) Ju 52s.[6]
17 Nov 43: parked Ju 52 rammed by another aircraft at Odessa and destroyed, 85%.
30 Nov 43: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter off the NW coast of Crimea, 100%, 4 KIA.
18 Apr 44: Staffel now based at Giuleşti/10 km NW of Bucharest with 18 Ju 52 “Mausi” aircraft under Luftflotte 4 for operations in the Black Sea and along the Danube between Belgrade and Galaţi/Romania.[7]
18 May 44: all or elements now at Craiova/SW Romania clearing mines along the Danube.[8]
26 May 44: aircraft assigned to Danube mine-clearing operating from Fp. Franzfeld (near Zrenjanin in the Banat NNW of Belgrade).[9]
Jun 44: Kdos. (detachments) at both Franzfeld and Galaţi and still there in July.[10]
25 Aug 44: main body of the Staffel transferred from Galaţi to Belgrade while the personnel, vehicles and equipment not needed for immediate operations were sent by road to Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.[11]
7 Sep 44: ordered to transfer from Franzfeld to Novi Sad and there by 26 Sep.[12]
7 Oct 44: a Kdo. had been sent to Greece to help clear mines in the Aegean in support of the German evacuation from the islands and was based at Athens-Eleusis.[13]
2 Nov 44: now at Budapest-Budaörs in Hungary following the German withdrawal from most of the Balkans.[14]
29 Nov 44: departed Hungary and now at Tulln near Vienna.[15]
Dec 44: Tulln.[16]
Feb 45: transferred from Tulln via Stendal to Schleswig in N Germany at the end of January or beginning of February (there by 5 Feb) with the 8 Ju 52 “Mausi” and reassignment to Luftflotte Reich.[17]
10 Feb 45: at Schleswig.[18]
5-8 May 45: surrendered at Schleswig.[19]
FpN:(L 50067)
Staffelkapitän:
(not found)
© H.L. deZeng IV, 2024
Return to Minensuchverbände
References
- ↑ Dierich-VdL; Tessin-Tes; N.Kannapin-FpÜ; H.J.Nowarra- Minensuchgruppe Mausi: Mit der Tante Ju im Kampfeinsatz:et seq; M.Holm-website ww2.dk. [Note: the paucity of information for all of the Minensuchstaffeln, together with fact that they usually operated in small kommandos (detachments), makes it difficult or impossible to identify all of the base locations with dates.]
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
- ↑ PRO London: AIR 40/1966.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: Flugzeug-Bereitstellungen (Aircraft Availability Status Reports – FzB) in: M.Holm-website (ww2.dk).
- ↑ AIR 40/1975.
- ↑ AIR 40/1979.
- ↑ PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
- ↑ ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
- ↑ ULTRA-op cit.
- ↑ ULTRA-op cit; AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin CSDIC P/W Interrogation Reports in microfilm rolls A5415-18, interrogation CSDIC/CMF A.446.
- ↑ F.Kurowski-Seekrieg aus der Luft: Die deutsche Seeluftwaffe im Zweiten Weltkrieg:277.
- ↑ BNA HW 5/595.
- ↑ ULTRA signal HP3099.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: Signatur RL 40/Kart (“Aufmarsch die fliegende Verbände” order of battle map for this date).
- ↑ RL 40/Kart for this date.
- ↑ ULTRA signal BT4767.
- ↑ ULTRA BT4634.
- ↑ ULTRA BT4767.
- ↑ M.Holm-op cit.