3./NAGr. 2
3./NAGr. 2
(Unit Code J8+)
Formation. (March 1943)
Formed March 1943 at Jesau/East Prussia (ex-3.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31) and equipped with twin-engine Messerschmitt Bf 110Gs outfitted for tactical reconnaissance. By 1 June had 9 Bf 110 G-3s on hand.[1]
Balkans. (June 1943 - January 1945)
22 June 1943: transferred to Larissa/Greece under NAGr. 2.
23 June 1943: the Staffel’s primary mission from its arrival in June through August 1944 was to fly tactical reconnaissance in Greece and southern Yugoslavia in support of anti-partisan operations, and it began flying patrols along the Greek railway lines this date, just a day after its arrival, in search of evidence of sabotage and other partisan activity.
30 June 1943: Bf 110 G-3 crashed at Argos airfield/Peloponnesus due to engine failure,
90%, 3 killed.
16 September 1943: Bf 110 G-3 damaged landing at Agrinion/south-west Greece, 10%.
17 September 1943: Bf 110 G-3 (J8+GL) believed shot down by AA fire over Corfu,
100%, 3 MIA. The Staffel was being used to support attacks on the Italian garrison on Corfu that refused to honor the Italian surrender on 8 September. The Luftwaffe bombed Corfu on 14 September destroying large parts of the city and the Italians surrendered a few days later.
22 September 1943: Bf 110 G-3 belly landed south-west of Athens-Tatoi, 10%, 3 injured.
2 October 1943: Bf 110 G-3 damaged undercarriage landing at Fp.Joannina/NW Greece, 60%.
8 October 1943: Bf 110 G-3 crash landed at Larissa airfield/east-central Greece, 15%.
10 November 1943: one of the Staffel’s pilots was killed during an Allied bombing of Larissa.
12/43 - 6/44: no operational details - from 1 December 1943 through the end of June 1944 the Staffel had no losses due to enemy effect and only 2 non-combat losses, those both occurring in May.
1 January 1944: Larissa with 13 Bf 110 G-3s.
28 February 1944: Larissa directly under X. Fliegerkorps with a detachment of 3 x Bf 110s and 1 x Fi 156 at Jannina.
30 May 1944: still at Larissa but now under Komm.Gen.d.Dt.Lw. in Griechenland/Luftwaffenkommando Südost. Reported 13 Bf 110 G-3 and 1 Bf 109 G-2 on strength.
15 July 1944: Staffel transferred from Larissa to Kraljevo/Serbia with 6 Bf 110s, 1 Bf 109 and 2 Fi 156s to support anti-partisan Operation "Draufgänger" (Daredevil) in Monternegro and Kosovo, a major effort to encircle and destroy Tito's Partisan forces.
7 September 1944: now at Zagreb-Pleso/Croatia converting to single-seat Bf 109Gs.
6 October 1944: still at Zagreb-Pleso.
22 October 1944: conversion completed, transferred to Pecsvarad/south Hungary via Vukovar/Croatia.
2 November 1944: at Pecsvarad/north-east of Pecs with 12(6) Bf 109Gs under Fliegerführer Nordbalkan. By the end of November it had turned over all of its remaining aircraft (2 Bf 110s and 4 Bf 109s) to other units and departed for Germany, possibly Bayreuth-Bindlach. From 1 July to November it had 2 combat losses and 4 non-combat losses.
16 January 1945: renamed 2./NAGr. 15 on or about this date, probably in Silesia.
FpN:3./NAGr. 2 (L 02691).
Staffelkapitän:
Oblt. Gerhard Kopp ( ? - ? ) 10/44
© 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 (T-311 roll 179/641); AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin P/W interrogations, ADI(K) series, microfilm rolls A5400-05, interrogation ADI(K) 564/44; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals ML4980, ML5078, HP179, HP4343; BNA HW 5/442; 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; M.Holm-website ww2.dk.