III./TG 4
III./TG 4
Formation. (May 43)
Formed 1 May 1943 in South France (base not identified) with a Gruppenstab and 9. – 12. Staffel by renaming KGr.z.b.V. 400. Equipped with Ju 52 transports.[1]
South France, Sardinia, Italy and Germany. (May 43 - Apr 44)
1 May 43: 2 Ju 52s crashed at Fp. Naples-Capodichino, both 100%, 10 killed.[2]
Jul 43: based at Avignon-West/85 km NW of Marseille - Gruppe’s primary mission during July and August was to fly troops and equipment to Sardinia from southern France and Italy.[3]
12 Jul 43: several Ju 52 crashes at Fp. Pomigliano near Naples.
30 Jul 43: Ju 52 bombed on the ground at Fp. Pratica di Mare/28 km SSW of Rome, 100%.
14 Aug 43: 2 Ju 52s bombed on the ground at Fp. Naples-Capodichino, 50% and 40%.
25 Aug 43: 3 Ju 52s shot up by fighters at Posta Angello, 2 @ 30%, 1 @ 15%.
4 Sep 43: Ju 52 crashed north of Nice/S France, 100%, 4 killed.
9 Sep 43: Ju 52 bombed on the ground at Fp. Beauvais-Tille/NE France, 100%.
18-28 Sep 43: fully committed to transporting the German garrison on Corsica to Pisa/NW Italy under the control of Stab/TG 5.[4]
24 Sep 43: 2 Ju 52s (incl. G6+MU) shot down by a fighter north of Elba, 100%, 3 WIA.
2 Oct 43: Ju 52 crashed while attempting to take off from Corsica and then destroyed to prevent capture by the enemy, 100%.
5 Oct 43: Ju 52 bombed on the ground at Fp. Grosseto/NW Italy, 100%.
Oct 43 – Apr 44: departed Italy during the first half of October and transferred to Würzburg to rest, refit and re-equip.[5]
North Russia and Germany. (Apr 44 - May 45?)
13-20 Apr 44: again operational, transferred from Würzburg to Schaulen (Siauliai)/Lithuania to provide transport support for Luftflotte 1.[6]
May 44: 12. Staffel disbanded and its remaining assets incorporated into 10. and 11. Staffel.[7]
14 May 44: ordered by OKL to leave the Luftflotte 1 area and return to Würzburg.[8]
Jul 44: at Cottbus in eastern Germany.[9]
Aug 44: training paratroops with 10. Staffel at Wittstock and 11. Staffel at Stendal.[10]
8 Dec 44: at Paderborn with 47(43) Ju 52s.[11]
17 Dec 44: 20 Ju 52s from the Gruppe, each carrying 11 paratroops, took off from Paderborn at 0115 hrs for the Ardennes area. Ju 52 (G6+DU) from 10. Staffel was shot down by AA fire east of Aachen.[12]
25 Dec 44: now at Örlinghausen/20 km W of Detmold preparing for a large-scale paratroop operation.[13]
16 Jan 45: Ju 52 shot up by fighters SE of Székesfehérvár/Hungary, 60%, Staffelkapitän Hptm. Ernst Büsselmann WIA and 1 KIA.
30 Jan 45: Ju 52 shot down by AA fire over Posen (Poznań)/W Poland, 100%, 4 MIA.
2 Feb 45: Ju 52 (G6+CV) failed to return from a flight to Posen, 100%, 1 KIA and 3 MIA.
4 Feb 45: Ju 52 crashed at Fp. Sagan-Küpper due to technical problems, 100%, 4 killed.
12 Feb 45: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Dresden-Klotzsche, 15%.
17 Feb 45: Ju 52 shot down over Königsbrück, 100%, 1 WIA.
Mar – May 45: no further information has been found. The Gruppe was disbanded but when is not known.
FpNs:Gruppenstab and 9. – 12. Staffel (L 43116)
Kommandeur:
Maj. Herbert Heyer (1 May 43 - Jan 44?) 7/43
Maj. Rüdiger Jakob (DKG) (May 44? - ? )
Maj. Hans-Hermann Brambach (DKG) (24 Oct 44 - ? )
Obstlt. Reinhard Wenning, i.G.? ( ? - ? ) 1944-45
Obstlt. Otto Pfister? ( ? - ? ) 1944-45
Also see:
BAJORAT, Horst, Lt./Oblt.. Pilot. Techn.Offz. in Stab III./TG 4.
BÜSSELMANN, Ernst, Hptm.d.R.z.V. Staka 10./TG 4. WIA.
HAFEMANN, Wilhelm, Hptm.
LANGE, Heinz-Joachim, Lt. Beobachter.
NIEDERSCHUH, Herbert, Oblt.
PRÜCKELMANN (PRÜSELMANN?), Ernst, Hptm. Staka. WIA.
SEHLHAUSEN, ? , Oblt.
SIEBER, Lothar Johannes Theodor, Lt./Oblt. Pilot. KIA.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).
(1st Draft 2022)
References
- ↑ G.Tessin-Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945 - Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte.
- ↑ BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
- ↑ PRO London: AIR 40 Air Ministry intelligence documents based on ULTRA and “Y” Service intercepts.
- ↑ K.Gundelach-Med:691.
- ↑ Air Ministry intelligence documents-op cit.; BNA HW 5/371.
- ↑ PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signal (number not recorded); AIR 40/1982.
- ↑ AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512.619 British AirMin P/W interrogations, ADI(K) series, microfilm rolls A5400-05, interrogation ADI(K) 644/44.
- ↑ ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
- ↑ ULTRA signal (number not recorded).
- ↑ ADI(K) 644/44 and ADI(K) 694/44.
- ↑ ULTRA signal BT996.
- ↑ ADI(K) 694/44.
- ↑ ULTRA signal BT996.
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