KGr.z.b.V. 20
KGr. z.b.V. 20
Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 20
(Unit Code: none)
Formation. (Nov 42)
Formed the last week of November 1942, possibly at Zichenau (Ciechanów)/78 km NNW of Warsaw, as a provisional transport unit for employment in the Stalingrad airlift operation. Initially equipped with 54 He 111s collected from various schools and other units in Germany. At least one source states that it was planned to use it as a glider tow Gruppe, but in practice it was used mainly as a conventional transport unit.[1]
South Russia. (Dec 42 - Mar 43)
29-30 Nov 42: forming at Zichenau.
3 Dec 42: He 111 H-2 damaged its undercarriage landing at Fp. Morosovskaya/202 km NE of Rostov, 30%. This may be the date of its arrival at Morosovskaya from Germany.
6 Dec 42: He 111 destroyed and 2 others severely damaged by AA and ground fire at Stalingrad-Pitomnik and Tatsinskaya, 1 KIA and Lt. Gustav-Dietrich Höpken WIA.
7 Dec 42: He 111 (TK+NH) destroyed and 2 others severely damaged by AA fire at Pitomnik and Morosovskaya, 4 MIA incl. Lt. Heinz Birkholz.
8 Dec 42: He 111 (KB+BW) destroyed and 2 more severely damaged during a Russian air attack on Fp. Morosovskaya.
10 Dec 42: 3 He 111s shot up and severely damaged by AA fire and fighters at Pitomnik, Lt. Heinrich Siepmann WIA.
11 Dec 42: He 111 shot up by fighters at Pitomnik, 60%.
12 Dec 42: 2 He 111s destroyed and 2 more damaged at Pitomnik.
16 Dec 42: He 111E crashed while taking off from Fp. Morosovskaya, 20%.
16 Dec 42: based at Morosovskaya.
1 Jan 43: He 111 (CM+KE) reported missing on a flight to or from Pitomnik, 100%, 4 MIA.
1-3 Jan 43: transferred from Morosovskaya to Novocherkassk/36 km NE of Rostov.
1 Jan 43: He 111 crashed taking off from Fp. Novocherkassk, 70%, 3 WIA.
3 Jan 43: 3 He 111s blown up at Fp. Morosovskaya to prevent their capture by the enemy, then advancing toward the airfield’s outer perimeter.
6 Jan 43: He 111 crashed while landing at Fp. Novocherkassk, 100%, 4 WIA.
23 Jan 43: 2 He 111s destroyed and another severely damaged at Stalingrad-Pitomnik and Stalingrad-Gumrak, 8 MIA incl. Lt. Stefan Segner.
27 Jan 43: He 111 ran out of fuel and force landed at Fp. Kirovograd/S Ukraine, 80%.
Feb 43: evacuated Fp. Novocherkassk in the latter part of January and moved to Fp. Dnepropetrovsk/E Ukraine. By January or February, the Gruppe had been reduced to Staffel strength and thereafter was being referred to as Kampfstaffel z.b.V. 20.
4 Feb 43: He 111 damaged its undercarriage landing or taking off from Fp. Dnepropetrovsk, 40%.
4 Feb 43: Kampfstaffel z.b.V. 20 ordered to transfer to Bagerovo/E Crimea this date.
22 Feb 43: Kampfstaffel z.b.V. 20 transferred to Sarabus/C Crimea.
23 Feb 43: He 111 crashed at Fp. Dnepropetrovsk due to engine trouble, 55%.
10 Mar 43: operating from Saki/Crimea.
12 Mar 43: operating from Saki - He 111 H-2 attacked and shot up by enemy fighters over the Taman Peninsula, 10%, 3 WIA. There are no further references to the Gruppe/Staffel after this date and one can only concluded that it turned over its remaining aircraft to other transport units in Crimea and was disbanded during the second half of March 1943.
FpN:(none found)
Kommandeur:
Maj. Hermann Schmidt ( - ) 12/42, 1/43, 2/43
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress, 2022).
(1st Draft 2022)
References
- ↑ G.Tessin-Tes; PRO London: AIR 40/1966, 1977, 1982; F.Morzik-German Air Force Airlift Operations:405; BA-MA Freiburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs).
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