Sonderkommando “Mausi”

Sonderkommando “Mausi”

also as: Sonderkommando Minenräumung

Formation. (Sep 40)

Formed in September 1940 at Gilze-Rijen/Holland and initially assigned to IX. Fliegerkorps. The Kommando’s mission was to locate and detonate British magnetic mines being sown along the coast and in harbours.

Atlantic, North Sea, Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean. (Sep 40 - Nov 42)

27 Sep 40: flew its first operational sortie (no details).

7 Oct 40: carried out its first successful detonation of a mine this date (no details).

Nov 40: by the end of November, the Sonderkdo. Had a total of 6 Ju 52s on strength and was covering an area of operations between Boulogne/NE France and the Hook of Holland.

Dec 40: toward the end of 1940 it began receiving a number of obsolete Do 23s due to the critical shortage of Ju 52s. Several other types were also acquired in small numbers and new crews were brought in as part of an expansion that continued over the following months.

17 Apr 41: Do 23 force landed near Tilburg/Holland due to engine trouble, 20%.

24 Apr 41: transferred a Ju 52 from Gilze-Rijen to Salonika/Greece and then to Athens to clear mines in Greek ports and around the Aegean.

22 Jun 41: a “Mausi” Kdo. with 3 Do 23s was based in East Prussia attached to Fliegerführer Ostsee and assigned to mine-clearing operations in the Baltic.

Jul 41: one of the 3 Do 23s attached to Fliegerführer Ostsee was destroyed in a crash at Riga-Spilve during July and a few weeks later the remaining two were withdrawn from service.

26 Oct41: 2 Ju 52s destroyed while sweeping mines in the Gulf of Finland, both 100%, 3 WIA.

11 Feb 42: a “Mausi” Kdo. was dispatched to Vannes/100 km NW of Nantes in western France to detonate any mines discovered in the approaches to Lorient in preparation for the so-called “Channel Dash” (Operation “Cerberus”) - the top secret transfer of the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and a large escort of destroyers and torpedo boats from Breast and Lorient to ports in North Germany via the English Channel, with heavy air cover provided by the Luftwaffe (Operation “Donnerkeil”). By this date “Mausi” detachments were also active in the North Sea and in the Baltic.

May 42: Sonderkommando’s main effort now concentrated in the waters around Copenhagen, with the “Mausi” Ju 52s operating from Copenhagen-Kastrup and Aalborg (Ålborg) – West.

Jun – Jul 42: main effort now along the Atlantic coast of France, but several Ju 52s were also sent to the Mediterranean for use in North Africa and to the Black Sea to counter Soviet minelaying operations, primarily in the Mariupol-Kerch-Sea of Azov area.

19 Sep 42: Ju 52 ditched in the Sea of Azov due to engine trouble, 100%, 1 KIA.

7 Oct 42: Ju 52 destroyed by a mine explosion near Kerch, 100%, 4 KIA.

Oct 42: by mid-October, the “Mausi” detachment covering the North Sea area consisted of 5 Ju 52s based at Jever near Wilhelmshaven.

15 Nov 42: Ju 52 crashed at Wadi Tamet near Sirte due to engine trouble.

1 Dec 42: renamed Minensuchgruppe 1 at Weddewarden near Bremerhaven.

FpN:(L 49179?)

Kommandeur:

Lt. Ellgess (Sep 40 - Nov 40)

Hptm. Hans Karmann (Nov 40 - Nov 42)

© H.L. deZeng IV, 2024

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