Aufkl. Gr. 122 May 1943
May 1943 - In early May 2(F)./122 reported 7(5) Ju 88s, 1(1) Me 210 and 4(0) Me 410s on strength at Frosinone under Stab/Aufkl.Gr.122.[1]
1 May 1943 - At 09:00 a Ju 88 of 1.(F)/122 flew sea reconnaissance Algiers – Alboran. Reconnaissance was unsuccessful due to bad weather. The aircraft landed at 15:41.
At 18:15 three destroyers were seen in 03 Ost 8843, course 110 degrees.[2]
6 May 43: Stab./122 reported one liaison/courier plane on strength, but the type was not stated.[3]
1(F)./122, operating under Fliegerkorps II, sent out a number of aircraft (4 Ju 88 and 2 Me 109) departing between 04.30 and 14.00 hrs Z to search for a large eastbound convoy, and the last aircraft was to perform an off-shore recce between Cape Tenes and Cape Serrat also in order to attempt to pick up this convoy.[4]
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 6 May 1943 | 5(F)./122 | Ju 88D-1 | 430697 | Crashed at Fp.Gostkino, 100%, Oblt. Robert Quel (pilot) injured. | |
| 7 May 1943 | 4(F)./122 | Ju 88A-4 | Shot down by AA-fire in Pl.Qu.0741/43 East, 100%,4 MIA. | ||
| 7 May 1943 | 3(F)./122 | Ju 88D-1 | 430693 | Force landing Schipol, 10% damage.[5] |
7 May 43 - Hptm Lothar Otto was awarded the Frontflugspange in Gold after 110 operational missions against the enemy.•
8 May 1943 – 4(F)./122 photographed the airfield at Abinskaja (Abinsk) (SU 10 3737, Pl. Qu. 34 Ost 85151, 44.54 N 38.11 E). Subsequent analysis of the photographs showed 19 Lagg and 1 Airacobra on the airfield.[6]
9 May 1943 - 1(F)./122 ordered to transfer to Frosinone/C Italy this date, but this was apparently cancelled.[7] Two aircraft of 3.(F)/122 were on operations over the North Sea and were tracked by British radio between 2050 - 2230 hours. The frequencies used by the aircraft were 5684 and 4614 mcs.[8]
10 May 1943 – 1(F)./122 sortie to the area NW of Bougie on the Algerian Coast. O Hptm. Otto handed command of 3 Staffel to Hptm. Wieser at Schiphol. (Otto did not survive the war - he was killed on 13 March 45 near Flammersfeld/Westerwald.)[9]
12 May 43 - 1(F)./122’s 4 Ju 88s were at Decimo and the Bf 109s at Elmas.[10] Surrender of Axis forces in Tunisia ending the North African Campaign.
13 May 1943 - 2.(F)/122 was at Frosinone.ref name="ftn219a">A.Arthy Ultra ML1953</ref>
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 12 May 1943 | 1(F)./122 | Bf 109G-4 | R3+X5 | Shot down by a Spitfire off Cape Bougeron/Algeria, 100%, Oblt. Hans Kühne captured.[11] | |
| 13 May 1943 | 4(F)./122 | Ju 88D-1 | F6+ML | Shot down by a fighter over Slavyanskaya/N Caucasia, 100%,4 MIA. |
15 May 1943 – 4(F)./122 continued operations over the Kuban bridgehead.
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 15 May 1943 | 4(F)./122 | Ju 88D-1 | F6+OM | Failed to return from a sortie over the Kuban bridgehead and believed to have been shot down by a fighter, 100%,4 KIA. |
16 May 1943 – sorties to the area bordered by Medjez el Bab and Kairouan.
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 16 May 1943 | 2(F)./122 | Me 410 | F6+YK | Failed to return from sortie to the SW of Tunis, 100%, 1 KIA and 1 MIA. This marks the first loss of an improved Me 410 by the Staffel, which it began receiving in April 1943.[12] Lt. Bruno Lessen (F) missing and Uffz. Willi Keller (Bf) killed.[13]
Probably shot down SW of Pantelleria by Allied aircraft.[14] |
17 May 1943 - The Luftwaffe Order of Battle[15] recorded the following:-
1(F)./122 under the control of Luftflotte 2 in the Mediterranean with a mixed stock of Ju 88 and Bf 109 aircraft – 12 on strength of which 5 were servicable.
2(F)./122 under Luftflotte 2 with a mixed stock of Ju 88 and Me 210/410 aircraft – 12 on strength of which 4 were servicable.
3(F)./122 under Luftflotte 3, in the West, with 11 Ju 88 of which 5 were servicable.
4(F)./122 under Luftflotte 4, on the Southern Sector of the Eastern Front, with 12 Ju 88 aircraft of which 9 were servicable.
5(F)./122 under Luftflotte 1, on the Northern Sector of the Eastern Front, with 10 Ju 88 on strength of which 7 were servicable.
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 18 May 1943 | 1(F)./122 | Bf 109G-4 | 19200[16] | Crashed in the south of Sardinia due to engine trouble. 100%, Oblt. Hans Marquardt injured. | |
| 19 May 1943 | 2(F)./122 | Me 410 | F6+ZK | 175 | Recce mission to the Tripoli-Gabes-Sfax-Sousse area. Failed to return - no details, 100%. Fw. Hans Fehn (F)and Uffz. Heinrich Eggerking (Bf) both missing.[17] |
| 20 May 1943 | 1(F)./122 | Ju 88D-1trop | F6+KH | 430534 | Missing off the Sardinian Coast, 100%, Lt Wolfgang Schindler & three crew KIA.[18] |
21 May 1943 – 5(F)./122 photographed the area around Babanowo (59.53.50N/31.42.30E).[19]
| Date | Unit | Aircraft Type | Code | Wkr.No. | Notes |
| 28 May 1943 | 5(F)./122 | Ju 88D-1 | Crash landed at Tallinn-Laksberg/Estonia due to technical problems, 25%. |
Links
References
Images of 1(F).122 Bf 109Fs provided by Adam Thompson
- ↑ LdZ - ULTRA Signals ML1357 and ML1953.
- ↑ BA-MA RL 2 II/302 via Andrew Arthy.
- ↑ LdZ - ULTRA ML1357.
- ↑ DEFE3/814 ML1450 pg 488
- ↑ Luftwaffe Quartermaster General loss returns dated 22 May 1943, sheet 14, item 237
- ↑ http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/targetrussia/citynamesbeginninga/citynames-abascha-ales/slides/Abascha%20%20%20006.html
- ↑ LdZ - ULTRA ML1619.
- ↑ Air 22/498 via Adam Thompson
- ↑ Rob van den Nieuwendijk 2004
- ↑ LdZ - P/W interrogation CSDIC AFHQ A.21.
- ↑ LdZ - LRs, but also see CSDIC AFHQ A.21. See also Rosch pages 45 & 144 (likely that this code is for an aircraft transferred in from an unknown unit.
- ↑ LdZ - Defieux-op cit.
- ↑ Wadman/Hopp – Me 410 Incidents.
- ↑ Pausey – F122 losses May –Dec 1943 (AIR40/2431)
- ↑ Price – LDB (Greenhill)
- ↑ LW Quartermaster Returns – 28 May 1943 Sheet 7 entry 87
- ↑ Wadman/Hopp – Me 410 Incidents (LL 26.05.43/WASt)
- ↑ Pausey – F122 losses May –Dec 1943 (Wkr Nr and aircraft commander’s name)
- ↑ http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/targetrussia/citynamesbeginninga/citynames-arc-bak/slides/Babanowo%20%20259.html