National Archives (Public Record Office) - 5

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

François SAEZ
1.Storstaffel Lw.Kdo.Ost...........
Mon Oct 7 21:40:25 2002
212.198.0.96

Hi,
I am looking for any kind of info on this unit, please
Especially 1943-1944
The group was supposed to be involved at the attack on
Tito Headquarters


François
fsaez@noos.fr

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
There was no such......
Tue Oct 8 12:52:41 2002
64.12.97.6

unit, but there was a 1.Staffel/Störkampfgruppe Luftwaffenkommando Ost that was formed in late January/early February 1943 by renaming Störkampfstaffel Lw.Kdo.Ost. On 6 May 1943 it was renamed 1.Staffel/Störkampfgruppe Luftflotte 6 and then on 18 October 1943 it was renamed again, this time as 1.Staffel/Nachtschlachtgruppe 2. The Staffel and its parent Gruppe fought on the central sector of the Eastern Front and it was never in the Balkans.

The unit that you are apparently interest in carried the designation Störkampfstaffel Südost (Feldpostnummer L 53512) and was formed in June 1943 by renaming Störkampfstaffel Kroatien (or Störkampfstaffel Luftwaffenstab Kroatien), which had been formed in December 1942. It supported anti-partisan operations throughout Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina during 1943. On 18 October 1943 it was renamed 1.Staffel/Nachtschlachtgruppe 7 at Banja Luka - Zaluzani. As 1.St./NSGr.7, it did fly support missions from Zaluzani during the airborne assault on Tito's headquarters at Drvar (Operation "Rösselsprung") between 25 and 30 May 1944. At the time, the Staffel was equipped with He 46s and possibly a few Italian Cr 42s.

HTH,

Larry

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

François SAEZ
Re: There was no such......
Tue Oct 8 14:44:22 2002
212.157.192.123

Thanks Larry -
I have pics of the docs available on request at
fsaez@noos.fr
Again, thanks
François

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

François SAEZ
Thanks
Tue Oct 8 19:47:15 2002
212.198.0.96

Thanks again Larry,

Is there a book or some docs existing on this unit?

François

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
NSGr.7
Tue Oct 8 22:01:57 2002
64.12.97.6

François -

Not really. However, a German researcher who appears on this discussion board fairly often is currently writing a book about all of the Störkampfgruppen/Nachtschlachtgruppen, and it may be published as soon as next year. Hopefully, he will see this and provide us with more information.

Larry

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Christian Möller
CMoellerSchulenburg@web.de
NSGr. 7 and Operation Rösselsprung
Wed Oct 9 11:07:44 2002
217.184.237.24

Hello Larry, hello Mr. Saez!

Indeed, there are just a few documents about Störkampfstaffel Kroatien/NSGr. 7.
I possess two Flugbücher of former NSGr. 7 pilots only.

However, in the next edition of the new and really great magazine "Luftwaffe im Focus" will be an article on operation "Rösselsprung", the attack on Tito´s headquarter near Drvar on 25 May 1944!
The issue will be available in December this year.

Many greetings,
Christian Möller
Germany

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
L. im F. Article
Wed Oct 9 14:01:37 2002
64.12.96.171

Thank you, Christian!

Would this be the same article that my good friend Georg Schlaug has been working on? It must be that the two of you have co-authored the article. You were right in your comment regarding the lack of documentation on NSGr.7. Aside from some ULTRA intercepts and several POW interrogation reports conducted by Tito's people, there is very little. That's to bad, too, because it was an interesting unit fighting in an interesting theater of war.

L.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
NSG 7 archive sources
Wed Oct 9 19:36:38 2002
212.159.23.11

There's also PRO AIR40/2151 "GAF Ops SE Med" which is a big ledger, hand written (and not always legible) that appears to be a compilation of every kind of intelligence data that came the RAF's way.

It's rarely specific as to units but you can occasionally pick up items like:

12 March 1945 - 2 CR.42, Bombs on airfiled positions MENINA PLANINA

13 March 1945 - 7 CR.42, HASONBREG, Bombs on camp

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
Re: NSG 7 archive sources
Wed Oct 9 21:19:38 2002
205.188.209.48

Interesting, Nick!

Looks like those sample entries came from the SOE field liaison teams that were attached to each of Tito's divisions and most of his brigades. Observed from the ground, so type and activity reported but unit unknown. Nevertheless, with obscure little units like NSGr. 7, every little bit helps.

Larry

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Mitch Williamson
Hs 293A versus US held Avranches Bridges 1944
Fri Nov 8 04:46:17 2002
211.26.25.12

Hi Everyone

Quote:

'Hs 293A missiles (launched by Do 217s) were also used unsuccessfully against Avranches bridges which were being used by Patton's Third Army in Northern France in August 1944. This was the first time aircraft launched guided-bombs were used against land targets.'

Can anyone verify this? What unit would the Do 217s be from? Any book/reference on this would be appreciated.

Best Wishes
Mitch

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
Hs 293 vs. bridges
Fri Nov 8 14:02:54 2002
212.104.129.220

Yes it did happen and the unit involved was III./KG 100, operating out of Toulouse-Blagnac and Toulouse-Francazal at this period.

The bridge(s) are variously described as being at Pontorsson and Pontaubault but without checking a map, I don't know if these are widely separated.

You'll find an account of one attack (from a PoW interrogation) in Profile Publications "The Dornier 217" by Alfred Price - long out of print, I think.

At the Public Record Office in London, these attacks are mentioned in the translated situation reports of Luftflotte 3 for August 1944 and in the "ADI(K)" poW interrogation reports. Also at least one of these Do 217s was shot down by a Mosquito, so there'd be reports from the RAF side as well.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Jim Spaw
Hs293 attacks in France
Sat Nov 9 15:44:26 2002
65.31.223.244

I have always wondered where all the Hs293s were used. I have the elevator from an HS293, marked: "piece of dud robot bomb" that a veteran returned to the USA. It is painted in #76 paint with a red stencil : nicht anfassen. weighs about 25 pounds .
This could have been from one of these attacks in France...
who knows.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Mitch Williamson
Thanks Nick(N/T)
Sun Nov 10 04:12:18 2002
211.26.25.12

N/T

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

C. herrera
NIght Fighter Wing Commander arrested after the war
Tue Nov 19 20:10:01 2002
192.31.106.34

Hi everyone,

While surfing the web, I came accross a citation for a Nazi war crime trail after the war. Basically, it is a sentence for 10 months for a "Luftwaffe group commander of a night fighter wing" who shot a civilian arrested for making "derogatory remarks about the continued fighting of the Wehrmacht". His full name is not given, just Johann K.
and the location is given as Schlewig A/F.

Wasn't NJG-3 based at Schleswig? Does anyone know the name of this group commander.

Carlos

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
Probably not the answer but…
Tue Nov 19 21:50:16 2002
212.159.56.107

PRO AIR40/2264 includes two lists of unit commanders notified by the Germans to the Allied occupation authorities on 21 and 22 May 1945. These came from the base commander at Leck via Flughafenbereich (Airfield Region) Schleswig.

The only night fighter unit COs mentioned are:

Oberstlt. Japs [sic] - NJG 2 [typo for Jabs?]
Oberstlt. Bimmig - NJG 3
Oberstlt. Radusch - NJG 4
Schnauffer [sic] - I./NJG 4
Hptm. Krause - III./NJG 4
Hptm. Fladrich - 10./NJG 11
Oberstlt. Welter - Liaison officer GAF personnel with Luftflotte Reich

So at least Krause begins with a K and was in the Schleswig area just after the war ended.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Douglas Jr.
Hauptmann Krause
Tue Nov 19 22:26:17 2002
200.227.227.38

Hi,

The site www.das-ritterkreuz.de lists the following information:

Hauptmann Johannes(Hans) Krause
born on 13.01.1920 in Rheinhausen/Rheinland
Ritterkreuz on 07.02.1945 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur II./NJG 101. This doesn´t mean that he wasn´t transfered after receive the RK.
According the site he is still alive.

I think he is a strong candidate as the officer you are looking for.

Best wishes,

Douglas.

(I checked out the noted site and found that it is no longer in operation.

Regards,
Richard)

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

C. Herrera
Thanks Nick and Douglas!
Wed Nov 20 15:13:47 2002
192.31.106.34

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

kb
April 13, 1944 raid on Corsica
Sat Nov 30 05:49:40 2002
207.69.15.197

Would like to know the LW units which took part in raid on Alesan A/D, inflicting severe damage to 340 MBG, USAAF.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
13 April 1944
Mon Dec 2 14:21:00 2002
205.188.209.38

The most likely candidate is III./KG 76, which was based at Villaorba/NE Italy at that time with Ju 88A-4s and a half dozen or so Ju 188s. This Gruppe did operate mainly at night and did attack targets on Corsica during spring 1944. There is no evidence of any participation by elements of KG 26 or KG 77 based in S France as these were anti-shipping Geschwader at this time and busied themselves attacking convoys in the Mediterranean. Nor was KG 100 a participatant. I have the detailed units histories for both KG 26 and KG 100 and neither has any reference to the 13 April night attack on Alesan airfield with fragmentation bombs that totally destroyed 30 of the 340th Bomb Group's 90 B-25 Mitchells and severely damaged 45 others, thereby putting this Group out of commission for the second time in two months.

HTH,

Larry

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Nick Beale
I'm confused!
Tue Dec 3 23:23:28 2002
212.159.57.155

Are you sure it was April and not May 1944?

PRO AIR20/8534 includes CSDIC (Air) CMF Report No. A.595, “The GAF in Italy”, a post-war study written in captivity (and without benefit of documents) by General der Flieger Max von Pohl. I quote:

"In April 1944, the Luftwaffe in Italy registered one of its last genuine successes. German bombers, led by Oberst Helbig, caused havoc among closely parked Allied “mediums” during a surprise night attack on Corsican airfields.”

On the other hand, Ultra KV 1019 says:

"Total ops by Lfl. 2 [on 13 April] were 118 sorties including: scramble against enemy formations approaching Budapest, without interception. Night 12/13: attack on main supply depots north of Nettuno: co-operation between Luftwaffe formations and Flak artillery."

On the third hand (is this possible?) I do have data about attacks on Bastia harbour, Poretto and Alesani on the night of 12/23 May 1944.

Ultra says that Luftflotte 2 sent 115 bombers in two concentrated attacks. Interesting since on 10 May its bomber force had only 60 serviceable Ju 88s to its name. The bombers in Lfl. 2 at the time were Stab, I. and II./LG 1 and Stab, %. and III./KG 76.

Prisoners from 5./KG 76 and 3./LG 1 shot down later said they had had taken part in these attacks and though the Allies also reported He 177s being involved, there were none in Italy then so any participating (id indeed they did) would have come from France, I guess.

For devotees of "Catch-22", this is a possible prototype for the incient in the novel where Milo Minderbinder bombed the Squadron under a contract from the Germans.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Don Kaiser
May 12, 13, 1944
Fri Dec 20 19:39:13 2002
192.231.106.2

Hi Nick,
You got it right! The raids were in May of 1944, not April.
Please see this site:

http://sbl.salk.edu/~dkaiser/raid.html

Thanks for all the great info. I would love to hear about this raid from the German side. Perhaps there are photos or movies taken during the raid?

Don Kaiser