Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

Thanks. I just had a look on BNF Gallica and they only have the June and July editions, so you are ahead of Bibliotheque Nationale!

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

Hi/Bonjour,

I found all the names of Fw. Walter Merz crew in the book quoted in source with the excerpt below. Hence my surprise!

We are talking here about the loss of an He 111 of the T.G. 30 but the crew of Fw. Merz seems to belong to the K.G. 55 (according to the book : 8. Staffel). So ? A crew from the latter unit, flying on a plane belonging to the T.G. 30? The unit that oversees these missions?

Testimony Wilhelm Mylius - On 11 September at 20.00 hours we took off for the first time from Zellhausen to Strassburg, a staging airfield, where the crews received flight instructions and target documents, while the technicians loaded the machines with supply containers. [source: Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif", Wolfgang Dierich – 1975]

Best regards,
Frederic

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

It was a TGr 30 aircraft being flown by an 8./KG 55 crew. They had obviously been transferred as prior to this to meet the demand, EKM were not III./KG 55 prior to this and for just a week after they were 7 & 8./KG 55

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

Thanks for the clarification Chris. By the way, what does EKM stand for?

Regards,
Frederic

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

Crews were transferred from KG 55 to TGr. 30 as early as June 1944. The II. and III./KG 55 had been wihdrawn from the Eastern Front at the end of the Summer and joined in supplying the fortessses (they had recent experience of supply drops to German troops cut off by the Red Army). Transfers of aircraft continued through into November with four of a promised 10 being flown to Bavarian airfields on the 8th.

One example:

CX/MSS/T356/44

From GAMOZ ((GAF Command West)) GAZOP ((Chief QM))1 ((No.)) 15435 on 30/10:

Subject: GABOF ((OKL)) QMG (6. Abt. III C) ((No.)) 10610 of 25/10:
10 He 111 of the 15 allocated as above will be ferried over by crews of RIFOI ((Transportfliegergruppe)) 30, as follows:

3 to Ansbach
3 to Fürth
2 to Würzburg
2 to Kitzingen

KADOP ((III./KG)) 55 is requested to report the W.Nr. of the a/c flown off to ((GAF Command West)) ((Chief QM))1.

NOTE:

1) Compare T346/67 for an example of TG 30 taking over a/c at Ansbach. No elements of TG 30 or any unit equipped with He 111 recently reported at Fürth, Würzburg or Kitzingen. These a/c are however used by operational units for communications purposes.

2) Compare T332/12 for temporary loan to TG 30 of 20 crews of KG 55. On 3/10 and 10/10 KG 55 appeared to be giving up a large number of men for employment in industry (T328/4, T333/25) and on 10/10 the Geschwader nominated a number of senior officers for fighter formation leader courses (R350(C),16).

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

Thanks Nick, it's much clearer to me now.

Frederic

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

Erkennungsmarke=service number essentially from which you can work out the unit

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

OK, merci beaucoup Chris.

Best regards,
Frederic

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

..this might be of some interest. An extract from an old Jean-Louis Roba two-part feature on TGr. 30 in "Avions".

" Les 27 et 31 octobre, deux autres appareils sont portés disparus dans des vols vers les poches. Le premier sur Dunkerque, le second sur Royan. Ce dernier, peut-être victime d'un ennui technique, va s'écraser au lieu-dit "Villement", à l'entrée d'Issoudun, après avoir percuté une ligne électrique. Ce faisant, il plonge dans le noir une partie de la ville et trouble une réunion du MLN (Mouvement de Libération Nationale) dont les orateurs rivalisent dans la harangue patriotarde. Quatre aviateurs auraient été tués. Le survivant blessé peut s'extraire de l'épave et sortir arme au poing et parachute en feu. Il sera très vite désarmé par un adjudant de la prévôté militaire. Il transportait, entre autres, des tracts destinés à relever le moral de la garnison de Royan encerclée.."

Re: Supplies for Atlantic pockets(?) - Loss of early November 1944
 

FalkeEins, merci beaucoup for this very interesting excerpt. After a call yesterday evening to an acquaintance living close to the city, I should have more details about the accident soon. I keep you posted.

Best regards,
Frederic