Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

Good night to all!

I am unaware of the activities of the "Stab der Luft" based at Sengwarden. What was the purpose of that unit?
Was it related to either the Seenotdienstführer 1 or Seenotbereichskommando V? And what were the purposes of those Seenot units? Training personnel for other Seenotstaffelns?

I am crosschecking some Officers that served at Sengwarden, this is why I am asking those questions related to that particular base.

One of the airman depicted is (quoting from De Zeng's mervellous work and helpful list of A-Z Luftwaffe Officers List): HEDDAEUS, Ernst. 19.11.42 Hptm.(d.R.), in Stab/Führer der Luft.


Thanks
Adriano B.

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

Hi

can it be that u mean Stab F. d. Luft Wilhelmshaven/sengwarden?

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

The full designation was "Führer der Luftstreitkräfte West" at Wilhelmshaven. The unit was responsible for the coordination of Küstenfliegerstaffel missions over the North Sea. The other one was "Führer der Luftstreitkräfte Ost" at Swinemünde, responsible for the coordination of Küstenfliegerstaffel missions over the Baltic Sea.

Seenotdienstführer 1 was the high command for the Seenotdienst within the area of Luftflotte 1.

A Seenotbereichskommando was a defined coastal area equipped with boats and sometimes with a few search planes (Fw58, Ar 196 or Ar199). The rescue operation itself was performed either by the own boats or by means of the planes from the nearby Seenotstaffel.

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

I hope the following is helpful:

"From 1 October 1939 onwards, [Rolf] Thomsen also assumed the function of the 1st Admiral Staff officer at the head of the Luftwaffe in Wilhelmshaven - Sengwarden . In this function, he was also appointed Lieutenant-General of the Sea on 1 October 1940."

In German:

"Zwischendurch nahm Thomsen ab dem 1. Oktober 1939 auch die Funktion des 1. Admiralstabsoffiziers beim Führer der Luft in Wilhelmshaven-Sengwarden wahr. In dieser Funktion wurde er auch am 1. Oktober 1940 zum Oberleutnant zur See ernannt."




Ed

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

This sounds a bit strange to me

Oberleutnant zur See cannot be an equivalent to a Lieutenant-General.
I admit straight away that naval German ranks is not my topic (any day of the year in fact.... :o), but I have always at least mentally thought that a Naval Oberleutnant was basically the same as a Heeres or Luftwaffe Oberleutnant.

The German Heer and Luftwaffe ranks was basically the same as in Sweden and a Lieutenant-General must be the same as a General-Leutnant or have I been missing something all these years??

Cheers
Stig

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

Oberleutnant zur See???

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

More:

"In the Balkan campaign , Thomsen became deputy commander on 1 April 1941 and 1st Admiral Staff officer at the coaster group 125 of the Luftflotte 1 . After the attack on the Soviet Union , the operational area of ​​this coastal group extended to the Crimea . During this time Thomsen experienced the battle for Sevastopol and the freezing of the fronts during the winter crisis of 1941/1942. On April 1, 1942, Thomsen was transferred to Norway, where he was the plenipotentiary of the Lufttorpedowaffe. Under his leadership parts of the combat squadron 26 were transformed into the torpedo squadron. In this function, on 1 July 1942, Thomsen was promoted to lead the Luftwaffe . "On March 1, 1943, Thomsen was transferred from the Luftwaffe to the navy, and at the same time appointed captain-lieutenant . From April 1, 1943, he completed a submarine training course in Norway with the training of boats from 27th January 1944 onwards, in order to become commander of U 1202 from September 1944 onwards. With U 1202 , Thomsen went on two feats.
"The first, from October 30, 1944 to January 1, 1945, brought no sinking with them. For his achievements in the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe, Thomsen was awarded the knight cross of the Iron Cross on 4 January 1945. On his second and last flight from March 3 to April 26, 1945, U 1202 was able to sink a ship with 7,146 GRT. On 29 April 1945 he received the oak leaves to the Ritterkreuz. From April 26, 1945 to June 2, 1945, Thomsen was the head of the submarine base in Bergen ."




In German:


"Im Balkanfeldzug wurde Thomsen am 1. April 1941 stellvertretender Kommandeur und 1. Admiralstabsoffizier bei der Küstenfliegergruppe 125 der Luftflotte 1. Nach dem Überfall auf die Sowjetunion weitete sich das Operationsgebiet dieser Küstenfliegergruppe bis zur Krim aus. In dieser Zeit erlebte Thomsen die Schlacht um Sewastopol und das Erstarren der Fronten in der Winterkrise 1941/1942. Zum 1. April 1942 wurde Thomsen nach Norwegen versetzt und dort Bevollmächtigter der Lufttorpedowaffe. Unter seiner Führung wurden Teile des Kampfgeschwaders 26 zum Torpedo-Geschwader umgebildet. In dieser Funktion, wurde Thomsen am 1. Juli 1942 zum Hauptmann der Luftwaffe befördert.
"Am 1. März 1943 wurde Thomsen von der Luftwaffe zur Marine zurückversetzt und gleichzeitig zum Kapitänleutnant ernannt. Ab dem 1. April 1943 absolvierte er eine Unterseebootausbildung in Norwegen mit ab dem 27. Januar 1944 anschließender Bootsausbildung, um ab September 1944 Kommandant von U 1202 zu werden. Mit U 1202 ging Thomsen auf zwei Feindfahrten.
"Die erste vom 30. Oktober 1944 bis 1. Januar 1945 brachte keine Versenkungen mit sich. Für seine bisher erreichten Leistungen in der Kriegsmarine und der Luftwaffe wurde Thomsen am 4. Januar 1945 das Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes verliehen. Auf seiner zweiten und letzten Feindfahrt vom 3. März bis 26. April 1945 konnte U 1202 ein Schiff mit 7.146 BRT versenken. Am 29. April 1945 erhielt er das Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz. Vom 26. April 1945 bis 2. Juni 1945 fungierte Thomsen als Leiter des U-Bootstützpunkts in Bergen."



Ed

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

From uboat.net


http://uboat.net/men/thomsen.htm





Ed

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

Sorry Ed

The point I am trying to make is that in your post 4 the rank Oberleutnant zur See cannot be the same as a Lieutenant-General of the Sea. It simply makes no sense to me.

Cheers
Stig

Re: Stab der Luft - Sengwarden (what the purpose of that Stab?)
 

Stig is right, Oberleutnant zur See is no equivalent to a Lieutenant-General. Oberleutnant zur See in the Kriegsmarine was identical to Oberleutnant in Heer and Luftwaffe.
The American and British rank Lieutenant-General was comparable to a German Admiral (Kriegsmarine) or General (Heer and Luftwaffe).
Generals in Heer and Luftwaffe generally held their rank of their service branch. In the Heer for example "General der Infanterie" or "General der Artillerie", in the Luftwaffe "General der Flieger" or "General der Fallschirmtruppe".

To post #7:
1.7.42 ..... befördert zum Hauptmann der Luftwaffe, translated ..... promoted to lead the Luftwaffe. The correct translation is captain in the Luftwaffe.

The transfer from the Kriegsmarine to the Luftwaffe on March 1, 1943 was connected with the appointment from Hauptmann to Kapitänleutnant. This was a changing of the rank: Hauptmann in the Heer and the Luftwaffe was identical to Kapitänleutnant in the Kriegmarine.
In the article Kapitänleutnant is word for word translated: captain-lieutenant. Comparable is the rank Lieutenant in US Navy and Royal Navy.

Regards
Leo