Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - Cherkassy-Korsun Air Supply Operations

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Cherkassy-Korsun Air Supply Operations

Guys,

I am putting together some notes on this operation to appear on the LuftwaffeData Wiki.

I have three initial questions :-

1. Nash in "Hells Gate" and Morzik in "German Air Force Airlift operations" refer to the operational control of the air supply operation as being under the control of Major Knapp - can anyone supply more details for this individual? I have checked Larry de Zeng and Douglas Stankey's Luftwaffe Career Summaries to no avail.

2. Losses are quoted as 32 Ju 52s with 113 damaged by enemy fire (Morzik) - can any more detail be put on these figures, are they accurate? (Given that the 1944 loss records are not available).

3. What units other than TG 3 were involved in the air supply operations - did this involve any Kampfgeschwader air dropping parachute containers to the surounded troops or those advancing to their relief?

Re: Cherkassy-Korsun Air Supply Operations

Must have been this guy:

KNAPP, Ernst. (DOB: 14.04.05). (i.G.). (DKG).

He seems to have been sent to Stab/Luftflotte 4 right about that time. They would have used a general staff officer to run an operation like that, and that's what he was.

For details on the units involved, this BNA reference might be a good start:

HW 11/35 Vol XXII The Black Sea 1942-1944

L.

Re: Cherkassy-Korsun Air Supply Operations

Larry,

Thanks for the pointers.

I had been looking at Ernst Knapp and Wilhelm Knapp as suitable candidates.

It was Ernst Knapp was who I was leaning towards.

However, when looking at Wilhelm what put me off was the following - Morzik states that Luftflotte 4/ VIII Fliegerkorps (Uman) were responsible for the air supply operations which then gave responsibility to Knapp. The Wilhelm Knapp biography has several references around that time to IV Fliegerkorps who were based at Kirovograd in Oct 1943. (Uman and Kirovograd references from www.ww2.dk)

Once again many thanks

Re: Cherkassy-Korsun Air Supply Operations

Oops! Andy, I was pressed for time when I did the first post on this thread and did not scroll down far enough in my own material! Who would have thought there was a Knapp the Elder and a Knapp the Younger, both im Generalstab guys? I'm getting old. Anyway, you are right. It almost with 100% certainty would have been Knapp the Younger:

KNAPP, Wilhelm. (DOB: 25.08.12 in Lübeck). (i.G.). (R, DKG).

The "fit" for him is even better: Abt. Ia in Stab/IV. Fliegerkorps. He's the guy.

The BNA reference I gave you, provided it's the right volume from that series, should cover the particulars of the C-K Air Supply Op in more detail that available elsewhere. It was authored postwar by Bletchley Park using all of the intercepts from the Luftflotte 4 area and I know for a fact that there were a lot of intercepts from Transportfliegerfuehrer 2 and the units subordinated to it for the operation. Aided by "Y" material, the work should provide a pretty good view of what was going on. Incidentally, there was some container dropping by bomber units, IIRC.

L.

Re: Cherkassy-Korsun Air Supply Operations

Larry,

Many thanks for the additional comments.

Looks like a trip to the PRO when I get some time off.....