Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Hello!

According to KTB Admiral Schwarzes Meer 6.Feb.1944, the night recce wasn't conducted as the plane went missing in the previous mission (night 4/5.Feb.44?).

Whether the plane and crew and maybe other details are known?
Apparently it was the only combat-ready night long-range recce plane in Crimea at the moment.

Best regards,
Andrey

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/aufkl/b4ag122.html
A D-5 is noted as loss although "without enemy interference"

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Thank you, Dennis,

I saw it. Is it means that the lost plane was found by Germans, and so they knew the reason of the loss?
If the crew or some members were KIA, the info should be in NVM.

AA Defence had registered a Ju88 5.Feb.44 at 22:03-22:20 MSK = 20:03-20:20 MEZ over Caucasus coast (Lazarevskaya - Tuapse). So the plane, if it was lost at night 5/6.Feb., had executed at least a part of his mission before the loss. Can't find any relevant info for the night 4/5.Feb.44.

35.IAP PVO (AA Defence) had claimed a recce He111 on 6.Feb.44 at 12:02 MSK = 10:02 MEZ 70 km w. Batumi, intercepted with help of land radar. It was hardly a night plane due to time of event. But it could be Ju188F from 3.(F)/121 (they were used for photo recce of the Soviet Black sea bases during timeframe in question).

Best regards,
Andrey

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Hmm... According to
http://www.ww2.dk/air/recon/aufkl122.htm
4.(F)/122 was in Germany from Nov.1943. But some long range recce unit certainly was in Crimea up to mid-April 1944 - maybe part of 4.(F)/122? Or I forget some recce unit?

3.(F)/121 (Ju188) was in Odessa, and Admiral Black Sea tried in vain to forced Luftwaffe to send at least one Rotte of Ju188 to Crimea. They promised several times, and each time they cheated.


Best regards,
Andrey

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Hi Andrey,

On 7 April 1944 there were no long-range reconnaissance units based on the Crimea. The only reconnaissance units there were elements of 1.(H)/21 with the FW 189, Küstenstaffel Krim with its Bf 110s and He 111s, and the Rumanian 20. A.St. with five aircraft.

4.(F)/122 was in East Prussia resting and refitting, and 3.(F)/121 was at Focsani with 2.(F)/22.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Hi Andrew,

thank you for the data on 7.Apr.44. Really interesting as it was on the eve of Crimean operation. When 4.(F)/122 was transferred to East Prussia? Apparently in February the unit still in the Black Sea region.
The puzzle with lost night recce plane between 4 and 6.Feb remains. Maybe it was from Küstenstaffel Krim if, as Ulf Balke wrote, the Staffel really had He111 with Hohentwiel radar.

Cheers,
Andrey

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Another question related to the previous ones: what is it Aufü West? (Involved in the maritime recce on the Black Sea in Apr.-May 1944)

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Found the info about Aufü West myself (thanks to Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries and KTB ASM).
Oberst Helmut Schalke, Kdr.SAGr.125 and Aufkl.Fü.Schwarzes Meer-West.

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Hi Andrey,

Re 4.(F)/122:
19 February 1944: Odessa operating under I. Fliegerkorps. (1)
March 1944: transferred to Königsberg/East Prussia (probably Königsberg-Neuhausen) to rest, refit and begin conversion to the Ju 188. (2)

1. NARA/WashDC: RG 242 microfilms.
2. ADI(K) interr.sum.

I hope this helps. I wish my sourcing was more specific but there were times during my years and years of research, especially in the German microfilms and the British Air Ministry intelligence material, when I got weary and took shortcuts when it came to the footnotes.

L.

Re: Recce plane (Ju88D from 4.(F)/122?) FTR 4-6.Feb.1944
 

Larry, thank you a lot.
Valuable info as always.
So the lost night plane, mentioned by Adm.SM, might be from Küstenstaffel Krim or from 4.(F)/122 as that staffel in the beginning of February was in Black Sea region.

Best regards,
Andrey