Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Need confirmation this was located at Kalinowka, Ukraine, or if it was sub-branch from other FRB.

Need statistis on how many aircraft were "processed" there, for Luftflotte 4, Hungary and Romania. Also when it was established and when closed, how large it was (personell employed) and if doc´s on this FRB exist in the BArch or elsewhere.

5776 Ju 88 A-4 Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers (Lw.Befh.Mitte) Non-OPS (S) engine failure and crash (100%) at Kalinowka 23.08.1943 (F Ofw. Fritz Giehl of Flg.Sonderkommando Ob.d.L killed) (ref: GQM losses.)

All info greatly appriciated.

Best regards
ed

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 (J.F.A. later Junkers)
1941-42 as Frontreparaturbetrieb 12 GL then renamed as above. Apr 43 and Aug 43 FRB GL 2565 (Junkers) at Kalinovka airfield in Ukraine. Jan 44 at Kaunas/Lithuania. No personnel details. Existed to the end of the war. (FpN: L 49356).

This is all I have. Typically, the number of personnel employed by an FRB was dictated by the workload and ran from a low of 127 to 2,787. Over the course of the war, the number of FRBs ranged from 60 to 100. I doubt if you will find a folder on 2565 at BA-MA because the FRBs were civilian-run and the German staff of a dozen to 100 were all German civilians. They came under one of the Amtgruppen in Generalluftzeugmeister/RLM. You might find some correspondence about FRBs at BA-MA but no files and folders on the individual ones.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Great thanks Larry.

That was QUICK! Very good for novices like me to start from!

Here is how airfield looked 2.6.44 from 2.(F)/100 aircraft.

http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/targ...%20%20029.html

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

A very interesting photo map, Ed. I'm not a photo interpreter, but it looks like the destruction of virtually every hangar and workshop building was the work of demolitions by the Germans as they withdrew in November 1943. There are few if any bomb craters around any of these buildings.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Larry, I agree on all likely not destroyed by bombing, and ground photo(s) currently on eBay.de (below) shows what appear as wooden ones, likely all burned upon the German retreat as you say. Ground fighting is also a possibility.

I find KG 3 was probably there, also some Recce units accidents but does anyone know if this was old Soviet base or built by Germans?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Orig-Foto-Flu...item1e6c2ce72d

Any FB´s out there detailing flight-test work performed there?

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

http://www.janssen-militaria.com/osc...oducts_id=4519

This names Flh.Kdtr. E 28/III Kalinowka "Poland" (1943)!

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Hey, Ed - here are some additional details on Kalinovka airfield. Descriptive information on the airfields in the former USSR that were used by the Luftwaffe is hard to come by. The Allied PR aircraft did not fly over them for the most part, and nearly all the Luftwaffe records were destroyed between August 1944 and the end of the war. But as you can see, nearly all of the Luftwaffe ground elements there at one time or another were aircraft repair and airfield construction units.


Kalinowka (UKR) (e. Kalinovka; ukr. Kalynivka) (49 29 08 N – 28 32 18 E)
General: airfield in W Ukraine 23 km N of Vinnitsa. Rated for bombers. History: developed into a major overhaul and repair center by the Luftwaffe with numerous hangars, workshops and other infrastructure.
Remarks:
1942: major construction work under way from Apr 42 with little use prior to that date.
1943: designated a winter base airfield on 15 Oct 43.
4 Mar 44: Soviet spring offensive commenced with 1st Ukrainian Front forces aimed directly at Kalinovka and Vinnitsa, these being liberated by 20 March.
Operational Units: II./JG 77 (May 42); Stab, I./KG 3 (Oct-Dec 43); I. and III./TG 2 (Oct 43); II./SG 77 (Oct 43 – Feb 44); NAGr. 6 (Nov 43); II./KG 51 (Nov 43 – Jan 44); Stab/SG 77 (Nov 43 – Jan 44); III./SG 77 (Nov-Dec 43).
Station Commands: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 8/IV (Jul 42, Dec 42, Jan 43); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 28/III (c. Mar – Nov 43).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): Feldwerft-Abt. (mot) z.b.V. 1 (Apr 43); 25. Flgh.Betr.Kp. z.b.V. (Apr 43); Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 (Junkers) ( ? – end of 1943); Wintersondergerätetrupp 16 (1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 5/IV (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 112/IV (K) (Aug 43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 6/VII (Jul 42, 1 Jan, Apr 43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 8/VII (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 106/VII (K) (Aug 43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 12/XI (Jul 42 - ? ); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 7/XII (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 10/XIII (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug 16/IV (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug 14/VII (Jul 42, 1 Jan, Apr 43); Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug 10/XII (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug 3/XIII (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug 5/XIII (Jul 42, 1 Jan 43); Startbahnbauzug 8 (1 Jan 43); Hallenbau-Kp. Ma 12/XI ( ? – Jul 42, Jan 43); Nachschubkolonnen-Abt. d.Lw. 1/VIII ( ? – Dec 42); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 54/III (1 Jan 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 68/XI (1 Jan 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 69/XI (1 Jan 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 20/XVII (Jan, Apr 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 21/XVII (1 Jan 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 22/XVII (1942 – Apr 43); Kdo. für Raupenschlepper 1/XVII (5 Apr 43); Traktorenzug 7/XII (5 Apr 43); Kfz.Werkstattzug d.Lw. 102/VIII (Jul 43); Trsp.Kol. d.Lw. 29/II (5 Apr 43); Ldssch.Zug 64/IV (1 Jan 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 179/VI (5 Apr 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 333/VI (1 Jan, Apr 43); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 107/XI (Jul 42 – 1943); Ldssch.Zug d.Lw. 327/XI (5 Apr 43); 27. Ldssch.Kp./Feldluftgaukdo. XXV (Nov 43).
[Sources: AFHRA A5263 p.1728 (mid-1943); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]

L.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Larry,
Thank you again for the Airfields History overview. It answers and explains a lot for me on the matter and is very useful. Similarities are, as I have seen from looks into RAF Station records some years ago.
Wikipedia might be of interest to some - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werwolf_%28Wehrmacht_HQ%29 - This airfied probably also served as a partial base-link for flights to/from Germany. Some leaders, f.e. AH staying in one of his secret HQ only 20 km away to the south, an Fw 200 (CE+IC) known have visited Kalinowka, likely connected to General´s transport.

My question aim was towards Junkers activites there, particularily if them Romanian Ju88s were perhaps repaired/overhauled there or if somebody might have FB´s of pilots ferrying of them in/out of there.

Question remains if records of Fl.H.Kdtr. E 8/IV (Jul 42, Dec 42, Jan 43); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 28/III (c. Mar – Nov 43) are somewhere and mention this transfers. I can not check in BA-MA myself (too far away/cost of travel too much) but wonder if some one already have already notes/pages from there.

Best regards
Ed

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

No records from E 8/IV or E 28/III survived the war. HOWEVER, the records of Koflug 4/XIII (Kommando Flughafenbereich) did survive. This Koflug was the airfield regional command HQ for all Luftwaffe airfields in western Ukraine, 1941-44, and both E 8/IV and E 28/III came under it. Its records are at BA-MA with file Signatur RL 20/300-302. That means there are 3 full folders of documents. There should be ample correspondence in those folders on Kalinovka airfield.

L.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Ah! Have some BA-MA indexes (saved from Internet); partial RL 20 index (I have) seems not listing these particular folders. Online search produced these:

http://startext.net-build.de:8080/ba...ize=20#Treffer


http://startext.net-build.de:8080/ba...gliederung.htm

http://startext.net-build.de:8080/ba...4110/index.htm

Now, how to use this for effective results... Any suggestions?

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

It's not clear to me what exactly you are after, but is this it?

http://startext.net-build.de:8080/ba...C9FA1CE2B0AEE1

Scroll down a third of the way until you get to RL 20.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Ed - the link I tried to post for you is two lines long, but the software on 12 'Clock High will not copy all of it.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Yes, strange, my saved link, in my own browser, does not work now!??

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Splitting link (might work)

http://startext.net-build.de:8080/barch/MidosaSEARCH/

Bestaendeuebersicht/index.htm?kid=83A9706A51454488B0C9FA1CE2B0AEE1

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

or not!

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Yes Larry, there is RL 20 there (as are many or most, if not all of them RL numbers), also RL 21 lists Kalinowka, but maybe its only indexes or other periods.

Attached is schreenshot on navigating the indexes at BA-MA. The next before (RL 19 "Luftkreis- und Luftgaukommandos, Luftgaustäbe") is 32 "running-shelf-meters"!

But. I am after all info on FRB GL 2565 Junkers, Kalinowka, particular if there is mentioning of how many aircraft, types, ferrying etc. - centered on Romanian Ju 88´s - But if there were other FRB in the region doing this also I do not know. First time digging into Luftwaffe FlH.Kdtr. records and do not what to expect.

I will look better at this late tonight (off now), as there is no hurry.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Yes, Ed, your screen shot is what I was referring to.

As for these Koflug records, it's a mixed bag. They are mostly fragments rather than complete sets of all correspondence. I went through many of them while at BA-MA for 3 weeks back in August 1990 and I do not recall seeing any FRB or Werft production records. The only place you might find that sort of specialized data would be in the surviving Generalluftzeugmeister correspondence.

In February 1988, Williamson Murray wrote a paper for the Logistics Management Institute (Bethesda, Maryland) entitled "The Role of German Battle Damage Repair in the Luftwaffe's Conduct of the Second World War", Report No. RE602P1, 30 pages. He had grant money for extended research but found very little in the surviving records on FRB activity and statistics.

I'm guessing you could do 4 weeks in Freiburg during the off-season for about £5,000, and this may be your best shot.

L.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Larry,

Thank you, have added RL 20/300 to 302 to my list of records to look out for. Price tag for visits is not appealing (not a realistic platform), in the sense of going there in person, unless some dramatic source of funding can be found..

My visits to "Archives" are planned; I indentify what records to look at beforehand, and look at them first, if gaps occurr, I use that time for exploitation of other items, getting near 95% results on first visit. Second visit I plan same way (adding better realistic time frame) and had time surplus. Key docs (only concentrated ones) I order(ed) copies of. Luftwaffe (BA-MA docs) I have ordered copies of, not going there. However indexing of BAMA records seem not "very exact" (sorry not meant be offending, but thats how it looks) - and NOT having real item inventory lists online is surprising - so need info before ordering, not ordering and then find nothing there (of interest). I have experiance of ordering USAAF units docs, but have not exploited possibility of getting Lw docs from there.

It´s just me, that is not in the correct country!

Best regards
Ed

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Your research methodology is fundamentally sound, Ed, and is similar to the one many of us use. However, it doesn't work when you can't identify the exact file or folder you need to order from the repository (BA-MA) or its jobber (Selke). Then it becomes necessary to go there yourself or hire a professional researcher to go there and examine the records in your behalf.

It was only recently that I was told that there are two "Ed(North/South/East/West)" members on 12 O'Clock High: EdNorth and EdWest. One is allegedly Icelandic and the other allegedly Britanic. I am guessing you are the former and EdWest is the latter?

L.

Re: Frontreparaturbetrieb GL 2565 Junkers
 

Yes, Larry, I am way out in the North-Atlantic, almost in "der Arktis"... But on finding right files is sometimes hard, but eventually one learns, usually the hard way. Have nice weekend.

regards
Ed