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Re: Unit code 9H?
Roger -
NASt. Kroatien, code (9H+ ), was a single Staffel that fluctuated between 9 and 17 aircraft in all. It had a total of 8 Gen.Qu. loss report entries between 19 May 1943 and 12 November 1943, plus at least one for 1945, and they are all for Hs 126s, Do 17Zs and Fi 156s. I don’t have any loss information for 1944, of course. In October 1944, a single Bf 109 was acquired and tests were carried out on a Ju 87. The documents and personal correspondence with a Staffel member who served with it for nearly its entire existence make no mention of a Ju 88 ever being in the hands of the Staffel.
The Staffel was based at Zagreb-Lučko during its entire existence, although it operated from other airfields in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina as needed, and here are the historical entries for its last three months:
"Reconnaissance operations from December 1944 to April 1945 were limited to only a few sorties a day as the weather allowed, mainly due to the critical fuel situation.
19 February 1945: Hs 126B-l flipped over on landing at Zagreb-Lučko, 60%.
14 March 1945: Staffel ordered disbanded, but this either cancelled or delayed.
9 April 1945: reported 17(16) Bf 109Gs and Hs 126s on strength under 17. Fliegerdivision.
3 May 1945: still at Zagreb-Lučko and the general withdrawal north to Austria from Zagreb area was carried out on 7 May. Just prior to the evacuation of Zagreb, all remaining aircraft belonging to the Staffel were ordered handed over to Croatian officers and then the personnel of NASt. Kroatien (all German Luftwaffe), both flying and non-flying, headed north by truck and surrendered to Allied forces at Mauerkirchen/ Austria a few days later."
Hope that helps a bit!
Larry
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