Historical sources on the activities of III./StG51 during 1939-40

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Breaking off from my recent posts about the specifics concerning the May 17, 1940, debacle for the unit in northern France around Landrecies, and the loss that day of its Gr Kdr, Maj. Klitizing, I want to cast the research web much wider on this unit. Reference material on III./StG51 in the German archives for the 1939-40 period seems to be very thin, as the KTBs for this unit apparently did not survive the war.

Can anyone provide any additional information on the activities of this unit such as logbooks (FB), or eye-witness accounts of its members that might have survived from the 1939-40 period? I am aware of the photo coverage of the unit in the ECPA's Luftwaffe Collection, two FB from this unit, (Fritz Neumüller and Willy Grams) and the limited coverage of its activities in Marius Emmerling's "Luftwaffe nad Polska 1939," Vol III (Stukas), relating to the Polish Campaign. Does anyone know of other resources beyond these for the activities of this unit during the 1939-40 period? Doug Stankey likely carries more information on the bio's of the unit's officers in his DB, but beyond that, what else might be out there of which I'm unaware? Doug, what do you have on that unit's other officers besides Klitzing that you might be willing to share?

III./StG51 was based at Wertheim under Luftflotte 3 on 1 Sept. 1939, commanded by Hptm. Heinrich von Klitzing. At the time it was assigned 3 Do17Ps and 29 Ju87Bs. The unit started the WC at Köln-Wahn AF on May 10, 1940, under then Maj. Klitzing with 31 Ju87B. It was still assigned to FL 3 at that time. It was re-designated II./StG1 in July 1940.

Thanx,