1./ Versuchsverband des O.K.L. - May 1st 1945

[Feldpost]

Hello again to everbody, especially to the ME 262 enthusiast!

Some time ago I aquired a Luftwaffen "Soldbuch". The last entry was a discharge note from May 1st, 1945. It was signed by the commander of Uetersen airfield together with a small rubber stamp:

Versuchsverband des O.K.L. / 1. Staffel

I have two questions about it:

1) Are there any other sources about the location of this unit in April / May 1945? Where and when was this unit disbanded ? Somebody told me it was maybe in Kaltenkirchen, which is very close to Uetersen?

2) My point of interest is the Fliegerhorst Uetersen (near Hamburg). An eyewitness, who was a little boy in 1945 and used to live at Fliegerhorst Uetersen, since his father was an officer there, told me for several times he saw two or three Me 262 in the last weeks (month ?) of the war standing in Uetersen. I have no idea, to which unit they could belong. Maybe it was the "1./Versuchsverband OKL" then? Did they have any Me 262 in service in April 1945 ???

Any suggestions welcome

Best regards

FELDPOST

[Larry deZeng]

1./Versuchsverband des OKL
..........................
Nov 44: Rheine flying Ar 234 recce over the British Isles, particularly the east coast ports.
30 Nov 44: Staffel reported 7 x Ar 234s, 6 x Me 262s and 4 x Ju 88 As and Ts on strength.
7 Feb 45: transferred to Kaltenkirchen/30 km N of Hamburg this date.
10 Feb 45: Ar 234 shot down by a fighter over Rheine, 100%, the pilot, who belonged to 1.(F)/123, was KIA.
11 Feb 45: 1.(Eins.) Staffel consisted of Einsatzkommandos Götz and Sommer with Ar 234s and Einsatzkommando Braunegg with Me 262s, and was directly under the General der Aufklärungsflieger for operations; total Staffel personnel strength was 18 officers and 115 NCOs and men.
13 Feb 45: Ar 234 crashed near Oranienburg, 100%, Hptm. Josef Bisping and Hptm. Albert Vogel both killed.
20 Apr 45: ordered disbanded along with the rest of Versuchsverband d. OKL.

FpN: L 52193

I was unable to find any record of it after 20 April. Perhaps it was disbanded at Kaltenkirchen as ordered and a few of the surviving Me 262s were flown to Uetersen during the last week of April.

Einsatzkommando Braunegg, which was the Me 262 component of the Staffel in 1945, was at Kaltenkirchen to 29 Apr and then transferred to Schleswig/Land where it surrendered on 8 May.

L.

[Nick Beale]

From the satellite imagery, Uetersen looks to be a grass runway. I don't think that was impossible for jets but IIRC from "The German Jets in Combat" by Price and Ethell, concrete was preferred (the jet exhaust melted asphalt and "dug up" grass surfaces).

2./NAG 6 (Me 262) and 1.(F)/123 (Ar 234) seem to have ended the war at Schleswig and Hohn.

[Larry deZeng]

Here is Uetersen's landing area in May 1945:
.......................
Dimensions: approx. 1000 x 1145 meters (1100 x 1250 yards) with an irregular shape.
Surface and Runways: Grass surface with paved hangar apron and paved taxiway. No paved runway. Equipped with flare path, perimeter lighting, obstruction lighting and the short form of the visual Lorenz system for night landings.

The last units there were III./NJG 3 (to May 45) and Wekusta 7 (to May 45).

No Me 262s. Besides no concrete runway, the landing area was only half that needed for an Me 262.

L.

[Feldpost]

Thank you very much Nick and Larry for further information!

Right, Uetersen just had a grassy plain, but I have evidence of the landing an the start of an ME262 there in February 1945. It is mentioned in the flightbook of Fw. Lennartz (JG7). You will find a scan as attachment, maybe it is of use for somebody else.
I suppose , the ground was frozen in Febr. 1945 and hard enough for landing. In summer 1944 a small wood at the border of the landing ground was cut down, so maybe the runway was a bit longer afterwards, than reported.
It is possible to transport aircrafts, also a Me262, by railway or truck from one place to another, so the composition of the landing ground is not the only parameter in this question.

Best regards

Frank

[Adriano Baumgartner]

FRANK,
It is quite interesting to note that those flights of Helmut Lennartz were short trips of 10 minutes. I "suppose" he wouldn't dare to take off with 100% of fuel aboard the Me 262 from UETERSEN.
Anyway...a concrete proof that the Me 262 could operate from that airfield...most appreciated indeed! Let me ask if you do have the page of Lennartz Flugbuch when he shot down a RAF PR Mosquito and RAF reconaissance Spitfires?
Thank you for sharing this piece of material with us.
Adriano S. Baumgartner

[Feldpost]

Hi Adriano,
I am sorry, but I only have got this one from the flieghtbook. I am interested in Uetersen and this is the only page this airfiled is mentioned there.

Feldpost

[ouidjat]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

FRANK,
It is quite interesting to note that those flights of Helmut Lennartz were short trips of 10 minutes. I "suppose" he wouldn't dare to take off with 100% of fuel aboard the Me 262 from UETERSEN.

Adriano,
It's true but not complete
On 22/2 he made three flights
1/ Interception from Parchim; 1h04 Then we can suppose he was short fuel and landed in Ütersen.
2/ Navigation from Ütersen to Fulsbüttel 10' there you're right. refueled just enough to make the take off to reach Fulsbüttel.
3/ Navigation from Fulsbüttel where he completed fuel in order to reach Parchim; 20' of flight.

I prefer like that.

Cheers, Franck.

[edNorth]

Interesting. I suppose there was not used a Walter jet packs.
Is there other methots of attaching Walter jet-paks (JATO) to a Me 262.
Tried googling and only this came up.
http://www.spmodelismo.com.br/forum/...6/jpg00002.jpg

The possibility is also there was no Jet fuel available, and need go to another field for more of it. Right?

[ouidjat]

Ed,
Right, too.

Good to notice that the distance between Parchim and Ütersen is roughly 150km (165 by road). Means that it was a real interception flight without sparing fuel, if not he had made home easily.

Checking his background in KRACKER we can note he was certainly not a rookie and had bigs enough to take off from that short strip. (just read USAF pilot comments on 262 take off in Sturmvogel site I think)

Cheers, Franck.