Loss of two Me 262s of Kdo. Braunegg in December 1944?

[Karoband]

Good morning,

Curiously, there are two entries for the monthly strength report of December 1944 for Kdo. Braunegg in RL 2-III/882.

The first is found among those of the Nahaufklarer on page 18. At the beginning of December, the unit had six Me 262s, but two were lost "durch feind einw. during the month:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1735

The second is found among those of the Fernaufklarer on page 32. In this case, too, at the beginning of December, the unit had six Me 262s but all six were transferred to another unit during the month. This entry has been stroked out:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1736

Were two Me 262s indeed lost by this unit in December 1944? If so, any ideas as to their identity? Ground losses at Schwabisch-Hall?

best regards,

Jim

[Nick Beale]

First, thanks because I had missed that entry on page 18 (and annoyingly the BAMA site isn't letting me view files at the moment—a problem I've sometimes had at weekends in the past). So I haven't seen the page but I'm pretty sure that these weren't operational losses because of Braunegg's own report on the Kommando's initial operations in December 1944 which I've recently translated and paraphrased (see here — and please forgive the typo of "susprise" for "surprise"!). He doesn't mention any losses although he does say AA fire and fighters were encountered.

[Karoband]

Thanks, Nick. Before I posted, I first checked your site for operational losses. This is why I suggested ground losses at Schwabisch-Hall. Does anyone know if there was a bomb raid or strafing of Schwabisch- Hall in December?

[Nick Beale]

When you can get into the Bundesarchiv, try file R 3102/6110: Luftangriffe auf das Reichsgebiet (Dez. 1944–Jan. 1945). Once the search result is displayed, there is a list of what the file contains and what page(s) each place appears on. A warning: the numbers given are the numbers stamped on each original facing page at the top. Each page also has text on the reverse but that is not numbered, so numbers on the pages don't match the frame numbers of the digitised file.

Update: the glitch at BAMA was obviously temporary. Schwäbisch Hall isn't listed in the index for R 3102/6110 but Rheine is. The airfield was bombed o n 20 January 1945, long after Braunegg left. Other attacks fell on the town, the railway and (on 4 December 1944) open country.

[Karoband]

Thank you again, Nick, for that R 3102/6110 file. Airfields of the Luftwaffe also has no record of bombing Schwabisch-Hall in December. It is a bit of a mystery.

[Nick Beale]

From RL 2-III/619, the first Me 262s arrived as follows:

19.9.44 1 Me 262 A-1 an Erpr.Kdo. Gen.Aufkl.Fl.
20.9.44 1 Me 262 A-1 an Erpr.Kdo. Gen.Aufkl.Fl.
21.9.44 1 Me 262 A-1 an Erpr.Kdo. Gen.Aufkl.Fl.
28.11.44 1 Me 262 A-2 Schul an NAG 6
30.11.44 1 Me 262 A-2 Schul an NAG 6
27.12.44 1 Me 262 A-1 an Kdo.Brauneck [sic]

ULTRA (CX/MSS/R382(C),2 and /R382(C),5) says that by 28 November 1944 the six aircraft were coded: NH, OH, PH, QH, RH and SH. Note that these letters follow directly on from those on the Ar 234s of the Versuchsverband OKL so they probalby had the T9+ unit code.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1737

Would the single Me 262 delivered to Nahaufklarungsgruppe 6 in December then have had an F7+ code?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Karoband

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1737

Would the single Me 262 delivered to Nahaufklarungsgruppe 6 in December then have had an F7+ code?

I have absolutely no idea!