Major Siegfried Hagena

[byron-]

Hello,
Take a look please on the following document, it concerns the date of 11.10.1941 and the Major Hagena at TRANSGERNA/airfield Tatoi. What kind of a duty did Hagena have in this unit at that early time? I thought he first became Kdr. of III./K.G.z.b.V. the year 1943.

Byron

[Larry deZeng]

Byron,

As I understand it, TRANSGERMA was the cover name for all German air transport operations in the Mediterranean from December 1940 to about December 1941 that concerned flights to and from North Africa from Italy and Greece. It is probably an acronym for "Transport or Trasporti Germania". It was used in reference to III./KG z.b.V. 1 and then later other KGr. z.b.V. units assigned to the same missions:

III./KG z.b.V. 1
………………………..
Balkans, Mediterranean, North Africa. (Dec 40 - Dec 42)
8-9 Dec 40: departed Wesendorf/33 km N of Braunschweig for Foggia/Italy with 53 Ju 52s where it established an air-bridge to ferry Italian troops and supplies to Tirana/Albania and return with wounded. In 50 days of operations the Gruppe flew 4,028 sorties delivering 30,000 troops and 4,700 tons of supplies, while returning with 10,000 wounded and sick. During the Gruppe’s 50 days at Foggia, it was informally referred to as the Transgerma (or Trasgerma) group by the Italians and then the Germans began using this acronym, too.

Some more TRANSGERMA ULTRA entries:

33. On 14/5/41 G.A.F. works [sic] H.Q. (at CATANIA?) wrote to Baurat GUTBROT (probably at BENGHASI) informing him that Works Director BLEHER would be relieved by Obltn.WALTER. The latter would arrive as soon as TRANSGERMA again started traffic for there. WALTER would then bring the required materials with him. (A)

28. On 25/5/41 Ltn. KLEINFELD wired to TRANSGERMA, DERNA for Ltn. JOCHIM, that the Desert Rescue Staffel would move to DERNA on 26/5 with Ju 52 a/c 1Z + GV and 1Z + EV, starting at 0600. Ltn. KLEINFELD himself would come with 4 Storch a/c.

25. On 10/9/41, LG Stab AFRIKA instructed TRASGERMA, CATANIA that Ju 52 of 10
KG z.b.V. 1 was to begin its 4th stage from CATANIA to NAPLES and to transport from Field a/c Park NAPLES to CATANIA for the Senior Signals Officer of LG [“G” obscured] Stab AFRIKA, 100 km. of heavy field cable. Transport thence to DERNA by Ju of TRANSGERMA, CATANIA. (A)

L.

[byron-]

Thanks Larry for the information. But what about Hagena.
Please take a look at this document.

[Larry deZeng]

Byron -

I don't know, but he appears to have been the or a air transport coordinator for TRANSGERMA in Greece in May 1941. In October 1941 he apparently was assigned to Stab/Luftgaustab Afrika and doing exactly the same thing. TRANSGERMA had air transport coordinators at Catana, Tatoi, Tripoli and Derna at that time, but I think Hagena was the overall boss (Lufttransportfuehrer) of the whole operation.

HAGENA, Siegfried. (DOB: 07.06.06). (DKG).
(n.d. – 1940-41?) in KG 51.
01.07.41 promo to Maj.
15.10.42 appt Kdr. III./KG.z.b.V. 1 (to c. 01.05.43).
01.05.43 Maj., appt Kdr. III./TG 1 (to 06.07.43).
06.07.43 trf to Stab/Lw.-Kdo. Südost as Lufttransportführer.
1943-44 in Stab/Lufttransportführer Ägäis.
01.10.44 promo to Obstlt.
03.45 Obstlt., appt Kdr. Fsch.Jg.Rgt. 24 (to 03.45).

Hope that helps,

Larry

[byron-]

Thank you Larry and best regarda

Byron