Fronterprobungskommando 262?

[Karoband]

Good afternoon,

According to Jan Horn, Das Flurschaden - Geschwader: Die Chronik des Kampfgeschwaders 51 "Edelweiss" zwischen dem 1. Januar 1944 bis Kriegsende., (2010), pp. 176-177, in May 1944 the Inspekteur der Schlachtflieger, Major Dr. Ernst Kupfer, wanted the Me 262 evaluated as a ground assault aircraft. Major Heinrich Buecker was appointed leader of three other pilots from SG 4, Leutnant Ernst Strate, Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel Hans-Robert Froehlich and an Oberfeldwebel Rosenfelder. Throughout the book Horn is careful to ascribe these men as being from the General der Schlachtflieger and their names are missing from his comprehensive list of the KG 51's flying personnel. On 28 January 1945 Rosenfelder was sent back to his unit after contracting a "Geschlechtkrankheit".

The intention was to sent this Erprobungsschwarm to 12./KG 51 for training on the Me 262 A-2a and then attach them to an operational KG 51 unit. However, because Bruecker was need in the planning for Bodenplatte, the training was postponed. Horn writes:

Ab dem 24. Januar 1945 warden die vier Flugzeugfuehrer des Erprobungsschwarms Me 262 des General der Schlachtflieger in Neuburg an der Me 262 geschult.

There is some evidence that Strate and Froehlich arrived earlier as they are recorded flying operationally with Strothmann and Poehling on 26 November 1944. (p.184)

Horn says that they ended their training with 15./EKG 1 at the end of February, "und die drei Flugzeugfuehrer warden nebst den ihnen zugeweisenen Me 262 A-2as zur 2./KG 51 nach Hopsten kommandiert, wo sie versorguns - und wartungsseitig der 2./KG51 unterstellt warden. Their Me 262s were given 2. Staffel markings except for their red tactical numbers ("roten taktischen Zahlen"). Combat missions were then flown "in conjunction with" 2./KG 51.

Best regards,

Jim