Major Gerhard Joachim - KG 53

[drifter206]

Hi all

This case is complicated and to me still partially unknown. But what I was able to find out by now is only form locals who were in here. I found two persons who were 11 at the time and one was living nearby and other was working in the field near Gruda airfield. So this is based on their statements.
Konavle county was divided between Independent state of Croatia and Italy (province of Cattaro) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Cattaro

-On 03.rd of September 1943. (released on 08.09.1943.) Italian forces surrendered.
- on 11. 09. 1934. Italian troops marching towards Dubrovnik form Kotor, German forces in Gruda requested that they lay down their arms which Italians refused, and the first skirmish started.
- from 11. 09. untill 15. there were fights between Germans and Italians in Konavle (statements form locals).
- On unknown date Italians with artillery attacked airfield Gruda and destroyed it. (statement from locals)
- on September 1943. 15 kroat/ 53 KG started flying recce missions over Adriatic (most probably to overview Italian retreat - my assumption)
- Do 17 is reported lost 14.09.1943. on airfield Gruda with 5 persons (loss during movement) (my assumption is that 5th person was someone from airfield)

Also airfield Gruda was grass surface airfield with some infrastructure (Italian border house and some unknown buildings), there was small fuel depot in there (some man Filipović was in charge) and was never used for normal operations only some occasional landings (statement from locals)

part I