A long shot: 3 Lufwaffe men murdered in June-July 1941

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

I found in the war diary of the 286. Sicherung-Division, who operated in Bielorussia in the German rear area in Jul 1941.

(my translation, location kept as written in German KTB)
"30 July 1941
...
A large operation was launched in the Ratutitschi-Fedjkin area (20 km NW Krupka) after the assassination of 3 Luftwaffe members. Russian abandoned bivouac sites were found, but without enemy contact."

Nothing more in the annexes or in the previous or later days.

My first idea was that it could be aircrew that were murdered after bailing out/force landing and the Germans were investigating (as I know they did for some cases of German airmen shot after being shot down in France), but the fact that Russian bivouac sites were found rather indicate an "anti-partisan" operation, and so maybe the Luftwaffe men were ambushed on the ground.

If anybody has a possible ID for these men, I am interested.

Best regards

[NagaSadow]

Hello!

Krupka was a rearward area of Pz.A.O.K. 4 as early as the 10th July. A.B.L. Bertha (fuel depot) was located 10km west of it. As Pz.A.O.K. 4 was also responsible for the supply of the Luftwaffe units in the area they might have belonged to some ground elements.