Factory Protection Flights

[richdlc]

Hi - Just wondering if any comprehensive studies have ever been undertaken about factory protection flights - the aircraft, pilots, claims etc.... would make for a fantastic book!

[Steve Coates]

Rich

I doubt there's enough out there. Dietmar Herrmann has uncovered some interesting bits and pieces on the Fo-Wu factory protection units. I'm aware of a few pages on Junkers in NS 19 but not much else. No doubt others who focus more intently on this may know more.

Steve

[Chris Goss]

Would agree with Steve. Being outside the Luftwaffe so to speak meant that records are incomplete so a comprehensive book on the subject would be hard to achieve

[Nick Beale]

There's a bit in the Bundesarchiv RL 2-III series (Quartermaster General) about the formation and (a month later) disbandment of the Me 262 Industrieselbstschutzschwärme but nothing like enough for any more than a brief article.

[kaki3152]

There may not be enough for a book, but surely, there is plenty for a long article. There bits and pieces of information about them on the Web and in certain books. For example, Hans Fay, who later flew a Me262 to the Allies, was a part of the Erla VII flight and shot down a Spitfire from 315 SQ on May 4,1943. The ERLA Industrie Schwarm shot down two two 4-engined bomber and one Spitfire.

[Mikael Olrog]

I've got a page relating to a mission flown by two Fw 187 in Industristaffel 1 - but with no result

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Put all the Industrial claims into one file as so few, one successful pilot only by memory Oblt Laube. I'll dig-out file and list them for you.

Regards

Johannes

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Industrial units:-

Indus.Ago only have mikrofilm with date and time only:-

20th February 1944 1325 hrs
6th March 1944 1248 hrs

Indus.Fockewulf

18th March 1943 B-17 NW of Jäde estruary 1537 hrs 4000 meters Gefr.Stein

Indus.Soren

8th March 1944 B-17 12km NW Cottbus 1423 hrs 5000 metres Fw Hans Hühnel(his 7th)

Indus.Neustadt

2nd November 1943 B-24 1246 hrs 3800 metres Uffz Erich Jodejahn
2nd November 1943 B-17 at Gammersdorf 1253 hrs 4000-5000 metres don't know the name, but looks like "Lorpollo" !

Indus.Erla

14th October 1943 B-17 at Brussels 1530 hrs 3000 metres Fw Wolf
20th February 1944 B-17 1355 hrs 7000 metres Uffz Staudeberg
20th February 1944 B-17 at Eilenburg 1357 hrs 7200 metres Hptm Ernst-Albrecht Laube(dispite witness of Hermann Müggenburg it is U/C)
20th February 1944 P-51 at Querfurt 1400 hrs 6000 metres O.Z(without witness) U/C Hptm Ernst-Albrecht Laube.
20th February 1944 P-51 NW Stendal 1410 hrs 6000 metres O.Z Hptm Ernst-Albrecht Laube U/C.
20th February 1944 B-17 at Frankfurt-am-Main 1443 hrs 7000 metres, can't read name, but looks like Fw"Lirsch".
6th March 1944 E Stendal 1355 hrs 7000 metres v.n.e-a.s.m Hptm Ernst-Albrecht Lauber(his 9th)
6th March 1944 P-51 NW Stendal 1410 hrs 300 metres O.Z Hptm Ernst-Albrecht Laube(his 10th)
6th March 1944 P-51 1414 hrs v.n.e-a.s.m Hptm Ernst-Albrecht Laube(his 11th)
8th March 1944 B-17 1337 hrs 7000 metres Ernst-Albrecht Laube U/C.
29th April 1944 B-17 at Burg 1205 hrs 4000 metres Civilian Gottfired Fäy
28th July 1944 B-17 at Beusse 1130 hrs 1000 metres Lt Gerhard Gleuwitz(his 12th).

That's all I could find.

The U/C for Laube come from his Leistungsbuch so can be considered accurate.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Chris Goss]

So nowhere near anything for a book while sadly with so many unconfirmed and unknowns little chance of a conclusive article

[Karoband]

This is what I found:

Claims:

18 Mar. 1943, 15.37, B-17, Gefr. Stein, ISS Focke-Wulf, see RL 5/1452, p. 0132, L4.

28 Jul. 1943, 10.25, B-17, Ofw. Hans Kampmeier, ISS Focke-Wulf, see RL 5/1449, p. 0218, L3.

28 Jul. 1943, 11.00-11.30, B-17, Ltn. Gerhard Gleuwitz, ISS Flieseler, see RL 5/1449, p. 0217, L12.

17 Aug. 1943, 12.57, B-17, Fw. Mrotzek, ISS Messerschmitt, see RL 5/1452, p. 0239, L9.

8 Oct. 1943, 15.42, B-17, Ofw. Rolf Mondry, ISS Focke-Wulf, see RL 5/1447, p. 0103, L17.

14 Oct. 1943, 15.30 B-17, Fw. Wolf, ISS Erla, see RL 5/1447, p. 0116, L7.

2 Nov. 1943, 12.46, B-24, Uffz. Erich Jodejahn, ISS Wiener-Neustadt, see RL 5/1452, p. 0395, L2.

2 Nov. 1943, 12.53, B-17, Ltn. Lordollo?, ISS Wiener-Neustadt, see RL 5/1452, p. 0395, L3.

20 Feb. 1944, 10.45 [sic], B-17, Fw. Lersh?, ISS Erla, see RL 5/1460, p. 0185, L20.

20 Feb. 1944, 13.25, P-51, Uffz. Altenburg, ISS AGO, see RL 5/1460, p. 0186, R1.

20 Feb. 1944, 13.55, B-17, Uffz. Wunderberg?, ISS Erla, see RL/1460, p. 0185, L19.

20 Feb. 1944, 13.57, B-17, Hptm. Ernst-Albrecht Laube, ISS Erla, see Johannes' remarks on Laube's Leistungsbuch.

20 Feb. 1944, 14.00, P-51, Hptm. Ernst-Albrecht Laube, ISS Erla, see Johannes' remarks on Laube's Leistungsbuch.

20 Feb. 1944, 14.10, P-51, Hptm. Ernst-Albrecht Laube, ISS Erla, see Johannes' remarks on Laube's Leistungsbuch.

6 Mar. 1944, 13.55, P-51, Hptm. Ernst-Albrecht Laube, ISS Erla, see RL 5/1460, p. 0091, R10.

6 Mar. 1944, 14.10, P-51, Hptm. Ernst- Albrecht Laube, ISS Erla, see RL 5/1460, p. 0091, R11.

6 Mar. 1944, 14.14, P-51, Hptm. Ernst-Albrecht Laube, ISS Erla, see RL 5/1460, p. 0091, R12.

8 Mar. 1944, 13.37, B-17, Hptm. Ernst-Albrecht Laube, ISS Erla, see Johannes' remarks on Laube's Leistungsbuch.

8 Mar. 1944, 14.23, B-17, Fw. Huhnel, ISS Sorau?, see RL 5/1460, p. 0096, R13.

29 Apr. 1944, 12.05, B-17, Gottfried? Fay, ISS Erla, see RL 5/1449, p. 0298, L2.


Losses: [note: In Schulen losses, "E" stands for Einsatz.

28 Jul. 1943, FW 190, 2332, Ofw. Hermann Stephan, ISS Focke-Wulf, see RL 2-III/777, p. 0106, #10 and #12.

9 Oct. 1943, FW 190 A-4, 145631, Ofw. Alfred Motsch, ISS Focke-Wulf, see Manni Salonen's remarks in TOCH thread 51457 "Industrie Schutz Staffel Focke Wulf".

16 Nov. 1943, Bf 109 G6, 160332, pilot safe, ISS Messerschmitt, see RL 2-III/777, p. 0128, #2.

31 Dec. 1943, Bf 109 G6, 410083, E, pilot safe, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/777. p. 0252, #17.

11 Jan. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 410420, E, Fw. Gottfried Baisch, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/777, p. 0290. #19.

11 Jan. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 410088, E, Ofw. Alois Bauersachs, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/777, p. 0290, #20.

11 Jan. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 410066, E, Gefr. Fritz Loser, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/777, p. 0304, #27.

12 Jan. 1944 [sic], FW 190 A7, 430182, E, Ofw. Hans-Walter Hopfer, ISS AGO, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0250, #21 and p. 0252, #23.

3 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 410093, Fw. Karl Weber, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0022, #24.

3 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 20600, Uffz. Rolf Munch, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0022, #25.

20 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G5, 410076, E, (F. unverletzt), ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p.0094, #15.

20 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G5, 110249, pilot safe, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0088, #10.

20 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G5, 411246, E, (F. unverletzt), ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0096, #16.

20 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 440110, E, Fw. Josef Meyer, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0118, #9.

21 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 411005, E, Uffz. Hermann Mugenberg, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p.0110, #11.

22 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 440157, E, Uffz. Peter Munch, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0096, #17.

22 Feb. 1944, Bf 109 G6, 411919, E, Ofw. Friedrich Blumenburg, ISS Erla, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0242, #44 and #45.

24 Feb. 1944, FW 190, 642997, E, Fw. Friedrich Marten, ISS Fieseler, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0156, #22.

8 Mar. 1944, FW 190 A6, 086160, E, Ofw. Hans Kampmeier, ISS Focke-Wulf, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0184 #21.

8 Mar. 1944, FW 190 A7, 160647, E, Oblt. Hans Bohnert, ISS Focke-Wulf, see RL 2-III/778, p. 0204, #44 and p. 206, #46.


From the above dates, it is clear that the concept of "Factory Protection" units faced its acid test during the "Big Week" of 20 - 26 February 1944 when Allied air forces made concentrated attacks on the German aircraft factories. I suspect there is enough material here for an article but it would only merit a small chapter in a book about the "Big Week".

best regards,

Jim