Lw. Transport units in Russia summer 1943

[Larry deZeng]

While IV./TG 3 was in Italy, it seems like III./TG 3 was divided part of the time with some of its Staffeln in S Russia and the rest in Italy:

III./TG 3

Formation. (May 43)
Formed 1 May 1943 at Zaporozhye-South/SE Ukraine with Gruppenstab and 9. – 12. Staffel by renaming KGr.z.b.V. 102. Equipped with Ju 52 transports.

South Russia. (May 43 - Jun 43)
1 May 43: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Zaporozhye-South, 90%.
11 May 43: at Zaporozhye.

Germany? and South France? (Jun 43 - Aug 43)
Jun – Jul 43: location and activity uncertain. Appears to have returned to Germany to rest, refit and re-equip based on the absence of Loss Report entries.
13 Jun 43: mentioned in connection with the delivery of oxygen cylinders at Naples-Capodichino and Pisa.
31 Jul 43: Ju 52 crash landed at Fp. Istres in South France, 50%.
3 Aug 43: 2 Ju 52s force landed near Citocechia (not located) in bad weather, both 90%, 5 injured.
3 Aug 43: Ju 52 force landed near Draguignan/63 km NNE of Toulon, 95%.
4 Aug 43: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter in Pl.Qu. 96216 (not located), 90%.

Central and South Russia, Romania. (Aug 43 - Aug 44)
8 Aug 43: Ju 52 damaged taxiing at Breslau-Schöngarten, 35%.
31 Aug 43: Ju 52 (4V+GW) crashed and burned near Smolensk, 100%, 4 MIA.
4 Sep 43: Ju 52 crashed NW of Roslavl due to engine failure, 30%.
9 Sep 43: Ju 52 burned on the ground at Fp. Zaporozhye-South, 80%.
18 Sep 43: Ju 52 shot up by AA fire east of Stepantsy/100 km SSE of Kiev, 45%.
7 Oct 43: Ju 52 shot down by a fighter in Pl.Qu. 93562 (not located), 90%, 2 WIA.
28 Oct 43: at Berdichev/40 km S of Zhitomir.
16 Nov 43: now at Fp. Proskurov/240 km WSW of Kiev.
17 Nov 43: Ju 52 struck an obstacle near Łódź/Poland, 100%.
27 Nov 43: Fi 156 damaged by a storm at Fp. Proskurov, 35%.
3 Dec 43: Ju 52 shot up by a fighter over Visun railway station/68 km E of Nikolayev, 80%.
5 Dec 43: Ju 52 crash landed NE of Kirovograd, 70%.
11 Dec 43: unserviceable Ju 52 blown up at Rososhentse (not located – spelling probably corrupted) to prevent capture by the enemy, 100%.
12 Dec 43: ordered to transfer to Zhitomir-North.
7 Jan 44: back at Proskurov.
7 Feb 44: addressed at Voloschisk (Voloshisk)/W Ukraine/ 40 km E of Tarnopol (Ternopil’).
1-20 Feb 44: moved to Uman and took part in the air supply of 56,000 German troops cut off in the so-called Cherkassy Pocket between Korsun and Cherkassy on the Dnieper.
Mar 44: transferred to Odessa after the conclusion of the Cherkassy operation to transport personnel and supplies to Crimea.

L.