Unit ID help - 1./FUG III

[AndreasB]

Hi all

Can someone explain what this means? 2 Officers/14 OR is all I can figure out.

Many thanks!

All the best

Andreas

[Larry deZeng]

Andreas -

1. Funkgerät III

FUG was the authorized and commonly used Luftwaffe abbreviation for Funkgerät, according to:
A.I. 12/British Air Ministry. Manual of German Air Force Terminology, German - English, Administrative and General Terms. 1945/46.

But what was it? I do not know with certainty but I suspect it was a Trupp of air-to-ground radio teams mounted in half-tracks or the like that acted as forward air controllers.

I am guessing the Roman "III" was the type of radio set used. Alternatively, the "III" may indicate that they were mounted in Pz.Kpfw. III's.

L.

[edNorth]

I think there be confusion FuG and FUG

"Funk Ubung (Uberwachung) Gruppe" ?????

Therefore "1. (Staffeln) FUG (Gruppen) III

[AndreasB]

Thanks to both of you! I think Ed is on to something. These guys were part of Sonderverband 288, in 1941.

All the best

Andreas

[Nick Beale]

My guess would be that the 1 and the III represent sub-unit and parent unit respectively: Kompanie/Abteilung or Abteilung/Regiment (I can't remember the convention for use of Arabic and Roman numerals in ground units). I agree with Larry that the FUG bit is probably the usual Funkgerät.

[Rasmussen]

Originally Posted by edNorth

"Funk Ubung (Uberwachung) Gruppe" ?????

Not "Ubung" or "Uberwachung" ... isn't German language. If this "Übung/Überwachung" then would be written "ü" like in FlüG 1 ("...überführung ...").

[edNorth]

Yes, I know, I graduated from "German 101" in school (but waaaaaay back), meant write "Übung/Überwachung" but FuG had lowercase, not uppercase.

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

My guess would be that the 1 and the III represent sub-unit and parent unit respectively: Kompanie/Abteilung or Abteilung/Regiment (I can't remember the convention for use of Arabic and Roman numerals in ground units). I agree with Larry that the FUG bit is probably the usual Funkgerät.

Arabic numeral for companies, Roman for regiments.

The all-capital FUG could just be an error of course, but does anyone know a unit that would fit? So it would be 3rd Radio (something?) Regiment. Did that exist?

All the best

Andreas

[Larry deZeng]

A few additional snippets that may aid a final determination:

Funk-Überwachungs-Abt. der Luftflotte 2 (not formed until August 1944)
Ln.-Funk-Überwachungs-Kp. z.b.V. 1 (formed in 1941 and served in the Balkans, but could have had detachments in North Africa)
Ln.-Funk-Überwachungs-Kp. z.b.V. 2 (formed in 1941 and served in the Balkans, but could have had detachments in North Africa)
Ln.-Funk-Überwachungs-Kp. z.b.V. 3 (formed in 1942 and appears to have served in Germany, Austria and elsewhere in Central Europe)

These units operated RDF (radio direction finding) Trupps that were responsible for identifying and locating enemy radio transmitters. They operated under the tactical control of the OKW radio countermeasures branch of Amt Ausland Abwehr and worked hand-in-hand with the Gestapo in the field.
Sources:
NARA T-313 roll 488 frame 457;
CSDIC P/W interrogation report A.492 dated 27.11.1944.

It's the nature of their mission that would pretty well preclude their use in North Africa, which was not infested with Allied-led guerrilla groups and agents in Tripoli and other cities that were operating secret transmitters, at least in comparison to Greece and Yugoslavia.

L.

[Larry deZeng]

AndreasB wrote in part:

Arabic numeral for companies, Roman for regiments.

If we are talking about German units - both Heer and Luftwaffe - then shouldn't it generally be:

Companies in Arabic, Battalions and Abteilungen in Roman, and Regiments in Arabic?

What unit would it be? Cannot tell from the little information that is provided. Exactly where was this unit and what is the date of this document? What are the contextual particulars surrounding it's appearance on this document? What command or other authority prepared and issued the document?

L.