Unternehmen Bienenstock

[George Hopp]

In his book, "Eagle's Wings" Hajo Herrmann indicates that the 'Kommando Bienenstock' (Beehive Commando) was mainly made up of an overflow of volunteers for 'Kommando Elbe.' He seems to be saying that the initial task of this unit would be to fly from the Graz/Klagenfurt area or from the Po Plain, and with 2-man crews, "flying in over the Adriatic, would land at the bomber fields at twilight, approach the bombers carrying machine-pistols, attach 1-kilogram charges to the aircraft's wings, and then beat a retreat. The charges would detonate after ten seconds." (p.256)

Then in early May (from fields in Kaerten and the Steiermark): "This is what my 'Bees', my knights errant, had done under orders: far behind the Russian line of advance they had landed secretly near the main railway lines. Armed with canisters they had crawled like Red Indians to lay their charges on the rails. They had not primed them until it was too late for the locomotives to brake. Then they took off before the Russians could recover from the railway disaster. Others had crept by night into a railway marshalling yard and had fixed an explosive charge beneath each wagon of singing, humming or chatting soldiers. They had heard the dissonant transformation to lamentation, cries of woe, and wild firing. The notorious cruelities practised by the Russians meant that our fliers felt no remorse." (p. 261)

Hope this helps,
George