Sonderstaffel Einhorn

[Jaap Woortman]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

I have this unit, commanded by Hptm Erwin Diekwisch, being formed Sep 44 and then reforming as 11/KG 200 at Bonn-Hangelar 23 Dec 44 and being subordinated to NSGr 20 Can anyone confirm this.

I have just returned from a rainy holiday in the Netherlands and found your thread about a most interesting unit "Sonderstaffel Einhorn'.
Chris has mentioned in his question two things. First, Sonderstaffel was subordinated to NSG 20 and secondly it was reformed as 11./KG 200 at December 23rd, 1944 at Bonn-Hangelar.
I have two question. First question: At what date was Sonderstaffel Einhorn subordinated to NSGr. 20 and secondly, does anyone know where NSGr. 20 was stationed, let's say between November 1st 1944 and March 1st, 1945.
I have some pieces of information from BA/MA RL 40/217 and higher(Aufmarschkarten)
At 2.11.1944 NSGr.20 and 3./NAGr. 1 and 11./SG200 at Twenthe.(RL 40/217.
Idem at 3.11.1944, 9.2.1945 till 27.2.1945 at Twenthe.(RL 40/219,229 -237)
See the difference in the Staffel code of 11./SG 200 and 11./KG 200.
Twenthe is an airfield in the Netherlands close to Enschede.

Jaap

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi Jaap

What on earth is SG 200? This is a unit I have never heard of. Any more details?

NSgr 20 was based at Bonn-Hangelar up to Jan 1945
Moved to Gemersheim untio March 45, when it moved to Twente, Zwolle
It finished the war at Delmenhorst
(See Michael Holm's home page)

Cheers
Stig

[Nick Beale]

Dear Stig and Jaap,

Einhorn is another case of “Stop the Myth” ...

A few responses to what you’ve posted (I’ve been working on Einhorn since 1989):

- NSG 20 was based at Bonn-Hangelar up to Jan 1945

They gradually moved out during January and were gone by the end of the month. There was a Restkommando of 8 (2) Fw 190s there on the evening 15 January for example - see ULTRA BT 2458.

- Moved to Gemersheim until March 45, when it moved to Twente, Zwolle. It finished the war at Delmenhorst

I don't think so (see below).

- First, Sonderstaffel was subordinated to NSG 20

It was only attached to NSG 20 on returning from Italy. It seems to have reached Hangelar on or about 23 December.

On 29 December it had 5 Fw 190s at Hangelar, none of them serviceable.

- and secondly it was reformed as 11./KG 200 at December 23rd, 1944 at Bonn-Hangelar.

It wasn’t reformed as 11./KG 200. The 11./KG 200 was formed from 3./SG 5 on 8 January 1945.

Einhorn 's seven pilots were not absorbed into 11./KG 200 until both units had moved to Twente. 11./KG 200 was subordinated to NSG 20 on 23 February 1945.

- does anyone know where NSGr. 20 was stationed, let's say between November 1st 1944 and March 1st, 1945.

NSG 20 didn’t exist until the third week of November 1944 (sources differ on the exact day): before then it was called III./KG 51. Elements of III./KG 51 were transferring from Le Culot to Bonn-Hangelar on 7 September 1944. It flew nine sorties from Hangelar on 6 October. NSG 20's aircraft are consistently included in evening occupation reports for Hangelar from then on. (I wouldn't exclude the possibility of short deployments elsewhere unless I'd seen every report). After the first week of January, NSG 20 and the remaining aircraft of Einhorn moved bit-by-bit to Twente. Apparently, all there by about 1 February. They left at the end of March, reportedly for Voerden. (Twente was ordered destroyed and evacuated on 4 April). They ended up at Schleswig.

The 11./KG 200 had joined NSG 20 at Twente but “very early” on 9 March, eight of the Staffel’s machines transferred to Rhein-Main and operated against Remagen that afternoon and stayed for two weeks. They may have returned briefly to Twente on or about 23 March (at least one aircraft made the trip). The Staffel joined up with the rest of III./KG 200 in late March, apparently at Drope. The Gruppe was at Lübeck-Blankensee by 17 April. By 6 May it was at Eggebek.

[Jaap Woortman]

Thanks Nick and Stig,

One remark. Zwolle has and never had an airfield. This must have been Steenwijk/Havelte. See also Bunderarchiv RL 42/4 situation January 1st, 1945.
This airfield is also called at some publications Nemwijk. See Kanapin, Mattiello and Holm. Maybe because of bad hand writing in the original document?
This airfield was demolished at March 24th, 1945 by the 8th US Army Air Force. The airfield was liberated at April 9th, 1945.

Jaap

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jaap Woortman

Thanks Nick and Stig,

One remark. Zwolle has and never had an airfield. This must have been Steenwijk/Havelte. See also Bunderarchiv RL 42/4 situation January 1st, 1945.
This airfield is also called at some publications Nemwijk. See Kanapin, Mattiello and Holm. Maybe because of bad hand writing in the original document?
This airfield was demolished at March 24th, 1945 by the 8th US Army Air Force. The airfield was liberated at April 9th, 1945.

Jaap

On 20 March 1945, an ULTRA mentions that Steenwijk is to be occupied by III./KG 200 and the Flak Korps VI should arrange protection. However, another ULTRA from the 23rd says that a Field Workshop unit is being sent to Drope for III./KG 200; a Vorkommando from III./KG 200 arrived on the 25th ; and the Gruppe was addressed there on the 28th.

As for the mention "11./SG 200", I suspect an error. On the Luftwaffe Aufmarsch maps that I saw in Freiburg, they did not use unit designations, just (e.g.) "II./1". You had to distinguish the unit type by the colour of ink it was written in. Not good if you got a photocopy!