Help needed in identifying a Unit in Banja Luka 1942

[Uwe Benkel]

The photos show a Focke Wulf Fw 58 "Weihe" - airfield Banja Luka 1942

Is it possible to identify the unit or maybe the aircraft?

Thanks

Uwe Benkel

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Maybe the clue to your question may be the Officer (Major? can not see his rank properly...) with both WW1 and WW2 Beobachter Abzeichen. Is there any name behind (guess no)?

[Uwe Benkel]

Thanks for your post but the answer is: No

Maybe someone can help us with the marking on the aircraft/unit

[Larry deZeng]

There were no Luftwaffe units actually based here until 1943, but individual aircraft did fly in for a short stay during the big anti-partisan operation called Westbosnien between May and July 1942. These aircraft were almost certainly from a Verbindungsstaffel, Kurierstaffel or a Flugbereitschaft. Many dignitaries, VIPs and high-ranking officers flew into Banja Luka during Westbosnien for briefings and visits to the front. An Ic officer with Stab/Heeresgruppe E was here in June 1942. His name was Oblt. Kurt Waldheim and after the war he became Secretary General of the United Nations.

Banja Luka - Zalužani (YUGO) (44 50 50 N – 17 13 25 E) (AFHRA)
General: airfield (Fliegerhorst) in wartime Croatia 150 km SSE of Zagreb 8 km N of Banja Luka.
History: under construction 1941 to Oct 42, Zalužani was primarily a Croatian AF base that the Lw. began sharing in 1943.

L.

[edwest2]

The aircraft's emblem is unfamiliar to me. I would suggest the possibility that it is a personal emblem.

[Boris Ciglic]

Hi all,


This is what I have written many years ago in "Dornier Do 17: The Yugoslav Story":
"In June 1942 Germans launched a major offensive against the Partisans in the area of Kozara mountain, in western Bosnia, forming a special combat group named Schlachtgruppe West Bosnien for this purpose. Close air support was to be provided by combined German-Croat Fl.ber.West Bosnien, commanded by Fliegerführer West Bosnien, Maj Herbst. Unit consisted of Croat Zrakoplovna skupina Cenić (Cenić Aviation Group) and four-aircraft detachment of Fl.ber.Kdo.Serbien: Do 17, Ju 88A, Fw 58B and Fi 156C. During the operation, as for the German part of Fl.Ber.West Bosnien there were only a few events to note: a forced landing of the Fw 58B at an unknown location after it was hit by infantry fire on 3 July, destruction of Partisan Po 25 by Fw 58B piloted by Lt Bumb three days later near Lušci Palanka, and forced landing of one of the twin-engine planes at Urije airfield near Prijedor on 15 July, caused again by ground fire. On 15 August Fl.Ber.West Bosnien was mentioned for the last time and then disappeared from the records of General und Befëhlshaber im Serbien, its aircraft returning to mother units."
So, the emblem should be that of Fl.ber.Kdo.Serbien and your plane the Fw 58B W.Nr.2980 "DK+AK" which carried a victory marking with inscription "Vernichtung des roten Bomber 6. VII.1942." on it's tail.


Cheers,
Boris

[Larry deZeng]

Thank you, Boris! Very detailed and thorough.

It's been 40 years since I examined the General und Befëhlshaber im Serbien and related microfilms that provided information on Westbosnien and Aviation Group Cenić but, as might be expected, I had forgotten many of the details. I think this author has written a detailed account of air operations in Westbosnien:

Mikić, General-potpukovnik avijacije Vojislav. Numerous lengthy articles that appeared in Vojnoistorijski Glasnik back in the 1980's and 1990's.

Cheers,

L.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hats off Boris

Cheers
Stig

[James A Pratt III]

ditto Boris did this Fw-58 shoot the Po 25 in air combat or destroy it on the ground? Either way it is probably the only victory of this type of plane.

[Chris Goss]

I wonder if this is Bumb?:


BUMB, Franz. 23.02.44 Oblt. (RDA: 01.12.41) in Stab/Jagdfliegerführer Oberitalien