Military Tribunal against Colonel Heymer - North Africa 1941

[AndreasB]

The Italian Official History (Montanari Le Operazioni in Africa Settentrionale Vol. II Tobruk) states that Col. Otto Heymer, KoLuft at Panzergruppe Afrika was sent in front of a military tribunal for failing to ensure sufficient air support in the opening phase of Operation CRUSADER, Nov. 41.

Does anyone have more information on this?

Many thanks in advance.

All the best

Andreas

[Larry deZeng]

IF he was in fact court-martialed, he must have been acquitted:

HEYMER, Otto. (DOB: 29.09.03 in Heepen (near Bielefeld)). (i.G.). (R). 15.03.23 entered service with the Heer (Infanterie). 25.11.32 certified fluent in Russian. 01.10.34 Generalstab training at the Heereskriegsakademie Berlin (to 14.07.36). 15.07.36 appt Ic/A.O. in Stab/VII. Armeekorps. 15.01.38 trf into the Generalstab d.H. 03.04.39 appt Leiter Abwehrstelle Prag. 01.02.40 trf to the Luftwaffe. 11.03.40 assigned to 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 and concurrently appt Stabs-Offizier d.Lw. beim Afrikakorps. 11.10.40 Maj., appt Staka 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 (to 01.09.41). 13.04.41 Maj., Staka 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 awarded Ritterkreuz. 15.08.41 appt Koflug Befehlshaber d.DeutschenTruppen in Libyen. 11.11.41 trf to Ob.d.L./RLM pool. 15.12.41 Obstlt., appt Abt.-Leiter I in Stab/Luftflotte 3. 01.12.42 promo to Oberst. 01.01.43 trf to Ob.d.L./RLM pool. 15.01.43 appt provisional Chef d.Genst./Lw.-Kdo. Ost. 01.02.43 appt permanent Chef d.Genst./Lw.-Kdo. Ost (to 25.02.43). †25.02.43 of natural causes; another account maintains that he was KIA in or around Kharkov.

[AndreasB]

Many thanks for this Larry. Based on the dates I think it is unlikely he was court-martialled, since he was transferred out of the command on 11 November 41 (were these transfers effective immediately?), and CRUSADER started on 17 November 41.

Do you know who his successor was as Koflug Befehlshaber d.DeutschenTruppen in Libyen.

All the best

Andreas

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Andreas -

The 11 Nov 41 date would have been very flexible and dependent on whether or not his successor was already there or en-route, or whether an acting or deputy Koluft (Kommandeur der Luftwaffe Libyen) was available to take over until the new guy arrived, etc. There are a thousand things that could arise to alter the actual takeover date by a day, a week, a month or even more. But transportation difficulties was usually the main reason.

As you can see below, there probably was a successor. v.Osterhausen was an experienced and highly esteemed reconnaissance guy who was already in Libya. Since the function of a Koluft is mainly reconnaissance and frontline Flak support, it makes sense.

[P.S. - I made a mistake in Heymer's career blurb - he was Koluft and not Koflug. There is a huge difference between the two. My apologies.]


Koluft Afrika
(FpN: L 44019)

also as: Koluft Libyen

Kommandeur:
Obstlt. Otto Heymer (15 Aug 41 - 10 Nov 41)
Maj. Hans von Osterhausen? ( ? - Feb 42?)

Formation and History. (Sep 41 - Feb 42)
Formed 15 August 1941 to provide tactical reconnaissance support for the Deutsches Afrikakorps and Panzergruppenkommando “Afrika” (later Panzerarmee Afrika). No further details are available. Renamed Stab/Aufklärungsgruppe Afrika around February 1942.[1]


[1] G.Tessin-Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); AFHRA Maxwell: decimal 512 Air Ministry Weekly Intelligence Summary file, AMWIS #181 dated 20 February 1943.

[AndreasB]

Many thanks again Larry.

All the best

Andreas

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

Hi Andreas -

The 11 Nov 41 date would have been very flexible and dependent on whether or not his successor was already there or en-route, or whether an acting or deputy Koluft (Kommandeur der Luftwaffe Libyen) was available to take over until the new guy arrived, etc. There are a thousand things that could arise to alter the actual takeover date by a day, a week, a month or even more. But transportation difficulties was usually the main reason.

Hi Larry

I have an indication that he was still in post on 22 November?

http://rommelsriposte.com/2016/02/28...issance-report

See who the report is addressed to.

All the best

Andreas

[Larry deZeng]

Thanks for that, Andreas. It looks like he stayed around for a little while after his official reassignment date, probably waiting for transportation space or for the arrival of his replacement.

L.

[AndreasB]

Larry

One more thing - this:

" 01.02.40 trf to the Luftwaffe. 11.03.40 assigned to 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 and concurrently appt Stabs-Offizier d.Lw. beim Afrikakorps."

Cannot be right, since the Afrikakorps only came into existence in February 1941.

All the best

Andreas

[Larry deZeng]

11.03.40 assigned to 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31 and concurrently appt Stabs-Offizier d.Lw. beim Afrikakorps.

Yes, Andreas, that is a typo and a very bad one, too. From the phraseology, I know that it originally came from the Luftwaffenpersonalamt (LPA) Personalveränderungen and the LPA's complete assignment and training record for all the Luftwaffe general staff officers (Offiziere im Generalstab), either in whole or in part, but it seems to have become terribly corrupted after that, either by me or by Doug. Below is a revised edition of Heymer's career summary. If you compare the original with the revision, you will see that the phrase "and concurrently appt Stabs-Offizier d.Lw. beim Afrikakorps" was simply placed on the line above where it should have been placed. and that made for a big error.

HEYMER, Otto. (DOB: 29.09.03 in Heepen (near Bielefeld)). (i.G.). (R). 15.03.23 entered service with the Heer (Infanterie). 25.11.32 certified fluent in Russian. 01.10.34 Generalstab training at the Heereskriegsakademie Berlin (to 14.07.36). 15.07.36 appt Ic/A.O. in Stab/VII. Armeekorps. 15.01.38 trf into the Generalstab d.H. 03.04.39 appt Leiter Abwehrstelle Prag. 01.02.40 trf to the Luftwaffe. 11.03.40 assigned to 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 31. 11.10.40 Maj., appt Staka 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 (to 01.09.41) and subsequently and concurrently appt Stabs-Offizier d.Lw. beim Afrikakorps. 13.04.41 Maj., Staka 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 awarded the Ritterkreuz. 10.08.41 Staka 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14, shot down vic Bardia by 451 Sqdn. but survived. 15.08.41 appt Koflug Befehlshaber d.DeutschenTruppen in Libyen. 11.11.41 trf to Ob.d.L./RLM pool. 15.12.41 Obstlt., appt Abt.-Leiter I in Stab/Luftflotte 3. 01.12.42 promo to Oberst. 01.01.43 trf to Ob.d.L./RLM pool. 15.01.43 appt provisional Chef d.Genst./Lw.-Kdo. Ost. 01.02.43 appt permanent Chef d.Genst./Lw.-Kdo. Ost (to 25.02.43). †25.02.43 of natural causes; another account maintains that he was KIA in or around Kharkov.
[Revised 28 Feb 2016]

L.

[AndreasB]

Hi Larry

Nice bit of detail in there! You still have him as Koflug on 15.08.41, and with 'Befehlshaber d.DeutschenTruppen in Libyen' - shouldn't that be Koluft Panzergruppe Afrika?

You alluded in your earlier post that there was a big difference between Koluft and Koflug. Could you elaborate on this, when you have some time?

All the best

Andreas