eBAy: Captured german planes

[Marcel van Heijkop]

Originally Posted by ChristianK

Thank you very much indeed Marcel
Great info - may I ask what's your source for the story with the "borrowed" night fighters? Also for your allocation of the He 111 Z to Dedelstorf?


Cheers,
Christian

Hi Christian (and Jim),

My sources for the "borrowed night fighters" are interviews with 2 former I./KG66 members (and they told it independent of each other). According to the Kennzeichen (aircraft codes) in my I./KG66 Flugbuch collection, apart from "White A" and "White E" there were at least 6 other different Ju 88 G-6's with I./KG66. PS Airfield in question was Neubrandenburg and as several Ju 88 G-6s had "D5+..P" in their previous Kennzeichen, they must have belonged to 6./NJG3 at a certain stage.

Regarding the He 111 Z: When I./KG66 arrived at Dedelstorf in mid September 1944, glider activity was still going on. The He 111 Z was possibly used for towing them in the air. One 1.Wart (Crew Chief) of 1./KG66 took pictures of the He 111 Z in flight and close to touchdown. These pictures are now in my collection. Unfortunately the weather conditions (sunshine) on that day prevented a clear picture of the aircraft code on the side. I'll have a look at the negatives to see if I can sharpen/enlarge them just a bit to make them readable again. Some time later the "Zwilling" was parked on the edge of the airfield and possibly camouflaged. The aircraft was blown up in April 1945 to prevent it from being captured by the Americans. A year later, the now former 1. Wart returned to Dedelstorf and took pictures of the wrecks of the He 111 Z and a Go 242. His pictures are remarkably similar to the ones offered on Ebay (see pictures a few pages back on this thread).

Hope this helps,

Marcel

[ChristianK]

Ah ok, interesting stuff. Thanks again Marcel!

[ChristianK]

Did a little Google search and found this picture, from an article in a german newspaper about the war's end in Dedelstorf: https://img.gifhorner-rundschau.de/i...0/IMG-7185.jpg

This does look indeed like the He 111 Z /Go 242 group we discussed some time ago (only in a far more derelict / salvaged state). Seems we found our location thanks to Marcel

[Marcel van Heijkop]

Originally Posted by ChristianK

Did a little Google search and found this picture, from an article in a german newspaper about the war's end in Dedelstorf: https://img.gifhorner-rundschau.de/i...0/IMG-7185.jpg

This does look indeed like the He 111 Z /Go 242 group we discussed some time ago (only in a far more derelict / salvaged state). Seems we found our location thanks to Marcel

Hi Christian,

This is indeed one of the postwar pictures taken by the former 1./KG66 1. Wart mentioned in my post above.

Setting and atmosphere is so typical for Dedelstorf..

Regards,

Marcel

PS Thanks for pointing out the article and subsequently Reiner Silberstein's book, I was unaware of them! Will try to get them.

[Nick Beale]

[quote=ChristianK;276770
This does look indeed like the He 111 Z /Go 242 group we discussed some time ago (only in a far more derelict / salvaged state). Seems we found our location thanks to Marcel [/QUOTE]

The airlanding element of II./KG 200 wre in Dedelstorf in the summer of 1944 althought I think they largely used the Do 17/DFS 230 combination.

[Snautzer]

Just a question: why would a KG group have surplus of fuel and a NJG not?

[Marcel van Heijkop]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

The airlanding element of II./KG 200 wre in Dedelstorf in the summer of 1944 althought I think they largely used the Do 17/DFS 230 combination.

Hi Nick,

Just curious, what makes you think that? Based on Flugbuch entries in your collection? BTW: For what it is worth, the book "Dedelstorf, eine Kaserne in der Heide 1935 – 1990" confirms the use of the DFS 230 by II./KG200 at Dedelstorf and also states that the He 111 Z was attached to them"...Don't know what their source for the latter is, though..With regard to other subjects, I found the book fairly reliable.

Regards,

Marcel

[Snautzer]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-photo-...AAAOSwjThdpNHX

[Marcel van Heijkop]

Originally Posted by Snautzer

Just a question: why would a KG group have surplus of fuel and a NJG not?

Hi Schnautzer,

I./KG66 was intended to act as Pathfinders for the Mistel units with regard to Unternehmen Eisenhammer. As the objective of Eisenhammer was to destroy Russian power stations, this meant long range (= a lot of fuel). For this reason, Ju 88 S-3s and Ju 188s of I./KG66 were modified in January and February in München-Riem and Roth to carry extra fuel tanks under the wings and in the bomb bays. ULTRA for example states the amount of fuel (in cubic meters) stored at I./KG66 airfields. When Eisenhammer was cancelled, the targets were switched and I./KG66 found itself acting as "Lotse für Mistel" against the Oder bridges. But the amounts of fuel were still there, I think..

Regards,

Marcel

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Marcel van Heijkop

Hi Nick,

Just curious, what makes you think that?

Regards,

Marcel

This:

HW 5/467
CX/MSS/T154/14
Brought to the notice of Director General
From GAF Command SE, No. 46250, to Flifü Croatia, Agram (for information), to be forwarded to III./LLG 1 Alibunar, on 13/4:
Refs:
1) German Minister for Air and C-in-C GAF Luftwehr 3 IC +NO (B%8)3908, of 17/3.
2) Flifü Fliegerkorps XI, Berlin Tempelhof, Dept. (Roman) II A/3, File No. 23 F 12, +NO 1205 of 6/4.
Subject: transfer for special employment with key-word Leonidas
In accordance with above ref., the following are transferred with immediate effect with key-word Leonidas, from III./LLG 1 to (Roman) II./KG 200 to Dedelsdorf (word smudged) Hanover:
Pilots (L) (++)

Ogefr. Benz, Willi
Uffz. Hiemer, Alfons
Fw. Zimmermann, Hans
Ogefr. Mehl, Richard
Ogefr. (one name smudged) …
Ogefr. Barth, Alfons
Ogefr. Schotzki, Ernst
Ogefr. (B% Schrotter), Friedrich

These men are to be dispatched at once to Dedelsdorf. III./LLG 1 will report completed dispatch to Flifü Fliegerkorps XI, Berlin Tempelhof, Dept. IIA 3. Report also to be sent for information to GAF Command SE IIA 2.
NOTE:
(1) (+) Not seen by source.
(++) Meaning of (L) not clear, may be Gasten Gegler [sic] (Glider).
(2) III./LLG 1 at Alibunar on 26/3 (T136/89).
(3) (Roman) II./KG 200 first reported on 8/3 at Dedelsdorf (T117/65). Only other unit recently reported there is GAF Special Detachment C-in-C GAF (T115/36). On 31/3 (Roman) II./KG 200 was reported in connection with the modification of He 177 for towing tests (T140/107 and REF 315). It seems clear that (Roman) II./KG 200 is connected with with some form of glider towing.

I could well be wrong about the Do 17s but II./KG 200's Kommando Schäfer, which was associated with Dedelstorf was taken into action on the Vercors Plateau by Do 17/DFS 230 although it seems they met up with the aircraft in Nancy.