Me 410s of III./ZG 1 at Brest Süd 1943

[Chris Goss]

It appears that this unit was at this base from July to August 1943. It appears to have not done anything operational and I can find a mention of one aircrfat being damaged on 26 July 1943. Was it converting from the 210 to the 410 if so why there?

[Larry deZeng]

Chris:

15.4.43 and 3.6.43: III./ZG 1 based at Gerbini/Sicily flying armed maritime reconnaissance missions along the Tunisian coast. [ULTRA ML3510; CSDIC P/W Interrogation AFHQ A.69]
16.-18.6.43: III. Gruppe turned over all remaining Me 210s to 9. Staffel, which remained behind at Gerbini, and the rest of the Gruppe began moving to Wittmundhafen/NW Germany to re-equip with new Me 410s. [ULTRA ML4452]
24.6.43 - 5.7.43: 9. Staffel at Gerbini still flying armed maritime reconnaissance missions along the west coast of Tunisia [ULTRA; CSDIC P/W Interrogation AFHQ A.69; RAF 329 Wing Sigint Reports]
6.7.43: 9. Staffel at Gerbini alerted for transfer to Wittmundhafen to join the rest of the Gruppe. [ULTRA ML6470]
10.7.43: invasion of Sicily - 9. Staffel ordered evacuate Gerbini to Montecorvino airfield on the mainland. [PRO AIR 40/1996]
15.7.43: 7.St. Me 210 A-1 force landed at Antwerpen airfield, 30%.
26.7.43: 7.St. Me 410 A-1 damaged taxiing at Brest/South, 30%.
20.8.43: Me 410 A-1 crashed at Quakenbrück, engine failure, 80%.
19.9.43: Me 410 A-1 damaged taxiing at Vörden, 20%.
8.10.43: III./ZG 1 scrambled and engaged in combat over Bremen, no claims, no losses. (Prien: JG 1/JG 11)
10.10.43: 5 x Me 410 A-1s shot down in action over the Osnabrück area, all 100%, Gruko Maj. Wilhelm Berlin and 5 others KIA, 2 WIA.
13.10.43: III./ZG 1 renamed II./ZG 26 at Hildesheim. [NARA T-321 roll 10; Dierich: Verbände der Luftwaffe].

NOTE: there is some very slight evidence in other sources that the Gruppe moved from Wittmundhafen to Hildesheim around mid-July.

L. deZ.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Larry but still doesn't explain what they were doing in western France or why. SKL records 6 Me 410s carrying out a Freie Jagd over the Bay 28 Jul 43 but that is it

[Larry deZeng]

Chris -

I don't believe III./ZG 1 was ever based in W France during that June - September 1943 period. I think that sole 7.St. Me 410 at Brest/Süd on 26.7.43 was just that - a single aircraft acting on its own for whatever reason. I know some sources have the Gruppe there for several months before it was replaced there by II./ZG 1, but I dispute this until I see some corroborating documents that show it was there. You might want to have someone check the Pearl/ZIP (or whatever) collection at BNA and see what was picked up over northern France during this period by RAF enemy fighter monitors at Cheltenham and Chicksands or wherever these monitoring stations were. Nick B. knows a lot more about this than I do.

IMHO, there is no way this group could have relocated to France without it being reflected in the documents I did research.

L. deZ.

[Chris Goss]

Larry: I think it was just one Staffel (7?) hence the mention in the SKL and agree it was replaced by II./ZG 1 at the start of August

[Larry deZeng]

Okay, I posted just a second or two after you put up your SKL post. Based on that, it sounds like a part of the Gruppe, maybe just 7.St., moved to Brest for a couple of weeks to do some training practice.

L.

[Larry deZeng]

Chris -

I think we agree now.............all that's needed is a documented statement as to why they were there and for such a short time.

L.

[Chris Goss]

Indeed. Maybe they were an interim before II./ZG 1 arrived but they were only there just over 2 months. They still had V./KG 40, 1./128 and JG 2. In October, V./KG 40 became I./ZG 1 and started expanding with a III Gruppe but that was not complete until March 1944. Puzzling

[Nick Beale]

I couldn't find any mention in Bletchley Park's Air Operational Watch report for 28 July 1943 of Me 410s, unfortunately.

There might be some trace in Bundesarchiv RL 8/185: Nachrichtenanordnungen im Bereich Fliegerführer Atlantik (1941–1944). It's downloadable and has manuals for signals procedures etc. but also lists of frequencies and callsigns assigned to different units under the Flifü's command.