gliders sent behind front lines

[cpaige5@hotmail.com]

Recently I read a book on the air war in North Africa! It mentions that the Luftwaffe sent two gliders behind the lines in Algeria on the last day of December 1942. The 2 pilots were captured! I think it was from the Med Air Wars C. Shores Vols 3. Could anyone shed any more light on this event! Was it a commando raid, recon or ........... and how many were involved?

[James A Pratt III]

I think it was a sabotage operation that failed. I think this incident is mentioned in a youtube presentation on WW2TV that deals with German glider operations.

[RSwank]

The operation is mentioned briefly at the 1:22:30 mark in this video about the DFS 230:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gT77tKq2eQ

[RSwank]

I ran across this link (search for Arnaud on the link) which is apparently the tail fin of one of the gliders. Glider was found at the end of December 1942,

http://www.255.org.uk/trophies.html

[Larry deZeng]

I think the 30-31 Dec 1942 operation is discussed in Gellermann's KG 200 history (below) and in subsequent English language histories of KG 200 by Peter W. Stahl and another by Thomas and Ketley (see below):

Gellermann, Günther. Moskau Ruft Heeresgruppe Mitte...Was nicht im Wehrmachtbericht stand: Die Einsätze des geheimen Kampfgeschwaders 200 im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe, 1988. ISBN: 3-7637-5856-9. Softcover. 326p. Illus. Appendices. Bibliography. Names index.

Thomas, Geoffrey J. and Barry Ketley. KG 200: The Luftwaffe’s Most Secret Unit. Crowborough: Hikoki Publications, 2003. ISBN: 1 902109 33 3. Hb (oversize). Dj. 192p. Heavily illus. Color profiles. Appendices.

L. deZ.

[Leendert]

I wonder if this particular incident had anything to do with Sonderkommando Dora.

Regards,
Leendert

[Larry deZeng]

While researching the below synopsis of "Dora", I saw nothing that would suggest a connection between the 2 DFS 230s in Algeria 30-31 December 1942 and "Dora".

https://www.luftwaffedata.co.uk/index.php/Kdo._Dora

L. deZ.