STORCH LOSSS JONZAC 21 Mar 44

[Chris Goss]

The above from Kdo des Flughafenbereichs 5/XII was shot down by 1/Lt James Brandenburg and Capt Ken Smith of 334 FS killing Oberst Ernst Paland; does anyone have any more information on this loss?

[Matti Salonen]

1944-03-21, Kdo.Fl.H.Ber. 5/XII, Fi 156 C-3, 8056, Jonzac südlich Cognac
Flugzeugführer Oberst Paland, Ernst, +
Jägerbeschuß. Bruch 100 %.

Matti

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Matti. Should have said I have a copy of the NVM which confirms what you have written & that he was buried at Cognac. Says he was on a "Tarnüberwachungsflug". Doesn't say as such that he was the pilot just "kdrt.zur Einweisung". It is also interesting to see that 2 Komp FFS B15 lost a He 111 P Wk Nr 1993 (looks like GF+AQ) at the same time to 1/Lt Albert Schlegel which crashed at St Genis with instructor Fw Dominik Faschang and two wounded and two killed

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi Chris/Matti

I have never come across anything called Kdo des Flughafenbereichs 5/XII before. Can you or anyone else explain to me what their job was? I have an idea, but I rather hear it from someone who knows....

I also wonder what a "Tarnüberwachungsflug" was. I know what überwachung is and of course flug, but I fail to get the meaning of tarn (invisible) in this context. A spyflight sounds a bit overdramatic....

Perhaps I should explain that I am not German speaking, but both the similarity of Swedish and German plus an internet dictionary makes life easier on my part

Merry X-mas everybody and thanks to All who has helped me out this year as all the other years I have been a Member!

Cheers
Stig

[Rottler]

Hello Stig,

a "Tarnüberwachungsflug" is a flight for camouflage inspection.
For example the Luftwaffe monitored the effective camouflage of flak emplacements.

Regards
Leo

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

Hi Chris/Matti

I have never come across anything called Kdo des Flughafenbereichs 5/XII before. Can you or anyone else explain to me what their job was? I have an idea, but I rather hear it from someone who knows....

Cheers
Stig

Kommando des Flughafenbereichs was usually translated by British Intelligence as Aerodrome Regional Command (abbreviated to ARC). It was responsible for maintaining the bases, not the flying units themselves.

See here for 5/XII: http://www.ww2.dk/ground/flibo/kfb/5-12.html

[Stig Jarlevik]

Leo/Nick

Thanks a lot for rapid answers. I always thought Flughafen was a civil airport/airfield while Fliegerhorst was the military equivalent.
After the war broke out I guess the difference became more semantic than realistic, but still why were they not called Fliegerhorstbereich when all their sub-commands were being so designated?

I have never really bothered about Luftwaffe's ground organization in detail, so I am sorry if the question seems a bit silly

Cheers
Stig

[edNorth]

Ausweichplatz (without flug)
Segelflugplatz

"Feldflugplatz der deutschen Luftwaffe in Rockau bei Jena.
Der Flugplatz wurde, laut Zeitzeugen, 1940/41 eingerichtet
und als Segelflugplatz der Flieger-HJ genutzt."

https://www.thiele-militaria.de/spez.../junkers-ju88/

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Guys

Seems favourite children have many names...even in German....

Your conclusion Larry seems pretty convincing to me and since I now begin to feel I am trying to split hair, I think we can rest this case. Since everyone concerned in Germany most certainly knew what was ment anyway, they didn't bother....so why should I?

Cheers
Stig