Werner Altrogge

[Karoband]

Gentlemen,

Did Werner Altrogge fly operational missions over enemy territory and, if so, what Luftwaffe rank did he hold?

Best Regards,

Jim Geens

[Larry deZeng]

He was a Flieger-Hauptingenieur from 1942 to 1945. His missions over the U.K. were very high altitude reconnaissance missions in specially outfitted Ju 86s.

L.

[Karoband]

Hi Larry,

Thank you. I presume this means he was made an honorary "Private" for these missions. Or was "Flieger-Hauptingenieur" an actual rank?

Jim

[Kaczmarek]

Originally Posted by Karoband

Or was "Flieger-Hauptingenieur" an actual rank?

Yes, it was to 30 Sep 1940. From 1 Nov 1940 the rank was Hauptmann (Ing.).

Kaczmarek

[Larry deZeng]

Jim -

[Note: Horst Boog’s Die deutsche Luftwaffenführung 1935-1945: Führungsprobleme, Spitzengliederung, Generalstabsausbildung has very comprehensive coverage of this subject - see index p.708].

By decree of the the Fuhrer and Reichs Chancellery on 20Apr1935, the "Corps of Engineers of the Luftwaffe" was created. It was further deemed on 18 Oct 1935 that the members of this newly formed corps were not soldiers but "members of the Luftwaffe" with a status very similar to that of Officials.
This was an Officer only career field. Nielsen (p.50) states that they had the status of uniformed “government civil servants.”
Requirements for entry into the Corps of Engineers changed several times, yet the basic requirement was a University (equiv to a Masters Degree?) or College (Basic four year, Bachelors Degree) degree in engineering. University graduates were brought in at the rank of Fl. Hauptingenieur and College degree qualified for the rank of Fl. Ingenieur. Of particular interest, once assigned a rank members of the Ingenieurkorps were non-promotable.

Ingenieuroffiziere der Fliegertruppe (Engineer Officers of the Flying Branch)
On 11 May 1940, an order signed by Hitler and Göring established a career field for aeronautical engineers (Ingenieuroffizierlaufbahn) to be trained by the Luftwaffe (see Luftwaffen-Verordnungsblatt of 27.5.1940, p.285, no. 24, para. 577). After receiving the same training as regular Luftwaffe cadets (Fliegertruppe), they were enrolled in a 4-year program (3 years theoretical and 1 year practical) at the Luftkriegsakademie (LKA). Graduates held regular Luftwaffe rank with the suffix (Ing.) and wore the color rosa (pink) for their Waffenfarbe (service branch color) and served as technical officers with the flying units (especially bomber units), as teachers and technical directors with the Erprobungsstellen (test and development centers), as technical officers in various commands and with the RLM and Generalluftzeugmeister in Berlin.

Duties of a Flieger-Hauptingenieur:
Gruppen-Techn.Offz. bei Fl.Verbänden und FWK (Feldwerftkommandos); Werftleiter; Prüfleiter, Zugführer bei Werfteinheiten; Sachbearbeiter bei Ln-Komp.; Wartungs-Ing.; Ausbildungs-Ing.; Schiessplatz-Ing.; Bauaufsichts-Ing.; Hilfs-Sachbearbeiter in E’Stellen (Erprobungsstellen).

L.

[Karoband]

Larry,

You just widened my knowledge of a branch of the Luftwaffe I did not know existed.

Thank you.

Jim

[Chris Goss]

Altrogge flew a number of missions over Russia with the Höhenkampfkdo with the Ju 88 and Ju 86 from 23 Jul 42 (5 Feindfüg and 12 Frontflüge) before arriving at Orly on 19 Aug 42. His last flight over UK was 2 Oct 42.

[Karoband]

Thanks, Chris. It is interesting that Altrogge (presumably with Gerd Albrecht) made a flight on 2 Oct 42 as Horst Gotz with Erich Sommer were intercepted and damaged at altitude on 12 Sep 42 over the UK.

[Larry deZeng]

Some interesting background re Altrogge's unit:

14./KG 6

Formation and History. (Aug 42 - Oct 42)
Formed on or about 31 August 1942 at Paris-Orly (ex-Höhenkampfkommando/Versuchsstelle für Höhenflüge, also known as Einsatzkommando Ju 86). Continuing the experimental work of its predecessor (see there), this tiny detachment, now elevated to the status of a Staffel without any increase in size, was equipped with 2 or 3 Junkers Ju 86R high altitude bombers that were assigned the task of evaluating the effectiveness of bombing targets in England from extreme heights - upwards of 40,000 feet (12,186 meters). By the time of the re-designation (31 Aug) the experiment was nearly over and this, together with the fact that a special flight of high-altitude Spitfires became operational during the first half of Sep, brought an end in early Oct to the occasional Ju 86R raids flown by the Staffel, these usually by a single aircraft. Disbanded at Paris-Orly at the beginning of Oct with the Ju 86Rs and personnel returning to Oranienburg near Berlin. No evidence has been found to substantiate the claim that this Staffel was reestablished in Feb 1943 by renaming 3./KG 6, as alleged in some published sources.

FpN: (L 49620)

Staffelkapitan:
Lt. Erich Sommer? (DKG) (c 31 Aug 42 - Oct 42)

© H.L. deZeng IV, 2003

[Chris Goss]

Altrogge says that unit became 3(F)/ObdL and that the Verbandsführer was indeed Sommer. The 2 photos I have show him with Albrecht