Staka 6.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 123?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by RT

Note ; certainly from Herkules 3.KG66 to 6.F123"

Remi

"Herkules" is just a Luftwaffe term for "strength" (of a unit), like "angels" = "altitude" in the RAF. It comes up a lot in these HW5 reports.

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by RT

Hello Larry,
Czach, is the name found in the doc, in fact Ultra docs one more time, not the first time that names in Ultra are mispelled,
The report says,
"Change of crew report
fw Schäfer back from leave,
Dewilde Czach Suhr today in Buc
Note ; certainly from Herkules 3.KG66 to 6.F123"
So even not sure if those men were from 6.F123, I remarked ties between F123 nd KG66 a Ln officer on KG66 is not a surprise
Remi

Thanks for checking on the spelling, Remi. Yes, the spellings in the ULTRA intercepts are very often corrupted, so CZACH could very easily be CZECH. I am going to contact Marcel H. in the Netherlands and see if he ever came across a CZACH or a CZECH in his research on KG 66.

Thanks again,

Larry

[Marcel van Heijkop]

Hi Larry,

Yes, the 3./KG66 "Horch- und Störstaffel" is notoriously difficult because of the lack of information.... A true nail in my "research coffin"!

Sometimes I even wonder whether this unit really belonged to I./KG66 as a true element ( I mean people mixing socially with personnel of the other Staffeln) or just placed under I./KG66 for a temporary period for administrative reasons.... (only part of I./KG66 in name, so to speak)

So far I have only found 2 losses of this unit in my lists and some info in ADI(K) reports. These reports confirm the use of Cormeilles-en-Vexin as THE airfield for 3./KG66 and Heinz de Wilde (misspelled as "de Milde") as its Staffelkapitän. (BTW: Oblt "Böhmann" is mentioned as being 5./KG66's Staffelkapitän.)

Regarding "Czach" or "Czech": Have you already tried "ZECH" in your database? In German the pronounciation will (almost) be the same...

I have for example an Ofw Eduard Zech (DoB 23-3-1921, KIA by strafing 23-3-1944), Gruppekommandeur Major Schmidt's Beobachter.

Best regards,

Marcel

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Marcel,

Thanks for your input and for your e-mail a couple of weeks ago. After analyzing your comments and other information, I have settled the the following together with the accompanying footnote:

Staffelkapitän:
Hptm. (Ln.) Heinz de Wilde? (25 April 1944 - September 1944?)[1]


[1] Hptm. de Wilde had been the Staffelkapitän of 3./K.G. 66 and is believed to have continued in this position when 3./K.G. 66 became Aufkl.St. 6.(F)/123 on 25 April 1944. Other possibilities might be an Oblt. Hans Czech and/or an Oblt. (Ln.) Claus-Dieter Suhr.



This allows me to cover several other possibilities in the event the primary choice (de Wilde) is wrong.

Thanks again,

Larry