What does OBS mean?

[Chris Goss]

Looking at Larry's post 4, 16 in a Do 217 must have been one hell of a squeeze?

[Larry deZeng]

There are two VLM entries there that mention "13 aircrew". That doesn't sound right, so I wonder if it's an error in the Gen.Qu.(6.Abt.) reports or perhaps my transcription? Maybe someone could check this? My VLMs are all on old IWM microfilms from the 1980's and too tedious and cumbersome for me to mess with anymore.

L.

[Rottler]

Hello Larry,

the Ju 52 WNr. 5771 7V+CL was lost on 15 Jan 1943 (Gen.Qu. loss return 20 Jan 1943 item 74).
Victims were the crew and 6 passengers:
F Uffz Willi Klemme
Bm Gefr Karl Spormann
Bs Gefr Albert Bacher
Reg.Rat Otto Kornke Stab/O.B.S.
Stfw Klaus Wochnik Stab/O.B.S.
Uffz Walter Esser Trap.Kol.d.Lw. 89/XI
Obgfr Printzler K.Gr.z.b.V. 323
Obgefr Thomaschewski 2.(F)/122
Oblt Otto Berchtoldt 8./Schl.G. 2 (Gen.Qu. loss return 18 Mar 1943 item 194).

Regards
Leo

[Larry deZeng]

Thanks for checking on that, Leo. This raises the question then of where I got those extra people from? I remember there being a lot of confusing and often conflicting material on that November 1942 through April 1943 period for losses in and around northern Tunisia and Sicily. There were the Gen.Qu. VLMs, ULTRA intercepts, captured documents about the transport units found by the Allies, many, many POW interrogations, postwar books and articles, etc. Then, of course, I just could have counted wrong by accidentally including passengers from two or more aircraft. It can happen.

L.

P.S. We have some common ground - I lived in Mannheim-Feudenheim for several years a long time ago.

[Rottler]

Hello Larry,

the Do 217 WNr. 4481 Flugber.Lfl.Kdo. 2 (F5+LH) was lost on 20 Feb 1943, 6 (not 16) persons missing (Gen.Qu. loss returns 26 Feb 1943 items 207, 208 and 210):
F Ofw Hönning, Ludwig
Bf Ofw Petsch, Kurt
Bm Ofw Niemann, Heinz
Oberst Grunev, Hans Fl.Führ. 3
Oberstlt Rebrecht, Rudolf Stab/Lfl.Kdo. 2
Major i.G. Stefan, Josef Stab/Lfl.Kdo. 2.

Regards from Ludwigshafen
Leo

[Larry deZeng]

Thanks again, Leo, that's it - I evidently typed "16" instead of "6". Mea culpa.

L.