Kdo.Flug.Ber. Kirkenes 1941

[BrianC]

Hi guys

Kdo.Flug.Ber. Kirkenes lost a Fi156 (4393) near Sonkelki on 3 July 1941 to 'battle damage'.

I assume Kdo.Flug.Ber. means Komando Flight Berlin?

Why would this aircraft have been at Kirkenes?

Any information appreciated.


Cheers
Brian

[Rasmussen]

Ber. isn't "Berlin" it's "Bereitschaft".

[ChrisMAg2]

Slight correction.

"Ber" stands for Bereitschaft, a stand by a/c providing unit.

[Merlin]

Kdo.Flug.Ber. stood for "Kommando Flughafenbereich" which was the coordinating unit for several airbases around the main base.

[Larry deZeng]

Kdo.Flugh.Ber. translates as Airfield Regional Command. The abbreviation Koflug was also used.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Brian

This is what I found on the net (google translated)
Fieseler-156 "Storch" from Flughafen-Bereichs-Kommando 26 / III ("Command of the Kirkenes Aviation District", aircraft, item 4393). In the Sonkelki area (The Songelsky Pogost, in the area of ​​Lake Kukkesyavr, north-west of the Verkhnetulomsky reservoir) is broken due to combat damage, the crew was not injured. According to A. Mardanov ( "Protecting Russian North", AviaMaster 4/2001 ), the plane was shot down by fighters 1 of the SAD.

So Sonkelki is possibly the same as Songel'skiy.
Google Maps only turn up Verkhnetulomsky while something called Mapcarta located Songel'skiy. I guess one could say it is roughly correct...

That of course begs the question what the aircraft was doing way inside Soviet held territory. Rescue mission?

Cheers
Stig

[Larry deZeng]

It was not at all unusual for a Kdo.Flugh.Ber. to have 1 or more Fi 156 or similar aircraft during the earlier part of the war. They were used for courier and liaison purposes. Each of these had an authorized strength of 44 officers, officials (Beamten), NCOs and men, mostly officers and officials. At peak, there were about 112 of them.


Koflug 26/III
Formed spring 1941 at Kirkenes/N Norway by renaming Kdo. Flughafenbereich Kirkenes (formed November-December 1940). Subordinated to Luftgaukdo. Norwegen and then Luftgaustab z.b.V. 1. Exercised command and control over airfields in the region around Kirkenes.
1 Jul 43: Kirkenes - subordinated: Fl.H.Kdtr. A 208/III (Kirkenes), Fl.H.Kdtr. E 5/N (Nautsi), Fl.H.Kdtr. E 19/XI (Salmijärvi), Fl.H.Kdtr. E 23/III (Petsamo), Fl.Pl.Kdo. A 132/XI (Kirkenes-See).
Oct 44: withdrew from Kirkenes during the first half of October pausing briefly in the Banak area before returning to Germany. Last reported in the Dresden-Leipzig-Delitzsch area under Befehlsstelle Dresden/Luftgaukdo. III during 1945. Its FpN was never deleted, so it presumably continued in service to the end of the war.
FpN: (L 04191)
Kommandant:
Oberst Maximilian Müller (Dec 40 - Dec 41)
Oberst Ludwig Hasslauer (Jan 42 - Jun 43)
Gen.Maj. Maximilian Müller (26 Jun 43 - 31.01.45)

[Stig Jarlevik]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

It was not at all unusual for a Kdo.Flugh.Ber. to have 1 or more Fi 156 or similar aircraft during the earlier part of the war. They were used for courier and liaison purposes. Each of these had an authorized strength of 44 officers, officials (Beamten), NCOs and men, mostly officers and officials. At peak, there were about 112 of them.

Thanks Larry
Not sure if you are telling me specifically or speaking more generally.
My point is not that this unit operated Fi 156 (prob easier to list those units never operating any Storch than those who did), but more specifically what it was doing that far behind Soviet lines.

Cheers
Stig