Lw-Stab Krim, I.Fliegerkorps, Lw-Gruppe Kaukasus/Kuban, Gen.d.Fl. Korten and Gen.Lt. Mahncke (Mahnke) Spring 1943

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Hello,

trying to resolve the puzzles with the chain of command in Crimea and Kuban during Spring 1943.
From 1.Apr.43 two commands were in the same area - I.Fliegerkorps and Lw-Stab Krim. To Lw-Stab Krim (Ernst Bormann from Feb.43) were subordinated apparently all single-motor combat planes (fighters, Ju87 etc) and such two-motors as Bf110, Fw58 etc. About the standard two-motor bomber unit (He111 and Ju88) full picture isn’t clear though some Kampfflugzeuge were certainly subordinated to Bormann and Kampfgeschwader commanders were in contact with him.
It seems before Lw-Stab Krim was disbanded the I.Fliegerkorps was a top structure over Lw-Stab Krim and 9.Flak-Div. with some parallelism of the functions.

«Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries» contains some unclear data relevant to the topic. (Of course in the work of such volume some problems are inevitable, not least because the sources are fragmentary).
Lw-Stab Krim was disbanded at 00:00 15.May43 (according to KTB Heeresgruppe «A» with reference to I.Fliegerkorps report), not 30.Jun.43 as in Bormann’s service records from «Officer Career Summaries». Or Lw-Stab Krim and Fliegerführer Krim were different headquarters?

Günther Korten was commander of I.Fliegerkorps up to 12.Jun43. But it seems most of April and during first week of May 1943 Alfred Mahncke (deputy commander of I.FK) was the acting corps commander. Where was and what did Korten during that time? Also, according to «Officer Career Summaries» Mahncke 10.May.43 became General z.b.V./Luftflotte 2 and concurrently Fliegerfuhrer Sizilien but remained the deputy commander of I.FK up to 25.Jun.43 when he several weeks served in Italy. Is it true?

Next puzzle is Lw-Gruppe Kaukasus/Kuban: The Gruppe renamed from Kaukasus to Kuban 27.Jan.43, not 6.Feb.43. About 6.Feb.43 Lw-Gruppe Kuban had ceded its last units to Lw-Stab Krim and 9.Flak-Div. and as though was disbanded. But in the order of Befehlshaber Kertschstrasse 12.Apr.43 Lw-Gruppe Kuban was mentioned as responsible for the passage some of troops across the Kerch strait. Who was the commander of Lw-Gruppe Kuban between 6.Feb.43 and 12.Apr.43?


Best regards,
Andrey