Lehrgruppe move to Lauenburg on 9 September 1939

[sidney]

All,

Just a quick query on I.(Jagd)/LG 2 transfers during the Polenfeldzug.

It was stated in at least two sources that the Lehrgruppe moved to Lauenburg on 9 September 1939.

1. According to my research, Lauenburg would be todays Lębork in Poland.

2. According to the book Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945, Volume 2, page 375, Lauenburg (Slupsk) was stated as being some 45 km east - north-east of Stolp.

The above (1) and (2) are consistent with each other. However, they are not consistent with the mission statement, which was the support of the 4. Armee advance on Bromberg (todays Bydgoszcz) further south.

3. Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe, Teil 1, page 426, stated: "... Lauenburg bei Bromberg..."

but then, on 13 September there is transfer "... nach Fordon (Leidenberg)..." which is also located at Bromberg.

So the question is... where is/was Lauenburg on the map?

Regards,
Sinisa

[Larry deZeng]

Index of German-Polish and Polish-German names of the localities in Poland & Russia, by Anna Sluszkiewicz

Lauenburg. . . . . . . . . . . . .Pom Lebork

http://www.atsnotes.com/other/gerpol.html

There were probably a few villages and crossroads with the same name, hence the confusion.

Lauenburg (GER) (a.k.a. Lebork) (54 32 25 N – 17 47 30 E)
General: field airstrip (Feldflugplatz) in Pomerania 57 km WNW of Danzig (Gdansk), 47 km ENE of Stolp (Slupsk) and 2.5 km E of Lauenburg. History: in existence as a landing ground since 1929 and used mainly for glider training during the war. Target-towing aircraft may have also used it. Surface and Dimensions: grass surface measuring approx. 685 x 825 meters (750 x 900 yards) and irregular in shape. No paved runway. Infrastructure: there was a single small hangar and several sheds off the NE boundary. No evidence of any accommodations in March 1944. The nearest rail connection was in Lauenburg.
Operational Units: I.(Jagd)/LG 2 (Sep 39); I.(Stuka)/Trägergruppe 186 (Sep 39).
Station Commands: Flugstützpunkt Lauenburg/Pom. (1939).
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): Kfz.Beständebezirk d.Lw. 1/III C (Aug 43).
[Sources: AFHRA A5258 p.699 (17 Jun 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]

I think 15 minutes searching on Google would have found all of this for you?

L.

[robert]

Hi,

they never were in Lauenburg. On this day they were transferred to Bromberg (confirmed by documents, two logbooks and photos).

Regards

Robert

[sidney]

Larry,

Thank you for your exhaustive assessment.

Please note that in the opening statement I expressed doubt that the Gruppe ever moved to Lauenburg on 9 September 1939. This is because that would have meant moving away from the front lines. The relevant sentence:

"... The above (1) and (2) are consistent with each other. However, they are not consistent with the mission statement, which was the support of the 4. Armee advance on Bromberg (todays Bydgoszcz) further south..."

I mean, Battle of the Bzura commenced on 9 September 1939, so I could not understand why would probably the most experienced Jagdgruppe with the Luftwaffe at the time transfer north to Lauenburg to participate in the battle from there. "Am 9. September 1939 wurde die I.(J)/LG 2 im Zuge des raschen Vormarsches der deutschen Bodentruppen nach Lauenburg bei Bromberg vorgezogen, von wo aus sie an den folgenden Tagen in die Kämpfe um den Kessel an der Bzura eingriff..." Now, the distance between Lauenburg (bei Stolp) and the Bzura river is almost 400 km.

Likewise, I was unable to locate the "...Lauenburg (bei Bromberg)...".

Robert,

Thank you for the confirmation. Lauenburg just did not sound right. Much appreciated.

Regards,
Sinisa

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Sinisa,

You are undoubtedly right. Like all of us here, I just used what was available corroborating where I could. Looking back 20 years ago, I think the reference to Lauenburg may have come from Dr. Prien's multi-volume history of JG 77.


I.(Jagd)/LG 2


Formation and Early History. (Nov 38 - Aug 39)
Formed 1 November 1938 at Garz/Usedom along the Baltic coast in North Germany by renaming
I.(leichte Jagd)/Lehrgeschwader) with Bf 109Ds, re-equipping with Bf 109Es beginning a few weeks later. Pre-war activity was confined to training and tactical instruction of pilots from other units.

Polish Campaign. (Sep 39)
24 Aug - 1 Sep 39: moved forward from Garz to Lottin and Malzkow, to the west and southwest of Danzig, for the attack on Poland under 1.Fliegerdivision/Luftflotte 1 with 42(33) Bf 109Es.
Initially in support of ground operations in the AOK 4 sector, flying escort for reconnaissance aircraft and for bomber and Stuka attacks on enemy concentrations, positions and harbors. Followed the line of advance toward Warsaw from airfields in N Poland, moving to Lauenburg/45 km ENE of Stolp (Słupsk) on 9 September, Leidenburg (Fordon)/12 km ENE of Bromberg (Bydgoszcz) on 13 September, Pultusk/50 km NNE of Warsaw on 15 September, and then returning to Garz on 20 September on conclusion of the campaign. In the 20 days of engagement, claimed 3 PZL-lls and 4 PWS-26s for a loss of 3 Bf 109s.
..................
..................
etc., usw., etc., usw.

Sources used for I.(Jagd)/LG 2: Ries-Lw.Story; Dierich-VdL; Tessin-Tes; Kannapin-FpN; Balke-KG2/v.1:393,403,415,418; C.Shores-Fledgling Eaglessee index); C.Shores/B.Cull/N.Malizia-Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete 1940-41see index); J.Prien-Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 77 Teile 1 and 2see table of contents, but esp. Teil 2, pp.628-892); NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-312 rolls 394-97 (IV.Fl.Korps daily reports), T-405 roll 49, and T-971 roll 19; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals (several); BA-MA Friburg: RL 2 III Meldungen über Flugzeugunfälle…..(Loss Reports – LRs); OKL Chef für Ausz. Und Disziplin V Film Nr. 8 (“Claims Microfilms”).

Do you think some of the I.(J)/LG 2 Bf 109s might have gone to Lauenburg briefly for fuel and/or ammunition before flying 160 km south to the Bromberg area? We are all mixing documents with Flugbücher. Also, where one Kette, Schwarm or Staffel flies to may not necessarily be where the others fly to.

The TsAMO 500 documents may have some fresh information on I.(J)/LG 2 since the Campaign in Poland is well covered. Have these been checked? The period 9 to 13 September definitely needs more research.

L.

[robert]

The only possibility will be that a detachment (max. 1 squadron 2.(J)/LG2 or 3.(J)/LG2) was sent there to fly on 5.9.39 cover missions for Adolf Hitler over Gross Born and on 6.9.39 over Tuchel.

Robert

[sidney]

Hi Larry,

Thank you. If I may, the volume of LW research work that you have produced necessitated reliance on the work of many other authors.

I quoted a passage from Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock's JFV, Teil 1, page 426, which was likely taken over from Prien's previous work on JG 77.

"Am 9. September 1939 wurde die I.(J)/LG 2 im Zuge des raschen Vormarsches der deutschen Bodentruppen nach Lauenburg bei Bromberg vorgezogen, von wo aus sie an den folgenden Tagen in die Kämpfe um den Kessel an der Bzura eingriff..."

What I presumed happened is that on 9 September the entire Gruppe indeed moved to an (unidentified) airfield by Bromberg, to participate in suppression of the Polish Army counterattack on the Bzura, and then on 13 September transferred again to perhaps more suitable airfield/airbase nearby, Fordon (also located at Bromberg).

I cannot say whether any part of the Gruppe moved to Lauenburg on 9 September, but that seems unlikely.

Your and Douglas Stankey's book captured all the transfers of the Gruppe over period, and this one to Lauenburg appears to be the only one suspected.


Regards,
Sinisa

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Sinisa,

I have a 1 : 100000 map of Ost- u.Westpreussen published in 1938 that shows all of the little towns and villages around Bromberg with their German names. I examined the entire area out to a radius of 50 km from B and did not see a Lauenburg bei Bromberg. So I think that entry in Prien's JG 77 and again in JFV Teil 1 must be typos?

L.

[sidney]

Hi Larry,

Yes, I believe that Prien's reference to "Lauenburg bei Bromberg" was an error.

I do not think that two settlements/towns would be called Lauenburg within a couple of hundred kilometers from each other.

The authors are active members of this forum, so perhaps they can clarify the matter


Regards,
Sinisa

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by sidney

I do not think that two settlements/towns would be called Lauenburg within a couple of hundred kilometers from each other.
Regards,
Sinisa

It's not impossible. For example, Devon has two places called Rackenford, two called Woolfardisworthy and two called Thurlestone.