"Inspector Bolle" (Luftwaffe Signals) etc.

[Nick Beale]

I'd appreciate help in making sense of an ULTRA signal from January 1945 which mentions Hptm. De Wilde, former Staka of 6.(F)/123:

CX/MSS/R427(C)
13. From LN Regt. RIECH, IA, dated 10/1: Ref: Your telphone call to inspector BOLLE, NAXBURG, in MEHLBEERE:
Heavy Flak mounting 104 is ready to be fetched by transport. It is essential to ring up Hptm. DEWILDE in MAIBAUM (via LANDGRAF) before it is fetched.

At first I though that RIECH was a typo for Reich but conversely it's a name occurring at 108 places in Germany. And if it's an error for Rieck, that's a far more common name. Does anyone know a signals unit with a commander named Riech or Rieck?

"Inspector Bolle" is, I guess a Reg. Insp. in this context but again, has anyone heard of him elsewhere?

Maibaum and Mehlbeere (Maytree and Mountain Ash) are, I would guess, codenames for installations but does anyone know what type were named after trees?

Landgraf is typical of the covernames used by higher command authorities.

Naxburg is either a hill about 25 km SW Fulda, or the hybrid Naxos warning receiver in a Würzburg parabolic dish.

[Larry deZeng]

Nick -

This is Ln.-Rgt. Reich, which was formed on 2 Sep 44 by upgrading and renaming Ln.-Abt. Reich. In January 1945, the Rgtsstab was at Berlin-Nikolassee under Luftflotte Reich and I.(Betr.)/Ln.-Rgt. Reich, with 1.(Betr.), 4.(Funk) u. 7.(Flum.?) Komp., was at Berlin-Wannsee. Abt. II., III. and IV./Ln.-Rgt. Reich were planned but never formed.

de WILDE, Heinz. 01.45 Hptm., Kdr. IV.(Funkstör-)/Ln.-Rgt. 351 (Abt. Stab . at Velbert/SE of Duisburg in Jan 45, but its Kpn. were scattered). His entire career was in the Luftnachrichtentruppe; Funkstör was radio and radar jamming.
GORDACK, Reinhold. Oberst. Ln.-Rgt. Reich Kommandeur in Jan 45.
BÖHM, Franz. Hptm. Kdr. I./Ln.-Rgt. Reich in Jan 45.
BOLLE, no information. Inspekteur was the equivalent of a Leutnant, I think.
MEHLBEERE, may have been on the NW side of Potsdam.
NAXBURG, MAIBAUM and LANDGRAF are all code names or cover names.

See:
A.I.3.(b)/Air Ministry, G.A.F. SIGNALS ORDER OF BATTLE, 1.2.45.
HOFFMANN, Karl Otto. Ln: Die Geschichte der Luftnachrichtentruppe, 3 Bde (Neckargemünd, 1965-73). Band II/Teil 1: Der Flugmelde- und Jägerleitdienst 1939 – 1945, c. 762 pages. Page 327.

That's it from here.

L.

[Nick Beale]

Thanks Larry.