Luftwaffe flights into Courland in May 1945

[Michi.]

I'm looking for any informations about the Luftwaffe part of the Operation Rescue in 1945.
Specially I'm looking for infos in the Courland flights of the Luftwaffe in May 1945.
Who gave the order for these flights??
Was there any high-ranking officer responsible for this last action??
(Or was it so chaotically in those days, that some squadron-leaders and flight-leaders ordered it)
Which German planes were involved??
Which German Wings/Groups/Squadrons were involved??
How many soldiers were rescued??
How many (& which) German planes were shot down??
Were there flights only from Norwegian air-fields into the pocket of Courland, or were there flights from other air-fields??

Are there any sources covering the Luftwaffe part in the Operation Rescue in 1945??


MfG Michi

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi.

There were flights from Norway to Kurland.

Regards,
Andreas

[RT]

aT list until 080545, a B138 of 1.SAGr.130 ??, flew from Sola to Findau arrived at 09h50, nd crew menber reporting it, in his logbook seems, with the log-book, came-back..

remi

[Heuser]

II. and III./KG 26 take part with about 40 a/c from Gardemoen/Norway to Libau/Courland and finally to Flensburg/Germany. Orderd by Kom.Gen. der LW in Norway in agreement with western allies.

Regards, Heuser

[Hohentwiel]

Hello Michi,

please have a look at
http://www.luftfahrtverlag-start.de/...itionSpezial02
In the next special issue you'll find a story about Kurland operations in
May 1945. Maybe you'll get the informatons you want in this magazine.

All the best,
Sven.

[ju55dk]

Originally Posted by Heuser

II. and III./KG 26 take part with about 40 a/c from Gardemoen/Norway to Libau/Courland and finally to Flensburg/Germany. Orderd by Kom.Gen. der LW in Norway in agreement with western allies.

Regards, Heuser

Why should the western allies agree to such an operation? Do you have a solid source to verify this? The capitulation of the german forces in Norway did occur at the same time as the end of the war in Europe. It was not included in the part-capitulation of forces in Holland, NW Germany and Denmark 5. may 1945!!!

Junker

[Heuser]

Hello Junker,
Rudi Schmidt´s "Achtung-Torpedos los" says: "Gegen 10.00 Uhr (09.05.45) traf aus Flensburg, dem Sitz der Reichsregierung, die Genehmigung der Westallierten zu dieser Rettungsaktion ein." (p. 234-236)

I´ve heard the same story from a Waffenwart of JG 5.

Heuser

[ju55dk]

I know Rudi Schmidt's book, but i would not call that a primary source. In my opinion these roumors are hear say, until an allied or german document can verify this!

Junker

[Flitzer]

Michi,

What you're looking for is the article in the May/June/July 1988 issue of Flugzeug Magazin titled Luftwaffen-Piloten unterm Roten Kreuz / Sie flogen auch noch nach dem Kreig: These were the Do-24 rescue flights of SNG 81 , Hptm. Born., making many flights to Kolberg carrying up to 116 wounded, civilians and children.

The last flight was 16 June 1945, the Do-24 carrying the red cross in a white circle on the nose and on the tail next to the Balkenkreuz.

"Und so geschah es. Punkt 13.00 Uhr am 18. Juni 1945 stieg die Luftwaffe zum letzten mal auf. Schon zehn Minuten vor dem start horten die deutschen Piloten das ihnen inzwishchen vertraute Gerausch der uber dem Platz kreisenden "Typhoons" Jetzt brauchten sie die bulligen Einsitzer nect mehr zu furchten. Zur Begleitung der deutschen Flugzeuge wurden Hawker Typhoon der 175 und 184 Sqdn eingeteilt. Wahrscheinlich war es das erste und einzige mal, das Piloten der RAF den Befehl bekamen, fur die Luftwaffe Geleitschutz zu fliegen"

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi.

We must discern as ju55dk does between flights before the outbreak of peace on May 8th and the flights made by Luftwaffe personnel in Luftwaffe aircraft under allied control after this date.

The latter was an humanitarian effort to aid people with both war related wounds and other non-war inflicted injuries, and as thus was no 'war effort' on the behalf of the Luftwaffe. Even if the flights made from Norway before May 8th also had a humanitarian twist to it, these would primarily be considered as flights made to aid the defense of the last non-occupied part of the third reich apart from Kurland itself I suppose... (perhaps not including the flights that started on May 8th, at this time everyone knew that the peace was imminent...)

These flights were also made along the norwegian coast in flying boats like the Do 24, and if I do not remember this wrongly, the last flights wasn't made until December 1945.

Regards,
Andreas