CO list of Schlacht Gruppen, 39-45 - looking for assistance.

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Larry and Doug,

Thanks for sharing the list – I see quite a few familiar names there. I have a few comments and corrections, most of which come from primary sources. Dates are when there is evidence that they were leading the Staffel or Gruppe, not when they commenced or finished.


1./S.G. 4
Oblt. / Hptm. Karl Langenberg, 05.43-18.03.44 [killed]
Oblt. Hermann Schick, 09.07.44 [killed]
Hptm. Erich Schümer, 26.12.44 [killed]
Oblt. Werner Römmig, 01.03.45 [killed]

2./S.G. 4
Oblt. Johann Schuster, 04.03.45 [posted missing]
Oblt. Karl Christoffel, 16.03.45 [wounded]

3./S.G. 4
Oblt. Hans-Henning von Prittwitz und Gaffron, 05.43-11.03.44 [killed]
Oblt. Robert Rieprich, …-21.05.44 [killed]
Lt. Ernst Zibolka, 17.07.44 [posted missing]
Hptm. Heinz Jungclaussen, 26.12.44 [killed]

II./S.G. 4
Hptm. Berlage was with I./S.G. 10 on 20 April 1945.

4./S.G. 4
Oblt. Ernst Henkelmann, 22.03.44 [last mention]
Hptm. Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn led 4./S.G. 5, not 4./S.G. 4
Oblt. Ahrends is presumably Oblt. Karlheinz Ahrens

5./S.G. 4
Hptm. Erich Bunge, 20.02.44-22.03.44 [last mention]

6./S.G. 4
Lt. Johannes Lutter, 07.02.44-22.03.44 [last mention]
Lt. Horst Kulpa, 21.05.44 [killed]

III./S.G. 4
Hptm. Werner Dedekind, 06.10.43 [acting, came from 7./S.K.G. 10]

7./S.G. 4
Hptm. Werner Dedekind, 08.07.44 [left to take over II./S.G. 4]
Oblt. Herbert Eisele, 24.12.44-24.03.45 [posted missing]

8./S.G. 4
Hptm. Heinz Mihlan, 21.02.44-06.06.44
Oblt. / Hptm. Karl Bleckl, 11.12.44-09.02.45 [wounded]
Oblt. Heinz Danneberg, 03.03.45 [posted missing]

9./S.G. 4
Oblt. Ottmar Simon, 12.03.44 [injured, maybe resumed position later]
Oblt. Heinrich Hesse, 13.03.44-18.08.44 [wounded]
Lt. Karl-Ludwig Klepke, 24.12.44 [last mention]

I./S.G. 5
I can confirm that Hptm. Schröter was in command of this Gruppe.

4./S.G. 5
Hptm. Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn, 19.05.44 [left for II./S.G. 4]

9./S.G. 9
This should be 9./S.G. 4, and the man in question is Oblt. Karl-Ludwig Klepke, a long-serving member of the unit.

I./S.G. 10
Werner Zirus (former I./Sch.G. 2 and I./S.G. 10 pilot) refers to Hptm. Josef ‘Sepp’ Berlage as his Kommandeur, and there is evidence that this was the case. Berlage was Kommandeur of I./Sch.G. 2, which was re-designated as I./S.G. 10 in October 1943. Hptm. Berlage claimed an aerial victory with the Gruppenstab of I./S.G. 10 on 4 May 1944. I believe that he was replaced by Hptm. Fritz Schröter when Berlage took command of II./S.G. 104 in mid-September 1944. Hptm. Schröter claimed an aerial victory with the Stab of I./S.G. 10 on 27 October 1944, and his accounts of missions in the final months of 1944 talk about the battle for Budapest. Hptm. Josef Berlage was again a member of the Gruppenstab of I./S.G. 10 on 20 April 1945, so might have resumed command of the Gruppe after Schröter left for I./S.G. 4 in early January 1945. Not sure where Egon Thiem fits into the picture though, because his 1945 diary mentions various I./S.G. 10 personnel …

1./S.G. 10
Oblt. Walter Seifarth, 14.12.43 – 30.03.44 [last mention]
Oblt. Fritz Seyffardt, 13.07.44 [perhaps a misreading of Seifarth?]
Oblt. Dieter Weizsäcker, 09.10.44 [posted missing]
Oblt. Pohl, 20.10.44-09.02.45 [last mention]

2./S.G. 10
Oblt. Jürn Schmelzer, 10.08.43 [last mention, at this time unit was 2./Sch.G. 2]
Oblt. Hans Schulz, 07.03.44-10.02.45 [posted missing]

3./S.G. 10
Lt. Max Lange, 30.05.43-20.12.43 [posted missing]
Lt. / Oblt. Norbert Schmitt, 01.04.44-23.01.45 [last mention]
Oblt. Eugen Dick was with 6./S.G. 10, rather than 3./S.G. 10, and became a prisoner 19.01.45

5./S.G. 10
Oblt. Erwin Busch, 1943

6./S.G. 10
Lt. / Oblt. Erhard Nippa, 1943
Oblt. Eugen Dick, 19.01.45 [prisoner]


Any additions or corrections to the above would be welcome.


Cheers,
Andrew A.

Air War Publications – www.airwarpublications.com

[Doug Stankey]

Thank you, Andrew! This gives us much to chew on. We shall discuss sources for these "off-line" via PMs.


I should take this opportunity to update the readership about Volume 2 of our book since it is a related subject:

"Dive-Bomber and Ground-Attack Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945" by Henry L. deZeng and Douglas G. Stankey, published by Ian Allan. These two volumes cover the origins, activities and ultimate fates of each unit.

Volume 2 (to be released in July 2012) generally deals with those units that operated from the fall of 1943. This amounts to mainly SG units plus NSGr. and SKG units plus many odd-ball units. Additionally, Volume 2 hold the appendices and the detailed indices.

Virtually every possible accessible source had been tapped for information. At least 75% of the data was gleaned from original documents with the remainder from better quality books.

Hopefully, Volume 2 will not be delayed again (danged recession!).

DGS

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Andrew and Doug,

Do you happen to have information WHY Major Ewald Janssen was relieved of command, from SG 4, as posted before? From where comes this information? I know and am friend of the grandson of Obstlt Janssen, who is a very skilled helicopter pilot. I did not know that he was relieved of command. I do know that the readers will find more on the future book, but could you advance something about this particular Kommodore and why he was "fired"?
Thanks indeed
Adriano Baumgartner

[Doug Stankey]

As you know the grandson, you may as well have our whole datafile about this fellow:


JANSSEN, Ewald.
(DOB: 11.10.13 in Rüstringen/Oldenburg).
01.01.37 assigned to I./St.G. 167.
01.05.37 trf to 7./St.G. 162.
1938 in Spain with the Legion Condor.
01.05.39 reassigned from 1./St.G. 163 to I./St.G. 2.
06.41 Oblt., Staka 1./St.G. 2.
28.06.41 assigned to Stukaschulen (to 11.11.42).
03.08.42 Hptm., awarded Ehrenpokal.
12.11.42 trf to II./St.G. 1.
12.02.43 Hptm., ordered to trf from II./St.G. 1 to III./St.G. 2 (to 12.05.43).
07.05.43 trf to Frontflieger-Sammelgruppe.
13.06.43 reassigned to I./JG 300 and appt Kommandeur (to 26.10.43).
12.07.43 Hptm., awarded DKG.
01.09.43 promo to Maj.
29.10.43 appt Kommodore JG 302 (to 22.06.44).
01.06.44 appt provisional Kommodore SG 4, taking over on 23.06.44.
01.09.44 promo to Obstlt.
11.09.44 appt permanent Kommodore SG 4 (to 28.12.44 – relieved of command due to the poor performance of his Geschwader during the Ardennes Offensive/Battle of the Bulge).
31.10.44 Maj., awarded Ritterkreuz.
01.45 appt Kdt. Fl.H.Kdtr. Cottbus.
Flew a total of 400+ combat missions. Said to have died in Brazil after the war, but the date is not known.

His dismissal may well have been "bogus" as the regime was becoming more and more unstable and scape-goating was common practice as their unrealistic plans fell through. Please ask the grandson if he could provide scans of documents, especially the Soldbuch, such that a more complete file can be generated for Ewald.

HLdZ
DGS

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Doug,

I have very few docs. he scanned and sent me privately.
He said the former wife of Ewald Janssen wrote a book about him ( do not know if in German; neither if it was published - never saw! ).
I helped one writer ( who is writing about SG 4 ) and that's all...
Also do have some of Janssen's victories while flying with JG 300 and SG 4....Of course, I heard from my friend that there is a lot of information and docs with his family. I lost touch and do not know if the family do want to write about it or no....I can try to find my friend and ask him. Unfortunately, we lost contact.
Thanks for the aditional information about him being relieved of command from SG 4.
Me too, I would like to see a full biography of this man written....I will try to communicate with him again.
Thanks again DGS.
Yours
Adriano Baumgartner

[KrisJG3]

8./ SG 4:
Staka:
Hptm. Heinz Mihlan (25.09.43 - 24.02.44).
Lt.? Heinz Wibel (24.02.44 - ?) - deputy Staka
Oblt. Karl Bleckl (DKG, RK) (? 30.09.44 - 08.02.45 WIA - ?). -vague

See here :
http://www.militaryautographs.com/item.asp?itemnum=1975

Hauptmann
Bleckl, Karl
* 26.09.1919 Wien/Österrreich

Awarded Knights Cross: 03.11.1942
as: Oberleutnant Staffelführer 7./StukaG 1

http://www.militaryautographs.com/pi...imgname=Bleckl

I think the same pilot.

DIEKWISCH Erwin


Hauptmann

Diekwisch, Erwin
* 12.08.1920 Buschhütten, Krs. Siegen

Awarded Knights Cross: 15.10.1942
as: Leutnant Flugzeugführer 9./StukaG

http://www.militaryautographs.com/item.asp?itemnum=1425

MEYERING Heinrich

* 30.11.1919
+ 13.07.2003

Awarded Knights Cross: 06.04.1944 as: Feldwebel Flugzeugführe
r 3./SchlachtG 2 "Immelmann

http://www.militaryautographs.com/item.asp?itemnum=739

FISCHER Siegfried

* 27.11.1918 Pommerndorf/Sudetenland
+ 26.03.1998 Rheinbach

Awarded Knights Cross: 28.02.1945 as: Oberfeldwebel Flugzeugführer 8./SG 1

http://www.militaryautographs.com/item.asp?itemnum=2087

For more pictures You can see web side.