Fliegergruppe z.b.V. 7 (7th Special Flying Group)

[Sylvester Stadler]

In the book Hitler's Bandit Hunters: The SS and the Nazi Occupation of Europe, Philip W. Blood mentions a unit of the Luftwaffe designated as Fliegergruppe z.b.V. 7 (7th Special Flying Group) which was organized to give close air support to the ground forces which were engaged with the Russian partisans. The unit originally was formed under the HSSPF (Höhere SS und Polizei Führer) Caucusus but was transferred to the Luftwaffe around August 1942. The Gruppe consisted of four Staffeln with HQ in East Prussia and later in Berlin. The types of aircraft used include Ju 52, Hs 126, Fi 156 Storch, Fw 58, and Ju 87. The unit came under the direct command of Heinrich Himmler. According to the author, the only information existing is from British intercepts of Luftwaffe wireless transmissions.

Has anyone ever heard or read of this unit and can confirm the existence of this unit?

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

See Michael Holm's homepage:
http://www.ww2.dk/air/misc/flgzbv7.html


Hope this helps some,

Kari

[Pawel Burchard]

Yes, it existed. Recently the logbook of pilot from this unit was sold on ebay.

regards,
Pawel

[Seaplanes]

Please find attached an article I wrote for the Luftwaffe Verband Magazine some time ago.

[Pawel Burchard]

Bjørn, very interesting stuff...

regards,
Pawel

[Michal]

Interesting article, but there are several mistakes. First of all - Deustch Brod is not Slavonski Brod in Croatia but Německý Brod, todays Havlíčkův Brod in Czech Republik and Pistyan is German name for Slovakian town Piešťany.

Could be interesting for author that one document about Fliegergruppe z.b.V. 7 is preserved in Czech National Archive.

Michal

[Seaplanes]

Thank you for your geographical corrections Michal. I will make the necessary corrections. You mention that the article contain several mistakes, but you give only two corrections. If you have more corrections, this will be most appreciated.

[Franek Grabowski]

Bjørn
Nice bit but I see you have some problems with naming convention. Eg. Tschenstochau is only a German name of Częstochowa, thus you cannot say it was Tschenstochau then and Częstochowa now. Katowitze is actually either Katowice or Katowitz. Also, you use name Krakow (Kraków) while in German it is Krakau and in English Cracow. I think it causes unnecessary mess.
Apart of that comments, have you found any losses of the unit? Polish partisans claimed some German aircraft shot down, though it is hard to find any summary of such incidents. Also, do you know if Ju 87s based at Zamość-Mokre (Himmlerstadt) were in any way subordinated to Fl.Gr.z.b.V. 7? They did some operational flying in late 1943 attacking populated areas together with other anti-partisan units.
By the way, there was no need for such units in the West simply because there were no partisans there, at least in the same sense as here.

[Boris]

SS-Obergruppenführer Hermann Höfle, from September 1944 Der deutsche Befehlshaber in der Slowakei, has this unit mentioned in his post-war statement, because the Gruppe play a role against the Slovak uprising. But Höfle say, that by this unit were also Bf 109s - propably a mistake.

[Hans Mcilveen]

Hello Pawel,

Do you have a link to this flugbuch on ebay or do you know any details?
I happen to have copies of a flugbuch of a Fliegergruppe z.b.V. 7 pilot and I was wondering if it is the same one.

Thanks,
Hans

Originally Posted by Pawel Burchard

Yes, it existed. Recently the logbook of pilot from this unit was sold on ebay.

regards,
Pawel