Dive Squadron 3

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Sturzkampfgeschwader 3
from October 18, 1943 Schlachtgeschwader 3

Junkers Ju 87Ds in flight Oct 1943.jpg


A Ju 87 chain of I. /

Battle Squadron 3 in October 1943

active June 1940 to May 8, 1945
Country German Reich NSGerman Reich (Nazi era) German Empire
Armed forces Wehrmacht
Armed forces air force
Branch of service Air force
Type Battle squadron
structure Squadron staff and 3 groups
Squadron commodors
First commodore Colonel Karl Angerstein

The Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (St.G. 3) was a squadron of the Luftwaffe in World War II . It was created on April 1, 1942 in North Africa with three fall combat groups and a uniform designation and squadron identification. The squadron identification was also S7 from April 1, 1942. On October 18, 1943, as part of an organizational change, it was renamed Battle Squadron 3 (squadron identification S7) and flew until the end of the war. The squadron arose from different groups, the formation of which goes back to the time before the Second World War and which flew under different names, designations and subordinates until March 30, 1942 and only then were put together into a homogeneous squadron. The foundation stone for the association was laid on July 7, 1940 with the establishment of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 staff in France. Then it took another 20 months until the Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 was deployed as a "Africa Squadron" with three groups.

Commodore

There were six commodors between 1940 and 1945 :

Rank Surname date
Colonel Karl Angerstein January 10, 1940 to July 3, 1940
Lieutenant colonel Georg Edert July 3, 1940 to April 1, 1941
Lieutenant colonel Karl Christ April 1, 1941 to February 28, 1942
Lieutenant colonel Walter Sigel March 1, 1942 to April 1, 1943
major Kurt Kuhlmey April 1, 1943 to December 15, 1944
major Bernhard Hamester December 15, 1944 to April 28, 1945

structure

Commodore and Staff Sturzkampfgeschwader 3

On July 9, 1940, Staff Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 was formed from the staff of Kampfgeschwader 28 in Dinard / France . Commodore became Lieutenant Colonel Edert. First, the I./StG 1 and the II./StG 2 were subordinated to the StG 3 in July 1940. But it was not until January 13, 1942 that I./StG 1 became II./StG 3 and II./StG 2 became III./StG 3. In Africa, the third group was I./StG 3, which was previously subordinate to other squadrons and did not belong to StG 3. 1940: in France the StG 3 with the I./StG 1 and the II./StG 2 were subordinate to the IV. Fliegerkorps. At the beginning of 1941 they were subordinated to the X. Air Corps in Catania and moved to Sicily. From January 8 to February 12, 1941, the StG 3 staff were under Colonel Edert with the Staff Staffel (He 111), the II./StG 2 and the I./StG 1 in Trapani / Sicily. From February 13, 1941, the StG 3 staff with the II./StG 2 and the I./StG 1 were in Bir Dufan, 160 kilometers southeast of Tripoli / North Africa. In April 1941 the StG 3 staff moved to Austria as "Fliegerführer Graz" for the air war against the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with II./StG 77 and from August 1941 back to North Africa. Commodore became Major Karl Christ. In 1942 the StG 3 operated for the first time with Staff StG 3, the I./StG 3, the II./StG 3 and III./StG 3 in a closed association on the theater of war in North Africa. In December 1942, the StG 3 staff in North Africa was withdrawn from service and relocated to Herzogenaurach for refreshment. The squadron with three groups was again dispersed in different theaters of war. At the beginning of 1943, the StG 3 staff moved to Russia. In July 1943 he moved to Eleusis in Greece, where he was again assigned the I./StG 3 in Megara, west of Athens, and the II./StG 3 in Argos on the Peloponnese. On October 18, the staff and the groups were renamed Battle Squadrons. Relocation to the Eastern Front began in November 1943. From March 1944, the Battalion Squadron 3 (SG 3) and I./Schlachtgeschwader 3 were stationed in Dorpat. The subordinate II./SG 3 was in Pechur. In June, the Kuhlmey battle group was formed from the SG 3 staff for use in Finland. In June / July, the SG was in Finland. In October 1944 the staff was with the II. Group in Libau and the III. Group in Frauenburg. This was followed by missions in East Prussia with the 4th Air Division. 1945 was used by Luftflotte 6 on the Eastern Front. On February 5th the staff and the I. group were in Jesau, II. Group in Sprottau and the III. Group in Courland under Luftflotte 1. In April 1945 the staff and the II. Group were with Luftflotte 6, the I. Group with the Air Force Command East Prussia and the III. Group in the Luftflotte 1. The most striking commodore of the StG 3 or SG 3 was Kurt Kuhlmey, who rose to colonel in the Stukawaffe on the Ju 87 via the positions of squadron captain, group commander and squadron commander and who was trained as a jet pilot in the USA from 1955 and who built up the Federal Air Force's fighter-bomber weapon from 1956.

I. group

That bombed Wielun after the attack by the German bombers.

The origin of the 1st group of Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 goes back to 1936. On April 1, 1936, the II. Group Sturzkampfgeschwader 162 (II./St.G. 162) was set up in Luftkreis 2 in Lübeck-Blankensee . It was renamed on April 1, 1937 in I. Gruppe Sturzkampfgeschwader 167 (I./St.G. 167) in the newly created Luftkreis 7. In 1938 I./StG 167 moved to Graz in Austria (Luftkreis 8) and became I./St.G. 168 renamed. In the course of the reorganization of the Luftwaffe into air fleets, the group was given the name I. Gruppe Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 (I./St.G. 76) on May 1, 1939, also known as the Grazer Gruppe in Luftflotte 4 . The identifier for the StG 76 was S1. Similarly, the StG 77 received the identifier S2. The coat of arms of the group between 1939 and 1940 was the Styrian Panther on a coat of arms shield. In August 1939 the company was relocated to Cottbus . On August 15, 1939, the group lost 13 Ju 87 Stukas and their crews in a crash during a flight demonstration in the " Stuka accident in Neuhammer " . When the attack on Poland in September 1939, the group flew on the first day of the war, next to Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 , air raids on the small town of Wieluń , which was largely destroyed. 1200 people were killed. After the war against Poland, I./StG 76 moved back to Graz-Thalerhof.

In April 1940 she moved to Koblenz. In May 1940 the I./StG 76 flew missions in northern France in the association of the VIII. Fliegerkorps and in June 1940 missions at the Battle of France. Then she moved to Normandy with the 8th Air Corps. I./StG 76 was then renamed I./StG 3 on July 9, 1940. She kept the old squadron identification S1 (actually StG 76). The I./StG 3 was not subordinated to the StG 3, but to the StG 1. In July and August, the I./StG 3 flew missions in the canal battle and the Battle of Britain from the Cotentin peninsula. Then relocation to the Pas de Calais in Barly , as a starting point for assignments in the context of the planned but not realized company "Sea Lion" . Afterwards transfer back to Normandy. 1941 Participation in the campaign against Greece under the Commodore StG 2, Colonel Dinort , in the victory parade over Athens and in the airborne battle over Crete . In 1941 the I./StG 3 was subordinated to the Kommodore StG 3 for the first time. After being stationed in Rhodes , Aleppo (Syria) and Crete , the group flew on the African continent until November 1942 in the Africa campaign . From April 1, 1942, I./StG 3 also carried the squadron identification S7. After the relocation of the group from Herzogenaurach to the Eastern Front in early 1943 , they flew there from Kerch / Crimea from February to the end of June 1943 on missions on the Kuban.

Relocated to Megara / Greece from the beginning of July 1943 , operations were carried out against Italian troops on Kefalonia and Corfu (September 15 to 24, 1943 from Araxos airfield ). From October 1943 deployments against the Royal Navy in the Aegean Sea and against British troops in the Dodecanese . On October 7, 1943, attack on the cruiser HMS Penelope west of Rhodes. On October 9, 1943, attack and sinking of the destroyer "HMS Panther" west of Rhodes at 12.03 o'clock (C time), damage to the cruiser HMS Carlisle. On October 18, 1943, the squadron was renamed Battle Squadron 3 . The first group was named I./SG 3 . From 12. to 16. November 1943 deployments at the Battle of Leros , on November 17, 1943 bombing of Samos . Then transfer via Sarajewo and Mostar to Markersdorf / Austria to refresh and equip with Ju 87 D5. Relocation via Germany to Dorpat / Estonia from February 1944. First deployment by advance detachments from February 3, 1944. Full strength from the end of February / beginning of March 1944. In March 1944 the I./SG flew 3 missions in the Narwa , Kriwasoo, Omuti, Pleskau north and south, Ostrow, Chertova Gora and Pustoschka . On April 8, 1944 I./SG 3 carried out its 2,000th enemy flight since it was moved to the Eastern Front. In May 1944 the 1st Squadron / SG 3 flew its 1000th mission under the leadership of Lieutenant Töpfer since relocation to Dorpat.

From June 16 to July 20, the I. Gruppe Schlachtgeschwader flew 3 missions in Finland as part of the Kuhlmey battle group. From July 21st to August 1944 she flew missions again from Dorpat before she was relocated to Pardubitz / Bohemia, where she was equipped with Fw 190 . Then she flew missions again, first in Courland and then in East Prussia from Gerdauen , Heiligenbeil and Brüsterort .

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Captain Walter Sigel May 1, 1939 to March 1, 1942
Captain Heinrich Eppen March 1, 1942 to June 4, 1942
Captain Martin Mossdorf June 5, 1942 to November 11, 1942
Captain Horst Schiller December 1, 1942 to June 2, 1943
Captain Helmut Naumann October 18, 1943 to 1944
Captain Hans von Bargen Beginning of 1944 to July 6, 1944 (+ KIA)
Captain Hans Potter July 7, 1944 to February 19, 1945
Captain Heinrich Smikalla March 4, 1945 to May 8, 1945

II group

On November 1, 1938, the attack aircraft group I./160 of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 160 was set up. Relocated to Insterburg after conversion from Henschel Hs 123 to Ju 87 B , this group was renamed the 1st group of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 on May 1, 1939 . The identification of I./StG 1 was A5. The group's coat of arms was a black raven with a yellow beak. In 1939 she took part in the attack on Poland. The I./StG 1 retrained to the Junkers Ju 87 R in March and April 1940 in Delmenhorst. The group took part in the Norwegian campaign as the only Stuka group in the Air Force. From Kiel-Holtenau it was deployed over the Oslo area. The 1st season moved to Trondheim / Vaernes on April 9th. Temporarily the squadron flew from Josvatnet out of their missions, a frozen lake near Trondheim. Squadron captain was First Lieutenant Kurt Kuhlmey, who became commodore of StG 3 in early 1943. On April 10th, group staff as well as 2nd and 3rd seasons moved to Stavanger-Sola. On April 24th the group was united in Trondheim-Vaernes. Subordinated to the Trondheim pilot, the group fought British troop accumulations and airfield occupancy. In addition, the group was used against British naval units. On June 20, the group moved to Evreux in France and took part in the final phase of the Battle of France. After a brief refresher in Beauvais, the group was placed under the Commodore Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 in July 1940 and flew missions over the English Channel and southern England.

In October 1940 the group was in Évrecy / Normandy. The group was withdrawn from the mission in November 1940 and refreshed in Bergen-op-Zoom. In early 1941 the group moved to Italy via Germany. From January 8th to February 12th 1941 the I./StG 1 was under the StG 3 in Trapani / Sicily. From there she moved to North Africa. From February 13, 1941 I./StG 1 was in Bir Dufan. At the beginning of April 1941 she moved to Bulgaria. From April 7th to 9th she flew missions from Belitsa against Greece. From April 10 to 13, she flew bombs on a shuttle service from Belitsa to Prilep. On April 17th, the relocation began via Reggio di Calabria to Trapani. From June 16, the I./StG 1 was then in Derna / North Africa. There the group was subordinate to the pilot for Africa (Major General Fröhlich) in Derna, who was subordinate to the X. Air Corps near Athens.

On January 13, 1942, I./StG 1 was renamed II. Group Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (II./StG 3).

From September 1943 to the end of November 1943, deployed in the Mediterranean area at the battle of Kefalonia , Corfu , Aegean , Kos , Leros and Samos. On October 9, 1943 at 12:14 p.m. C time, the second wave approached British warships near Rhodes. Intercepted at 12.15 p.m. by US interceptors of the 37th US Fighter Squadron under Major William Leverette and destroyed at least 6 Ju 87s. On October 18, 1943, it was renamed in Rhodes to the II. Group of Battle Squadron 3 and flew under this name on the Eastern Front until the end of the war. In July 1944, the conversion to Fw 190 F began . From July 1944, the squadron made its way from Riga to Libau , later Jesau - Sprottau and from January 1945 to Werneuchen and finally to Finow .

Rank Surname date
major Werner Rentsch November 1, 1938 to August 31, 1939
First lieutenant Paul-Werner Hozzel September 1 to September 30, 1939 (substitute)
First lieutenant Paul-Werner Hozzel October 1, 1939 to May 31, 1941
major Concern May 31, 1941 to January 1, 1942
major Kurt Kuhlmey January 1, 1942 to March 31, 1943
Captain Theodor Nordmann October 18, 1943 to January 18, 1945
Captain Adolf Heimlich January 18, 1945 to May 8, 1945

III. group

Set up on July 1, 1938 as I. Group of Sturzkampfgeschwader 162 in Jever , the group at the new location in Stolp-Reitz was renamed to II. Group Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (II./St.G. 2) on May 1, 1939. Despite the squadron designation, the II./StG 2 had nothing to do with the Stuka squadron 2 "Immelmann". General of the Bundeswehr Walter Enneccerus emphasized this again expressly in his memoirs. From September 1, 1939, II./StG 2 took part in the attack on Poland. She was subordinate to Lehrgeschwader 2 under Colonel Baier. Then relocation to Bonn-Hangelar. On December 15, 1939, Captain Walter Enneccerus became the group's commander. From May 10th the II./StG 2 took part in the campaign in France. It was subordinate to the Stukageschwader 1 under Colonel Baier. This in turn was under the command of the II. Air Corps under Lieutenant General Bruno Loerzer. The II./StG 2 was deployed in the area of ​​the 4th Army (Colonel General von Kluge). After the battle for France, the air force was reorganized. From July 1940 the II./StG 2 was subordinated to the newly created Stukageschwader 3. On August 15, 1940 deployment against England from Lannion (Brittany).

In mid-December 1940 the group was moved to Forli in northern Italy and on January 8, 1941 the group was in Trapani. The commander was Major Enneccerus, Adjutant Oberleutnant Jakob, Staka 4th Captain Nöller, Staka 5th Oberleutnant Hamester, Staka 6th Lieutenant Riedinger and the chief of the flight operations company was Captain Tschirsch. The association was equipped with the Ju 87 with 2 additional tanks, which enabled a flight time of 4½ hours at 240 km / h in association. With additional tanks it was only possible to load one bomb (250, 500 or 1000 kg). On January 10, 1941, the group was deployed together with I./StG 1 against the British aircraft carrier "Illustrious", which bobbed around in the Mediterranean after a Ju 88 attack. On January 12, a second attack on the “Illustrious” in the port of La Valletta / Malta took place from Catania together with a Ju 88 unit. On January 13, 1941, the attack on the cruiser "Southampton" took place.

From February 13, 1941, the II./StG 2 was with an advance command in Bir Dufan / North Africa, also under the Stuka 3, which was also in Bir Dufan. Attack on El Agila on February 14, 1941. At the beginning of March all of the ground crew was available. In mid-March the front was at El Agila. On March 15, 1941, Rommel began his advance. The II./StG 2 and I./StG 1 had meanwhile moved to El Machina via Tamet. From there, operations against the British retreat between El Aglila and Agedabia and between Agedabia and Benghazi were flown. Then transfer to Agedabia and deployments against British columns in southern Cyrenaica. Relocation to Benghazi-Benina and from there to Derna. On April 14, 1941, Rommel's first attack on Tobruk took place. During the next three months the II./StG 2 flew attacks on Tobruk almost daily. Transfer via Martuba to Tmimi. Frequent take-offs from Gambut Airport.

In May 1941 the II./StG flew 2 missions in the context of the Battle of Crete. They attacked merchant ships between Crete and Alexandria and the aircraft carrier "Formidable".

The top division on October 1, 1941 in Tmimi was: Commander Major Enneccerus, Adjutant Oberleutnant Patschkowski, Staka 4th Oberleutnant Jakob, Staka 5th Oberleutnant Hamester, Staka 6th Oberleutnant Enger and the chief of the flight operations company was captain of the Tschirsch reserve. On October 18, 1941, Major Enneccerus handed over command of II./StG 2 to Captain Busselt, who was previously Staka of 2./StG 76 and 2./StG 3. In the period from September 1, 1939 to October 18, 1941, the II./Stuka 2 lost around 30 crews, including 4 squadron captains.

On January 13, 1942, the II./StG 2 in III. Group Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 renamed. This created the 7th, 8th and 9th season. As early as July 1940, the group was under the StG 3. On September 14, 1942 Junkers Ju 87 of the 8th Squadron together with Junkers Ju 88 of the I. Group of Lehrgeschwader 1 bombed the British cruiser Coventry ( Lage ) off Marsa Matruh . This was badly damaged and later sunk by the British destroyer Zulu .

In June 1943 the III./StG 3 moved to the Eastern Front, where they took part in the Citadel operation on July 5, 1943 . Under the Air Force 6 assigned to the 1st Air Division, she supported the northern attack wedge, ultimately failed attack towards Kursk . Then she was on the southern section, u. a. in the Crimea. On October 18, 1943 it was given the new designation III. Group Schlachtgeschwaders 3. In July 1944 it was converted to Fw 190 F. From this point in time until the end of the war it was used by Tilsit - Welonen and Frauenburg . From December 1944 until the end of the war, the group flew missions in the greater Zabeln area .

Commanders

Rank Surname date
Captain Schmidt
major Walter Rudolf Enneccerus December 15, 1939 to October 18, 1941
Captain Busselt from October 18, 1941
major Bernhard Hamester October 15, 1942 to December 1, 1943
Captain Eberhard Jacob December 1, 1943 to April 1944
Captain Siegfried Goebel May 1944 to March 1945
Captain Erich Bunge March 1945 to May 8, 1945

Panzerjägerstaffel

The Panzerjägerstaffel in the battle squadron 3 came to the squadron on March 7, 1944 and was named 10. (Pz) / SG 3 . Their squadron leader was Lieutenant Andreas Kuffner. On March 7, 1945, the squadron left the squadron and resigned to the original squadron, the 3 battle squadron. The Ju 87 D and Ju 87 G "cannon birds" flew over Sevastopol , later Riga and finally in the Schippenbeil - Eggersdorf area .

Known squadron members

literature

  • Hans Peter Eisenbach: "Front operations of a Stuka-Flieger Mediterranean and Eastern Front 1943-44" Helios Verlag Aachen 2009, ISBN 978-3-938208-96-0 . The book describes precisely and meticulously the deployments of I./StG 3 and I./SG 3 between September 1943 and the end of March 1944.
  • Georg Brütting : That was the German Stuka-Asse 1939-1945 , Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, 4th edition 1984, ISBN 3-87943-433-6 , pp. 267-269
  • Hans Peter Eisenbach: “Stuka deployment on the Panther line”, Helios Verlag Aachen 2016, ISBN 978-3-86933-162-1 . The book describes the history of I./Schlachtgeschwader 3 from the beginning of February 1944 to the end of August 1944 and precisely describes all 4,369 missions of the I./SG 3 between February 28 and April 10, 1944, showing the situation on the ground.
  • Hans Peter Eisenbach and Carolus Dauselt: "The use of German dive fighters against Poland, France and England in 1939 and 1940 - a study on the Graz Sturzkampfgruppe I./76 and I./3. Helios Verlag Aachen 2019, ISBN 978-3-86933-232 -1 . The book describes the history of the II./StG 162, I./StG 167, I./StG 168, I./StG 3 and I./Schlachtgeschwader 3 with a focus on the operations of I./StG 76 in Poland 1939, France 1940 and I./SG 3 against England 1940. The book precisely describes all the operations between September 1, 1939 and December 31, 1940. A condensed summary of the operations of I./SG 3 The book is very richly illustrated: 88 situation maps, 6 graphics, 6 copies of documents and operational orders, 11 tables for the use of the aircraft, 18 overviews of the aircraft crews and 16 organizational charts for the battle order. The striking situation maps give a very good insight into the Combat operations on the ground 171 mostly unpublished pictures complete the work. A standard work on Sturzkampfwaffe and Sturzkampfgeschwader 3.

Web links

Commons : Sturzkampfgeschwader 3  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Federal Archives Military Archives . With the keyword Doege or Droege currently approx. 80 pictures of I./SG 3 from March 1944 at the Dorpat airfield in Estonia.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Jürgen Zapf: Luftwaffe airfields 1934–1945 - and what was left of them. Volume 1: Berlin & Brandenburg. VDM Heinz Nickel , Zweibrücken 2001, ISBN 3-925480-52-8 , p. 97.
  2. Joachim Trenkner: Destroyed target. Die Zeit, No. 07/2003 - Attack on Wielun
  3. For the history of II./StG 2 see OTL a. D. Walter Enneccerus: records Karlsruhe February 15, 1967 .
  4. Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronik des Maritime War 1939–1945, September 1942. Retrieved on June 26, 2017 .
  5. Military History Research Office (ed.): The German Reich and the Second World War . Volume 8: Karl-Heinz Frieser (Ed.): The Eastern Front 1943/44. The war in the east and on the secondary fronts. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt , Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-421-06235-2 , p. 92.