1940-05-10,04.15, HE111, 2909, Stab/KG 4,Ofw. O.Hlubek, Rockanje (St. Annapolder near the Zwartedijk)

Crash

May 10th. HE-111P (5J+DA) of Geschwaderstab KG-4 shot down between Rockanje and Nieuwenhoorn in the St. Annapolder by Fokker G-1 nr. 312 of 1st. Lt. Noomen. 4 crewmembers taken POW, 1 KIA (Ofw Ewald Frotscher) buried at Rotterdam, later buried at Ysselstein grave nr. BU-230.

- DVL(6): 100% Bruch; VLL(2); LLC(2); Mallan p.95/96 en p.101-103; Zfr p.40; Lvd p.233 en 1064; Auwerda(T128), Ystn. Foto’s: JongAP p.87, Rijnhout p.51; Mallan p.97, 101 en 102.

Research: lkol b.d. E.H. BRONGERS 28.5.2005

CREW

Ofw Ewald Frotscher; KIA begr te Rotterdam; thans Ystn graf BU-230. Kgvn:

Oberst Martin Fiebig POW,

Olt Klaus Born POW,

Ofw Otto Blank POW,

Ofw Oswald Hlubek POW

General der Flieger Martin Fiebig

Born: 07-May-1891 Rösnitz, Krs. Lobschütz/Oberschlesien.

Executed: 23-October-1947 Belgrade.

Promotions:

03-03-1910 Fähnrich

20-03-1911 Leutnant

18-06-1915 Oberleutnant

20-06-1918 Hauptmann

01-05-1934 Major

01-05-1936 Oberstleutnant

01-06-1938 Oberst

01-04-1941 Generalmajor

01-04-1942 Generalleutnant

01-03-1943 General der Flieger

Awards and Decorations:

Spange zum Eiserne Kreuz II. Klasse 1939 18-September-1939.

Spange zum Eiserne Kreuz I. Klasse 1939 03-May-1940.

Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 11-May-1942

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Oberst und Kommandeur Kampfgeschwader ‘General Wever’ 4 on 08-May-1940.

Eichenlaub des Eisernen Kreuzes as Generalleutnant und Kommandierender General VIII.Fliegerkorps on 23-December-1942.

Unconfirmed Awarding dates:

Eiserne Kreuz II. Klasse 1914

Eiserne Kreuz I. Klasse 1914

Royal Prussian Pilots Badge

Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer

Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung

Flugzeugfuhrerabzeichen

Die Medaille Winterschlacht Im Osten 1941/42

Frontflug-Spange fur Kampfflieger

Assignments:

Deutsches Reichsheer:

Entered the Deutsches Reichsheer, serving with 1 Posensches Infanterie-Regiment ‘von Grolman’ Nr18 on 03-March-1010.

Served as Kompanieoffizier in the 1. Posensches Infanterie-Regiment "von Grolmann" Nr.18 and was appointed Battalion Adjutant 1. Posensches Infanterie-Regiment "von Grolmann" Nr.18 in August-1914.

Deutsches Kaiserreiches:

On promotion to Oberleutnant became a Staffelführer in Kampfstaffel 3 of the Deutsches Kaiserreiches on 15-June-1915.

Appointed Kommandeur of Kampfgeschwader 9 in June-1918.

Lufthansa:

From 1926 to 1934 worked as a Flugleiter with Lufthansa.

Luftwaffe:

01-May-1934 joined the newly formed Luftwaffe as a Major and became Fliegerhorstkommandant Greifswald.

Appointed Kommandeur of Kampffliegerschule Faßberg in 1936.

Appointed Kommodore Kampfgeschwader 253 in Gotha on 01-July-1938.

Appointed Kommodore Kampfgeschwader ‘General Wever’ 4 on 01-May-1939.

Assigned to special duties while attached to a Battle Group with Panzer Group Guderian, prior to being appointed as Cheif of Air Flight Security in August-1940.

Appointed close combat commander with IV Fliegerkorps under Bruno Loerzer in Warsaw in April-1941 and subsequently with Albert Kesselring and the II. Fliegerkorps.

April-1942 appointed commander of 1. Flieger-Division on the eastern front under luftwaffe Command Ost.

July-1942 became commader of VIII. Fliegerkorps with his HQ at Tasinskaya, Oblivskaja, Krimskij am Donez and Itschi-Grammatikova.

24-December-1942 left his HQ at Tasinskaya and flew out to Rostov on the final Ju-52 to leave the area.

22-May-1943 took over as Commanding General X. Fliegerkorps and subsequently appointed Commander of Luftwaffe-Command Sud-Ost after the death of General der Flieger Otto Hoffmann von Walden.

Placed on the Officer Reserve list on September-1944.

Feb-45 returned to active service as Commanding General II. Fliegerkorps under the command of Generaloberst Otto Dessloch with the HQ in Biesenthal near Berlin, becoming responsible for the regions air defence.

April-45 his his Command was redesignated to Luftwaffe-Command Nord-Ost, becoming responsible for air-support of Army group vistula under the command of Generaloberat Gottfried Heinrici.

Surrendered to British forces 08-May-1945 and was handed over to the Yugoslavian authorities. Blamed for the air attack on Belgrade he was found guilty and sentanced to death on 10-September-1947 and was executed on 24-October-1947.

Image of Martin Fiebig courtesy http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/index_search_db.php4?modul=search_result_det&wert1=1417&searchword=fiebig

sourch: http://www.worldwarmilitaria.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-5961.html

Shortly after the war, Yugoslavia launched a serie of TWELVE PROCESSES, also called the "small proceses". All took place on Yugoslav territory, except for the 7th Process which was taking place in Nürnberg in front of American Military Court in the end of 1947 and at the beginning of 1948. This trial has also been known as the trial against the "Balkan generals" or as Yugoslavia pinpointed out the trial against the "hostages shooters". Altogether some 12 generals were put on stand, accused of various crimes their units commited during the war either in Yugoslavia, Albania or in Greece.

sourch: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7980&p=75192

Lt. General Martin Fiebig was handed over to the Yugoslavian Govt. in 1947, tried and executed for involvement in the Carpet Bombing of Belgrade by the Luftwaffe in May 1941, when that country was conquered by the Nazis. Under Richthofen Fiebig played a major role in this attack.

The Germans bombed it April 6th 1941. The casualty figure is disputed, 17,000 being the highest number mentioned.

Belgrade was declared an open city prior to the Luftwaffe bombings thereby making the 3 days attack a war crime.

Operation Punishment was the code name for the German bombing of Belgrade during the invasion of Yugoslavia. The Luftwaffe bombed the city on April 6 (Palm Sunday) without a declaration of war, continuing bombing until April 10. More than 500 bombing sorties were flown against Belgrade in three waves coming from Romania where German forces were assembled for the attack on the Soviet Union. Most of the government officials fled, and the Yugoslav army began to collapse.

The attack on Yugoslavia was one of the earliest terror bombings of World War II. In the following days Bulgaria, Hungary, and Italy joined Nazi Germany in partitioning Kingdom of Yugoslavia, with the support of the newly established fascist puppet state Independent State of Croatia. The country was absorbed within 12 days, and Greece fell a week later, which made the Third Reich the master of most of continental Europe and ready for launching the attack against Soviet Union.

Although Hitler`s orders were specific about the destruction of the city, they were replaced in the last moment for military, communications and logistical targets in the city by Generaloberst Alexander Löhr - the commander of the Luftwaffe formations that bombed Belgrade - and his staff. In the survey prepared by the Luftwaffe ten days after the attack to assess the results obtained by the 218.5 tons dropped, the following targets are mentioned: the royal palace, the ministry of defence, military colleges, the main post office, the telegraph office, railway stations, powerplants and barracks.

The actual air operations against Belgrade were carried out by the VIII Air Corps under General der Flieger, Lt. General Wolfram von Richthofen. He had been the chief of staff of the German Condor Legion in Spain, which bombed Guernica on April 26, 1937, which shocked the world at the time, when a city was attacked and bombed by an air force. Richthofen had developed the technique of coordinating attacks between air and ground armored units in slashing armored thrusts during the Battle of France. He was involved in the bombing of Warsaw in 1939 and London in 1940. He later led the bombing campaigns against Stalingrad, Kursk, Kerch, Voronezh, and Sebastopol.

Waves of Luftwaffe bombers and Stuka dive bombers bombed Belgrade, killing an estimated 2,274 civilians during the initial April 6–7 bombardment - though some estimates put the figure as high as 5,000 to 17,000 civilians killed - and thousands of buildings were destroyed. According to William Stevenson, in his biography of Sir William Stephenson: "After four days of what the Germans code-named Operation Punishment, some 24,000 corpses were recovered from the ruins. Untold numbers were never found." The most important cultural institution that was destroyed was the National Library of Serbia, with 300,000 unique items including priceless Medieval manuscripts.

German Field Marshal von Kleist said during his trial after the war: "The air raid on Belgrade in 1941 had a primarily political-terrorist character and had nothing to do with the war. That air bombing was a matter of Hitler's vanity, his personal revenge." The bombing without a declaration of war become one of the prosecution's charges which led to the execution of the commander of the Luftwaffe formations involved, General Löhr.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Here are the two German general officers convicted for the bombing of Belgrade after it was declared an open city. There were other charges against Loehr as well:

Fiebig, Martin (?-1947) [General der Flieger] --

commander, 4th Bomber Wing (Kampfgeschwader 4) "General Wever" 1 Sept 1939-10 May 1940; commander, 1st Air Division (1.Flieger-Division) 12 Apr-30 June 1942;

commander, VIII Flying Corps 1942; commander, X Flying Corps (X.Fliegerkorps) 22 May 1943-1 Sept 1944;

commander, Luftwaffe Forces Southeast (Befehlshaber Luftwaffen Kommando Suedost) 22 May 1943-1 Sept 1944;

commander, IInd Flying Corps (II.Fliegerkorps) 1 Feb-12 Apr 1945 [Knights Cross 1940; Oakleaves 1942]

{arrested and put on trial by a Yugoslav court on charges arising out of the bombing of Belgrade in Apr 1941;

convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging; executed 5 May 1947 (Field of Honor 2, pps. 152-3) or 24 Oct 1947 (MacLean, Quiet Flows the Rhine p. 141; ABR-Croisier-L; Third Reich Factbook).}

(His commander General Wolfram von Richthofen escaped the same fate as he had died in US captivity because of a brain tumor on july 12th. 1945 .)

Loehr (Löhr), Alexander (1885-1947) [Generaloberst] --

WWI service as Austro-Hungarian Army officer;

service, Austrian Army (Bundesheer);

commanding general and Luftwaffe commander in Austria (Km.Gen. & Befehlshaber der Luftwaffe in Österreich) 1 Apr 1938-31 Jan 1939;

commander, Luftwaffe Command "Ostmark" (Kom.Gen. des Luftwaffen-Kommandos Ostmark) 1 Feb-17 Mar 1939;

commander, 4th Air Fleet (Luftflotte 4) 18 Mar 1939-1 Jul 1942;

commander, 12th Army 2 Jul-31 Dec 1942;

commander-in-chief "Southeast" (Oberbefehlshaber Südost) 1 Jan-26 Aug 1943;

commander, Army Group E (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe E) 1 Jan 1943-8 May 1945; commander-in-chief "Southeast" (Oberbefehlshaber Südost) 21 Mar-8 May 1945 [Knights Cross 1939; Oakleaves 1945]

{arrested in the French occupied zone of Germany 21 Apr 1946 (LT 22 Apr 1946:3d); extradited to Yugoslavia and put on trial for war crimes -- massacre, deportations and atrocities against civilians -- by a Yugoslav military court at Belgrade 16 Feb 1947 (NYT 17 Feb 1947:1:3; LT 17 Feb 1947:3c);

convicted and sentenced to death by firing squad 16 Feb 1947 (LT 17 Feb 1947:3:c);

executed at Belgrade 16 Feb 1947 (Encyclopedia of the Third Reich p. 557; ABR-Luftwaffe) or 26 Feb 1947 (MacLean, Quiet Flows the Rhine p. 141; ABR-Croisier-H) or 27 Feb 1947 (History of the United Nations War Crimes Commission and the Development of the Laws of War p. 526, United Nations War Crimes Commission, London: HMSO, 1948).}

sourch: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=248689&highlight=fiebig#248689

Hlubek, O. Ofw Stab/KG-4 He 111P Werk # 2909 (lost 5/10/40) Bomber OPerational Clasp His He 111 crashed at Rockanje Holland on 10 May, 1940, cause and pilot/crew disposition unknown. (DeSwart)

May 10 1940: He-111 (5J+DA) Stabsstaffel KG 4 shot down between ROCKANJE and NIEUWENHOORN in the StAnnapolder by G1 nr 312 of 1e Lt Noomen.

4 POW and 1 KIA : Ofw Ewald Frotscher; buried at Rotterdam; later Ystn grave BU-230. POW's: Oberst Martin Fiebig, Olt Klaus Born, Ofw Otto Blank en Ofw Oswald Hlubek.

source: Mallan p.95/96 en p.101-103; Zfr p.40; Lvd p.233 en 1064. Foto’s: JongAP p.87, Rijnhout p.51 en Mallan p.97, 101 en 102.

One of the POW's was the commander of KG 4, Oberst Martin Fiebig. Afther the surrender by the Netherlands he rejoind the Luftwaffe again and held several positions during the war amongst which commander of the VIII Fliegerkrops in the Stalingrad sector during the battle of Stalingrad. Shortly after the war he was sentenced to death in Yugoslavia on charges of war crimes. The sentence was executed on 24.10.1947 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

Hlubeck, Fiebig, Blank en Born

Sonderman didn’t fly again in may 1940. He got a special assignment to go to Belgium. Sonderman decided to stay in occupied territory and became later a leading figure in the Dutch resistance. After the war, he became Prince Bernhard’s personal pilot and also resumed his duties at Fokker. He made fame by his daring and precisely flown demo’s. While demonstrating the S.14 jet trainer for Rockwell in the USA, Gerben Sonderman died in a crash. It is speculated that he suffered from a bleeding in his brain, becoming unconscious, while performing a vrille.

Quotes:

Sonderman after the war about his flight:

Someone took away the chocks and then stepped in…He probably was a radio operator, but he was only ballast. As the radio was broken and he didn’t fire a shot. I tried to get his attention by shaking the plane, but he stayed where he was and didn’t move. I thought he was killed and didn’t pay attention anymore. I was very surprised to see him stepping out of the plane after landing….. I still don’t know his name.

Sonderman received many awards. Amongst others:

The King’s medal for courage (GB)

Bronzen leeuw (NL)

Medal of freedom (USA)

Ridder in de order van Oranje Nassau (Knighthood, NL)

A Heinkel He-111 nose-gunner fires at a dutch Fokker G-1, 1940

http://www.ww2incolor.com/german-air-force/Ametrallador+de+Heinkel+He-111+dispara+contra+un+Fokker+G-1+holand__s_+1940.html

PLANE

Heinkel He 111P

He 111P-1's of II/KG 255 (later III/KG 51) during Spring, 1939.

UNIT

Kampfgeschwader 4

• • Oberst Martin Fiebig, 1.9.39 - 10.5.40

Grosse Kampffliegerschule 2

Kommandeure:

Maj Phillip Zoch, 1.1.35 - 31.12.35

Oberst Richard Putzier, 1.1.36 - 2.36

Oberst Martin Fiebig, 2.36 - 30.6.38

Oberst Anton Heidenreich, 1.7.38 - 10.11.40

Oberst Hans Behrendt, 11.11.40 - 10.8.42

Stab:

Formed 1.1.35 in Fassberg as Bombenschule Fassberg, from 1.5.35 Kampffliegerschule Fassberg. On 1.4.36 absorbed the Kampffliegerlehrgang Prenzlau (formed 1.7.34).

On 1.11.38 renamed Stab/Grosse Kampffliegerschule Fassberg, from 4.9.39 Stab/Grosse Kampffliegerschule Hörsching, and on 15.1.40 became Stab/Grosse Kampffliegerschule 2.

On 10.8.42 became Stab/Kampfbeobachterschule 2.

Bases:

1.1.35 - 4.9.39 Fassberg

5.9.39 - 10.8.42 Hörsching

Kampfgeschwader 4 General Wever

Sonderkommando Junck was formed from 4./Kampfgeschwader 4, 4./Zerstörergeschwader 76 and some transport aircraft. It was used in Iraq in support of the Iraqi rebels against the British forces May 1941. The aircraft were repainted in Iraqi markings and flew missions out of Mosul, mainly ground-attack, for a few weeks and by the end of May the pilots were withdrawn.

Insignia

The "Geschwader General Wever" cuff title was authorized for this unit 4 June 1936.

Published sources used

John J. Vasco - Zerstörer: Luftwaffe fighter bombers and destoryers Vol 2 1941-1945

Reference material on this unit

Karl Gundelach - Kampfgeschwader "General Wever" 4

Achternaam: FROTSCHER

Voorvoegsels: -

Voornaam: Ewald Reinhardt

Rang: Oberfeldwebel

Geboortedatum: 25.01.1915

Geboorteplaats: Pausa (Kreis Vogtland)

Datum sneuvelen: 10.05.1940

Plaats sneuvelen: Rockanje (crash He-111P; 5J+DA)

Oorspronkelijk begraven: Veldgraf te Rockanje; dan R'dam ABP Crooswijk

Ysselsteyn graflokatie: BU-230

Herbegraven: Ysselsteyn

Vakcode: BU

Legeronderdeel: Stabsstaffel KG 4

Code: VLT2 (zie bijlage)

Opmerkingen: Behoorde als'Funker'tot de bemanning van de door een Fokker G-1

Lt Noomen) neergeschoten Heinkel 111; foto veldgraf: Rijnhout

p.51; overige 4 bemanningsleden werden krijgsgevangen gemaakt,

onder wie de commandant van KG 4, Oberst Martin Fiebig.

Bron: Ystn, Hey, Mallan p.101-103 en Verlustliste.

Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever" (KG 4) (Battle Wing 4) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit was formed in May 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 111 medium bombers. The wing was named after General Walther Wever, the prime pre-war proponent for a strategic bombing capability for the Luftwaffe, who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1936.

Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever"

History

Stab/KG 4 and I./KG were formed on 1 May 1939 at Erfurt and was initially equipped with the He 111 Ps, borrowed from KG 253. The unit spent most of the summer training and recruiting personnel from the flight schools.

War Time Service

Poland

On 25 August the unit was transferred to Langenau under the Command of Luftflotte 4. It began the Polish Campaign attacking airfields and railway yards. Stab/KG 4 was withdrawn on 20 September. I.KG 4 attacked airfields at Dęblin and Krakow on 1 September and again on 2 September. From 3-6 September rail targets in Eastern Poland were attacked, and between 6-9 September bridges along the Vistula River and in Warsaw itself were bombed. From 6-14 September rail targets were again bombed. Troop concentrations became the main targets after this until the Polish surrender[1]. II. KG 4 also supported 10.Armee over Kutno in mid September. After the campaign the unit behan training in night flying and began to lay mines of the Norewgian coast in January 1940, in preparation for the Norwegian Campaign. III./KG 4 participated in the Battle of the Bzura in which the Polish Army was surrounded and destroyed (largely by the Luftwaffe)[2].

Operation Weserübung: Invasions of Denmark and Norway

On 1 February 1940 KG 4 transferred to Quakenbrück in northern Germany. II./KG 4 were part of the bomber fleet that flew a "demonstration of strength" raid over Copenhagen on 9 April 1940.[3] The unit attacked rail and airfield targets as well as anti-shipping strikes. A Staffel of Ju 88s of III./KG 4 destroyed the airfield at Stavanger-Sola, sank the Norwegian destroyer Aeger near Stavanger on 9 April[4].

Battle of France and the Low Countries

KG 4 helped neutralise Dutch air power on 10 May 1940 by striking at airfields and Dutch AA positions and airlifted supplies to the Fallschirmjäger units in the Netherlands. After the quick surrender of the Dutch KG 4 shifted its attention to Belgium. During the Battle of France KG 4 helped paralysis Allied rail networks over Belgium. KG 4 also flew sorties over Dunkirk. The II Gruppe also took part in the bombing of Rotterdam. After the Belgian capitualation KG 4 took part in Operation Paula stiking at airfields in and around Paris. By the 5 June French aerial resistance, while never effective and sporadic, ceased. After the French surrender on 25 June 1940 the unit was ordered to Soesterberg, the Netherlands in July 1940, to begin operations over Great Britain.

Battle of Britain

Remains of a Heinkel 111 of Kampfgeschwader 4 shot down during the Battle of Britain over Hunsdon Herts, England, August 30, 1940.

Before the French campaign was over, KG 4 struck at British ports and targets in Wales. on the night of 18/19 June KG 4 lost six Do 17s, including Major Dietrich Von Massenbach, Kommandeur of II./KG 4, who was shot down over Newcastle-upon-tyne.[5] The Battle of Britain was a costly failure. KG 4 had operated a minelaying unit along the British coast,and participated in the Blitz and the raids on Coventry on the night of the 14/15 November. Bombing missions continued into 1941. On 4 September II./KG 4 had 37 He 111s (30 serviceable). II./KG suffered light losses during this period, due to flying at night.[6] III./KG 4 had 25 Ju 88s on strength with 23 serviceable on 13 August 1940. By 4 September that had shrunk to 14 combat ready out of a total of 30 machines, due to losses.[7] One loss in particular happened in the Deal area of the South East of Kent, England, on the 9th of November 1940, when a Dornier bomber crashed into the sea off the village of Kingsdown, near Deal, of unknown causes, at around 20:40 hours. Three of the crew who died, and whose bodies were washed up onto the shore, are interred together in the military section of Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Kent. They have been identified as Unteroffizier Leopold Kaluza, aged 23, from Klausberg (Service Number 58213/87); Heinz Fischer, aged 25, from Dresden (Service Number 58213/42);and Unteroffizier Herbert Reinsch, aged 20, also from Dresden (Service Number 58213/28).[8][9] The body of the fourth member of the crew, Leutnant Mollenhauer, was never recovered.[9] KG 4 were losing valuable crew as well as machines.

Balkans Campaign and Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres

On 29 March 1941 the unit relocated to Wien-Aspern in Austria to begin operations over Yugoslavia and Greece for the coming Balkans Campaign. During the Yugoslavian invasion, II./KG 4 participated in the bombing of Belgrade, with 25 He 111s (out of 28 serviceable) on 6 April 1941. II. Gruppe mined the waters off Alexandria and the Suez Canal. A detachment, 4.staffel, under the command of Hauptmann Schwanhauser, was sent to Iraq to support the uprising against the British during the Anglo-Iraqi War.[10]

Eastern Front

Stab. KG 4 supported Army Group North during its advance to Leningrad. In January 1942 the unit relocated to Pskov. On 22 January 1942 it helped drop supplies to the Kholm pocket, and in February-March it flew supply missions over the Demyansk Pocket suffering heavy losses and extensive aircrew exhaustion. I. Gruppe was committed to supporting Army Group Centre II. Grupe began its aerial offensive over the city on 1 October. During the winter the unit also flew bombing raids over Moscow[11]. II. Gruppe supported Army Group South and its offensive into the Ukraine. II. Gruppe flew its 10,000th sortie on 9 March 1943. A notable success occurred on 14 March when the Gruppe attacked a Soviet airfield around Kursk destroying 40 enemy machines and damaging 23 others.[12]. II Gruppe also flew strategic bombing missions, against the Tank factory at Gorki and missions against the rubber factories near Yaroslavl. III. Gruppe was committed to the Southern wing of the front and managed to hit targets over Astrakhan. In October 1943 the unit was partially equipped with the Heinkel He 177. In the period 1943-45 the Kampfgeschwader covered the continuous retreat of the Wehrmacht until the end of the war, in the tactical and supply role. Based at Schleswig-Holstein on 8 May 1945 the unit surrendered to British forces.

Organisation

Stab. Gruppe

Formed 1 May 1939.Disbanded 8 May 1945.

I. Gruppe

Formed 1 May 1939.

II. Gruppe

Formed 1 May 1939

III. Gruppe

Formed on 1 May 1939

IV(Erg). Gruppe

Formed on 18 June 1940. Dissolved on 15 August 1944

14. Gruppe

Formed mid-October 1942. Disbanded in January 1943.

Commanding officers

Geschwaderkommodore

• • Oberst Martin Fiebig, 1 September 1939 - 10 May 1940

  • Oberst Hans-Joachim Rath, 30 May 1940 - June 1942

  • Oberstlt Hans Detlef-Herhudt von Rohden, 2 June 1940 - ? (acting)

  • Oberst Dr. Gottlieb Wolff, 16 June 1942 - 11 January 1943

  • Oberstleutnant Heinz-Joachim Schmidt, 12 January 1943 - 9 May 1943

  • Oberstleutnant Werner Klosinski, 10 May 1943 - December 1944

  • Major Reinhard Graubner, 4 December 1944 - 8 May 1945

References

• 1. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 50

  2. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 56.

  3. ^ de Zeng et al. Vol 1 2007, p. 50.

  4. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 56

  5. ^ Hooton 2007, p. 91.

  6. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 49.

  7. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 57.

  8. ^ See File:Hamilton Road Cemetery Luftwaffe Aircrew Grave.jpg, note that dates are incorrect.

  9. ^ a b Collyer, David (2009). Deal and District at War. Stroud: The History Press. pp. p59, 80. ISBN 978 0 7254 4953 I.

  10. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 54.

  11. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 51.

  12. ^ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 55.

Bibliography

• • Bergstrom, Christer (2007). Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July-December 1941. London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.

  • de Zeng, H.L; Stanket, D.G; Creek, E.J. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945; A Reference Source, Volume 1. Ian Allen Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85780-279-5

Martin Fiebig

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Last name: FROTSCHER

First names: Ewald Reinhardt

Rang: Oberfeldwebel

Date of birth: 25.01.1915

Place of birth: Pausa (Kreis Vogtland)

Date of death: 10.05.1940

Place of death: Rockanje (crash He-111P; 5J+DA)

Original place of burrial: Field grave Rockanje; then R'dam ABP Crooswijk later; Ysselsteyn BU-230

Unit: Stabsstaffel KG 4

Code: VLT2

Position: 'Funker'

German account;

Am frühen Morgen des 10.05.1940 begann der lange geplante, überaus massive Angriff. Vorangegangen wa­ren acht Monate relativer Ruhe. Zwischen September 1939 und Oktober 1940 waren He 111 lediglich zu An­griffen über der Nordsee und auf englische Kriegshä­fen gestartet, nicht aber gegen Ziele im Westen Euro­pas eingesetzt worden. Die Ausnahme bildeten einige Aufklärungsflüge und diverse Flugblattabwürfe über Frankreich.

Die Heeresgruppen A und B so­wie die Panzergruppe von Kleist griffen am 10.05.1940 mit weit ausladenden Angriffskeilen an. Die 120 der nie­derländischen Luftwaffe zur Verfügung stehenden Ein­satzmaschinen wurden bereits am ersten Kriegstag fast vollständig zerstört.

35% der 930 gegen niederländische Ziele eingesetzten Luftwaffenmaschinen kehrten zwischen dem 10. und 19.05.1940 vom Feindflug nicht zurück. Hiervon entfie­len nur 36 Flugzeuge auf reine Luftkampfverluste, etwa 30 gingen durch Tiefangriffe verloren, weitere 15 durch Bombenwürfe. Außer 18 Ju 88 büßte die Luftwaffe 37% der über Holland operierenden He 111, also 28 von 75 der eingesetzten Bomber, ein.

Innerhalb von drei Tagen verloren die britischen Expeditionsstreitkräfte knapp 200 ihrer auf dem Festland sta­tionierten Bristol Blenheim- und Fairy Battle-Bomber. Am 10.05.1940 standen die Flugplätze als Schwer­punkte der Angriffsoperationen weitgehend im Vorder­grund des Luftkrieges.

In Waalhaven bei Rotterdam griffen He 111 des KG 4 die 3. niederländische Jagdf­liegerabteilung an. Mehrere Fokker G-1 wurden am Bo­den zerstört. Einem Pilot gelang der Alarmstart. Er schoß eine von 13 Maschinen der Angreifer ab. Auch die Maschine von Oberst Martin Fiebig, KG 4, kehrte nicht vom Einsatz über den Niederlanden zurück. Der Flugplatz von Ypenburg wurde etwa eine Stunde vor dem Beginn der Luftlandung bombardiert. Die Fallschirmjäger konnten sich dennoch nicht halten, ihr Einsatz scheiterte. Von 123 einsatzbereiten niederländischen Kampfflugzeugen wurden am 10.05.1940 bereits 88 am Boden und in der Luft zerstört. Getroffen wurden auch die Flugplätze in Eindhoven sowie in Gilze-Rijn.

eine He 111 Gruppe

Bewaffnete Aufklärung flogen die He 111-Gruppen im Raum Dordrecht, Den Haag und längs des Albert-Kanals. Ein massiver Luftangriff des KG 54 fand auf einen Flugplatz bei Antwerpen statt. In Frankreich waren ebenfalls Flugplätze vordringliches Ziel der deutschen Kampfgeschwader. So bombar­dierte das KG 54 französische Luftwaffeneinrichtungen in Courtrai und St. Omer mit SC 50 und SC 250. Während der folgenden harten Einsätze wurde bei­spielsweise die 8./KG 54 fast vollständig aufgerieben.