I. skupina Bombardovací eskadry ke zvláštnímu použití 172 [1940-1943]

Citace :

I./KG z.b.V. 172


Mar 41: probably reactivated for the forthcoming campaigns in the Balkans and Russia.
26 Apr 41: at Wiener Neustadt in reserve to Stab/KG z.b.V. 2 for operations in Greece.
12 May 41: listed in German documents as being at Berlin-Rangsdorf with 53(53) aircraft refitting in preparation for the Crete operation.
14 May 41: deployed in the Athens area under Stab/KG z.b.V. 1/XI. Fliegerkorps for the airborne and air-landing assault on Crete (Operation Merkur) beginning 20 May.
16 May 41: an ex-Lufthansa Junkers G 38 apparently assigned to the Gruppe bombed on the ground at Menidi/S Greece and destroyed.
3 Jun 41: the Gruppe was in the thick of it from 20 May, dropping paratroops over the objectives along the northern coast of Crete and then bringing in other troops, weapons, ammunition, supplies and probably fuel. By the end of the operation I./KG z.b.V. 1 has lost 6 Ju 52s and a further 14 damaged.
Jun – Oct 41: assigned to Qu./Luftflotte 1 as the only transport unit permanently assigned to operations in North Russia, according to Morzik, but this is both untrue and misleading (KGr.z.b.V. 106 was also assigned to Luftflotte 1 during much of this period). A chart maintained at Ob.d.L. in Berlin that displayed the daily distribution of units show the Gruppe to have been directly under Lufttransportführer/Ob.d.L. from 20 June to 9 August and then under Qu./Luftflotte 1 from 10 August on. Strangely, there is no mention of it in the Loss Reports during this period so there is no way to corroborate its location or detail its activities.
Oct 41: renamed KGr.z.b.V. 172.


FpNs: Gruppenstab and 1. – 4. Staffel (L 31213, L 08093)


Kommandeur:
Maj. Rudolf Krause (Mar 40 - ? ) 5/41


© H.L. deZeng IV, 2003