Luftwaffe unit Stationed at Kirch-Gons, Germany

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feindwarts
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Luftwaffe unit Stationed at Kirch-Gons, Germany

Post by feindwarts »

I am looking for any info on German units stationed in the Kirch-Gons / Butzbach area of Germany. Thanks :D
Lorenz
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Post by Lorenz »

Butzbach and Kirch Göns are only 3.3 km apart. All of the units listed are under Butzbach. They are all Heer. No Luftwaffe, SS, Polizei, RAD, etc., etc. For the wartime period Aug 39 - Apr 45 they are:

Gren.Ers.Btl. 205
Inf.Ers.Btl. 471
Gren.Ers.Btl. 471
Offz.Nachwuchs-Btl. 471
Res.Inf.Btl. 471
Inf.Gesch.Ers.Kp. 52
Inf.Gesch.Ers.Kp. 214
Inf.Gesch.Ers.Kp. 251
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Christian
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Post by Christian »

The Kirchgöns airfield was used in the 1940 campaign by Aufklärungsgruppe 11 (http://www.ww2.dk/air/recon/aufklg11.htm). Based on some of the descriptions it was a grass airfield and it was used as a recovery field for the Luftwaffe.

Source: http://www.3ad.net/ayers_history.htm
http://www.usarmygermany.com/USAREUR_City_Giessen.htm

Hope this helps.

Christian
Lorenz
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Post by Lorenz »

Yes, there was definitely an airfield there. 50º 28' 40" North by 08º 38' 40" East. In 1939 it was named Fliegerhorstkommandantur (E) Kirch-Göns and classified as an Einsatzhafen I. Ordnung (Operational Airfield of the I Order). Between 26.08.39 and 01.01.40 it was numbered Fliegerhorstkommandantur E 14/XII (FpN L 35514) as part of the general mobilization and came under Kdo.d.Flughafenbereich Gießen/Luftgaukdo. XII. As was the case with most of the Einsatzhafen that were set up in the 1938-39 period, Fl.H.Kdtr. E 14/XII moved forward into France in June 1940 and took over the airfield at Avord. From June 1940 on to the end of the war, Flugplatz Kirch Göns was relegated to the status of a grass dispersal field and was not again used operationally to the best of my knowledge. I don't even think a tiny Platzkdo. (a detachment of 10 to 40 airfield personnel that guarded and maintained custody of small dispersal fields) was maintained there between July 1940 and August 1944. In fall 1944 (Sep or Oct) Fl.H.Kdtr. E 213/XII withdrew from Romilly/France and took over the airfield at Merzhausen near Usingen. From that date to the April 1945 it subordinated Kirch Göns as a Platzkommando. But as noted above, I have never seen any evidence that any units - no matter how small - were ever stationed there. It was, I believe, only used occasionally to disperse or park a few aircraft to hide them from the 9th AAF's P-47 fighter-bombers that were constantly roaming the skies in that part of western Germany looking for airfields to shoot up.

--Lorenz
feindwarts
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Thanks for help!

Post by feindwarts »

Wanted to thank those who replied with info. I was stationed for 2 years at Kirch-Gons and had always heard of WW2 German units having been stationed in the area. Have even seen photos of aircraft landing,(purported to be at K-G) Thanks again!
Eric
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Christian
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Post by Christian »

Eric,

You are entirely welcome.

4.(F)/11 (Aufklärungsgruppe 11) was flying Me 110 reconnaissance planes out of Kirchgöns in 1939-1940. Here some pictures of Me 110:
http://www.luftarchiv.de/flugzeuge/mess ... /me110.htm

Cheers,

Christian
Lorenz
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Post by Lorenz »

Christian wrote:
4.(F)/11 (Aufklärungsgruppe 11) was flying Me 110 reconnaissance planes out of Kirchgöns in 1939-1940.
Christian - don't be offended, but I have a problem with the above statement. Although I will concede that it is possible that 4.(F)/11 aircraft may have used Fl.Pl. Kirch-Göns during the 1939-40 period, I would still need to have proof of that. The Michael Holm web site is not proof because of its tremendous number of errors. But what I really take issue with is your contention that 4.(F)/11 was equipped with Bf 110's. If they were so equipped, the Germans didn't know about it. All of the surviving documentation, i.e., the 6.Abt.(Gen.Qu.)/Genst.d.Lw. Verlustmeldungen bei die fliegende Verbände reports, the histories written by the better German historians, and statements made to the Aufklärungsflieger veterans group by Hptm. Ulrich Hoffmann, who was Staka of 4.(F)/11 from Sep 1939 to Mar 1940, all state that the Staffel was equipped with Do 17P's during this period. Here is an extract of the Staffel's history for that time frame:

4. (F)/Aufkl.Gr. 11 (6M + )

*Formed 1 April 1939 at Grossenhain (new) with Do 17s. (Defieux; Dierich).
Polish Campaign
8/39: at Grossenhain until general mobilization ordered 25-26 August, then moved to Neisse in Silesia by 1 September for the attack on Poland with 12 Do 17Ps under Koluft Heeresgruppe Süd. (Balke-I:398). Another source states that the Staffel was employed over North Poland in support of 4th Army. (Dierich).
West -Attack on France and the Low Countries
10/39- 2/40: Staffel whereabouts unknown following the conclusion of the campaign in Poland, but probably returned to Grossenhain before moving to an airfield in the central Rhine sector opposite the Pfalz-Saarland area.
2.3.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P (6M+AM) intercepted by RAF Hurricanes while flying a recce mission in the vicinity of Metz/France and shot down, but not before the rear-gunner got one of the attacking fighters, 100%, Oblt. Adolf Leupold and two other crew members captured.
1.4.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P shot down by French fighters near Sedan while on a photo recce mission to the Metz area, 100%, 2 KIA and 1 captured.
10.5.40: the Staffel's assignment for the invasion of France that began on this date is not known.
13.5.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P failed to return from a recce mission N of Reims.
16.5.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P shot down by a Morane 406 over Chimay/SW Belgium.
18.5.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P shot down by a Hurricane over Valenciennes.
24.5.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P failed to return from a recce sortie over NE France.
10.6.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P shot down near Soissons/NW of Reims.
14.6.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P failed to return from a recce flight over South France.
Air Offensive Against England (Battle of Britain)
7/40- 5/41: although at least two non-German secondary sources maintain that the Staffel converted to Bf 110s during the summer of 1940 and then flew artillery spotting and range adjusting sorties over the south coast of England for German coast artillery that was emplaced in the Pas de Calais area, there is not a single shred of evidence to support this. (Defieux; Dierich). Rather, it appears that the Staffel was inactive in France until at least October, and then returned to Germany to convert to the Junkers Ju 88.
7.10.40: (Ob.d.H.) -Do 17P (6M+HM) destroyed in a take-off accident at Paris -Le Bourget, 100%, 1 killed and 2 injured.
Central Russia
22.5.41: (Ob.d.H.) -Ju 88 crashed and burned at Fp.Schippenbeil in East Prussia, 100%, Oblt. Günther Hennig + 3 all killed.
22.6.41: Staffel's assignment for the attack on the Soviet Union this date unknown, although one source places it under Koluft/AOK 9, which does not seem correct. (Dierich).
etc., etc., etc.

So, in view of the above information, which has almost all been taken from primary documents, any documents you can show that has 4.(F)/11 flying Bf 110's will be of great interest to me and also to a number of others.

Thanks, Christian, and again, this is all in aid of getting historically correct information up on the forum, here, because it is then used by others as a source of information.

Regards,

--Lorenz
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Christian
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Post by Christian »

Lorenz,

Great information! I guess I know now who to ask when I have a questions about the Luftwaffe. :wink:

I was indeed basing myself on the information contained on Michael Holm's website and there is absolutely no argument that your information is much more reliable since it is based on primary records, interviews, etc.

Thanks for sharing the details.

Cheers,

Christian
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Re: Luftwaffe unit Stationed at Kirch-Gons, Germany

Post by Madmax1 »

Hiya. Im a newbie. Thanks for the ad !!

My inlaws live in poland. And the street where they live all the houses the air pilots houses from ww2.

The town is currently called sepopol. But before that was called schippenbeil ! Their was an airbase at the end of the street.
Can anybody help me with any pictures or info on this Please. I can find coordinates and which unit was situated their but thats about it.

Many thanks. Gary
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