Luftwaffengefechtsverband Siegel

[Marko]

Looking for any kind info on this unit - Luftwaffengefechtsverband Siegel. The only thing I have on it is that it was apparently subordinated to II.SS-Pz.Korps during the anti-partisan operations in NE Italy and Slovenia in fall 1943.

Thanks
Marko

[Lorenz]

Looking for any kind info on this unit - Luftwaffengefechtsverband Siegel. The only thing I have on it is that it was apparently subordinated to II.SS-Pz.Korps during the anti-partisan operations in NE Italy and Slovenia in fall 1943.
Thanks
Marko

Hi Marko,

It seems that there were two Gefechtsverband Sigel:

Gefechtsverband Sigel [lst Formation]

Formed on or about 22 May 1942 at Derna/Libya under Fliegerführer Afrika as a tactical designation for a composite force under Geschwaderstab/St.G. 3 (Kommodore: Obstlt. Sigel) charged with furnishing close support for the Afrikakorps’ renewed offensive toward Tobruk and beyond that commenced on 26 May. Initial composition included all three Gruppen of St.G. 3, III./ZG 26 and 12./LG 1, with II./JG 27 and 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 12 added several weeks later. The Gefechtsverband is thought to have been disbanded around the first half of July 1942.

Kommandeur:
Obstlt. Walter Sigel (R, EL) (5/42- 7/42?)


Gefechtsverband Sigel [2d Formation]


Formed on or about 29 July 1943 using He 111s and crews fromI./KG 55, then based at Landsberg/Lech. Oberst Sigel was the Inspekteur der Sturzkampfflieger (Inspector of Dive Bombers)/Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe at that-time, and had-no apparent connection to KG 55. The formation flew clandestine reconnaissance flights over NE Italy to determine the march routes for the movement of German troops into the country following the overthrow and arrest of Mussolini on 24 July 1943. These flights continued to mid-August 1943. The date of disbandment is not known, but a He 111H belly landed due to engine failure near Ronchi/ltaly on 4 October 1943 and the incident was charged to Gefechtsverband Sigel. Nothing further about Gefechtsverband Sigel has been found in the surviving records.

Kommandeur:
Oberst Walter Sigel (R, EL) (c.29 Jul 43 - c.Oct 43)

It's the second of these that you are interested in, of course.

If you find some additional information about it, I hope you will let me know! It makes sense that it supported anti-partisan operation “Wolkenbruch III” that was intended to drive the Partisans out of an area they had liberated around Delnice/30 km E of Rijeka and further to the north and east in Slovenia and that included elements of the 71. Inf.Div., 1. SS-Pz.Div., 11. SS-Pz.Gren.Div., 162. (Turk.) Inf.Div., the “Hermann Göring” Division and 1,200 Slovene Domobrans. The operation ended on 15 November, I believe. “Wolkenbruch III” was conducted with great brutality and many civilians were summarily executed on the spot and their homes and villages burned to the ground.

My guess is that Gefechtsverband Sigel was disbanded sometime between the end of October and mid-November, but it could have occurred a few weeks before that.

Best,

--Lorenz

[Marko]

Thank you very much, Lorenz.

The info comes from Jürg Gschwendtner's Deutsche Anti-Partisanenkreigführung. Gegenoffensive deutscher Verbände in Slowenien und Zentralkroatien September bis November 1943. Published by the Allgemeine Schweizerische Militärzeitschrift in 1986. This is basically a tiny booklet, the text is mostly based on various KTBs plus some Yugoslav literature and has some very nice appendices.

There were actually three phases of anti-partisan operations lead by the HQ II.SS-Pz.Korps:
- operations in Karst area E of Gorizia (25.-30.9.1943)
- operations in Istria & Fiume (2.-9.10.1943)
- Wolkenbruch cycle (I.-IV.) in Province of Ljubljana (11.10.-8.11.1943)

He also mentions that Gefechtsverband Sigel was assigned to cooperate with II.SS-Pz.Korps in reconnaissance and combat missions from the start of the above mentioned anti-partisan operations and was still supporting the Corps during the Op.Wolkenbruch. BTW, though you probably already knew this, Ronchi is at Trieste.

One more follow-up question. Was there any link between Gefechtsverband Sigel and the unit stationed on the airport Zirklach/Cerklje (Was this III./SG155?)?

If you find some additional information about it, I hope you will let me know!

Of course. This is the least I can do.

Best Regards
Marko

[Lorenz]

One more follow-up question. Was there any link between Gefechtsverband Sigel and the unit stationed on the airport Zirklach/Cerklje (Was this III./SG155?)?

None that I know of, Marko, except that they both provided tactical air support to the anti-partisan operations being run in Slovenia at the time. III./St.G. 151 (later III./SG 151) came under Fliegerführer Kroatien for tactical employment, while Gefechtsverband Sigel did not. Here is a little background on III. Gruppe:

III./SG 151

Formation. (Oct 43)
Formed 18 October 1943 at Zirkle (Cirklje) airfield/35 km NW of Zagreb by renaming III./St.G. 151. The Gruppe was relatively unaffected by the Geschwader reorganization change of 27 December 1943, consisting of its original Gruppenstab and 7. – 8. Staffel until July – August 1944 when changes were made within the Staffeln.

Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Germany. (Oct 43 - Apr 45)
21 Oct 43: 3 Ju 87D-3s (incl. 6Q+EA,EE) shot down west of Sibenik/C Dalmatia by Allied fighters, all 100%, 1 KIA and 4 MIA.
23 Oct 43: 2 Ju 87D-3s destroyed in a mid-air collision over Fp.Zirkle, both 100%, 4 KIA.
28 Oct 43: Ju 87D-3 Trop crashed north of Belgrade-Pančevo due to an engine fire, 100%, 2 KIA.
Nov - Dec 43: by December the Gruppe had transferred from Zirkle to Belgrade-Pančevo in Serbia. The airfield at Zirkle was unsuitable for large units and year-‘round operations due to its small size, rough conditions and lack of services.
etc., etc., etc.

HTH,

--Lorenz

[Marko]

One more follow-up question. Was there any link between Gefechtsverband Sigel and the unit stationed on the airport Zirklach/Cerklje (Was this III./SG155?)?

None that I know of, Marko, except that they both provided tactical air support to the anti-partisan operations being run in Slovenia at the time. III./St.G. 151 (later III./SG 151) came under Fliegerführer Kroatien for tactical employment, while Gefechtsverband Sigel did not. Here is a little background on III. Gruppe:

III./SG 151

Formation. (Oct 43)
Formed 18 October 1943 at Zirkle (Cirklje) airfield/35 km NW of Zagreb by renaming III./St.G. 151. The Gruppe was relatively unaffected by the Geschwader reorganization change of 27 December 1943, consisting of its original Gruppenstab and 7. – 8. Staffel until July – August 1944 when changes were made within the Staffeln.

Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Germany. (Oct 43 - Apr 45)
21 Oct 43: 3 Ju 87D-3s (incl. 6Q+EA,EE) shot down west of Sibenik/C Dalmatia by Allied fighters, all 100%, 1 KIA and 4 MIA.
23 Oct 43: 2 Ju 87D-3s destroyed in a mid-air collision over Fp.Zirkle, both 100%, 4 KIA.
28 Oct 43: Ju 87D-3 Trop crashed north of Belgrade-Pančevo due to an engine fire, 100%, 2 KIA.
Nov - Dec 43: by December the Gruppe had transferred from Zirkle to Belgrade-Pančevo in Serbia. The airfield at Zirkle was unsuitable for large units and year-‘round operations due to its small size, rough conditions and lack of services.
etc., etc., etc.

HTH,

--Lorenz

It sure does. Thanks again.

Marko