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August–October 1944 A three-hour H-Aufklärung by Werner Busch (Ju 88 D-5, Z6+GL) in the early hours of the 1st finished in Le Bourget, the eight-minute return hop to Cormeilles being carried out in daylight under a warning of Allied aircraft in the area. The crew’s assignment for 3/4 August again saw them landing in Soesterberg, leaving after a two-hour stopover for Grove, Denmark on an "H-Aufklärung in the North Sea”. On the evening of the 4th, they undertook another North Sea reconnaissance in the course of their while returning to Soesterberg which the reached just after midnight. They left again at 02.57 on 5 August and landed at Cormeilles at 04.30, once more with signals monitoring en route. For once, the listeners were being listened to, the British Y-Service noting an aircraft of 6.(F)/123 in contact with Soesterberg from 21.06–21.58 and again from 01.54–02.25 when it was heading back to Cormeilles. Busch did not fly again until the early morning of 12 August when the Staffel was withdrawn to Arnhem-Deelen. Again there was a warning of enemy fighters along their route and two were seen about 3 km away but apparently did not attack. That day FAGr. 123 sent a signal that Ju 188 “C6 DL” [sic], flown by Ofw. Schulte of 6.(F)/123 had probably been shot down during a transfer flight. A report was requested as to the time and place of the incident and the fate of the crew, including statements from Air Movement Control at Volkel. Instructions were given that the machine’s “special equipment” should be dismantled at once and removed from the site.
Both Hauck and Schieck were back with their parent unit by the evening of 18 August and have detailed breakdowns of Staffel’s strength the next day:
In the few minutes after 2238 GMT on the 22nd, two aircraft with 6.(F)/123 tactical callsigns were heard by the British Y-Service in contact Zandvoort and Glize-Rijen, Netherlands. On 25 August two aircraft were serviceable (Ju 88 W.Nr. 430326 and Ju 188 E-1 W.Nr. 260251) and seven crews were ready (those of Ltn. Wilfert, Fw. Schieck, Fw. Hauck, Fw. Busch, Ofw. Bahr, Uffz. Stanzel and Gefr. Schulte). Wirtz and Pätz were still detached, Schittenheim and Schulte in hospital and sick respectively. On the 27th, Luftflotte 3 suggested to Einsatzstab OKL and the General Nachrichtenführer that in view of the fuel situation 6.(F)/123 should be withdrawn into the Reich. The Staffel was still at Deelen three days later and on 6 September it was ordered to move to Köthen (about midway between Magdeburg and Leipzig) where it would be subordinated to the Luftnachrichten-Versuchsregiment (Signals Experimental Regiment). Despite having absorbed 4.(F)/5 at the end of July, 6.(F)/123 was itself disbanded during September, leaving Heinz Hauck available for new employment with 4./KG 200. A British Intelligence document on the German order of battle in the West places 6.(F)/123 at Köthen on 6 September. Orders were given that day that an Obltn. Hilmar Grimm of 6.(F)/123 was to attend a Navigation Officers’ course in Strausberg from 9–28 October (by January 1945 this officer was serving in the signals echelon of KG 53). The order for the Staffel’s disbandment went out on 9 September. The II. Abteilung of Ln.Rgt. Köthen was to receive from it three Ju 188, each with a senior mechanic as well as all of the Staffel's radar monitoring sets and equipment for directing monitoring missions. On 4 October a unit thought to be 4.(F)/123 reported the arrival of 17 NCOs and other ranks from 6.(F)/123; these were probably ground crew since pilots are unlikely to have been transferred to a Bf 109 Staffel without first taking a conversion course.
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PART FOUR AND FINAL |
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