Luftwaffe Gruppen/Geschwaderen participating to Tunis campaign

[greybeard]

I'm looking for units who actively took part in the last phase of North African Campaign, say December 1942 - May 1943. It seems that at that time Luftwaffe had completely left the area, but still fought over Tunisia, taking off from Sicily and Sardinia(?). So far, I found that at least two of the previous actors of air war over the desert, III./JG53 and III./ZG26, were based in Sicily (Messina and Trapani), but what about other fighter units (if any), bomber squadrons, dive bombers, transports? For instance, I often saw images of Fw 190 in desert camouflage, as well as Hs 129B2...

Thanks for any help,
GB

 

[Milosh]

'Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in North Africa' by Andrew Arthy/Morten Jessen might help.

 

[greybeard]

Thanks, but I don't have that book. However, I found on the internet that II./JG2 was stationed with its Fw 190's in the area until March 1943.

[sources: WINGS PALETTE and The Luftwaffe, 1933-45]

 

[Milosh]

There is lots of info in the book which includes combat diaries.

The units: II./JG2, S JG53, I./JG53, II./JG53, S JG77, I./JG77, II./JG77, III./JG77, I./Sch.G2, 8.(Pz)/Sch.G.2, III./SKG 10, II./St.G 3, III./St.G. 3
, 4.(H)/12, 2.(H)/14

 

[greybeard]

Thank you very much for the list of operational squadrons! In the meantime I had found two more (III./JG77 and 2.(H)/14). Now I can detail them all from the same sources.

The book is a bit expensive for my finances, but I'll keep it in mind.

 

[Crimea_River]

Another unit you can add to the mix, one that I'm only just learning about, was the Wüstennotstaffel (Desert Rescue Squadron) which was a single squadron of primarily Fieseler Fi156 Storchs whose primary function was to rescue downed pilots. The unit was formed early in the African campaign and remained active in Tunisia during the evacuation.

Wüstennotstaffel - Part One - Air War Publications

 

[Andrew Arthy]

I'm looking for units who actively took part in the last phase of North African Campaign, say December 1942 - May 1943. It seems that at that time Luftwaffe had completely left the area, but still fought over Tunisia, taking off from Sicily and Sardinia(?). So far, I found that at least two of the previous actors of air war over the desert, III./JG53 and III./ZG26, were based in Sicily (Messina and Trapani), but what about other fighter units (if any), bomber squadrons, dive bombers, transports? For instance, I often saw images of Fw 190 in desert camouflage, as well as Hs 129B2...

Thanks for any help,
GB

Hi,

The Luftwaffe had many units based in Tunisia right up to 10 May 1943. Here is a complete order of battle for mid-February 1943:

Most of the above units were operational in Tunisia until ca. 20 April 1943, when they began withdrawing to Sicily. However, flying detachments were sent from Sicily to Tunisia most mornings up until 8 May 1943, and a final evacuation occurred on 10/11 May 1943.

Aircraft from II. Fliegerkorps, based on Sicily and Sardinia, sometimes operated over Tunisia.

As noted above, Adam Thompson and I have written unit histories of the 1. Wüstennotstaffel and short-range reconnaissance unit 2.(H)/14. I'm currently finalising an article on the air war at Kasserine.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

 

[greybeard]

Another unit you can add to the mix, one that I'm only just learning about, was the Wüstennotstaffel (Desert Rescue Squadron)...

Thanks for the indication. In fact I didn't even know of the existence of such a type of squadron (even if I had to suspect it, given that every air force had similar ones).

 

[greybeard]

The Luftwaffe had many units based in Tunisia right up to 10 May 1943.
...
Most of the above units were operational in Tunisia until ca. 20 April 1943, when they began withdrawing to Sicily. However, flying detachments were sent from Sicily to Tunisia most mornings up until 8 May 1943, and a final evacuation occurred on 10/11 May 1943.

Thanks for the information, congratulations for what has already been published and to be published.