Following the paper trail - Part II

Intro

This series will consist of examples from my document collection showing the enormous amount of paper that was generated by the different parts of the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Meldung über erfolgte Bergung eines Flugzeuges - Report regarding the successful recovery of an aircraft

This pre-printed document was used by special units created to recover aircraft that was damaged or destroyed in all kinds of accidents or as a result of combat operations. These could be Bergetruppen attached to a specific airfield, other designations seen are Bergebattallion.

The first example here is the pre-printed sheet used by the units to record the information initially - the Vorläufige Ausführung - draft - where one can see that the Bergetrupp 25/IV attached to the Kommando Fliegerhorstbereich at Lille in France has entered the draft details of the recovery of a Bf 109 from III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 which occured at Vitry, France on October 31st 1943. I have published the original loss record as part of my data base of Luftwaffe losses here:

http://www.aviationhistory.no/ref_db/lw_loss_public.asp?lossid=109895

As one can see, the Halter (III./JG 26) given as the unit the aircraft was attached to differ from the draft seen here and the loss record (IV./JG 26) which was finally reported to the Generalquartiermeister 6. Abteilung in Berlin. This is in fact quite a rare bird also, as it is a two seater trainer version of the Bf 109,  a G-12 subtype.

Meldung über erfolgte Bergung eines Flugzeuges - draft

The second example shown is the typewritten final version of a recovery report from Flugzeugbergetrupp 41/IV subordinated to the Kommando Fliegerhorstbereich 6/XII Salon:

Meldung über erfolgte Bergung eines Flugzeuges - finished version

As one can see there are some astonishing details to be seen here, some which are usually not present in an ordinary loss report where no personnel injuries were sustained, and some that can only as far as I have been able to confirm be found in these reports.

We have the code or call sign of the aircraft "Yellow 15", the model and serial number of the engine, and even what part of the recovered aircraft went where after it was taken care of by the Bergetrupp.

The location is reported with a much larger degree of accuracy than the Generalquartiermeister reports, especially when the loss occurred outside of the airfield perimeter.

In this case the location is the same in both reports as can be seen from here:

http://www.aviationhistory.no/ref_db/lw_loss_public.asp?lossid=105411

The Zelle, or body/fuselage with wings, of the aircraft went to the Erla repair facility at Brüssel (Brugge) in Belgium, the engine was shipped to the Feldluftpark at Nimes in France as it was undamaged, while the spare parts and tools where to be prepared for transport (to the Erla VII repair works) by the unit the aircraft was attached to, in this case the 3. Staffel of the training unit Jagdgruppe Süd - the equivalent to a british OTU (operational training unit).

We even have the number of the transport document, 07 459 075, and which train wagon it was transported on, a French train wagon with the serial number 82687 - I bet some train geeks can tell us what kind of wagon this was!