Odd Luftwaffe unit marking

[david carlson]

Greetings:

I could use some help identifying a unit. I have a photo group of a beobachter with a transport squadron. He flew in He-111s in Russia and Ju-52s in Italy and around the Mittelmeer.

One photo, with the caption on back: "Flug nach Cholm 1942", shows an He-111 with the letters: NN + DM

What unit was NN?

Thanks for any help you can give.

David

[Larry deZeng]

Greetings:
I could use some help identifying a unit. I have a photo group of a beobachter with a transport squadron. He flew in He-111s in Russia and Ju-52s in Italy and around the Mittelmeer.
One photo, with the caption on back: "Flug nach Cholm 1942", shows an He-111 with the letters: NN + DM
What unit was NN?
Thanks for any help you can give.
David

NN+DM is the Stammkennzeichen (original aircraft code or factory aircraft code). These codes were allocated and applied to aircraft right after coming off the production line and were retained until given a Verbandskennzeichen. Many aircraft pulled from factories, depots, air parks, schools, etc., in Germany for use at the front during emergency situations were sent "as is" and their codes were never changed to Verbandskennzeichen (unit code) until weeks or months later. So there are loads of photos around of Luftwaffe aircraft at the front that were still using their original Stammkennzeichen.

--BHS1956

[david carlson]

Thanks!

Well, there you go. Great explanation.

Many thanks!

David