Stalingrad: He-115 unit / LMA III & LMB III riverine mines

[Russ Schulke]

In May of this year I was in the Archives in Volgograd and recovered soviet wartime documents related to the mining of the Volga River during the the Stalingrad battle.

In several of the Soviet reports (31 military and 12 civilian) from June and July 1942, they state that German He-115 (Twin engine twin boom float planes) and Ju-88 were mining the Volga river.

Question:

1.) What would the closes Luftwaffe unit operating He-115 to Stalingrad in late summer and fall of 1942?


Also, I am looking for picture of the following aerial mines, LMA III / LMB III and their deployment (parachute) system.


Russ


www.fireonthevolga.com

[Simon O.]

To the best of my knowledge, by 1942 remaining He115 were pretty much all to be found in North Norway?

[Russ Schulke]

Stalingrad: twin engine, twin boom float planes dropping parachute mines?

Three of the military docs clearly state He-115, while most of the civilian docs note twin engine, twin boom float planes dropping parachute mines into the Volga.

Question:

1.) What other twin engine, twin boom float planes did the Luftwaffe operate during this period (Fall 1942) that could be in southern Russia?

2.) Would any of the following units be in southern Russia waters during this period and flying he-115?

Küstenfliegergruppe 406
Küstenfliegergruppe 506
Küstenfliegergruppe 906
Seeaufklärungsgruppe 125
Seeaufklärungsgruppe 126
Seeaufklärungsgruppe 129
Seeaufklärungsgruppe 130
Seeaufklärungsgruppe 131
Küstenflieger-Ergänzungsstaffel 138
Minensuch-Gruppe 1 der Luftwaffe
Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 108

I have copies of some log books for Seeaufklärungsgruppe 125 (Blohm & Voss Bv 138) performing missions out of Sevastopol to the lower Volga and Caspian sea region during this same period.

Russ


www.fireonthevolga.com