Küstenfliegergruppe (coastal air groups)

[Raponda]

I am editing my father's war memoirs from the Murmansk Run (convoys JW52 and RA53 during the winter of 1942-43. His Liberty ship fought against KüFlGr 1./406 planes based in Kirkenes, Norway and 3 Heinkel He 115's were shot down. High-Res. photos of this aircraft are rare. Can anyone help? I have located a few in the Norwegian website "BILDER TATT AV TYSKE SOLDATER I NORGE 1940 - 1945" but I find no way to purchase or license them for publication. Advice anyone? The book, "Liberty's War" will be published in May coincident with a museum exhibition about the story at the American Merchant Marine Museum, Kings Point NY (Long Island).

[Jos L C]

It seems that you need some private photo's.
Maybe better to post your request in the photo and paper items forum, who knows that maybe some guys have photo albums or something.
I once owned a leather flight suit named after this unit, it had a big stamp with unit etc..
Unfortunately sold it to get some other stuff, but it was a quite interesting item.

Jos.

[RamJet]

Have to look, perhaps I have an old postcard I can scan for You. Don't remember exactly.

[compressore]

Info

I am editing my father's war memoirs from the Murmansk Run (convoys JW52 and RA53 during the winter of 1942-43. His Liberty ship fought against KüFlGr 1./406 planes based in Kirkenes, Norway and 3 Heinkel He 115's were shot down. High-Res. photos of this aircraft are rare. Can anyone help? I have located a few in the Norwegian website "BILDER TATT AV TYSKE SOLDATER I NORGE 1940 - 1945" but I find no way to purchase or license them for publication. Advice anyone? The book, "Liberty's War" will be published in May coincident with a museum exhibition about the story at the American Merchant Marine Museum, Kings Point NY (Long Island).

Hello raponda,

that's very interesting.

I do own a named and 1940 dated Kriegsmarine Reefer for an ensign: Gratz

No doubt it is the same Arno Gratz who was missing in action as Leutnant z. See and observer on one of the He115 B/C which were shot down during the raid on the convoy. Since I have the jacket, I am searching for more information but its not so easy. I would be very happy if you could share what you found out and keep me posted on the exhibition.

BTW, different sources are saying 2, other ones 3 planes were brought down.
The LW sources (files of the RLM) are noting 2.


Here two pics of the jacket

Thank you very much

Christian

[Raponda]

Arno Gratz

Thanks, everyone, for the posts. I would be most grateful for a scan of your postcard, RamJet.

Christian, my dad was a midshipman serving as a loader on the Harnett, and her US Navy Armed Guard commander received the Silver Star to recognize his role in bringing down one of the Heinkels. I came across LzS Gratz's tunic for sale on the Swedish dealer's website after the auction and wrote to the firm in hopes of finding the buyer but have not heard back from them. I am so pleased to discover you! The sale of the tunic you own is mentioned in the manuscript and there is still time to revise if it you have additional information about Gratz or any of the five other airmen who perished that afternoon..

As for KűFlGr 1./406 and its attack on convoy JW 52, there were three bombers and two were shot down. A third limped to land and crashed. I have quite a bit of information about the incident and would like to correspond. My email address is will.melton@mac.com.

[Simon O.]

I guess you have this information? Though his name is spelled Kratz here.

http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/tap43.html

Hello raponda,

that's very interesting.

I do own a named and 1940 dated Kriegsmarine Reefer for an ensign: Gratz

No doubt it is the same Arno Gratz who was missing in action as Leutnant z. See and observer on one of the He115 B/C which were shot down during the raid on the convoy. Since I have the jacket, I am searching for more information but its not so easy. I would be very happy if you could share what you found out and keep me posted on the exhibition.

BTW, different sources are saying 2, other ones 3 planes were brought down.
The LW sources (files of the RLM) are noting 2.


Here two pics of the jacket

Thank you very much

Christian

[Raponda]

Luftwaffe loss records

Thanks, Simon. Yes, I have those records but I never noticed Gratz is spelled Kratz. "Gratz" is the correct spelling. He commanded (as observer) the aircraft, and his pilot was Hans Broy who had been forced down once before (Nov. 1939) in a Do18 and interned in Norway before the invasion of Norway. He and his crew were released after the Germans took over the country, but his luck ran out on 24 January 1943. My dad was a midshipman serving as a loader on the Liberty ship SS Cornelius Harnett that day, and the US Navy Armed Guard commander received a Silver Star for downing one of the Heinkels. Thank you for your help!

[RamJet]

I would be most grateful for a scan of your postcard, RamJet.

I will look for it on the weekend.

[compressore]

Wrong spelling

I guess you have this information? Though his name is spelled Kratz here.

http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/tap43.html

Hello Simon,

thank you very much for the link. Seems that the Norwegian table has a misspelling. Gratz is correct as per Crew book X/39 (reprint after the war with war bio) and the RLM archives.
http://luftwaffe-zur-see.de/Seeluft/...n/Jahr1943.htm

Regards
Christian

[RamJet]

I will look for it on the weekend.

The postcard is unfortunately not an old photo but only a print from the Imperial War Museum in London. Sorry, I forgot.

Try here, they have all the pics and You can get them with publishing rights:

www.bild.bundesarchiv.de

[RamJet]

And here You can buy an original vintage photo postcard via Ebay:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/PK-Luftwaffe-...0AAOSwSv1XmEad