HISTORY

Stab I./SG 2, Csor or Raab, Hungary, winter 1944/1945

Photo: Waralbum

sorties on the 21st, and two on the 24th.

Budapest. The Soviet troops were stopped just short of the city on 3

Meanwhile, the war went on, and Debrecen fell to the Soviets on 20 November by ad hoc German and Hungarian forces, but it had been

October, although a German army counterattack north of the city a big scare for the Axis commanders. Malinovsky was eager to capconcluding on 26 October enjoyed some success, with good support ture the city to coincide with the 7 November 1944 anniversary of the

from Fw 190 Schlachtflugzeuge of I. Fliegerkorps (180 sorties were Bolshevik Revolution, but Axis resistance was stiffening, supported

flown on 21 October, and 162 on 26 October). One German pilot of SG by Fw 190 F-8s of Luftflotte 4. 94 ground-attack aircraft of I. Flieger10 recalled of this period:

korps were sent out on 5 November, with II./SG 10 over the battle area

“We flew exclusively missions in support of the army, which was under mid-afternoon, attacking Soviet trucks.

heavy pressure from the Soviets. … We had successes without ma- Malinovsky now readjusted his plans, and soon began a series of

jor losses, and that brought a better mood amongst airmen as well complex enveloping manoeuvres to surround the city, starting on 11

as ground personnel. Even if they were not directly involved in the November. On the opening day of the new Red Army offensive, 51 Fw

fighting, the aircraft mechanics in particular were proud when ‘their’ 190 ground-attack aircraft were dispatched, and very experienced

aircraft destroyed a tank, shot down an aircraft, or achieved other German pilot Hermann Dibowsky 3) of I./SG 10 flew two missions from

his unit’s Ocseny base, near the Danube River south of Budapest.

outstanding successes.

We had to fly a lot. … It had become autumn, but the weather was At the start of November, I./SG 2 was based at Felsöabrany, but it was

about to have a significant change in leadership. On 7 November 1944,

mostly good and hardly gave us any breathing space.”

There was a new crisis for the Germans on 29 October, when Ge- Hptm. Kurt Lau left the Gruppe to take over training unit II./SG 103,

neral Armii Rodion Malinovsky’s 2. Ukrainian Front began an advan- and the former II./SG 103 commander, Hptm. Herbert Bauer, arrived

ce through Kecskemet and Kiskoros to the southern approaches of in his place. Bauer had already flown more than 1,000 sorties and de

Focke-Wulf 190 F-8 of Stab I./SG 2 with marking „black chevron, blue 2“ is seen at a Hungarian airfield during winter 1944/1945. This machine was previously shown with red markings. However, according to loss records the Stab I./SG 2 used blue digits, Stab II./SG 2 had green digits and Stab I./SG 10 used letters combined with chevrons.

INFO Eduard - May 2021

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