60:
42:
151:
315:. Although the Ar 66 was a two-seater aircraft, they usually flew with only a single pilot, and carried two or three 50 kg (110 lb) or 70 kg (150 lb) anti-personnel or incendiary bombs. Their missions were typically flown at an altitude of around 1,000 m (3,300 ft), up to 50 km (31 mi) behind enemy lines. Each pilot was issued with a pistol and machine gun, in case of a
296:, ("12th Night Combat Group (Latvian)") was established on 1 March 1944. It consisted of all Latvian officer and NCO pilots, ground crews, with a few German liaison and administrative personnel, and was equipped with eighteen
734:
729:
350:(3./NSGr.12) was created in July, but due to a lack of aircraft, flew no operations, and its equipment and personnel were eventually incorporated into the 1st and 2nd
724:
719:
288:
416:
During its operational existence the unit flew about 6,150 sorties, with the loss of six pilots. About 80% of the pilots were awarded the
374:("Latvian Supplementary Flying Group"), and an anti-aircraft unit. On 17 August overall command of the Legion was assumed by the Latvian
254:("Supplementary Night Combat Group Ostland") on 1 January 1944. The pilots were drawn from former members of the pre-war Latvian Army's
378:
Jānis Rucels, with Lt.-Col. Nikolajs
Bulmanis commanding NSGr.12. In September the Legion was relocated further east to a base in
624:
684:
522:
311:("Harassment squadron") 1./NSGr.12 flew night bombing missions attacking enemy concentrations, infrastructure, and other
584:
739:
370:
of NSGr.12, and the third (still in the process of formation), the flight school at
Liepaja-Grobina, renamed the
211:
121:
427:. Five returned to Latvia in October, but by then the Legion had been disbanded, so they were assigned to
466:
250:
334:(2./NSGr.12) was formed, joining 1./NSGr.12 at Salas on the 26th. In July NSGr.12 moved north-east to
231:
In
September 1943 the Germans ordered the creation of a Latvian night bombing unit as part of the
327:
655:
397:
The trust of the
Germans in their local Baltic flyers had been eroded by the desertion of five
423:
In mid-1944 a select group of ten
Latvian pilots were transferred to Germany to train in the
326:, flying their first combat missions on 26 March. On 26 May they moved to Salas aerodrome in
312:
150:
8:
375:
265:
188:
183:
552:
429:
424:
273:
255:
413:
was disbanded on 17 October 1944, and its personnel redistributed to German units.
492:
176:
163:
632:
692:
530:
442:
316:
215:
713:
447:
323:
391:
172:
116:
65:
297:
269:
168:
592:
405:
to neutral Sweden in late
September and early October. As a result, the
417:
330:, about 50 km (31 mi) south of Vecumi. On 22 June the second
409:
ordered that the
Estonian and Latvian aviation legions be dissolved.
339:
301:
206:
75:
264:, and the Latvian Aero Club. Flying training was carried out in the
260:
286:
The first group of pilots graduated in late
February, and the 1st
398:
335:
244:
240:
387:
383:
379:
47:
390:. The Legion was finally evacuated back to Hohensalza (now
343:
735:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
279:
730:Military units and formations established in 1944
618:
616:
614:
612:
610:
711:
516:
514:
725:Military history of Latvia during World War II
660:[Estonian Air Force in World War II].
607:
382:, and in early October flew their last combat
511:
493:"Latvia - Airforce Flag and Aircraft Marking"
357:
300:biplanes, all under the command of a German,
578:
576:
574:
214:in 1944. It was composed almost entirely of
366:was formed. It consisted of the two active
585:"Latvian Aviation Chronology 1941 Onwards"
571:
272:were trained as mechanics, electricians,
226:
720:Foreign volunteer units of the Luftwaffe
625:"The Latvian Squadrons in the Luftwaffe"
545:
653:
712:
647:
682:
622:
582:
520:
276:handlers, and anti-aircraft gunners.
237:Flugzeugführerschule A/B Libau/Grobin
485:
13:
372:Ergaenzungs Fliegergruppe Lettland
14:
751:
403:Nachtschlachtgruppe 11 (Estnisch)
294:Nachtschlachtgruppe 12 (Lettisch)
281:Nachtschlachtgruppe 12 (Lettisch)
21:Nachtschlachtgruppe 12 (Lettisch)
249:Ergaenzungs Nachtschlachtgruppe
149:
58:
40:
322:1./NSGr.12 were first based at
221:
676:
459:
247:in October, which was renamed
1:
657:ВВС Эстонии во Второй Мировой
523:"Training at Liepaja-Grobini"
453:
7:
436:
10:
756:
553:"Latvian Aviation in WWII"
411:Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland
364:Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland
358:Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland
201:Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland
23:Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland
654:Zefirov, Michael (2012).
338:, and later eastwards to
204:was a unit of the German
182:
162:
157:
145:
137:
132:
109:
101:
93:
81:
71:
53:
35:
27:
20:
656:
471:lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de
740:Generalbezirk Lettland
683:Zulis, Gunars (2012).
623:Zulis, Gunars (2012).
583:Zulis, Gunars (2012).
521:Zulis, Gunars (2012).
362:On 11 August 1944 the
313:targets of opportunity
227:Formation and training
97:Night harassment raids
89:("Night Combat Group")
239:, was established at
467:"Maschinenkennungen"
319:in enemy territory.
31:March – October 1944
689:latvianaviation.com
629:latvianaviation.com
589:latvianaviation.com
533:on 2 September 2018
527:latvianaviation.com
386:in the vicinity of
258:, the paramilitary
235:. A flight school,
210:that served in the
86:Nachtschlachtgruppe
685:"The Selected Few"
420:1st or 2nd class.
376:Lieutenant-Colonel
695:on 12 August 2012
595:on 12 August 2012
473:(in German). 2007
430:Jagdgeschwader 54
425:Focke-Wulf Fw 190
256:Aviation Regiment
194:
193:
747:
705:
704:
702:
700:
691:. Archived from
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674:
673:
671:
669:
651:
645:
644:
642:
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631:. Archived from
620:
605:
604:
602:
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591:. Archived from
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569:
568:
566:
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549:
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542:
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529:. Archived from
518:
509:
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489:
483:
482:
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478:
463:
309:Störkampfstaffel
292:("Squadron") of
153:
64:
62:
61:
46:
44:
43:
18:
17:
755:
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750:
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710:
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635:on 15 July 2014
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284:
229:
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197:
177:Henschel Hs 126
175:
171:
128:
88:
59:
57:
41:
39:
22:
12:
11:
5:
753:
743:
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737:
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707:
706:
675:
646:
606:
570:
544:
510:
484:
457:
455:
452:
451:
450:
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443:Latvian Legion
438:
435:
359:
356:
317:forced landing
283:
278:
228:
225:
223:
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195:
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186:
180:
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166:
160:
159:
158:Aircraft flown
155:
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113:
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55:
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9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
752:
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558:
557:lacplesis.com
554:
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448:Night Witches
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266:Bücker Bü 131
263:
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253:
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246:
242:
238:
234:
219:
217:
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212:Eastern Front
209:
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196:Military unit
190:
189:Bücker Bü 131
187:
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138:Squadron code
136:
131:
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122:Eastern Front
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699:10 September
697:. Retrieved
693:the original
688:
678:
668:10 September
666:. Retrieved
664:(in Russian)
661:
649:
639:10 September
637:. Retrieved
633:the original
628:
599:10 September
597:. Retrieved
593:the original
588:
563:10 September
561:. Retrieved
556:
547:
537:10 September
535:. Retrieved
531:the original
526:
503:10 September
501:. Retrieved
496:
487:
477:10 September
475:. Retrieved
470:
461:
428:
422:
415:
410:
406:
402:
401:pilots from
396:
371:
367:
363:
361:
351:
347:
331:
321:
308:
306:
304:Rademacher.
293:
287:
285:
280:
270:ground crews
259:
248:
236:
232:
230:
222:Unit history
218:volunteers.
205:
200:
199:
198:
173:Gotha Go 145
117:World War II
85:
66:Nazi Germany
15:
394:, Poland).
298:Arado Ar 66
169:Arado Ar 66
110:Engagements
105:2 squadrons
714:Categories
454:References
418:Iron Cross
392:Inowrocław
346:. A third
54:Allegiance
662:airwar.ru
407:Luftwaffe
340:Kalnciems
302:Hauptmann
233:Luftwaffe
207:Luftwaffe
76:Luftwaffe
497:fotw.net
437:See also
399:Estonian
352:Staffeln
274:ordnance
261:Aizsargi
133:Insignia
384:sorties
368:Staffel
348:Staffel
336:Gulbene
332:Staffel
328:Kārsava
289:Staffel
251:Ostland
245:Grobina
241:Liepaja
216:Latvian
184:Trainer
146:Roundel
36:Country
559:. 2006
499:. 2011
388:Dobele
380:Tukums
324:Vecumi
268:, and
164:Attack
72:Branch
63:
48:Latvia
45:
28:Active
342:near
307:As a
701:2012
670:2012
641:2012
601:2012
565:2012
539:2012
505:2012
479:2012
344:Riga
102:Size
94:Role
82:Type
716::
687:.
627:.
609:^
587:.
573:^
555:.
525:.
513:^
495:.
469:.
433:.
354:.
141:6A
703:.
672:.
643:.
603:.
567:.
541:.
507:.
481:.
243:-
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