Luftwaffe radar stations (Flugmeldemess-Stellungen).  
         
         
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1./Ln-Flugmeldeabteilungen (E) z.b.V. 21. SUMATRA I.

  
     
     
 

 
  The crest SUMATRA I.  Thanks to the interpretation by Larry D.  The map of Sumatra and a Roman I.  The blue and white division of the crest is also found in parts of the old Wappen of Landsberg am Lech.  
         
         
 

 
  Drawing of SUMATRA I.  If you look closely, you'll see that the artist has depicted the left Freya as a LZ version and the right as a Mot. version.  
     
 

Through the editors of the Flieger Blatt of Gemeinschaft der Flieger deutscher Streitkräfte e.V. I have come into possession of a document, which is an account of part of the wartime history of SUMATRA I.  It is an important document, because it again proves, that some of these trains did service in Western Europe, before they deployed to the Eastern Front.  It is also important, because it documents the establishment of some trains in mid 1942, and not OCT 1942 as stated by Hoffmann.

  
     
     
 

Deployment.

  
  SUMATRA 1 was declared operational at Landsberg am Lech in June 1942 and immediately got marching orders to Damgarten, where it was inspected by Kammhuber.  This could indicate, that this unit indeed was the first of these type of units.  Other known deployment locations and periods are given below.  
     
 

 
 

The station at Deblin 2006.  Photo and © Mr. Dariusz Karnas via Mr. Pawel Przymusiała.  On 22 JUL 1944, with Soviet tanks 10 - 12 km away SUMATRA I packed and left in 5½ hours.

  
     
      Location Period Kill #        
       1. Damgarten. 1942-06-12 to 1942-07-13          
       2. Leba. 1942-07-14 to 1942-07-26          
       3  Labiau. 1942-07-27 to 1942-10-26 1 -2        
       4. Landsberg. 1942-10-28 to 1942-12-03          
       5. Chateaudun. 1942-12-04 to 1942-12-22 3        
       4. Landsberg. 1942-12-23 to 1943-01-24          
       6. Strassburg (Uckermark). 1943-01-25 to 1943-02-09          
       4. Landsberg. 1943-02-10 to 1943-02-16          
       7. Plounerin. 1943-02-17 to ?????? 4 - 6        
       8. Diatkowo. 1943-07-16 to 1943-08-12 8 - 31        
       9. Ljubochna. 1943-08-16 to 1943-09-01 32 - 43        
      10. Sselzo. 1943-09-02 to ?????? 44 - 48        
      11. Stary-Bychow. 1943-10-?? to ?????? 49 - 110        
      12. Farinowo ?????? to ??????          
      13. Deblin. 1944-05-15 to 1944-07-22 111 - 116        
      14. Blonie 1944-07-23 to ?????? 117        
      15. Küstrin. Winter 1944          
      16. Neurupin. Spring 1945          
     
 

 
     
     
  Kills and Claims.  
  On  28 SEP 1944 Ln-Flugmeldeabteilungen (E) z.b.V. 21 was credited with having participated in the achievement of 400 nocturnal kills in less than a year, SUMATRA I was responsible for more than 1/4 of these.  The Jlo during the majority of the interceptions was Lt. Floegel and the pilots encompassed such notabilities as Maj. Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Hptm. Alois Lechner.  The latter achieved 7 confirmed kills in one mission on the night of 27 OCT 1943 under control of Lt. Floegel.  As far as I know this is a record high of night-kills during WW II.  
     
 

 
 

A page from the document detailing the kills of Lechner/Floegel.

  
     
  The operational history of the unit not was not confined to air operations.  Several times the unit was engaged in fierce ground action with partisans, involving the utilization of the light Flak against ground targets.   
         
         
         
 

 
         
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