Wetterbeobachtungs-Schiff

Fritz Homann

WBS 3 & 4


Spitsbergen - October 1941

Built

Name

Type

Homeport

Owner

1930

Fritz Homann
PG 395

Trawler

Geestemünde

Grundmann & Gröschel Wesermünde

Kriegs-
marine

Name

WBS#

WBS-Service

Complement

1940
Gruppe West
Gruppe Nord

Fritz Homann

3
4

1.3.40
31.12.41

15 crew
? meteorologist

 

21.3.1940 - medio April 1940
Schiff 16 - Atlantis

Denmark Strait (OG 1) - WBS 3

WBS in OG 1 (Operations Gebiet) Denmark Strait in support of Schiff 16 - Atlantis.

Departed Wilhelmshafen on 21st March for Operation Area 1. Returned to Wilhelmshafen in medio April. (App. 25 days at sea).

Marinegruppe-Kommando West

In same operation: WBS 4 and WBS 5

 

1940

North of Jan Mayen (OG 3) - WBS 3

WBS in OG 3 (Operations Gebiet) north of Jan Mayen.

Marinegruppe-Kommando Nord

 

App. 25.10.1940 - 5.11.1940
Seaplane Base: Jan Mayen
Admiral Scheer

Jan Mayen - Seaplane supply ship + WBS 3 (OG 2)

Support and supply ship. German seaplane base (Seeflugzeug-Stützpunkt) on Jan Mayen (Maria Musch Bukta or Rakved Bukt) in support of Admiral Scheer's passage through Denmark Strait into the Atlantic. Recon- and Weather flights of two Heinkel He 115's from Küstenfliegergruppe 506. (S4+BK? & S4+EL).

Departed Trondheim on app. 25th October for Jan Mayen. Arrived Jan Mayen on 28th October. Arrival of He 115's in Maria Musch Bukta on 29th October, where seaplane (S4+BK?) was wrecked during landing - crew saved by WBS 4. Seaplane (S4+EL) refuelled and moored in the bay, wrecked same night in heavy storm. Mission called of after the lost of both seaplanes.

Ordered to OG 2 in naval grid square AE 39 northeast of Iceland on 29th October to observe the weather during Admiral Scheer's passage through Denmark Strait. Returned safe to Bergen on 12th November 1940. (App. 18 days at sea)

Marinegruppe-Kommando Nord

In same operation: WBS 4 and WBS 5

 

19.11.1940 - 21.12.1940

Northeast of Iceland (OG 2) - WBS 3

WBS in OG 2 (Operations Gebiet) northeast of Iceland.

Sailed from Bergen 19.11.1940 via Trondheim to OG 2 in naval grid square AE 39 northeast of Iceland where she stayed until 19.12. - arrived back in Trondheim on 21.12.1940 (app. 32 days at sea).

Marinegruppe-Kommando Nord

 

26.9. - 15.11.1941
Operation "Knospe"
 

Spitsbergen () - transport of weather party to Signehamna, Vestspitsbergen.

On 26 September 1941 the two supply vessels Fritz Homann and Sachsen left Kiel bound for Tromsø, which was reached on 10 October. On 12 October both vessels left Tromsø; Bjørnøya was passed on the following day and on 14 October the southern coast of Spitsbergen was sighted. Both vessels anchored on 15 October in Signehamna, a small bay on the western side of Lilliehöökfjorden. Two days later Fritz Homann and Sachsen began to unload the stores and equipment; a line was rigged between the vessels and the land fast ice, and boats and rafts were propelled along it by hand and by 29 October the shore station was ready. It was intended that the supply vessels should delay their departure until the dark season. On 4 November Sachsen was released by means of explosive charges from the ice which had already begun to form and inspected Ny Ålesund in Kongsfjord and returned to Signehamna. On 15 November Fritz Homann and Sachsen left on the homeward voyage.

Marinegruppe-Kommando Nord



No Covers

Feldpost Nr.
M 28 290

(16.2.41-31.7.42)
Wetterbeobachtungsschiff "Homann"
Wetterbeobachtungsschiff No. 4

From: "Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945" by Norbert Kannapin.

 

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Update: 28.10.2005
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