by Ron Klages

LUFTFLOTTE 4
Order of Battle on 5 April 1941

4(F)/121 in Seyring, Austria with Ju 88Ds
Stab, I. and III./KG 2 in Zwölfaxing, Austria with Do 17Zs
III./KG 3 in Münchendorf, Austria with Do 17Zs
II,/KG 4 in Aspern, Austria with He 111Ps
Stab, I. and II./KG 51 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria with Ju 88As
III./KG 51 in Schwechat, Austria with Ju 88As

FLIEGERFÜHRER GRAZ
II./JG 54 less the 4. Staffel in Graz, Austria with Bf 109Es
II./StG 77 in Graz, Austria with Ju 87Bs
Stab/StG 3 in Graz, Austria with Ju 87Bs
I./JG 27 in Graz, Austria with Bf 109Es

FLIEGERFÜHRER ARAD
III./JG 54 in Arad, Rumania with Bf 109Es
Stab, I. and III./StG 77 in Arad, Rumania with Ju 87Bs
4./JG 54 in Arad, Rumania with Bf 109Es
I./ZG 26 in Szeged, Hungary with Bf 110s
Stab, II. and III./JG 27 in Deta, Rumania with Bf 109Es

Attached 2 Armee, Austria/Hungary
2(H)/31 serving XIV Korps with Hs 126s
3(H)/13 serving XLIX, LI and LII Korps with Hs 126s
4(H)/13 serving XLI Korps with Hs 126s
3(H)/21 Pz serving 11. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
3(H)/41 Pz serving 5. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
3(H)/12 Pz serving 5. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
2(H)/32 Pz serving 14. Panzer Division with Hs 126s

FLIEGERKORPS VIII
2(F)/11 in Sofia-Filiporci, Bulgaria with Do 17s
Stab, I. and III. StG 2 in Belica and Krainici, Bulgaria with Ju 87Bs
I./StG 3 in Belica, Bulgaria with Ju 87Bs
Stab, II. and III. JG 27 in Belica and Sofia-Vrba, Bulgaria withBf 109Es
I.(J)/LG 2 in Sofia-Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with Bf 109Es
I./LG 1 in Krumovo, Bulgaria with Ju 88As
II.(Sch)/LG 2 in Sofia-Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with 2 staffeln of Bf 109Es and I staffel of Hs 123As
7./LG 2 in Sofia-Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with Bf 110s
10./LG 2 in Krainici, Bulgaria with Hs 123As
II./ZG 26 in Krainici and Vrazdebna, Bulgaria with Bf 110s
7. Seenotdienstaffel in Varna, Bulgaria with various floatplanes
IV./KgzbV 1 in Krumovo, Bulgaria with Ju 52/3ms

Attached to 12 Armee in Bulgaria
5(H)13 serving the XXX Korps with Hs 126s
2(H)10 serving the XVIII Korps with Hs 126s
4(H)22 serving the XL Korps with Hs 126s
4(H)32 serving the XI and L Korps with Hs 126s
1(H)14 Pz serving the 2. Panzer Division with Hs 126s
1(H)23 serving the 9. Panzer Division with Hs 126s

On the first day of the invasion of Yugoslavia, 6 April, the following victories were claimed by the Luftwaffe:
1. Oblt. Erwin Clausen from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0611 hours
2. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0612 hours
3. Fw. Wilhelm Schneider from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0612 hours
4. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0615 hours
5. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0615 hours
6. Uffz. Otto Riedl from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0615 hours
7. Oblt. Erwin Clausen from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0617 hours
8. Uffz. Josef Quatember from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0619 hours
9. Oblt. Erwin Clausen from 3./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0620 hours
10. Lt. Fritz Greißhardt from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0620 hours
11. Uffz. Werner Schleritz from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hawker Fury at 0620 hours
12. Fw. Erwin Riehl from 9./JG 77 credited with a IK-Z at 0815 hours
13. Obfw. Olaf Dyk from 4./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
14. Oblt. Erich Friedrich from Stab./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
15. Fw. Ludwig Fröba from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
16. Oblt. Berthold Jung from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
17. Fw. Armin Köhler from 4./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
18. Oblt. Patz from 4./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
19. Obfw. Werner Petermann from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
20. Obfw. Werner Petermann from 5./JG 77 was credited with a Bf 109 between 0815 and 0845 hours
21. Oblt. Armin Schmidt from 9./JG 77 credited with a Bf 109E at 0845 hours
22. Oblt. Joachim Müncheberg from 7./JG 26 credited with a Avia B.33E at 1205 hours
23. Oblt. Klaus Mietusch from 7./JG 26 credited with a Avia B.33E at 1210 hours
24. Lt. Emil Omert from 9./JG 77 credited with a Bf 109E at 1240 hours
25. Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann from7./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109E at 1243 hours
26. Oblt. Arnold Lignitz from Stab III./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1415 hours
27. Oblt. Günther Scholz from 7./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1415 hours
28. Uffz Stiegleder from I. ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at aound 1420 hours
29. Uffz Stiegleder from I. ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at aound 1425 hours
30. Fw. Richard Heller from 9./ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at 1602 hours
31. Oblt. Gerhard “Knall” Koall from 7./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1715 hours
32. Oblt. Hans-Eckart Bob from 9./JG 54 credited wih a Bf 109 at 1730 hours
33. Unknown crew from III./ZG 26 credited with a Bf 109 at unknown time
34. Unknown crew from III./ZG 26 credited with a IK-Z at unknown time

Luftwaffe losses this first day were:
+ Ofw. Heinz Eckhardt from I./ LG 2 in a Bf 109E listed as missing
+ Bf 109E from I./LG 2 crashed upon landing after action
+ Bf 109E from II./LG 2 crashed upon landing after action
+ Bf 109E from II./LG 2 crashed upon landing after action
+ Fw. Helmut Recker from II./ZG 26 in a Bf 110 shot down and killed along with gunner
+ Uffz. Adolf Sondermann from II./ZG 26 in a Bf 110 shot down and killed along with gunner
+ Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld commander of I./LG 2 was hit by small arms fire and crash landed his Bf 109E and became a POW until the conflict was over
+ Uffz. Hannenberg from II.(Sch)/LG 2 in a Hs 123 crashed after being hit by ground fire and he also became a POW
+ Ofw. Herbert Flor from 3./StG 2 in a Ju 87 was shot down.
+ additional losses were another Hs 123, another JU 87, two Bf 110s and 6 additional Bf 109Es although some of these were from accidents and no enemy action.
+ Fw. Ewald Bruns and Hptm. Hans Hoffman were reported missing in their Hs 126 from 1(H)/23 and another Hs 126 from 3(H)/21 was destroyed on the ground from bombs dropped by Yugoslavian aircraft.
+ 2 Do 17s from 8./KG 3 and 5 Bf 110 from I./ZG 26, 4 Ju 87s from II./StG 77 lost in the bombing of Belgrade
+ Another Hs 126 was shot down by Yugoslavian Hurricane
+ Flak shot down Oblt. Heinz Deuschle in a Bf 109E from III./JG 77

On 7 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victories:
35. Hubert Mütherich from 5./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1201 hours
36. Wolfgang Spate from 5/JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1201 hours
37. Hubert Mütherich from 5./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1202 hours
38. Josef “Joschi” Pöhs from 5./JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1203 hours
39. unknown pilot from 5.JG 54 credited with a Blenheim at 1204 hours
40. Josef “Joschi” Pöhs from 5./JG 54 credited with a Hurricane at 1435 hours
41. Hans “Fips” Philipp from 4./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1605 hours
42. Maximillian Stotz from 4./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1605 hours
43. Hans “Fips” Philipp from 4./JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1606 hours
44. unknown pilot from 5.JG 54 credited with a Bf 109 at 1607 hours

Luftwaffe losses this day were:
+ 3 Ju 88As from I./KG 51 and 2 Do 17Zs from I./KG 2
+ II/KG 51 had a Ju 88A crash land and III./KG 51 also had a Ju bb A crash on landing
+ 2 Ju 87s from I./StG 77 collided over their base and another crashed and overturned on landing.
+ A Bf 110 from II./ZG 26 crash landed at its based from severe damage in combat
+ an Hs 126A was shot down by Yugoslavian fighters

On 8 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victory:
45. Lt. Hans “Beisser” Beisswenger from 6. JG 54 was credited with a Hurricane at unknown time
Also III./ZG 26 returned to its home in Sicily on this day.

On 9 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victories:
46. Oblt. Gerhard “Knall” Koall from 7./JG 54 credited with a IK-2 at 1425 hours
47. Erwin Leykauf from 9./JG 54 credited with a Hurricane at 1427 hours
48. Oblt. Hans-Eckart Bob from 9./JG 54 credited with a IK-2 at unknown time
49. Oblt. Kurt Görbing from 1./LG 2 credited wih a Hurricane at unknown time
50. Ekke-Eberhard Reinbrecht from 2./LG 2 credited wih a IK-2 at unknown time
51. Walter Schumann from 1./LG 2 credited with a Hurricane at unknown time

On 11 April the Luftwaffe claimed the following victory:
52. Konrad Schönweiß from 1./JG 54 was credited with a Blenheim at 14.25 hours

Other known German aircraft lost were as follows:
11 April a Ju 88 from II./KG 51 was shot down by Yugoslavian fighter
8 April a Bf 109E from III./JG 54 was missing this day

By 15 April 1941 the action was over in Yugoslavia.

Sources used

Christopher Shores, Brian Cull & Nicola Malizia - Airwar for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete 1940-1941