German LW Photo Album Staffel '5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21'

In a very good condition a stunning picture album of the German Luftwaffe Staffel 5.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 21.

After completing several months of training and workup in the West, the Staffel was transferred to Zamość/SE Poland and assigned to Koluft Panzergruppe l/Army Group South with orders to support 9. Panzer-Division for the attack on the Soviet Union that began on 22 June 1941. Following close behind 9th Panzer as it advanced into western Ukraine, 5.(H)/21 operated from Tarnopol/ESE of Lvov during the first half of July and then moved forward via Proskurov to Zhitomir by 16 July. In late July it was based at Belaya Tserkov/SSW of Kiev with Hs 126 B-1s. Driving rapidly forward with the Panzer spearheads toward the Dnieper, the Staffel operated from Kirovograd in mid-August, Kamenka/45 km SE of Krivoy Rog in late August and Tomakovka/35 km west of Zaporozhye in September. German ground operations paused during late September after the sealing off and capture of Kiev so Panzer and other motorized forces could be redeployed for the attack on Moscow on 2 October, and 5.(H)/21 was withdrawn from the front at this time. It was then disbanded on 24 October 1941 and all assets (aircraft and personnel) were reportedly reassigned to the Staffeln of Aufklärungsgruppe 41. Only one combat loss was recorded for 5.(H)/21 during its brief existence, and that occurred on 9 July when an enemy fighter shot up and damaged (80%) a Staffel Fi 156 over Tarnopol wounding its pilot and a passenger.

The picture album comes with approx 50-60 pictures of the unit and the staffel song at the back of the booklet.
A very nice and rare album!

Code: 81111