Fernaufklärungs Staffel Flandern

[Regulus]

Hi,

It is normally accepted that Lt.d.R. Schmidt and Flg. Obmaat Kulbe were flying for Seefrontstaffel. However this seems not to be the case ! I found them in a Wochenbericht as missing on the 31st July 1918 when not returning from a long distance reconnaissance flight. The unit is Fernaufklärungsstaffel. And this doesn't seems to be another name for the Seefrosta as the unit is also mentioned on the documents.
So was this a part of the Seefrosta ? Or a brandnew unit ? They were flying a Rumpler C 7/7652 on that moment.

Best from Regulus

[Soderbaum]

Hi Regulus,

Interesting question regarding the Fernaufklährungsstaffel...!

I have always seen this "small unit" as a part of Seefrosta until the Seefrosta was split up on 1 Aug 1918(early August)...
...and thereafter a part of the SFS(Seeflugstation) III.... 8)

It was "very" common among German 2-s units that they had a few a/c(kette) for special duties which did not have an official independant status....

However the German also had small units like the Reihenbildzüge which could have an independant status.... :-[

Also it is clear that the a/c and personal of the Fernaufklährungssstaffel is mentioned "within" the KTB(War diary) of the Seefrosta until early August 1918 and up to 31 August in the KTB of SFS III.....

However I dont have the KTB of the SFS III after 31 August 1918...

Until know I havent seen any official German Marine documents which identify the Fernaufklährungsstaffel as an independant unit, but there could be documents that I have missed...!

I dont think that the report you have from the weekly Marine Kofl is enough to convince me....but it raises some doubts in my thoughts...

So the obvious solution to find a complete answer, would be finding the KTB of this unit(Freiburg) or a report from a high Marine level which confirms this unit...

If you find that, please make a note for me


Gunnar