Lt Franz Degelsegger Luftwaffe

**smithyraaf** · 09-12-2017, 08:25 AM

Hi Guys,
I am putting together the history of one of our Luftwaffe members who flew the FW190 and ended up in a ground combat unit. I have most of the info that he gave me when I interviewed him before he died but I am unsure of a couple pieces of information. I would like any photos of SG104 as I have none. I have included several photos of Frank for the forums use.

1-He enlisted in what he called the Air Force Felt Division in 1940. is this correct or should it be Field Division.

2-Commenced pilot training on the 21 June 1941, training in Holland then Frankfurt. Whilst training he was shot down once being wounded in the hand and had to bailout. He was wounded a second time this time in the foot he managed to return to base where he crash landed but sadly his instructor was killed. He finished his pilot training in September 1943.

3-Posted to Schlachtgeschwader 104 to fly the FW190 E/D. During his time with SG104 he flew 57 armed reconnaissance and 27 strikes during which he destroyed and damaged some 30 enemy vehicles. On one occasion he collided with a Iiyushin II-2M3 which crashed Frank managed to return to base. Time spent with SG104 was August 1944 to 1 April 1945 when it was disbanded. Total wartime hours flown were 1,280.

4-Frank was transferred to what he called the 6th Regiment of the Luftwaffe (is this correct) with the rank of Lt as a section commander in April 1945. He said that they were in the defence of Berlin from about the 14th April and he mentioned the Pinow and Hohenzollern channels (is this correct). on the 28 April 1945 he was wounded when he was struck by a bullet in the neck, a scar that he carried till his death.
I asked him if he was recommended for any awards and he stated that he was recommended for the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class.

5-Prisoner of War 1945 to 1947

6-On his release as a POW he immigrated to Australia.

If anyone has other info it would be much appreciated and of course any photos of SG104.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Shane

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 09-12-2017 08:25 AM

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**KMMorris** · 09-12-2017, 10:09 AM

SG104 was disbanded as mentioned on the 1.4.45, and 1200 men was transferred to the Berlin area on 14.4.45, for ground combat duties which would have resulted in them probably being mixed into Kampfgruppes or Mixed Flak Divisions, it is possible that they were placed into a divisions the 6th but is will take some more digging. The last 2 Gruppenkommandeure of SG104 are KIA in April 1945 according to lexikon. It is great that you where able to record this information and that he lived out his life in Australia.

**smithyraaf** · 09-14-2017, 02:33 AM

Thanks for the reply and information, still lots of research to do.
Regards,
Shane.

**hucks216** · 09-15-2017, 11:07 AM

SG-104 was a training unit based in Tutow and Denmark so not sure how he would of flown that many combat missions against the Russians although it wouldn't of been the first time that a training unit took part in operations. Do you have copies of his Flügbuch?
Lexikon states it saw no combat ( Schlachtgeschwader 104 )

**smithyraaf** · 09-18-2017, 08:08 AM

Thanks for the reply, the only stuff that Frank had left were the photos. I have been through my notes and he said that his last commanding officer was Major Gustav Pressler if this helps. I am almost 100% sure that Frank said he flew with SG104?. If you have any other ideas please let me know.
Regards,
Shane

**hucks216** · 09-18-2017, 08:44 AM

Pressler would fit as he was the last commander of SG104, and if anyone was capable of leading trainees into combat it would of been him. He was a long serving ground attack pilot who finished the war with 530 combat missions.