The Stalingrad Airlift January 1943
To supply Sixth Army with
300 tons a
day, the absolute minimum amount
demanded
by the army
(which really needed 500 tons) would necessitate
an average of 150 fully laden Ju 52s landing
in
the pocket each day. (500 tons an average
of 250 Ju 52s landing in the pocket, including loading,
unloading, losses, etc. it would mean they needed 800 Ju 52s
to realize the 500 tons each day.)
Of the six airfield inside the Stalingrad pocket, only Pitomnik was
properly equiped to handle
large-scale operations. It even had lights, flare paths and signal
equipments for night operations.
This is not complete, I tried to add as much info as I found. If someone
can help me to complete,
please let me know.
Ju 52 = Junker 52
He 111 = Heinkel 111
Date
|
Number
and type
of
airplanes flown in
|
Supply flown in
|
Kind of supply
|
1st
Friday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
120 planes |
230 tons
. |
Ammo / Food
Medical supply |
.
2nd
Saturday |
No flights
. |
0 ton
. |
No supply
. |
.
3rd
Sunday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
About 120 planes |
250 ton
. |
Ammo / Food
Medical supply |
.
4th
Monday |
.
. |
.
. |
Fuel / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
5th
Thuesday |
21 He 111
. |
40 tons
. |
Ammo / Fuel
Medical supply |
Too cold for the Junkers to start
6th
Wednesday |
|
|
Fuel / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
7th
Thursday |
|
|
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
Friday 8th, 12.00 noon |
?
Ju 52 + ? He 111 |
|
Ammo / Fuel |
until Saturday 9th 12.00 |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111 |
220 tons |
Medical supply |
For the first time a FW 200 'Condor' plane landed
in the pocket. 7 of them arrived and took
156 wounded out of the pocket. The 7 FW 200 flew
22.5 tons of medical supply, 5 tons fuel
9 tons of ammo in the pocket.
. |
10th
Sunday |
|
|
Fuel / Ammo
Medical supply |
For the first time a Junker 290 plane landed in the
pocket. 78 wounded flew out with it.
A Junker 290 plane carried 10 tons of supply.
.
11th
Monday |
No flights
. |
0 ton
. |
No supply
. |
.
12th
Thuesday |
|
|
Fuel / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
13th
Wednesday |
No flights
. |
0 tons
. |
No supply
. |
.
Wednesday 13th - 14th
Thursday (at night) |
45 Junker 52
41 He 111 + ? Ju 290 |
160 ton
. |
Ammo / Fuel
Medical supply |
A Ju 290 with 80 wounded on board crashed seconds
after the take-off. Only one survided.
NCO Alfred Lutz. The pilot who flew the plane
named Häning.
14th
Thursday |
No flights
. |
0 tons
. |
No supply
. |
.
15th
Friday |
|
|
Fuel / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
16th
Saturday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
About 39 planes |
68.5 tons
. |
Ammo / Fuel
Medical supply |
Pitomnik airstrip overran by the Soviet forces. Gumrak
airstrip is now in use.
Until today + 20.000 wounded or sick soldiers
were evacuated out of the Stalingrad pocket.
.
NOTE :
Between the first of January 1943 and January
16th, 1943, 2325 tons of supply arrived.
An average of 145 tons a day.
.
17th
Sunday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
About 45 planes |
About 82 tons
Flown in and dropped |
28 t ammo / 48 t med. Food / 4.65
m3 fuel |
The first planes landed on Gumrak airstrip.
.
18th
Monday |
|
|
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
19th
Thuesday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
About 40 planes |
32 tons flown in
30 tons dropped |
Fuel / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
20th
Wednesday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
57 planes - 25 landed |
52.2 tons
Flown in and dropped |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
.
21st
Thursday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
100 planes |
About 200 tons
. |
Fuel / Ammo
Medical supply |
Soviet forces pressed in on Gumrak airstrip at night.
The airfield is no longer available for the air-lift.
.
22nd
Friday |
?
? |
?
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
The last available airstrip 'Stalingradski' is operational,
6 planes are crashing on the strip trying
to land.
.
23rd
Saturday |
?
? |
?
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
Fall of Gumrak and Stalingradski airstrip.
No airstrips available anymore.
From now on the supply needs to be dropped.
.
24th
Sunday |
3 Ju 52 + 4 He 111
1 FW 190 / 8 planes |
12.5 tons
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
Fog. Planes flew very low. About 50 meter above ground.
.
25th
Monday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
7 planes |
13 tons
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
8 planes take-off. -20 degrees Celcius
.
26th
Thuesday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
52 planes |
46.3 tons
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
The 6th Army pocket is cut in two. The southern part
is twice as big as the northern. Droppings
above the two pockets.
. |
27th
Wednesday |
57 Ju 52 + 50 He 111 +
5 FW 200 |
103 tons
DROPPED |
Ammo 28 tons
Medical supply 75 tons |
Droppings above the two pockets.
.
28th
Thursday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
87 planes |
83.1 ton
DROPPED |
Ammo
Medical supply |
The southern pocket is cut in two. Droppings above
the 3 German pockets at Stalingrad.
.
NOTE :
Between January, 17th and January, 28th, 790
tons of supply was flown in or dropped.
An average of 60.75 tons a day.
29th
Friday
Friday, 29th +
Saterday, 30th (at night) |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
109 planes
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
+ ? He 177 / 124 planes |
108.8 tons
DROPPED
130 tons
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
Major General Pickert of the 9th Flak Division is
dismissed by Milch. Droppings above the
3 German pockets at Stalingrad. 125 planes take-off.
(day) 151 planes take-off. (at night)
.
30th
Saturday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
+ ? He 177 / 85 planes |
118 tons
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
Droppings above the 3 German pockets at Stalingrad.
89 planes take-off. (at night)
.
31st
Sunday |
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
89 planes |
72 tons
DROPPED |
Food / Ammo
Medical supply |
Southern and the center pockets surrenders to the
Russians. Droppings only above the northern
pocket. 109 planes take-off but only 89 are able
to reach the droppping zone. (at night)
Notes :
-Several pilots / planes flew twice a day.
|
Sources : Books
Stopped at Stalingrad - Hayward
Luftbrücke Stalingrad - Franz Kurowski
The battle for Stalingrad - Rotundo (The 1943 Soviet General Staff
Study) |
|