In this photo we see a small Russian village surrounded by forest. The standard in front of the house on the left reveals that the commander of an Armeekorps has set up his headquarters here. In the background is a Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch", which was used either to fly the corps commander to visit his front-line units or bring division commanders to him. Liaison aircraft was indispensable for maintaining direct contact between the headquarters of armies and front-line units. Without them, it would have been impossible for senior commanders to meet with subordinates at short notice to discuss the situation or make snap visits to the front. Since command posts and headquarters were often well-camouflaged in wooded areas, small villages or other inaccessible locations, there was normally no regular runway for aircraft to land on. For this reason, the Fieseler Storch, with its short takeoff and landing capabilities, was favored by senior staff officers. The Storch could even land on rough ground, as might be found in a cow pasture, for example.
Source :
Magazine "Luftwaffe im Focus", Spezial No.1 - 2003
No comments:
Post a Comment