Kdo. Dora
Sonderkommando Dora
(FpN: 44164)
Formation and History. (c.May 42 - Jan 43)
Formed approximately May 1942 in Berlin by an Obstlt. Seubert, I H/West OKW/Abw, on the basis of OKW fears·that a build up of Free French forces around Lake Chad and the British Long-Range Desert Group posed a threat to General Rommel’s exposed southern flank in Libya. The Kommando was organized into two sections: the first, under Lt. Schulz-Kampfhenkel, consisted of geologists, geographers, mineralogists arid other specialists who were to carry out terrain intelligence in the Libyan desert, paying particular attention to water points, roads, meteorological data and related information; the other section
was a company-strength unit of the Abwehr’s Regiment Brandenburg which was to send out armed reconnaissance patrols to locate and engage the enemy and to scout around for likely airfield sites.[1]
A Luftwaffe contingent with several He 111 bombers, Hs 126 reconnaissance aircraft, Fi 156 and Fw 58 liaison planes, as well as a number of DFS 230 and Go 242 gliders was attached for transport and supply purposes. The Heinkel bombers and the Henschel 126s were used to tow the gliders. The Kommando left Berlin in late May and set up headquarters at Hon Oasis/500 km SE of Tripoli. From there, parties were sent out to at least three oases in the south Libyan desert and as far south as the Tibesti Mountains, almost to Lake Chad. The Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria in early November 1942 forced Berlin to recall the Kommando to Germany on 1 January 1943 via Tunisia and Sicily, the last personnel clearing Tunisia toward the end of January.
It should be made clear that Sonderkommando Dora was an OKW Abwehr detachment under Army (Heer) control with a small Luftwaffe component. The handful of pilots came from such Luftwaffe units as 9./LLG 1, but they had been reassigned to the Abwehr for the duration of the Sonderkommando.
© by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress).
(1st Draft 2023)
Additional Notes and Losses
This ad hoc unit was formed, according to some sources, in 7.42 at Oase Hon, 500km SE of Tripoli, to assist with the guarding of the southern flank in North Africa. In the summer 1942, combat detachments had been placed at Oase Um el Araneb, Oase el Gatrun and Oase Bir Musciuru (N 23° 43' 0 E 14° 42' 0),all in southern Libya. These three detachments were supported and supplied by Sonderkommando Dora from Oase Hon.
In late 12.42 it was withdrawn to Tunis, and was then disbanded in January 1943.
Aircraft used: He 111, Hs 126, Fi 156, Fw 58, DFS.230, Go 242 and Go 244. (Rosch)
NB - Oum-el-Araneb, was a major Axis base in southern Libya, it was captured by General Philippe Leclerc's Free French troops in Jan 1943.
Return to Commands
References
Rosch, Barry - Luftwaffe Codes, Markings and Units 1939-45
Holm, Michael - http://www.ww2.dk/air/misc/dora.html
- ↑ G.Schlaug - Die deutschen Lastensegler-Verbände 1937-1945: Eine Chronik aus Berichten, Tagebüchern, Dokumenten (Stuttgart, 1985), pp.166-67; NARA WashDC: RG 165 (5th U.S. Army interrogation report DIR 1134).