Werkschutzstaffel

These Staffels were fighting squadrons set up by aircraft or engine manufacturers, which were flown by their own personnel. They were intended to combat attacks on their own factories. They were often equipped with prototypes or aircraft that were not part of the Luftwaffe such as (He 100, Fw 187)

The following companies are said to have owned such seasons:
- BMW in Eisenach
- Fieseler in Kassel
- Focke-Wulf in Bremen
- Heinkel in Rostock
- Messerschmitt in Regensburg
- Junkers in Dessau (???)³

Attacks by the RAF on coastal targets of the aviation industry were already anticipated within the air force leadership. In view of this, industrial or plant protection scales had to be set up for the plants in question.

On October 16, 1939, the first season was launched by the Fieseler factories in Kassel. Aircraft models were Bf 109 E-1, squadron captain Gerhard Fieseler. The machines initially bore the dark green segment paint that was typical at that time. Later the 40s painting with white propeller hoods. The factory emblem was on the cowling.

From February 1940, the Focke Wulf works in Bremen also set up a relay. Fw 187 - a total of 4 pieces - were used for this under the command of Lt. Kurt Tank. The representative was Uffz. Kurt Mehlhorn. The first assignment took place on April 4. There was no graduation mark, otherwise the usual dark green segment painting.

In May 1940 Heinkel finally followed in Rostock-Warnemünde. He 100 D fighter planes with dark green segment paint were used there. These machines were later redesigned for propaganda purposes. For example, they received badges of fantasy. ²

The military ranks were given to the pilots specifically for this special mission. The combat value was low, mainly because the (factory) pilots received no combat training. In August 1940 the squadrons were dissolved. Nothing is known about losses or successes.

However later in the war some Werkschutzstaffel did have some success such as Erla who's pilots managed to shot down 6 x B-17 and 2 P-51 (1944). Other Werkschutzstaffel also managed to score 1 or 2 kills such as:
3/18/43 Ind. Sta. FW B-17 Frozen Stern Stade
28.7.43 Ind. Sta. Fw B-17 Ofw. Kampmeier Herford
28.7.43 Ind. Sta. Fieseler B-17 Ltn.dR Gleuwitz Beupe
17.8.43 Ind.Sta.MTT B-17 Fw.Mrotzek Regensburg
08.10.43 Ind.Sta.Fw B-17 Ofw. Modry Instschede
14.10.43 Ind. Sta. MTT-Erla Antwerp B-17 Fritz Wolf Brussels

MTT-Erla Antwerp was a repair company or research company. Here, experiments were carried out with high-loader motors or the Erla hood was developed there. Overall, it can be said that the Werkschutzstaffel were not particularly effective, similar to the Werkschutzstaffel's night fighting staffel, which only managed to shot down two night raiders.

One such raid shows how ill prepared these staffels often where.

13 August 1943

8th Air Force VIII BC: 61 of 87 B-24s bomb Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory on return flight from North Africa, lose 2. 27 9th Air Force B-24s take off on mission, turn back before bombing. The small force of B-24s returning to England after the Ploesti mission opened a new front in the air war by bombing an important Bf 109 factory in Austria from the south. Four Bf 109s of the Werkschutzstaffel provided the sole defence; these had no success. The surprise attack destroyed or severely damaged 50 complete Bf 109s and damaged the factory so severely that output did not fully recover until October.¹

References:
1. Day Fighters in Defence of Reich: A Way Diary, 1942–45 By Donald Caldwell
2. The fighter pilot associations of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945, part 5, Hamburg 2003, p.167
3. forum-der-wehrmacht.de: https://www.forum-der-wehrmacht.de/index.php?thread/16493-werkschutzstaffeln-industrieschutzstaffeln/&pageNo=1