Since the beginning of World War II, "Storch" was accompanied by German troops are literally everywhere, wherever they go.
The loss of these aircraft were isolated, they said that their front-line life of up to 10 times longer than Bf.109. And this despite the fact that the special rescue units were ordered to take out Wustennotstaffeln officially dead and wounded in battle, as well as the crews of downed aircraft, wherever they are. For example, in North Africa, Fi-156 C-5 is often flew into the roadless desert to rescue German pilots. Since the late 1941 began a special ambulance version released Fi-156 D-1, which has most of the starboard side held the door hatch for quick loading / unloading of the stretcher.
Wüstennotstaffel 1
Formed 8.41 in Benghazi. Main duties was rescue of downed pilots in the African desert.
In 6.43 redesignated Verbindungsstaffel 400.
Known bases:
Gazala, 12.41
Martuba, 4.42 - 5.42
Derna, 11.41
Tmimi, 12.41
Qutaifiya, 6.42 - 11.42
Castell Benito, 1.43
Medenine, 2.43
Wüstennotstaffel 1
Knight’s Cross
Kroseberg, Heinz 19.06.1942 Hauptmann d.R. Staffelkapitän 1./Wüstennotstaffel
German Cross in Gold
Siegmund, Manfred, 17.06.1942, Oberleutnant, Flugzeugführer im Sonderbildkommando Afrika
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The Storch was used for a very wide range of functions, amongst them artillery spotting, reconnaissance, staff liaison, as an air ambulance, to rescue downed airmen from behind enemy lines (especially valuable in North Africa, where it was operated by two rescue squadrons or Wüstennotstaffeln, and in Russia), as a cable laying aircraft, and on a number of special missions.