[Note: it seems likely that «Harbert» was in fact Lt. Harbot, a former 3./JGr. 200 pilot whose name had been similarly misspelled in other documents.]

During the morning Sonderstaffel Kaatsch notified FAG 123 and Luftflotte 3’s Chief Quartermaster that it was transferring from Dijon to Luxeuil and would need a Ju 52 that night and the next for the purpose.

At 16.10 hrs. Lt. Bell claimed an Auster III shot down, 1 km north of Tessains although over this sector it is more likely to have been a USAAF Taylorcraft, Stinson or Piper rather than the Auster which was a British development of a US design. Heinz Moschke took off (this time in “2”) five minutes after Bell’s victory, landing in Dijon at 18.06 hours.

At 09.45 hrs. Luftflotte 3 gave orders for the transfer of 5.(F)/123 from Trier-Euren to Hagenau and Staffel Kaatsch to Luxeuil. Kaatsch had already received the same order the previous day, asking in reply that a Ju 52 be sent to Dijon on the night of the 3rd/4th and another on the night of 4/5 September to assist in the move. Luftlotte Reich was urged to give priority to supplies and quarters for the elements of FAG 123 that were transferring “since all reconnaissance in the West depends on [this Gruppe’s] operations.” This parting of the ways makes it easier to distinguish between the activities of Kaatsch and 5.(F)/123 from here on.

Lt. Moschke flew a 65-minute mission from Dijon, taking off at 08.57 hours.

Heinz Moschke ferried “33” to Luxeuil at first light, landing at 07.20 and flying a mission from there in “2” from 08.44–09.30 hours. In addition, FAG 123 reported that between 19.00 and 19.52 hours a reconnaissance had been flown from Luxeuil of roads on the area Besançon – Mouchard – Salins – Levier – Pontarlier – Ornans.

While taking off from Trier-Euren, Uffz. Reiser’s Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 201112, was involved in a collision. The Werk Nummer suggests that it was a reconnaissance machine, the location points to 5.(F)/123.

Aufklärungsstaffel Kaatsch sent a report on its operations for the period 25 August–4 September inclusive. Some 27 missions had been carried out, totalling 54 sorties, of which 50 had been Feindflüge and the remainder Frontflüge (flights to the German front but not over enemy territory or entailing encounters with hostile forces). Simple arithmetic suggests that each of these missions was carried out by a Rotte of Bf 109s.

Echoing the earlier uncertainty over Kaatsch’s next base after Dijon, someone at FAG 123 sent a message asking whether the supplies they had indented for should be sent to Luxeuil or Freiburg while at noon a communication advised that an unidentified Staffel intended Freiburg as its next destination but drop tanks had not arrived. Apparently at least one machine remained in Dijon for a road reconnaissance set off from there at 07.05 hours to cover Poligny – St Laurent – Pontarlier – Champagnole – Morteau – Montbeliard and Le Saulnier before landing in Luxeuil 75 minutes later.

It also was a busy day for reconnaissance from the new base with the following missions carried out:

07.15–08.14 hrs. to the Besançon area but with no sightings owing to AA fire and weather.

07.40–08.22 hrs. covering the area Troyes – Chatillon.

18.50–19.32 hrs. to Les Dames – Blamont – Morteau.

19.07–20.11 hrs. covering roads in the Nancy area.

In addition roads in the area Charmes – Mirecourt – Vittel were covered (times unstated) and this may have been Heinz Moschke's flight from 09.02–10.14 in a Bf 109 marked "8."

The Staffel’s strength that evening was 12 (6) aircraft and 13 (9) pilots.

During the day 5.(F)/123’s Obltn. Kaiser advised his Gruppenkommandeur that his Staffel had arrived on the “alternative airfield” of Mommenheim, 12 km south west of Hagenau. Taking off from Trier, Uffz. Geisser’s Bf 109 G-5 had caught fire and he had been admitted to hospital with severe burns.

The Staffel had received a fresh allocation of six Bf 109 and had in all 9 (2) aircraft and 9 (6) pilots. Details of the new machines, all received from Luftgau Brussels, emerged in a later communication:

Bf 109 G-5/AS Werk Nummern 110520, 10553, 11554 and 110557, all fitted with GM 1, an Rb. 50/30 camera and an MG 151/20 cannon.

Bf 109 G-6 Werk Nummern 410061 and 760005. These had the DB 605 A-1, an MG 151/20 and 2 x MG 131 machine guns but “no special installations of any kind”.

None of the aircraft had FuG 16, FuG 25 or “homing attachment 16.”