Kampfgeschwader 30
Encyclopedia
Service history
Formed on 15 November 1939 in GreifswaldGreifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
. I Gruppe formed 1 September, II Gruppe on 23 September and III Gruppe on 1 January 1940, based in Greifswald then Barth. IV gruppe was formed 27 Oct 1940 as Erg.Sta./KG 30, and in April 1941 was increased to Gruppe strength.
KG 30 was equipped with the Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
and was initially trained as an anti-shipping and maritime attack unit.
In October 1939 it attacked shipping in the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
.
II./KG 30 operated under X. Fliegerkorps for Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
, the invasion of Norway. The unit Ju 88s engaged Allied shipping as its main target. On 9 April 1940, in cooperation with high-level bombing Heinkel He 111s of KG 26, Ju 88s of II./KG 30 dive-bombed and damaged the battleship HMS Rodney
HMS Rodney
Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Rodney, at least the last five after Admiral George Brydges Rodney. A seventh was planned but never completed:...
and sink the destroyer HMS Gurkha
HMS Gurkha
Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Gurkha, while two have been named HMS Ghurka, after a people who originate in Nepal and who serve with distinction in the British Army as part of the Brigade of Gurkhas....
. The unit lost four Ju 88s in the action, the highest single loss of KG 30 throughout the campaign.
On 9 June 1940 Kampfgeschwader 30 took over Chièvres Air Base
Chièvres Air Base
Chièvres Air Base is a United States Air Force airfield located in the Belgian town of Chièvres and about 12 miles from Headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , in Casteau. It is mainly used to provide logistic support to NATO and SHAPE...
.
On 17 June 1940 bombers from II./KG 30 sank RMS Lancastria
RMS Lancastria
The RMS Lancastria was a British Cunard liner sunk on 17 June 1940 during World War II with the loss of an estimated 4,000 plus lives. It is the worst single loss of life in British maritime history and the bloodiest single engagement for UK forces , in the whole conflict and claimed more lives...
off St Nazaire as she evacuated troops during Operation Ariel
Operation Ariel
Operation Ariel was the name given to the World War II evacuation of Allied forces from ports in western France, from 15–25 June 1940, due to the military collapse in the Battle of France against Nazi Germany...
, killing some 5,800 Allied personnel.
On 15 October 1940 III./KG30 was redesignated Ergänzungskampfgruppe 6 and a new III./KG 30 was formed in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
-Schiphol from III./KG 4.
On 23 November 1944 Kampfgeschwader 30 was redesignated as Kampfgeschwader(J)30, converting to a fighter unit.
KG(J)30 was to be equipped with the Me 262A in early 1945 but none were delivered due to production shortages. KG 30(J) were alternately supplied with the BF 109G .
KG(J)30 was disbanded 18 April 1945 by order from IX.Fliegerkorps(J).
Geschwaderkommodores
- Oberstleutnant Walter Loebel, 15 November 1939 – 16 August 1940
- Oberst Herbert RieckhoffHerbert RieckhoffHerbert Rieckhoff was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, 17 August 1940 – 20 October 1940 - Oberstleutnant Erich BloedornErich BloedornErich Bloedorn was a German Luftwaffe bomber pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II...
, October 1940 – May 1943 - Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Kern, 18 May 1943 – 10 September 1943
- Oberstleutnant Sigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von GravenreuthSigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von GravenreuthSigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von Gravenreuth was a German Luftwaffe bomber pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
, September 1943 – 16 October 1944 - Oberst Bernhard JopeBernhard JopeOberstleutnant Bernhard Jope was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, October 1944 – February 1945 - Oberst Hanns Heise, February 1945 – May 1945
I./KG 30
- Hauptmann Helmut Pohle, 22 September 1939 – 16 October 1939 (POW)
- Hauptmann Fritz Doench, 16 October 1939 – June 1940
- Hauptmann Heinrich Lau, 1941
- Hauptmann Jacob Schmidt, ? – 26 April 1942
- Hauptmann Konrad Kahl, 26 April 1942 – ?
- Oberst Alerich Hofmann, ? – 28 December 1942
- Major Freiherr von Blomberg, ? – 28 October 1943
- Hauptmann Schulz, 1943–1944
II./KG 30
- Hauptmann Claus Hinkelbein, December 1939 - June 1940
- Hauptmann von Symonski, June 1940 - 8 October 1940
- Hauptmann Erich Hass, 9 October 1940 - 16 October 1940
- Hauptmann Sigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von GravenreuthSigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von GravenreuthSigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von Gravenreuth was a German Luftwaffe bomber pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
, October 1940(?) - 11 April 1942 - Hauptmann Erich Stoffregen, 11 April 1942 - 14 January 1943
- Major Pflüger, 1943–1944
- Hauptmann Greve, 1944 - April 1945
III./KG 30
- Hauptmann Mahrenholtz, 1 January 1940–1940
- Hauptmann Arved CrügerArved CrügerArved Crüger was a Luftwaffe wing commander during World War II and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipient. He married the German movie actress Carola Höhn in 1941. He was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 77 in 1942...
, 10 November 1940 – 31 August 1941 - Hauptmann Hajo HerrmannHajo HerrmannHans-Joachim 'Hajo' Herrmann was a Luftwaffe bomber pilot and later after the end of World War II, focusing his activities as a lawyer on civil and criminal law. In World War II, he was a high ranking and influential member of the Luftwaffe. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the...
, August 1941 – 19 July 1942 - Major Werner BaumbachWerner BaumbachWerner Baumbach was a bomber pilot in the German Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of the secret bomber wing Kampfgeschwader 200...
, July 1942 – December 1942 - Major Helmut Störchel, December 1942–1944
IV./KG 30
- Hauptmann Heinrich Paepke, 27 October 1940 - 9 February 1941
- Hauptmann Martin Schumann, 10 February 1941 - 8 June 1942
- Major Heinrich Lau, 9 June 1942 - 11 September 1942
- Hauptmann Gerhard Molkentin, 1.October 1943 - 16 January 1943
- Major Konrad Kahl, 13 November 1942 - 26 July 1943
- Major Wilhelm Kuschke, 27 July 1943 - 23 November 1944
Sources
- http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Kampfgeschwader/KG30.htm