Kampfgeschwader 4
Encyclopedia
Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever" (KG 4) (Battle Wing 4) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit was formed in May 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17
, Junkers Ju 88
and Heinkel He 111
medium bombers, with later service on the Heinkel He 177
heavy bomber. The wing was named after General Walther Wever
, the prime pre-war proponent for a strategic bombing capability for the Luftwaffe, who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1936.
and was initially equipped with the He 111 Ps, borrowed from KG 253. The unit spent most of the summer training and recruiting personnel from the flight schools.
under the Command of Luftflotte 4
.
It began the Polish Campaign attacking airfields and railway yards. Stab/KG 4 was withdrawn on 20 September.
I./KG 4 attacked airfields at Dęblin
and Krakow
on 1 September and again on 2 September. From 3-6 September rail targets in Eastern Poland were attacked, and between 6-9 September bridges along the Vistula River and in Warsaw
itself were bombed. From 6-14 September rail targets were again bombed. Troop concentrations became the main targets after this until the Polish surrender.
II./KG 4 also supported 10.Armee over Kutno
in mid September. After the campaign the unit began training in night flying and began to lay mines of the Norwegian coast in January 1940, in preparation for the Norwegian Campaign
.
III./KG 4 participated in the Battle of the Bzura
in which the Polish Army was surrounded and destroyed (largely by the Luftwaffe).
in northern Germany. II./KG 4 were part of the bomber fleet that flew a "demonstration of strength" raid over Copenhagen
on 9 April 1940. The unit attacked rail and airfield targets as well as anti-shipping strikes. A Staffel of Ju 88s of III./KG 4 destroyed the airfield at Stavanger
-Sola, sank the Norwegian destroyer Æger near Stavanger
on 9 April.
on 10 May 1940 by striking at airfields and Dutch AA
positions and airlifted supplies to the Fallschirmjäger
units in the Netherlands
. After the quick surrender of the Dutch KG 4 shifted its attention to Belgium
. During the Battle of France
KG 4 helped paralysis Allied rail networks over Belgium. KG 4 also flew sorties over Dunkirk
. The II Gruppe also took part in the bombing of Rotterdam.
After the Belgian capitulation on 3 June KG 4 took part in Operation Paula
stiking at airfields in and around Paris
to destroy the remaining units of the Armée de l’Air. By 5 June French aerial resistance, while never effective and sporadic, ceased.
‘Operation Fall Rot’, the second phase of the conquest of France was launched on 5 June 1940. From 5-19 June, KG 4 attacked harbours and rail targets around Dieppe, and then military columns retreating through the Loire valley and the Tours area.
After the French surrender on 25 June 1940 the unit was ordered to Soesterberg, the Netherlands in July 1940, to begin operations over Great Britain
.
Before the French campaign was over, KG 4 struck at British ports and targets in Wales
. on the night of 18/19 June KG 4 lost six Do 17s, including Major Dietrich Von Massenbach, Kommandeur of II./KG 4, who was shot down over Newcastle-upon-tyne.
On 4 September II./KG 4 had 37 He 111s (30 serviceable). II./KG suffered light losses during this period, due to flying at night.
III./KG 4 had 25 Ju 88s on strength with 23 serviceable on 13 August 1940. By 4 September that had shrunk to 14 combat ready out of a total of 30 machines, due to losses.
One loss in particular happened in the Deal area of the South East of Kent, England, on 9 November 1940, when a Dornier bomber crashed into the sea off the village of Kingsdown
, near Deal
due tounknown causes at around 20:40 hours. Three of the crew whose bodies were washed up onto the shore are interred together in the military section of Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Kent.
They were Unteroffizier
Leopold Kaluza, aged 23, from Klausberg (Service Number 58213/87); Heinz Fischer, aged 25, from Dresden
(Service Number 58213/42);and Unteroffizier Herbert Reinsch, aged 20, also from Dresden (Service Number 58213/28). The body of the fourth member of the crew, Leutnant Mollenhauer, was never recovered.
The Battle of Britain
was a costly failure. KG 4 had operated a minelaying unit along the British coast and participated in the Blitz
and the raids on Coventry
on the night of the 14/15 November. Bombing missions continued until February 1941, when III./ KG 4 transferred to Gerbini, Sicily.
to begin operations over Yugoslavia
and Greece
for the coming Balkans Campaign. During the Yugoslavian invasion, II./KG 4 participated in the bombing of Belgrade, with 25 He 111s (out of 28 serviceable) on 6 April 1941. II. Gruppe mined the waters off Alexandria
and the Suez Canal
. A detachment, 4.staffel, under the command of Hauptmann
Schwanhauser, was sent to Iraq
to support the uprising against the British during the Anglo-Iraqi War
.
On 6 April 1941 III./KG4 bombed and mined Piraeus
harbour, sinking several vessels and damaging the harbour installations.On 11 April elements of III./KG 4 attempted to lay mines at the entrance to Volos harbour. High-scoring RAF ace S/L “Pat” Pattle of No. 33 Squadron attacked the units involved and shot down a Ju 88 of III./KG 30 and a Ju-88A-5 ‘4D+FS’ of 8./KG 4.
during its advance to Leningrad
. In January 1942 the unit relocated to Pskov
. On 22 January 1942 it helped drop supplies to the Kholm pocket, and in February-March it flew supply missions over the Demyansk Pocket
suffering heavy losses and extensive aircrew exhaustion. I. Gruppe was committed to supporting Army Group Centre
II. Grupe began its aerial offensive over the city on 1 October. During the winter the unit also flew bombing raids over Moscow
. II. Gruppe supported Army Group South
and its offensive into the Ukraine. II. Gruppe flew its 10,000th sortie on 9 March 1943. A notable success occurred on 14 March when the Gruppe attacked a Soviet airfield around Kursk
destroying 40 enemy machines and damaging 23 others.. II Gruppe also flew strategic bombing missions, against the Tank factory at Gorki
and missions against the rubber factories near Yaroslavl
. III. Gruppe was committed to the Southern wing of the front and managed to hit targets over Astrakhan
.
In October 1943 the unit was partially equipped with the Heinkel He 177
.
In the period 1943-45 the Kampfgeschwader covered the continuous retreat of the Wehrmacht
until the end of the war, in the tactical and supply role.
Based at Schleswig-Holstein
on 8 May 1945 the unit surrendered to British forces.
Formed 1 May 1939.Disbanded 8 May 1945.
I. Gruppe
Formed 1 May 1939.
II. Gruppe
Formed 1 May 1939
III. Gruppe
Formed on 1 May 1939
IV(Erg). Gruppe
Formed on 18 June 1940. Dissolved on 15 August 1944
14. Staffel
Formed mid-October 1942. Disbanded in January 1943.
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
, 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 Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
medium bombers, with later service on the Heinkel He 177
Heinkel He 177
The Heinkel He 177 Greif was the only operational long-range bomber to be operated by the Luftwaffe. Starting its existence as Germany's first purpose-built heavy bomber just before the war, and built in large numbers during World War II, it was also mistakenly tasked, right from its beginnings,...
heavy bomber. The wing was named after General Walther Wever
Walther Wever (general)
Walther Wever was a pre-World War II Luftwaffe Commander.-Early life:Walther Wever was born on 11 November 1887 in Wilhelmsort in the county of Bromberg . He was the son of Arnold Wever, the one-time director of a Berlin bank and the grandson of the Prussian Prosecutor-General Dr...
, the prime pre-war proponent for a strategic bombing capability for the Luftwaffe, who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1936.
History
Stab/KG 4 and I./KG 4 were formed on 1 May 1939 at ErfurtErfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
and was initially equipped with the He 111 Ps, borrowed from KG 253. The unit spent most of the summer training and recruiting personnel from the flight schools.
Poland
On 25 August the unit was transferred to LangenauLangenau
Langenau is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is situated 14 km northeast of Ulm.-Transport:Langenau is located directly on the Autobahn A7 and near the A8...
under the Command of Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on March 18, 1939 from Luftwaffenkommando Österreich in Vienna. The Luftflotte was redesignated on April 21, 1945 to Luftwaffenkommando 4, and became subordinated to Luftflotte 6. It was the...
.
It began the Polish Campaign attacking airfields and railway yards. Stab/KG 4 was withdrawn on 20 September.
I./KG 4 attacked airfields at Dęblin
Deblin
Dęblin is a town, population 19,500 , at the confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which altogether has over 100 000 inhabitants....
and Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
on 1 September and again on 2 September. From 3-6 September rail targets in Eastern Poland were attacked, and between 6-9 September bridges along the Vistula River and in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
itself were bombed. From 6-14 September rail targets were again bombed. Troop concentrations became the main targets after this until the Polish surrender.
II./KG 4 also supported 10.Armee over Kutno
Kutno
Kutno is a town in central Poland with 48,000 inhabitants and an area of 33,6 km2. Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , previously in Płock Voivodeship . It is the capital of Kutno County....
in mid September. After the campaign the unit began training in night flying and began to lay mines of the Norwegian coast in January 1940, in preparation for the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
.
III./KG 4 participated in the Battle of the Bzura
Battle of the Bzura
The Battle of the Bzura was a battle in the opening campaign of World War II during the 1939 German invasion of Poland, fought between 9 and 19 September, 1939, between Polish and German forces...
in which the Polish Army was surrounded and destroyed (largely by the Luftwaffe).
Operation Weserübung: Invasions of Denmark and Norway
In December 1939 III./KG4 transferred from Nordhausen to Vechta and commenced intensive training for night flying and minelaying operations, while conversion to the Junkers Ju-88 began in February-1940. On 1 February 1940 KG 4 transferred to QuakenbrückQuakenbrück
Quakenbrück is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hase. It is part of the Samtgemeinde of Artland....
in northern Germany. II./KG 4 were part of the bomber fleet that flew a "demonstration of strength" raid over Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
on 9 April 1940. The unit attacked rail and airfield targets as well as anti-shipping strikes. A Staffel of Ju 88s of III./KG 4 destroyed the airfield at Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
-Sola, sank the Norwegian destroyer Æger near Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
on 9 April.
Battle of France and the Low Countries
KG 4 helped neutralise Dutch air powerBattle of the Netherlands
The Battle of the Netherlands was part of Case Yellow , the German invasion of the Low Countries and France during World War II. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until 14 May 1940 when the main Dutch forces surrendered...
on 10 May 1940 by striking at airfields and Dutch AA
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
positions and airlifted supplies to the Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
units in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. After the quick surrender of the Dutch KG 4 shifted its attention to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. During the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
KG 4 helped paralysis Allied rail networks over Belgium. KG 4 also flew sorties over Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
. The II Gruppe also took part in the bombing of Rotterdam.
After the Belgian capitulation on 3 June KG 4 took part in Operation Paula
Operation Paula
Unternehmen Paula is the German codename given for the Second World War Luftwaffe offensive operation to destroy the remaining units of the Armée de l'Air , or French Air Force during the Battle of France in 1940. On 10 May the German armed forces began its invasion of Western Europe...
stiking at airfields in and around Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to destroy the remaining units of the Armée de l’Air. By 5 June French aerial resistance, while never effective and sporadic, ceased.
‘Operation Fall Rot’, the second phase of the conquest of France was launched on 5 June 1940. From 5-19 June, KG 4 attacked harbours and rail targets around Dieppe, and then military columns retreating through the Loire valley and the Tours area.
After the French surrender on 25 June 1940 the unit was ordered to Soesterberg, the Netherlands in July 1940, to begin operations over Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Battle of Britain
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. on the night of 18/19 June KG 4 lost six Do 17s, including Major Dietrich Von Massenbach, Kommandeur of II./KG 4, who was shot down over Newcastle-upon-tyne.
On 4 September II./KG 4 had 37 He 111s (30 serviceable). II./KG suffered light losses during this period, due to flying at night.
III./KG 4 had 25 Ju 88s on strength with 23 serviceable on 13 August 1940. By 4 September that had shrunk to 14 combat ready out of a total of 30 machines, due to losses.
One loss in particular happened in the Deal area of the South East of Kent, England, on 9 November 1940, when a Dornier bomber crashed into the sea off the village of Kingsdown
Kingsdown, Kent
Kingsdown is a village immediately to the south of Walmer, itself south of Deal, on the English Channel coast of Kent. Parts of the village are built on or behind the shingle beach that runs north to Deal and beyond, while other parts are on the cliffs and hills inland...
, near Deal
Deal, Kent
Deal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
due tounknown causes at around 20:40 hours. Three of the crew whose bodies were washed up onto the shore are interred together in the military section of Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Kent.
Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Kent.
Hamilton Road Cemetery is a combined municipal and military burial ground situated in the coastal town of Deal, Kent, in South East England. Opened in May 1856, it was created to provide a new burial ground for Deal at a time when its general population was expanding and when previous, often ad hoc...
They were Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the...
Leopold Kaluza, aged 23, from Klausberg (Service Number 58213/87); Heinz Fischer, aged 25, from Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
(Service Number 58213/42);and Unteroffizier Herbert Reinsch, aged 20, also from Dresden (Service Number 58213/28). The body of the fourth member of the crew, Leutnant Mollenhauer, was never recovered.
The Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
was a costly failure. KG 4 had operated a minelaying unit along the British coast and participated in the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
and the raids on Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
on the night of the 14/15 November. Bombing missions continued until February 1941, when III./ KG 4 transferred to Gerbini, Sicily.
Balkans Campaign and Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres
On 29 March 1941 the unit relocated to Wien-Aspern in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
to begin operations over Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
for the coming Balkans Campaign. During the Yugoslavian invasion, II./KG 4 participated in the bombing of Belgrade, with 25 He 111s (out of 28 serviceable) on 6 April 1941. II. Gruppe mined the waters off Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
and the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. A detachment, 4.staffel, under the command of Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Schwanhauser, was sent to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
to support the uprising against the British during the Anglo-Iraqi War
Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was the name of the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. The war lasted from 2 May to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces and the return to power of the...
.
On 6 April 1941 III./KG4 bombed and mined Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
harbour, sinking several vessels and damaging the harbour installations.On 11 April elements of III./KG 4 attempted to lay mines at the entrance to Volos harbour. High-scoring RAF ace S/L “Pat” Pattle of No. 33 Squadron attacked the units involved and shot down a Ju 88 of III./KG 30 and a Ju-88A-5 ‘4D+FS’ of 8./KG 4.
Eastern Front
Stab. KG 4 supported Army Group NorthArmy Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
during its advance to Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
. In January 1942 the unit relocated to Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
. On 22 January 1942 it helped drop supplies to the Kholm pocket, and in February-March it flew supply missions over the Demyansk Pocket
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Demyansk , south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February-21 April 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Kholm, about ...
suffering heavy losses and extensive aircrew exhaustion. I. Gruppe was committed to supporting Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
II. Grupe began its aerial offensive over the city on 1 October. During the winter the unit also flew bombing raids over Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. II. Gruppe supported Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
and its offensive into the Ukraine. II. Gruppe flew its 10,000th sortie on 9 March 1943. A notable success occurred on 14 March when the Gruppe attacked a Soviet airfield around Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
destroying 40 enemy machines and damaging 23 others.. II Gruppe also flew strategic bombing missions, against the Tank factory at Gorki
Gorki
Gorki may refer to:*Gorki, Russia, name of several inhabited localities in Russia*Gorki , originally named "Gorky", Belgian band of Luc De Vos-See also:*Gorki , a station of the Kazan Metro, Kazan, Russia*Gorky...
and missions against the rubber factories near Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historical part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities...
. III. Gruppe was committed to the Southern wing of the front and managed to hit targets over Astrakhan
Astrakhan
Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of below the sea level. Population:...
.
In October 1943 the unit was partially equipped with the Heinkel He 177
Heinkel He 177
The Heinkel He 177 Greif was the only operational long-range bomber to be operated by the Luftwaffe. Starting its existence as Germany's first purpose-built heavy bomber just before the war, and built in large numbers during World War II, it was also mistakenly tasked, right from its beginnings,...
.
In the period 1943-45 the Kampfgeschwader covered the continuous retreat of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
until the end of the war, in the tactical and supply role.
Based at Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
on 8 May 1945 the unit surrendered to British forces.
Organisation
Stab.Formed 1 May 1939.Disbanded 8 May 1945.
I. Gruppe
Formed 1 May 1939.
II. Gruppe
Formed 1 May 1939
III. Gruppe
Formed on 1 May 1939
IV(Erg). Gruppe
Formed on 18 June 1940. Dissolved on 15 August 1944
14. Staffel
Formed mid-October 1942. Disbanded in January 1943.
Geschwaderkommodore
- Oberst Martin FiebigMartin FiebigMartin Fiebig was a German general of Luftwaffe, serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, 1 September 1939 - 10 May 1940 - Oberst Hans-Joachim Rath, 30 May 1940 - June 1942
- Oberstlt Hans Detlef-Herhudt von Rohden, 2 June 1940 - ? (acting)
- Oberst Dr. Gottlieb Wolff, 16 June 1942 - 11 January 1943
- Oberstleutnant Heinz-Joachim Schmidt, 12 January 1943 - 9 May 1943
- Oberstleutnant Werner Klosinski, 10 May 1943 - December 1944
- Major Reinhard Graubner, 4 December 1944 - 8 May 1945