Kampfgeschwader 6

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kampfgeschwader 6
Battle of Caen
Falaise pocket
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Hermann Hogeback
Insignia
Identification
symbol		Geschwaderkennung of
3E

Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6) (Bomber Wing 6) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the

Second World War. The unit was formed between April and September 1942 and was equipped with Dornier Do 217, Junkers Ju 188 and Junkers Ju 88
bombers.

The Geschwader bombed Britain, the Eastern Front, North Africa, Italy and Normandy.

Formation

While officially formed on or about 1 September 1942 at

staffeln.[1]
The first date that KG 6 was mentioned was 30 April 1942, when Luftflotte 3 documents recorded its formation at Dinard under
Dieppe, was shot down and killed by Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilots of No. 401 Squadron.[2] In August 1942, Berlin ordered a full Geschwader to be formed, stating that the unit was to be a special bomber force to operate against key British industrial targets, as well as command and communication centres. To this end, it was to have its own pathfinder capability.[1]

Operational history

Early raids, 1942–43

I./KG 6 bombed British targets throughout the year, and suffered only one recorded loss against

RAF Mosquito night fighters. The German raids were usually carried out with only a few aircraft. On one rare occasion, the unit took part in a raid of 57 aircraft on Canterbury on 31 October 1942. II./KG 6 had only formed on 1 August, so bombing missions over Britain were few. III./KG 6 targeted Hull and factories in Exeter in January, losing two Ju 88A-4s on 11 January 1943. The unit bombed Newcastle, Sunderland and Edinburgh in the northeast of England. The unit also bombed London, Norwich and Birmingham. In the summer of 1943, I. and III. Gruppen bombed Norwich on 4 and 5 May, with 36 aircraft. An attack on ball bearing plants in Chelmsford took place on 13 and 14 May, I. Gruppe took part with other Geschwadern in sending 76 aircraft to bomb Sunderland's docks. On 17 and 18 May, 74 bombers hit Cardiff. In June 1943, the Gruppen moved to Sardinia
.

Eastern Front

III./KG 6 had not participated in the raids on Britain and was sent to the

Leningrad
were hit. On 30 September, another Ju 88A-4 was lost in the Kerstov area.

The unit was redeployed to

Stalingrad on 4 October as a planned assault by Erich von Manstein's Eleventh Army was postponed. Rail targets in Stalingrad were bombed. Soviet artillery in the North Caucasus, and Astrakhan were bombed from 9 to 18 October.[3]

North Africa and the Mediterranean

Main articles:
North African Campaign and Battle of the Mediterranean

I. Gruppe was engaged in anti-shipping missions off the

Dodecanese Campaign, operating from bases at Larissa, in Greece. It withdrew to Le Culot, Belgium in December 1943.[5] III. Gruppe also took part in the Dodecanese action.[5]

Italian Campaign

Main article:
Italian Campaign (World War II)

I Gruppe continued to support the

Army in Italy. The Gruppe suffered steady losses during night and daylight missions. The air defences were particularly threatening. On 7 August the Gruppe carried out a raid on Bizerte harbour, Tunisia, claiming a direct hit on a 5,000-ton cargo ship. Air reconnaissance later seemed to have confirmed the claim. Various raids were carried out against Allied airfields in Sicily.[4] However, heavy attacks on bases caused numerous losses to the group.[6]

Between July and 1 August 1942, III. Gruppe was created. It was a 'fire brigade' unit, constantly switching from front to front from August to October 1942. The gruppe was then moved to Sicily to support the Afrika Korps. Anti-shipping attacks against the North African coast were made without significant success and the odd loss. In December 1943 the gruppe was moved back to France to carry out raids against British targets.[7]

Operation Steinbock

Main article: Operation Steinbock

The Steinbock operation was launched against the

Battle of Berlin
.

I.KG 6 began offensive operations with 41 Ju 88s based at Chievres,

boxer dogs; Oberfeldwebel
Alfred Schubert, Alfons Eichschmidt, Walter Rehfeldt, Wilhelm Scachtshabel and Arnold Buttner.

II./KG 6, with 39 Ju 88As, was based at Le Culot, Belgium. It participated in seven major raids on London in February 1944, and bombed London from 13 to 15 March. On 24 and 25 March 1944, it attacked Whitehall and Westminster, in London. The unit returned to attack London again on 18 and 19 April. On 14 and 15 May, it attacked Allied invasion shipping in Bristol Harbour with a fleet of 91 aircraft (with other Geschwader), without suffering any losses.[5] Along with the other Gruppen, it took part in the Portsmouth and Falmouth raids on 22/23, 29/30 and 30/31 May. By the end of Operation Steinbock, the Gruppe had been decimated.[5]

III./KG 6 had 41 Ju 88 A and S variants (of which a total of 37 were operational), from

Operation Margarethe, the Nazi occupation of that country. It returned to Belgium on 21 March and resumed attacks on London on 24 and 25 March, and on Bristol on 27 and 28 March. It took part in a major assault on London on 18 and 19 April 1944, during which the Gruppe flew its 10,000th operational sortie. On 25/26 April 1944, it participated in a 137-aircraft attack on Portsmouth Harbour, and on the following night, bombed Bristol.[3] In mid-May, it was withdrawn from Steinbock operations, having lost two-thirds of its aircraft.[3]

The Geschwader lost a total of 70 aircraft out of 110 during the operation.[1]

Normandy

Main article: Operation Overlord

I. Gruppe flew missions over the Allied beachheads and French estuaries on 7, 10, 11, 13, 15, 20, 21, 24 and 29 June. Losses were heavy. At dawn on 7 July 1944, a force of 91 bombers sent out by IX. Fliegerkorps bombed ships off the beaches. Five ships were reportedly hit by III. Gruppe. This was repeated on 9 July. Mine-laying and ground attack missions were also flown.[6] By September, fuel shortages meant that the group was no longer operational. On 23 November 1944, after withdrawing into Germany, it was redesignated as fighter unit I. KG 6 (J) (Jagd or Fighter).[7] II. Gruppe flew missions throughout June, July and August 1944. It gradually withdrew into the Netherlands in late August and Germany in September.[5] III. Gruppe flew missions in support of Heer and Waffen SS units in France. It flew sorties in the

Ahlhorn on 2 July. Fuel shortages forced the group to abandon operations.[8] It was ordered to retrain as a fighter aircraft unit on 23 November and was renamed III./KG 6 (J).[8]

Commanding officers

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c de Zeng et al Vol. 1 2007, p. 61.
  2. ^ 'High Blue Battle' Mcintosh, 1990, p. 101
  3. ^ a b c d de Zeng et al Vol. 1 2007, p. 67.
  4. ^ a b de Zeng et al Vol. 1 2007, p. 62.
  5. ^ a b c d e de Zeng et al Vol. 1 2007, p. 66.
  6. ^ a b c d e de Zeng et al Vol. 1 2007, p. 63.
  7. ^ a b de Zeng et al Vol. 1 2007, p. 65.
  8. ^ a b de Zeng et al Vol. 1 2007, p. 68.

Bibliography

  • de Zeng, H.L; Stanket, D.G; Creek, E.J. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945; A Reference Source, Volume 1. Ian Allan Publishing, 2007.
    ISBN 978-1-85780-279-5
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kampfgeschwader_6&oldid=1206325249"