Edgar Petersen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 26 April 1904 Straßburg,Elsaß,German Reich |
| Died | 10 June 1986(1986-06-10) (aged 82) Andechs,Munich |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service | Luftwaffe |
| Rank | Oberst |
| Commands | KG 40 |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Edgar Petersen (26 April 1904 – 10 June 1986) was a German bomber pilot and officer in theLuftwaffe duringWorld War II.
Petersen was instrumental, asGeschwaderkommodore of theKampfgeschwader 40, in converting theFocke-Wulf Fw 200 into whatWinston Churchill called the "Scourge of the Atlantic" during theBattle of the Atlantic. Petersen also served in the position ofKommandeur der Erprobungstellen (commander of all Luftwaffe test stations) as anOberst later in the war, in which capacity from September 1942 onwards became centrally involved with the further development work required for the Luftwaffe's only operational heavy bomber, theHeinkel He 177 A, to make it combat ready, mostly focusing on the fire-prone DB 606 and DB 610 powerplants used for powering the He 177 A's airframe. In September 1942ReichsmarschallHermann Göring had rescinded the 1937-imposed mandate[1] for the He 177 A to perform moderate-angle dive bombing missions. From the time of his appointment as the "KdE", atRechlin,Oberst Petersen headed the development program to govern and manage the task of applying the substantial number of upgrades required for the troubled He 177 A to be successful in service.[2]
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by Oberstleutnant Hans Geisse | Geschwaderkommodore ofKampfgeschwader 40 April 1941 – September 1941 | Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Dr. Georg Pasewaldt |
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