| Kampfgeschwader 55 | |
|---|---|
 Unit insignia | |
| Active | 1 May 1939 –c. 27 April 1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Luftwaffe |
| Type | Air Force wing |
| Role | Air interdiction close air support Offensive counter air Maritime interdiction Strategic bombing |
| Size | Air Force Wing |
| Nickname(s) | Greif |
| Engagements | Polish Campaign Battle of Belgium Battle of France Battle of Britain The Blitz Eastern Front |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Alois Stoeckl |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | Geschwaderkennung ofG1 |
Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif" (KG 55 or Battle Wing 55) was aLuftwaffebomber unit duringWorld War II. KG 55 was one of the longest serving and well-known in the Luftwaffe. The wing operated theHeinkel He 111 exclusively until 1943, when only twostaffeln of its fourGruppen (Groups) used theJunkers Ju 88C.
Founded in May 1939, theGeschwader (Wing) was a product of a late surge in expanding the size of the Luftwaffemedium bomber forces. The formation of the wing began on 1 May 1939 with the creation of the command (Stab)Gruppe (Group) and I. and II./KG 55 (first and second groups). III./KG 55 was formed on 1 November 1939 two months after theoutbreak of war in Europe. IV.(Erg.)/KG 55 was formed on 1 August 1940 to train new crews sent to theGeschwader. The formation's firstGeschwaderkommodore wasWilhelm Süssmann.
KG 55 first saw action in theGerman invasion of Poland in September 1939. During thePhoney War—September 1939–April 1940—the bomber wing flew armedreconnaissance missions overFrance. In May 1940 KG 55 participated in theBattle of Belgium andBattle of France through to the end of the campaigns in June 1940.
In July 1940 KG 55 took part in theBattle of Britain but suffered significant losses in the battle. On 14 August KG 55 lostGeschwaderkommodoreAlois Stoeckl killed overEngland. It continued operations over theBritish Isles duringThe Blitz until June 1941. KG 55 attacked targets overNorthern Ireland,Scotland andWales.
In June 1941 the unit'sGruppen participated inOperation Barbarossa and spent the next years on theEastern front. KG 55 flew most of its operations on the southern sector in support ofArmy Group South, a front-level battle group of theGerman Army. KG 55's groups participated in the early successes which included the large battles of encirclements atKiev andFirst Battle of Kharkov. The command also took part in theBattle of Moscow and bombed the city.
In 1942 KG 55 participated in theSecond Battle of Kharkov and theBattle of the Caucasus andBattle of Stalingrad. KG 55 continued to operate as a bomber unit and air supply unit to support the German Army and also undertook some strategic bombing operations in 1943 and 1944. In the aftermath of theBattle of Kursk the unit was increasingly forced to fly at night owing to theSoviet Air Force achievingair superiority. In 1944 it carried out counter-air operations againstUnited States Army Air Force (USAAF) forces based in theSoviet Union.
In October 1944 I., II., and III., were re-designated KG(J) to convert tofighter aircraft for theDefence of the Reich operations. TheGruppen remained active until the last day of the war. IV.(Erg.)/KG 55 was disbanded on 21 November 1944. The independent 14.(Eis)/KG 55 on 27 April 1945.
For the duration of the war, KG 55 flew 54,272 combat operations, dropped 60,938 metric tons of bombs, carried 7,514 metric tons of supplies from 1 September 1939 to 1 October 1944. TheGeschwader lost 710 men killed in action and 747 missing.[1]
On 1 April 1934 a unit called theHanseatische Fliegerschule e. V. was formed, initially based atFassberg. This organisation was formed into aGeschwader (wing) and created as aKampfgeschwader (battle or bomber wing) on 1 May 1939. The commandstaffel (squadron), orStab unit, was created from KG 155, a defunct bomber unit on 1 May 1939. The organisation was created atGiessen aerodrome and was subordinated toLuftflotte 4 (Air Fleet 4). TheStabsstaffel was placed under the command ofWilhelm Süssmann, who became the firstGeschwaderkommodore of KG 55. The unit trained intensively over the spring and summer, 1939. On 31 August Süssmann was ordered toWesendorf in preparation for an attack onPoland. The unit was equipped with theHeinkel He 111P-4 medium bomber.[2]
I.Gruppe was formed atLangendiebach on 1 May 1939. This unit was formed from I./KG 155. The unit was expanded and trained on the He 111 through to 26 August. TheGruppe was placed on alert on that day and transferred toDedelstorf on 31 August 1939 under the command ofGruppenkommandeur (Group Commander)Major Walter Traub.[1] The group remained active until 1 May 1943 when it was re-designatedLehrgeschwader 1 (Training and Experimental Wing 1) and transferred to that wing. I./KG 55 was reformed on 10 June 1943 atStalino in theSoviet Union using personnel fromTransportfliegergruppe 10, the formerKampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 5 (KGr. z.b.v. 5, Fighting Group for Special Use).[3]
II./KG 55 was also founded at Giessen and trained alongside I./KG 55. Data records that it had 31 He 111s when it was ordered to the airbase at Wesendorf under the leadership ofGruppenkommandeur Otto von Lachemair.[4] III./KG 55 was officially formed atNeudorf nearOppeln inSilesia on 1 December 1939. Thestaffeln began forming exactly a month earlier on 1 November. The formation spent the winter training on the He 111 and were ready for operations by May 1940. TheGruppe was operational by March and was placed on high alert on 24 March. It was based atGablingen until the western offensive.[5]Major Hans Schemmell commanded the unit from 1 December 1939 – 30 September 1940.[5]
TheGeschwader was the largest homogeneous flying formation in the Luftwaffe which usually 90-120-aircraft strong. EachGeschwader was split into three to fourGruppen (groups) of 30 to 40 aircraft. Finally, theGruppen were split intoStaffeln (squadrons) containing 12 to 15 aircraft.[6]
On 1 September 1939 Adolf Hitler issued orders forFall Weiss (Case White) to be implemented and theWehrmachtattacked Poland. KG 55 was placed under the command of the4.Flieger Division (4th Air Division) under the command ofGeneralAlfred Keller. TheFlieger Division was subordinated toLuftflotte 4.[1] KG 55 flew attacks againstPolish Air Force airfields on 3 September, after being left out of the campaign's first two days. TheGeschwaderstab and I./KG 55 were ordered to Maerzdorf/Ohlau and II./KG 55 was moved to Rosenborn. Whilst there the crews listened to operational experiences from theDornier Do 17-equippedKampfgeschwader 4.[7]
Commander-in-chief ofLuftflotte 4,Alexander Löhr, ordered KG 55 into action and the wing bombed railway targets in support of theGerman Fourth Army. The attacks were made in a 10–30 degree dive from altitudes of 2,000 metres (6,600 feet). The operations were so successful it reduced the number of targets and the bombers reverted toclose air support operations.[8] The rail lines on theRadom–Kraków line were permanently severed.[7] KG 55 flew 13 operations and 275 individualsorties; theStabsstaffel flew 13 armed reconnaissance missions.[7]
KG 55 was also heavily involved in theBattle of the Bzura. ThreePolish Army groups attempted to break out of an encirclement and theGerman Eighth Army could not contain the attack. The Luftwaffe initiated a large air offensive against the Polish forces on 8 September. I. and II./KG 55 were involved in attacking communication targets while other units offered close air support. The offensive was successful and the Polish resistance broken. Operations moved south thereafter, operations against bridges on theVistula and attacks against Polish forces retreating towardsRomania also absorbed much of the wing's effort.[9] TheGeschwader suffered its first loss when one bomber made a forced-landing with no casualties on 11 September during long-range operations againstPrzemysl. The Luftwaffe was flying further to the east by this stage.[7]
On 12 September 1939 Commander-in-Chief of the LuftwaffeHermann Göring visited the unit.[1] I./KG 55 flew against target in theDubno area on 15 September as operations wound down.[10] On this date KG 55 flew 363 individual sorties. By the 20 September the number of sorties flown stood at 670.[7] On the night of the 16/17 SeptemberLuftflotte 4 was ordered to stand down and cease operations as part of theNazi-Soviet Pact. TheRed Army invaded Poland the following morning.[11] II./KG 55 was moved back to Giessen on 22 September.[4] During the campaign KG 55 suffered one complete loss of aircraft and crew, in which anOberleutnant Walter Fritz and his crew from 1./KG 55 werekilled in action south west ofL'vov.[12]
Following the conclusion of operations in Poland, which ended on 6 October 1939, I./KG 55 transferred toIngolstadt-Manching on 9 October. Then theGruppe moved toNeuburg an der Donau on 13 February 1940. It flew some reconnaissance operations over France dropping leaflets in theNancy area and over theMaginot Line. The formation moved toFürstenfeldbruck Air Base on 2 March but reverted to Neuburg on 23 April.[1] II./KG 55 moved to Ingolstadt on 10 November 1939 and moved toSchwäbisch-Hall on 13 January 1940 under the5thFlieger Division. It moved toLeipheim and on 3 February 1940 flew at least one leaflet mission in eastern France.[4] III./KG 55 were combat ready and were stationed at Gablingen.[5]
The end of thePhoney War on 10 May 1940 came with OperationFall Gelb (Case Yellow), the invasion of France and theLow Countries. Stab./KG 55 had six He 111s at Leipham for the operation.[2] TheGeschwader was placed under the command ofLuftflotte 3 (Air Fleet 3) although it was still subordinated to the 5thFlieger Division.[2] I./KG 55 committed 35 (25 serviceable) He 111s to the offensive.[10] II./KG 55 could muster 36 He 111s (24 operational) and 17 of 36 He 111s on strength with III./KG 55 were combat ready.[4] The units were to be engaged in counter-air operations against the FrenchArmée de l'air.[4]
Stab./KG 55 began operations on 10 May in theLorraine region of France, which would include missions overNancy,Toul andEpinal.[2] In the first day of action theGeschwader did not suffer any casualties. II. and III./KG 55 attackedNancy-Essey Airport which was heavily damaged.[4] I./KG 55 attackedToul-Croix de Metz Airfield. I./KG 55 moved toBaltringen in the evening and flew a long-range operation against rail depots inOrléans on 11 May. II./KG 55 flew attacks against similar targets but included bombing rail and bridge targets aroundChâteaudun on 12 May.[2] KG 55 flew attacks against 38 airfields from 11 to 13 May.Hugo Sperrle, commandingLuftflotte 3, claimed 100 Allied aircraft on the ground in these operation and another 100–150 in hangars.[13] A second operation hit the railway ofRethel. Stab./KG 55 attacked theChâteaudun Air Base and supported German army advances atCharleville-Mézières and theBattle at Sedan. From 11 May–2 June it flew operations againstChâteauroux-Déols Air Base, Orleans,Soissons andLyon – Mont Verdun Air Bases.[2]
I./KG 55 moved again toMalmsheim nearStuttgart. The formation attacked Soissons on 15 May andReims on 18 May supported by II./KG 55. III./KG 55 was confined to more northern operations: attackingVerdun on 16 May and flying the only known mission of the unit in theBattle of Belgium, toCharleroi, three days earlier on 13 May before moving toEutingen on 24 May.[5] Through May, KG 55 operated were engaged against targets in central, southern, and eastern France. The unit did not participate in the battles against theBritish forces in theBattle of Dunkirk andLille.[14] KG 55, was however involved in anti-shipping operations in theEnglish Channel. On 1 June it was transferred toIVFliegerkorps to participate in these operations.[15]
In May losses were sustained. On 12 May Allied fighters shot down a Heinkel of 4./KG 55, whilst it was attacking railway targets North East of Reims, for the unit's first loss of the battle. The next day, 13 May, cost KG 55 ten machines, six from Stab. and 4./KG 55. On that day alone the unit's losses had exceeded that of thePolish Campaign.[16] The losses suffered by KG 55 on 13 May were the worst of the war. A further seven machines were damaged and forced to land throughout the remainder of the fighting, although only two machines and crews were completely lost. The first of these, a 9./KG 55 Heinkel, was flown byUnteroffizier Horst Mahnert. Whilst returning from a mission to bomb airfields in theLyon area on 2 June 1940 it strayed intoSwiss airspace and was shot down nearUrsins byCapitaine Hans Thurnheer in aSwiss Air ForceMesserschmitt Bf 109.[17]
In June KG 55 continued long-range operations. It is believed theGeschwader flew toMarseille on 1 June 1940 on a leaflet-dropping exercise withKampfgeschwader 53.[18] On 3 June the entire wing flew onOperation Paula—a mass attack against industrial targets aroundParis. It supported the drive of theArmy Group B to Paris until the city's capture on 14 June. The last operations were flown on 22 June 1940, three days before the French surrender.[19] From 6–19 June the formation operated inGeschwader-strength against troop concentrations and rail targets around Nancy.[20] Between 20 and 23 June 1940, KG 55 were already operating over the United Kingdom, bombing targets inBristol andCardiff flying from forward airfields near Paris.[21]
KG 55 flew 886 combat operations against troop concentrations, 725 against rail targets, 406 against airfields, 49 anti-shipping operations and harbour attacks, 148 armed reconnaissance sorties and 46 dropping leaflets for the duration of the French campaign.[2] I./KG 55 flew 897 missions and lost 10 bombers.[10] II./KG 55 flew 571 combat sorties and lost 11 Heinkels.[4] From 10 May—23 June 1940 III./KG 55 flew 595 combat missions and lost 9 bombers.[5]
After the success in France KG 55 moved into the country and occupied airfields in the Paris area. In July 1940 the Luftwaffe began its first phase of operations over Britain. The escalating air activity over theEnglish Channel was called theKanalkampf, which officially began theBattle of Britain on 10 July. Throughout the summer German air operations gradually pressed inland to destroyRAF Fighter Command in southern England as a prelude toOperation Sealion, a seaborne invasion of theUnited Kingdom.
For KG 55 initial losses were light in these skirmishes. The first loss occurred on 11 July 1940, when 2./KG 55 lost He 111Werknummer 2648 G1+LK, piloted byOberfeldwebel Erich Slotosch. They became the first of theGeschwader casualties; all were taken prisoner of war.[22] Later in the action two He 111s collided while in combat withNo. 601 Squadron RAF over Channel with the loss of all crews.[23] On the night 11/12 July Luftwaffe nuisance raids persisted withGeschwaderkommodoreAlois Stoeckl leading II.KG 55—which would become a night pathfinder unit in theBlitz—attackedCardiff, Wales. On 13 July another He 111 piloted byOberleutnant Kleinhanns was shot down byNo. 43 Squadron RAF overSouthwick while on a reconnaissance flight.[24] III./KG 55 lost another He 111 on the 19 July offShoreham toNo. 145 Squadron RAF as the Channel battles intensified.[25][26]
On 13 August KG 55 was involved inAdlertag the all-out offensive against theRoyal Air Force (RAF) in southern England, attacking the port ofPlymouth,Feltham andRAF Middle Wallop without loss. The following day, KG 55 was to suffer its most significant loss. On 14 August 1940 He 111P G1 + AA was shot down near the Royal Naval Armament Depot atEast Dean inHampshire.[27]GeschwaderkommodoreOberst Alois Stoeckl and his crew were killed.[28] He was replaced byMajor Hans Korte of I./KG 55.[1]MajorFriedrich Kless took over command of I./KG 55. Stoeckl and his crews were able to bomb the airfield but theKommodore fell to the RAF aceJohn Dundas.[29] KG 55 continue to operate against RAF airfields. On 16 August 1940 it bombedHeathrow Airport. On 26 August it took part inLuftflotte 3's last major daylight raid for three weeks as the air fleet was reassigned to attacking theWest andEast Midlands industrial areas.[30][31]
For a period of three weeks KG 55 was mainly assigned to night raids on aircraft production factories over England, though there were some notable daylight raids onBristol andSouthampton. On 4 September 1940 27 He 111s from III./KG 55 led by Major Hans Schemmell attackedPortland. They feinted towards Southampton and bombed the port causing little damage. They were intercepted byNo. 152 Squadron RAF and lost one bomber and another damaged.[32]
On 25 September 1940 all three air groups took part in a raid on theBristol Aeroplane Company factory atFilton. German reconnaissance discovered the surrounding airspace was sparsely protected. A formation of 58 Heinkels supported byJunkers Ju 88s fromLehrgeschwader 1. A formation ofMesserschmitt Bf 110s fromErprobungsgruppe 210 marked the target. RAF controllers mistakenly believed the target to be theWestland Whirlwind factory atYeovil and sent three squadrons to protect it. This enabled the bombers to bomb the target, stopping production and causing some 250 casualties at the factory and 107 in the surrounding area. 80Bristol Beaufort andBristol Blenheims were destroyed and dozens of others damaged.[33] RAF fighters fromNo. 238 Squadron RAF andNo. 229 Squadron RAF engaged the He 111s on their return to base, downing one He 111 and two escorting Bf 110s from III./Zerstörergeschwader 26.[34][35][36]
Reconnaissance units incorrectly reported the aircraft factory lightly damaged. Consequently, 30 He 111s preceded by 19 Bf 110s fromErprobungsgruppe 210, and covered by 27 Bf 110s from ZG 26 attacked the factory again. This time five RAF squadrons met the raid. Three Bf 110s from ZG 26 were shot down and another damaged. FourErprobungsgruppe 210s Bf 110s were shot down, but the Heinkels were protected as KG 55 escaped without loss but was forced to abandon the mission, drop its bombs and retreat to France.[37]
On 29 September, KG 55 attacked theMerseyside area.Oberstleutnant Hans Korte led III./KG 55 acrossNo. 10 Group RAF's area again. At 18:00 they flew into theIrish Sea, but they had been tracked by Cornish radar. 11Hawker Hurricanes ofNo. 79 Squadron RAF intercepted. 7. and 8.Staffel slipped away but the 9th was caught against the setting sun and spotted. Three bombers were hit; one was shot down, another written off landing in France and one was assessed as fifty percent damaged. The gunners defended tenaciously and shot down three 79 Hurricanes; one pilot was killed, the other rescued by British naval craft, but the third was rescued by the Irish and interned.[38]
The following day KG 55 tried to bomb theWestland plant atYeovil. Covered by 40 Bf 110s from ZG 26 and 52 Bf 109s fromJG 2 andJG 53, they were intercepted by around nine squadrons. KG 55 made it through to Yeovil despite fighter attacks.[39] KG 55 were complimentary to ZG 26, which it noted, fought with great distinction to protect KG 55.[40] The Bf 110s were successful (a rare feat) against 152 Spitfires in particular - hitting five and destroying one. They also destroyed a further 10 fighters for one loss. JG 2 and JG 53 over exaggerated their claims. The raid against the plant failed. Thick cloud and under constant attack the bomber pilots aborted the mission which cost KG 55 three Heinkels. Diversions byKG 51 andKG 77 suffered losses. One Bf 109, five bombers and a Bf 110 were lost against 11 RAF fighters in total.Hugo Sperrle, commandingLuftflotte 3, regarded it as a success.[40]
Between 10 July and 31 October 1940 KG 55 lost 73 machines to enemy action, and a further eight were shot down during 1940 in night operations over Britain. The last Heinkel lost in 1940, piloted byUnteroffizier Bruno Zimmermann, was shot down byPilot Officer J. G Benson andSergeant P. Blain in aBoulton Paul Defiant ofNo. 141 Squadron RAF overSussex on 22 December.[41]
After the Battle of Britain the Luftwaffe maintained pressure on Britain by attacking at night to avoidRAF Fighter Command.The Blitz, as it became known, was a series of heavy attacks against British cities in order to break the will of the civil population and destroy its industrial centres. KG 55 was involved in the campaign from the first operation to the last. II./KG 55 was selected to operate as a pathfinder unit alongside the specialistKampfgruppe 100, and III./Kampfgeschwader 26.[42] They were referred to in the Luftwaffe asBeleuchtergruppe (Firelighter Group). It was not equipped with special aids for this task unlike the otherGeschwader, and has rarely been credited with this role. The crews were highly experienced in night operations and selected to help lead the attacks under the command ofMajorFriedrich Kless. The three units operated in unison often:KGr 100 illuminated the target with incendiaries and the later formations droppedhigh explosive bombs to destroy water mains and impede fire-fighting efforts.[43]
II./KG 55 usedKnickebein andDirection finding methods when British countermeasures fromNo. 80 Wing RAF did not impede them. They also learned to navigate by using searchlights and shell bursts fromanti-aircraft artillery as a reference point because they denoted the close proximity of cities, coastlines and lights were often connected to railways. Good use was also made of British dummy airfields intended to lead German crews astray—they were carefully plotted and recorded. II./KG 55 used LC 50 parachute flares—an operation often attributed toKGr 100—then proceeded to bomb visually usingLotfernrohr 7 bomb sights. TheGruppe was predominantly equipped with He 111P-4s; the other units were equipped with more powerful He 111H-5s.[44] The resultingBattle of the Beams lasted until the end of the Blitz. In one incident the British jamming succeeded in confusing the KG 55 He 111 piloted byLeutnant Hans Thurner, who landed on three occasions on RAF airfields in rapid succession before realising his error and escaping across the Channel.[45]
On 1 November II./KG 55 was involved in three operations in one night toBristol,Oxford andSkegness. The following night I., II. and III./KG 55 took part in theoffensive against London.[46] On 6/7, 7/8, and 11/12 December London was the target for all three groups. On the latter date,Bournemouth andExmouth were also hit by III./KG 55. On 12/13 December theGeschwader returned to the capital.[47] Among the most destructive attacks was Operation Mondscheinsonate (Moonlight Sonata), which was the code word for theattack on Coventry on 14 November 1940. afterKGr 100 released their incendiaries 16 He 111s of II./KG 55 released a mixture of LC 50 parachute flares and five SC 1800 and 11 SC1400 SC (Sprengbomb-clyindrisch) heavy, general-purpose bombs, thin-cased to cause maximum damage on the surface. They were the heaviest German bombs available. A further five SC500 and 2,412 incendiaries were dropped. Thefull moon and absence of cloud made the use ofKnickebein superfluous. The attack was a success and a large part of the city centre was destroyed. I. and III./KG 55 participated in the main waves.[48][49] Meanwhile, I./KG 55 struck at Bournemouth and Portsmouth.[50]
On the night of the 16/17 November 1940 13 He 111s of II./KG 55 led 159 bombers fromLuftflotte 2 and 3 in anattack on Southampton destroying much of the city. 13 Heinkels of the group also led anattack on Birmingham on 19/20 November. They flew in the lead of 357 aircraft withKGr 100 joining in marking the target. The attack with incendiaries started fires that were visible from 47 miles (76 kilometres) away. The unit also guided 204 bombers toBirmingham on 21/22 November using 11 aircraft.Southampton was attacked by 121 bombers on 23/24 November and II./KG 55 was once again asked to lead the attack. On 27/28 November KG 55 was involved in theattack on Liverpool (324 bombers) and the continued air offensive againstLondon (335 aircraft) on 28/29 November. On the last night of the month, Southampton was struck by 128 aircraft on 30 November/1 December 1940.[51] III./KG 55 was involved in all of these operations.[49]
In December the weather deteriorated and complicated night operations. II./KG 55 participated in 11 attacks during the month with all 30 of its aircraft available. KG 55's air groups were assigned toVFliegerkorps in December attached toLuftflotte 3. During an attackBristol on the night of the 24 November theGeschwader suffered its first casualty when a crew member was killed by anti-aircraft fire, but KG 55 suffered few casualties during the winter operations. The crews were ordered to expand their duties this time and report back on weather conditions for successive waves. A particular problem was the icing of airframes at higher altitudes. The radio operators were obliged to report straight away and used the W/T to do so. BritishY-stations were able to intercept the transmissions which helped identify the unit but little more.[52] Notable operations were carried outagainst Sheffield on 12/13 December and Liverpool on 21/22 December.[49] On two successive nights from the 22–24 December, KG 55 supported theheavy bombing of Manchester andPlymouth.[49] III./KG 55 is known to have attacked Birmingham alone this night.[53]
The technological and intelligence war was also escalating. The RAF had been quick to discoverKnickebein and effectively counter it. However,X-Verfahren systems in use among the pathfinders and some of the German bomber units were not disrupted. For much of the war 80 Wing believed their counter-efforts had affected the German navigational aids. They did however, solve the basics ofY-Verfahren but it would take two more months to counter the former aid.[54] Operations were reduced in January due to the British weather. All groups were involved in remaining operations toBristol on 3/4 January 1941, Manchester on 9/10 January,Portsmouth on 10/11 January and London the following night. Attacks onAvonmouth on 16/17 andSwansea on 17/18 January were the first to these targets.[55] Records show that in the Portsmouth operation 19 of II./KG 55's He 111s dropped 18 LC 50 flares, eight SC1800, seven SD1400 (Sprengbombe Dickwandig bombs which had some penetrative power forarmour-piercing purposes) and sevenSC1000 bombs.[56] Severe weather shut down II./KG 55's operations at itsChartres airfield until March 1941.[55] This was the case for III./KG 55 atVillacoublay.[49] III./KG 55 was grounded in Paris.[10]
I./KG 55 moved toLe Bourget on 11 February while the other twoGruppen resumed operations from their stations of the previous winter.[49] On 10/11 March the Luftwaffe returned Portsmouth and to theWest Midlands on the night of the 11/12. KG 55 pitted its entire strength includingStab./KG 55 against Birmingham.[57] The attack is notable as 5staffel of II./KG 55 lost two He 111s tonight fighters this night—PilotFeldwebel Karl Brüning became aprisoner of war but his crew were killed by aBoulton Paul Defiant fromNo. 264 Squadron RAF flown byFlying Officer Frederick Hughes. PilotOberfeldwebel Karl Single was shot down by aNo. 96 Squadron RAFHawker Hurricane flown bySergeant McNair, though three of his crew were killed. On 14/15 March KG 55 flew diversionary raids to Sheffield and Plymouth to allow other units tobomb Glasgow. One of its pathfinders fell toNo. 604 Squadron RAFBristol Beaufighter piloted by Flying Officer Keith Geddes. The growing efficiency of night fighters increased German bomber losses.[58] On 10 AprilMajor Rudolf Kiel took command of I.Gruppe fromHauptmann Otto Bodemeyer. Kiel led the group until 6 January 1943.[1]
The last attacks were flown againstHull, Southampton, Avonmouth, London, Bristol,Clydeside andDevonport from 16 to 22 April; casualties amounted to two badly damaged Heinkels.[59] KG 55 was selected for anti-shipping operations in theIrish Sea on 6 April 1941. Until 3 June it flew 73 operations and sank two ships, damaging another 12, for the loss of one bomber.[55]
By the time KG 55 had ceased its actions over Britain, it had flown 4,742 sorties over the British Isles. 3,300 were against shipping and harbours, 700 against industrial targets, 391 armed reconnaissance flights and 350 attacks against airfields between 24 June 1940 and 11 June 1941.[2] During its night operations, only 10 of KG 55's crews had been detected and engaged by enemy night fighters from September 1940–May 1941.[60]
KG 55's units began a last minute withdrawal to the Eastern borders of the Reich in preparation forOperation Barbarossa, the war on theSoviet Union. It was assigned toFliegerkorps V (5th Flying Corps), subordinated toLuftflotte 4. The Stab. unit had six He 111s, all operational and twoMesserschmitt Bf 110s, with one operational. I., III. Gruppe and theGeschwaderstab moved from their respective bases toZamość inPoland, while IIGruppe was located to Klemensów aerodrome south east ofLublin in Poland under the command of Major Ernst Kühl, who assumed command on 31 March 1941.[5] I./KG 55 had all 27 He 111s operational, II./KG 55 reported 22 of 24 bombers ready for action, and the third group 24 of 25 operational on 22 June 1941. On 8 March 1941 theErganzungstaffel was formed into IV.Gruppe, but was deployed toDijon in France and remained there until 4 May 1944. KG 55 was to provide air support forArmy Group South attacking intoUkraine in its drive toward theCaucasus and the Soviet oil fields.[61]
The opening day of the campaign resulted in the loss of seven aircraft.[62] III.Gruppe attacked airfields atŁuck andMlynow, nearDubno.[61] The next day an 8./KG 55 Heinkel was shot down by flak over Łuck, the crew bailed out but were later found by advancing German forces to have been shot in the head. Two of the men were found at the local Commissar's house.[62] II.Gruppe attacked airfields inL'vov, Adamy, nearBusk, Ukraine, and Zalosy. III./KG 55 bombed airfields in Dubno andKiev that morning. The Luftwaffe established a degree ofair superiority after destroying and capturing over 4,000 Soviet aircraft in the first weeks of the invasion.[63] II./KG 55 attacked airfield near Kiev again on 25 June while III.Gruppe bombedRed Army troop concentrations in Wlodzimierzec-Lutsk area on 23 June followed by bombing attacks on theKowel-Sarny rail system on 25 June.[61] By 25 JuneFliegerkorps V bombed 77 airfields in the first three days, in 1,600 sorties.[64] The air corps claimed 774 Soviet aircraft on the ground.[64] Army reconnaissance units and the air corps lost 55 aircraft destroyed and 37 damaged.[65]
On 26 June 1941 KG 55 was involved in the battles to support the1st Panzer Army, operating against land-air forces belonging tothe Soviet Western Front.Lackingdive-bomber, orstrike aircraft, the air corps was forced to employ itsmedium bombers in the close support role.[65]KG 51,KG 54 and KG 55 were forced to carry out continuous low-level attacks on counter-attacking Soviet army units. The operations were costly but relieved pressure on the Panzer Army. On 26 June an attack hit the headquarters of theSoviet 15th Mechanised Corps, wounding commander Major General Ignat Karpezo.[65] The attacks inflicted serious delays on Soviet formations advancing from Kiev, the Red Army lost 201 tanks—mostly in front of the 1 Panzer Army from 22 June to 30 June.[65] KG 55 registered 46 He 111s out of action—24 of them total losses.[65] KG 51 lost 30 destroyed and nine damaged while KG 54 suffered 16Junkers Ju 88s "out of action."[65] Despite the losses, on 1 July, the threeGeschwadern thwarted the Soviet retreat to Kiev, routing the infantry columns disengaging from the German16th and17th Armies. They reported 200 motor vehicles and 40 tanks destroyed.[65]
In July the priority of KG 55 and all bomber units inLuftflotte 4 was railway interdiction in theDnieper area. The dusty and ill-prepared roads were ill-suited to transporting large amounts of equipment and the Red Army relied on rail systems for logistics. The vast distances had an effect onescort fighter operations. The 1 Panzer Army seizedBerdichev on 1 July after advancing 43 miles in three days. KG 55 was required to support it, but the forward airfield ofJG 3, now at Lutsk, was out of range. The II.Gruppe proceeded and lost four bombers to Soviet fighters.[65] I.Gruppe was also active, bombing rail and supply targets over the Dnieper between Kiev andCherkassy. The group also attack rail and motor traffic betweenZhitomir and Kiev. The Kiev–Korosten line was attacked on 5 July. Berdichev-Skvira (6 July) and Kiev rail station was bombed on 9 July. The group reverted to attacking Red Army columns south ofMachnovka on 11 July.[66] It moved fromLabunie toBojary on 20 July. From here, the group was part of the first raid onMoscow on 21/22 July 1941.[66] Another transfer to Zhitomir on 25 July followed and it began operations againstDrohobycz, southwest of L'vov on 26 July. It may have bombed Moscow again on the night of the 28 or 29 July.[66]
II. and III.Gruppen were also active in the area. After targeting Soviet tank concentrations near Leszniow on 26 June it did the same at Toporow and Berdichev airfield on 28 June. Road and rail traffic were bombed in theVinnitsa-Zhitomir-Kiev from 1–6 July.[55] Zhitomir-Zhmerinka andNovgrad, near Zhitomir were attacked on the 7 and 11 July. The group transferred to Mlynow in eastern Poland, then to Boyari northeast ofMinsk. From here it began bombing operations withincendiary bombs against Moscow on 22 July. It was ordered to target theKremlin—the Soviet seat of government. It bombedBryansk rail station on 30 July.[55] III.Gruppe appears to have been ordered to attack bridges atKanev (11 July). Korosten (16 July), Moscow (21/22 July), Zhitomir (22 July).[49]
TheGeschwader played an instrumental role in theBattle of Kiev andBattle of Uman, in which theWehrmacht effectively destroyed three Soviet armies, killing or capturing 600,000 soldiers. I./KG 55 was credited with the destruction of 58 railway cars, 675 trucks and 22 tanks in this battle alone.[67] On 7 August, near, Dnepropetrovsk, a Soviet counter-attack pushed back the1st Panzer Army from its Dnieper bridgehead. All available aircraft were sent to stop the attack. KG 55, KG 54 and KG 51 were credited with the destruction of 148 motor vehicles and 94 tanks.[68]
3.Staffel pilot Adalbert Karbe destroyed seven locomotives in one sortie.[67] I.Gruppe attacked the pocket aroundUman from 3–10 August. It also bombed Lubny airfield on 3 August.[66]Sablonow (12 August) and Kiev (29 August) were attacked from new bases nearKirovograd (from 27 August). The group bombed airfields aroundKharkov on 6 and 8 September and then bombed thePoltava rail line. It probably bombed Poltava airfield on 28 August. The group continued operations against,Dnepropetrovsk andKarlovka on 18 September. It bombed targets inside Kharkov on 25 September.[66]
II.Gruppe bombedGomel and flew sorties in support of the advance onNezhin. The group attacked the rail station on 20 August. In theChabnoye area (22 and 24 August) and Oster, near Kiev (24 August) it flew armed reconnaissance operations. It reconnoitered the Dnepropetrovsk area on 2 September. It attacked Kirovograd rail targets on 1 September. For most of September it attacked rail traffic travelling from Kharkov to Poltava. It targetedKorsun, east of Kiev on 10 September and the airfield atSemenovka on the 12th. Kharkov train station was attacked on 21 September and then the Kharkov-Kupyansk, and Kharkov-Belgorod until the 25 September.[55] On 22 September KG 55 attacked the eastward road out of Kharkov just as the 558th and 596th Anti-tank Regiments.[69] Such was the flow of Soviet reinforcement in the south,Luftflotte 4 diverted KG 55 specifically interdiction.Rolling stock and locomotives were the target. Individual crews were sent out on free-hunts to cover the huge area between Kursk andStalino. A supplementaryMG 151 cannon was added to the nose for low-level attacks. The operations were so successful, the Soviets resorted to sending transports by night.[70]
The most notable action for this group was theFirst Battle of Kharkov. On 17 October it bombed rail traffic on the Kupyansk-Valuyki on 17 October and the Kharkov-Volchansk road on 20th. Rail targets inMelitopol (27 October),Rostov (3 November) andSvoboda (12 November) were bombed as a prelude to anadvance on Rostov. The group was withdrawn toSaint-André-de-l'Eure Airport, France prior to the battle proper. It remained there until April 1942.[55] III.Gruppe remained and bombed the tank factory atKramatorskaya on 6 October. On 16 and 18 October it bombed targets around Rostov and Kharkov. It was moved to theCrimea and bombed the port ofKerch on 30 October and then Rostov on the 5 November. On 30 November it flew its last operation in 1941 and withdrew toNantes until 29 April 1942.[49] First Group was also withdrawn, from Kirovograd, and sent toVienna to refit. On 18 November it was moved toMelun in France until 31 December 1941.[66]
The Red Army counter-offensive before Moscow nearly destroyedArmy Group Centre and by late December 1941, early January 1942, it had come to a halt. German offensive operations came to an end along the Eastern Front:Barbarossa had failed.Stab KG 55 was reassigned from the command ofFliegerkorps IV toIXFliegerkorps. It was moved toÉvreux-Fauville Air Base, along with the rest of KG 55. It was reduced to three aircraft on 7 March 1942. On 24 April 1942, KG 55 came under the command ofVIIIFliegerkorps. The bomber wing was immediately transferred to theCrimea. In December 1941 Soviet forceslanded in the Crimea near Kerch, and KG 55, along withKG 27, KG 55, andKG 100, was dispatched to assistLuftflotte 4 and the11th Army to destroy the Soviet beachhead in April 1942.[71] KG 55 had immediate success, damaging the Soviet destroyerSposobnyy and scoring hits on thecruiserFrunze for one bomber loss to Soviet fighters.[72]
I.Gruppe was the only exception. It moved back to southern Russia on 1 January 1942 from Melun-Villaroche. The group attacked rail targets inMillerovo, 6 January 1942;Vladislavaka (15 January) and attackedanti-aircraft artillery batteries alongPetropavlovka, andAlexandrovska on 16 January. Targets in theIzyum-Slavyansk-Lozovaya salient southeast of Kharkov were bombed in late January and close air support operations were flown overFeodosia (31 January) andBarvenovka (13 February). Rail targets between Blisnjesy and Barvenovka (21 February), Kirovograd toKonotop (27 February), Izyum (9 March), andValuyki, east of Kharkov on 10 March. The Izyum-Slavyansk-Lozovaya salient on 18 March. It operated over theSea of Azov, disrupting shipping bringing in reinforcements. The last known operation flown in this area was rail interdiction: the line between Kirovograd to Konotop was targeted once again. From the 8–15 May, it was directed to supportErich von Manstein's army group in the Crimea,Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard-Hunt): attacks onDzhankoi,Bagerovo, Kerch and the Sea of Azov were carried out on 10 May.[66] One He 111 from the group was subjected to aTaran attack.[73] On 15 May, theGruppe was withdrawn to Stalino.[66] The group damaged the minesweeperKomintern and sank a transport ship on 21 April and by this time theBlack Sea Fleets ability to supply the Soviet forces in Sevastopol was severely curtailed.[74] The ports ofAnapa,Tuapse, andNovorossiysk were bombed.[71]
II. and III.Gruppen were involved in the Crimean campaign. II./KG 55 attacked Red Army columns along the Marayevka-Kerch road on 10 May and five days later it had been withdrawn to support German forces in the Izyum-Kupyansk region. On 19 May it flewairdrop operations in the Kharkov area. IIIGruppe bombed targets in and around Kerch from 8–10 May. On the latter date it lost five He 111s in combat.[75] KG 55 lost eight in total this day: Manstein noted, "Richthofen made terrific demands on the units under his command."[73] It relocated to Izyum-Kupyansk sector forOperation Fridericus. KG 55's operations in the Crimea came to an end. The campaign would end with thefall of Sevastopol in July 1942.[75] On 11 June 1942, KG 55 flew its 15,839th sortie.[1]
In May 1942 KG 55 was rushed northward to combat aSoviet offensive at Kharkov under the command ofFliegerkorps IV. I.Gruppe experienced Soviet air resistance almost immediately.Kapitan Ivan Pilipenko led sixPolikarpov I-16s from 40 IAP and shot down three He 111s. The KG 55 war diary noted "Russian fighters had rarely appeared in such force as they had over this sector of the front."[76] III.Gruppe flew an average of 49 sorties per day, dropping 7.75 tons of bombs between 13 and 17 May.[77] Days after the conclusion of Kharkov, KG 55 were involved in Operation Wilhelm againstVolchansk, supporting theGerman 6. Armee's advance to capture the city and secure a staging area forCase Blue, the German summer offensive aimed and capturing theCaucasus oilfields.[78]Kurt Pflugbeil, commanding IVFliegerkorps, ordered KG 55 and his bomber groups to supportArmy Group A's advance to theDon river.[79] The capture ofRostov allowed the German army group to advance into the northern Caucasus. Bridges, rail and road transport—operational level interdiction—targets were KG 55's quarry. At this early stage in Case Blue, the Luftfwaffe had air superiority.[80] III./LG 1, KG 51, and I./KG 100 supported KG 55.ZG 1 offered close air support andJG 52 andJG 53 provided fighter escort and air cover.[80]
I.Gruppe had 30 He 111H-6s ready for action on 1 July. Ostrogoshsk was attacked on 4 July and it moved from Kharkov to Barvenovka on 8 July. The group began attacks onStalingrad on 16 August, well before German spearheads reached the city. II./KG 55 mustered 33 bombers for the offensive. Bombing operations over Starobelsk on 10 July was followed by a move to Kramatorskaya on 14 July. Luganskoye was bombed on 14 July and then it targeted Sovietoil tankers and other transports moving along theVolga river. It was then transferred to the Crimea and attackedNovorossisk (10 August) and bombed rail lines around Tupase (18 August). It returned to Morosovskaya.[55] III.Gruppe was attacking targets around Bulazelovka (10 June), Grakovo (12 June) and destroyed a bridge at Kupyansk on 22 June.[55] Svoboda rail station was bombed on 25 and 27 June. It reported to still have 30 He 111s on 1 July.[75] It moved eastward from Kharkov to Kramatorskaya on 14 July. It detached 9.Staffel to operate fromKerch over theBlack Sea. 7. and 8.Staffel raided traffic on the Volga on 31 July.[75] From 24 to 31 July 1942 it flew an average of 23sorties per day and dropped 29 tons of bombs.[81] The group moved to Samorsk in the eastern Crimea altogether on 5 August and began support for German forces inthe Caucasus. On 17 August it targeted theTamryuk area on theTaman Peninsula and two days later, Tuapse harbour. On 23 August, it bombed rail communications fromSaratov toAstrakhan.[75]
TheBattle of Stalingrad began on 23 August 1942. KG 55 was heavily involved in the bombing of the city—bothcarpet bombing and targeted bombing at specific targets.[82] Beginning at 07:00 local time on 23 August, the bombing began. It lasted throughout the night and into the following day. More than 1000metric tons of bombs were dropped byLuftflotte 4.[83] The following day the intensity continued into the evening of the 25 August. Initial Soviet reported the water and electricity grid knocked out. On 26 August a detailed SovietUrban Committee of Defence report gave the following casualty figures; 955 dead and 1,181 wounded.[83] Due to the fighting that followed and the high death toll, it is impossible to know how many more were killed in aerial attacks. The figure was higher than in the initial reports but reports of tens of thousands of deaths in the three-day raid are not credible.[83]
KG 55 suffered declining strength in the Stalingrad battle. I./KG 55 was sent to rest and refit in the Crimea on 14 September, which lasted until 5 November 1942. By 20 September it reported only 15 operational He 111s from 29.[84] Part of the group may have flown attacks on Stalingrad on 29 October. II./KG 55 reported identical figures on 20 September. It attacked the city on 4 October and bombed the Gashti area on 22 October. On 17 November 1942 it flew attacks in theRomanian Army sector; supporting itsThird andFourth elements.[84] III./KG 55 are known to have attacked the city on 30 August and 18, 21, 22 and 23 September.[85] It had a marginally higher operational ready rate on 20 September; 19 from 31 He 111s were battle-ready. It was known to have continued bombing the city from 2–22 October 1942.[85] Third group flew 288 day bombing missions from 28 September–24 October 1942, dropping 2490.25 tonnes of bombs; the majority being short-range missions. A further ten long-range missions were flown and 12.5 tonnes of bombs were dropped.[86]
The Red Army beganOperation Uranus, which eventually surrounded the Axis armies in the city. I./KG 55 attacked targets around Stalingrad from 21 to 24 November: Kletskaya (21 and 22 November), Perelasovskiy 923 November), Seyasnovskiy (24 November), Tschemiskaya and Seyasnovskiy (25 November). Flew supply operations 29 November, 8, 12, 19 and 24 December. It bombed targets at Myupin on Christmas Day 1942. It evacuated to Novocherkassk to avoid being overrun on 2 January 1943.[3] It was forced to limit operations to one aircraft per day in January and flew supply missions to Gumrak airfield on 20 January, and flew its last drop over Stalingrad on 30 January. The group evacuated to Stalino on 2 February—the day the battle ended.[3]
On 20 November II./KG 55 bombed Soviet armour near Kletskaya northwest of Stalingrad. It attacked targets in theCherny-Sevskaya region on 26 November. It operated fromPitomnik Airfield until 29 November and over Pitomnik on 7 December.[84] There are no recorded losses after this date suggesting records were lost or it was re-equipping.[84] On 20 November KG 55 lostGruppenkommandeur Hans-Joachim Gabriel in operations over the city. He was the only commander of the group to be killed in action.[5]Major Heinz Höfer.[5] III./KG 55 began supply missions on 30 December, to Pitomnik. It evacuated the field on 2 January and flew its last supply operation on 18 January, and withdrew to Stalino on 2 February 1943.[85]
The Germans resisted fiercely but on 14 January 1943 Pitomnik airfield was captured by the Soviets and many supplies were then parachuted in. The last German elements surrendered on 2 February. KG 55 contributed only a small fraction of the meagre 90 tonnes of supplies the 6th Army received daily. Over 165 He 111's were lost over Stalingrad, KG 55's losses were 59.[87] TheGeschwader flew in 3,296 tons of supplies including 1,541 tons of food and 768 tons of ammunition, and 1,110 tons of fuel. KG 55 also evacuated 9,028 wounded soldiers.[1]
KG 55 remained on the Eastern Front in through the spring, 1943 over theDonbas andKuban bridgehead. The wing was transferred toFliegerkorps IV in April.[3] Stab./KG 55 was based at Saki at this time but moved forward to Stalino on 1 May. IGruppe struck targets atBataisk (9 February). The following day the Red Air Force bombed the group's base. It carried out unspecified operations over Kramatorskaya (15 February),Stefanovka andGulobovka (19 February) and Politodeiskoye (28 February). On 1 March it could muster 16 He 111H-16s and 19 He 111H-6s.[3] It handed over its aircraft to the other twoGruppen and then relocated by train toBarth, Germany to rest and re-equip. The personnel there were renamed III./LG 1 on 1 May 1943. The group was reformed on 10 June at Stalino from personnel taken from theTransportfliegergruppe 10, and K.Gr.z.b.V.5.[3] It transferred toWiesbaden on 20 May, andLandsberg-Lech on 29 August 1943. It briefly flew night reconnaissance missions over northeasternItaly, searching possible invasion routes forOperation Achse, in the event the Italians left theAxis powers.[3] The group did not fly a combat sortie in the Mediterranean.[88] The reconstituted group was placed under the command of Walter Traub, from 1 May.[1]
II./KG 55 began airdrops to the Taman Peninsula andArmavir-Krasnodar area in February 1943 based at Saki. It had only seven He 111H-6s on 13 February. It began to re-equip with H-16s on 1 March and then attacked Bataisk with the new type on 11 April. More bombing operations against the port of Novorossik (15 April) andanti-aircraft artillery positions atLabardinka (18 April) as well as targets along the Taman Peninsular from 27 April to 4 May. From Stalino it flew more attacks against Bataisk on 9 May. The group flew its 10,000th mission on 11 May 1943.[84] It returned to Taman (26 May), Krymaskaya (27 May), targets Krasnodar (30 May). It moved to the central sector at Sechchinskaya and Karachev.[84] III.Gruppe spent the new year and spring supporting defensive operations around Taman, Rostov and Anastasiyevka (7–22 February) and its own base was bombed (7 February). On 23 February the group moved to Kirovograd to supportManstein's offensive at Kharkov until 14 March. On 18 March it bombedBelgorod and relocated back to Kirovograd to Samorsk in Crimea for operations over the Taman Peninsular from 5 April.[85]MajorWilhelm Antrup took command on 6 May fromOberstleutnant Wolfganag Queisner.[85] Operations southwest of Krymskaya (3 and 4 May), Tikhoretsk-Kratpotkin (16 May), Russkaya (25 May), Krymskaya (26 May) and an attack on Krapotkin train station followed on 28 May. On 30 May the group flew its last operation before flying north to take part in Operation Citadel at Seshchinskaya.[85]
Before the offensive began against Soviet armies protecting the bulge in the line atKursk, II. and III.Gruppen took part in astrategic bombing operation in June 1943. The Chief of the General StaffHans Jeschonnek and his operations staff officerRudolf Meister were major proponents of an attack on industrial sectors.[89] The command staff of the Luftwaffe used this idea to free their service from the air support role.Robert Ritter von Greim'sLuftflotte 6, with support from KG 55'sLuftflotte 4, was assigned seven bomber wings to carry out the offensive[90]—KG 55,KG 3,KG 4,KG 27,KG 51,KG 53 andKG 100.[91] EvenWolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, the leading ground-support exponent, agreed to the operation. It was felt the Luftwaffe could render greater assistance to the army this way. The planners focused on targets that were in range of the He 111-equippedGeschwader.[90]
Factory Number 24, atKuybyshev Oblast produced a quarter of all aviation engines in the Soviet Union and 85 percent of allIlyushin Il-2 engines, Factory Number 26 atUfa, with 31 percent of total production and 60 percent of allfighter aircraft engine production, Factory Number 16 atKazan, producing 12 percent of the total and 60 percent of allmedium bomber aircraft engines, Factory Number 45, inMoscow, with five percent total but 15 percent of IL-2 engines, and finally Factory Number No. 466 atGorkiy with five percent total and one-tenth of all fighter engine production were the targets.[92] Three of the fiveball bearings plants were in range, thesynthetic rubber plant atYaroslavl (23 percent of output) and oil refineries along with steel plants were all considered. Surviving intelligence maps show thecrude oil and ball bearing plant atSaratov was also considered.[93] In the end phase, the production of tanks and armoured vehicles received the weight of the attacks. The facilities atGorkiy drew most attention for it produced 15 percent ofT-34s and was the largest plant west of theUrals. In error, planners targeted the State Motor Vehicles Plant No. 1 Molotov, the largest automobile plant in the country which produced the less threateningT-60 andT-70. TheKrasnoye Sormovo Factory No. 112 was targeted because of its production of munitions.[94]
On 4 June 1943 the operation began. Although the night wasmoonlit, KG 55 utilised theRadio Moscow frequencies as a navigational aid.[95] Soviet retaliation occurred in the form of counter-air raids against its airfield on 8 and 18 June.[84] II.Gruppe took part in the bombing operation against rail lines at Kursk on 2 June. From 4 June it participated in the attacks on the tank factory at Gorki, the refineries and ball bearings at Saratov as well as Yaroslavl.[85] The 4/5 June operation was carried out by 128 He 111s andJunkers Ju 88 from III./KG 1, KG 3, II. and III./KG 4, KG 27, I./KG 100 and II. and III./KG 55 dropped 179 tons of bombs against the No. 1 Molotov plant.[96] Many workshops of wooden construction caught fire. The water-supply was severed and large parts of the plant burned.[96] The blacksmiths, chassis, main conveyor, and spring workshops were destroyed. Living compounds and a child's nursery were also hit. The effect was disastrous for the Soviets.[96] The attackers lost five bombers.[97] The Soviet1st Air Army,2nd Air Army and15th Air Army attacked German airfields on 8 June.JG 51 intercepted, and claimed 40 for one loss.[97]
The Luftwaffe returned to attack the repair workshops over two subsequent nights with a force of 300 bombers.[97] During repeated attacks between 4 and 22 June, all of the plant's 50 buildings, 9,000 metres of conveyors, 5,900 units of process equipment and 8,000 engines were destroyed or damaged.[96] Russian authorities have still not disclosed how many people were killed.[96] German wartime estimates are 15,000, but are not supported.[96] Owing to failed intelligence and targeting, the attacks against the Molotov factory disrupted the T-70 light tank. Roughly half of the Soviet light tank production—5, 134 from 9, 375 in 1942, was made there. Factory Number 112, produced the T-34 tank, which was only lightly affected by the raids.[96] Repair was rapid, and completed within six weeks.Night fighter andsearch light defences were also increased.[96] The factory was fully operational by 18 August. In the fourth quarter of 1943, it superseded production quotas by 121 percent.[96] Factory Number 112 went on to produce 2,851 T-34s in 1943 and 3, 619 in 1944 up from 2, 718 in 1942.[96] The He 111 units dropped 1,015 tons of bombs in total, losing only six aircraft, through the Soviets claimed 145.[95]
KG 55 reverted to rail interdiction against theKantemirovka andRossosh regions on 11 June. On the 13 June theGruppe flew its 10,000th mission (7, 680 in Russia). It returned to bombing Saratov on the night of the 14/15 June 1943. 9.Staffel equipped with the Ju 88C-6, and attacked rail targets for the remainder of June.[85] The 9 and 20 June bombing of Yaroslavl was carried out by 102 and 88 bombers respectively dropped 324 tons of bombs. Against Saratov, from 12 to 15 June, the German bombers dropped 181 tons.[95] The raid by 138 He 111s on 9/10 June cost the Germans three bombers.[97] Losses mounted as the Soviet night fighters took advantage of brighter summer nights. On 13/14 June attack, 20/21 June raid, 21/22 June, one bomber (KG 27), six (one from KG 3, two from KG 1 and three from KG 27) were lost.[97] One KG 55 bomber barely evaded an attack by a night fighter.[97]
KG 55 was based near Kharkov from 21 June with II./JG 3 and II./JG 52 for fighter support. The Stab, II. and III.Gruppen were ordered to support the southern advance ofOperation Citadel, mainly to be executed by the4th Panzer Army and theII SS Panzer Corps. KG 55 was still placed under the command ofLuftflotte 4. It was opposed in the coming battle by the powerful2nd Air Army, in turn, supported by17th Air Army.[98]
On 5 July 1943 II./KG 55 carried out attacks against Soviet positions withButterfly Bombs.[99] A they bombed Gremuchiy and Gostishchevo, which the51st Guards Rifle Division held from the3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf, 12Yak-1 fighters from the 27 IAP and 10Lavochkin La-7s from 41 GAP attacked and shot down two Heinkels, and damaged a third. TheSS unit managed to take the first objective.[100] From 5, 8 and 9 July it bombed targets around Belgorod.[84] II./KG 55 flew two missions on the 9 July and lost at least one bomber and one damaged in combat with Soviet fighters and after being engaged by strong anti-aircraft fire.[101] Its own bases were targeted on 18 and 20 July. The group bombed Marinovka on 24 July, before relocating to Dnepropetrovsk on 6 August 1943.[84] Beevka (7 August), Surkaya-Kamensk (17 August), and targets in and around Kalinovka (20 August) were carried out as the Red Army embarked on theBelgorod-Khar'kov Offensive Operation.[84]
III.Gruppe were also active but less is known about their operations. On 6 July it struck at Kharkov-Rogan,Novo-Donbad on 17 July, moved to Dnepropetrovsk 4 August, to Zaporozhye 25 August.[85] It carried out attacks on Belgorod on 6 AugustNarodok (7 August), Belgorod again (9 August), Svoboda (18 August) and particularly heavy air attacks on Kuibyshevo inVolgograd Oblast, from 20 to 31 August 1943. The group moved to Stalino against on 28, 29 August. It bombed Federovka on 31 August.[85]Major Alfred Bollmann succeeded Antrup to become the last commander of the group on 8 August 1943.[85]
I./KG 55 returned to the Eastern Front in mid-August and joined the other twoGruppen at Dnepropetrovsk, perhaps on the 26th day. The three bomber formations continued to offer support to Army Group South as it lost ground in Ukraine. In the third week of August theBattle of the Dnieper began, and ended before Christmas 1943. In the offensive the Axis lost control ofLeft-bank Ukraine. IGruppe began bombing operations almost immediately, attackingPokorovo two days later. The moving frontlines necessitated a retreat to Zaporozhye to Kirovograd on 12 September 1943.[3] From here it was in action over Izyum (23 September) andNikopol on the (24 September). Further withdrawals from Kirovograd to Nikolayev and Beresovka, north northeast ofOdessa were made by 20 October.[3] During the course of October, the group operated over the Kerch Straits, possibly against shipping in theBlack Sea andSea of Azov. Part of it moved there in November. It probably assisted German forces in theKuban bridgehead. By 1 December it could only field 20 He 111H-16s. It was moved toTerespol on 8 December and toDęblin in Poland for rest and replacement on 27 December.[3]
II and III.Gruppen followed a similar pattern. II./KG 55 retreated from Dnepropetrovsk Kirovograd on 15 September and saw operations in the Zaporozhye-Nikopol area (12 October) and Lichovka (21 October). Annovka-Petrovo was bombed on 30 October. There were no reported losses from 1–24 November and the group returned to Annovka on 24 November. It was based southeast ofUman on 28 November and could muster 22 He 111s (20 He 111H-16s). It moved to Dęblin on the 4 December 1943 for rest and refit.[84] III.Gruppe flew many missions from Dnepropetrovsk toMelitopol and Zaporozhye from the 23 September–3 October. It retreated from Kirovograd (22 October) and flew bombing sorties nearPerekop on 24 October. In November 1943 it flew sorties in theKerch–Eltigen Operation until 2 December. It was withdrawn to Terespol with its remaining aircraft—18 H-11s and H-11/R1s and 12 H-16s.[85]
KG 55 returned to the frontline in January 1944. From here on, with a few exceptions, it was used primarily in the night intruder and air-supply role. I./KG 55 trained after refitting as a night strategic bomber force under the command of IVFliegerkorps from January to March 1944. From 31 March to 7 April it was utilised to airdrop containers to the1st Panzer Army, under the command ofHans-Valentin Hube.[3] The German formation was trapped in theKamenets-Podolsky pocket. The following night it struck rail targets atFastov, southwest ofKiev. On 10 April it bombedKorosten marshalling yards and then at rail junctions,Rovno, Kiev and Shepetovka from 4–11 May 1944.[3] TheGerman defeat in the Crimea on 12 May, necessitated aircraft to evacuate personnel and KG 55 was called in to do so from 11 to 15 May, operating fromFocsani,Romania.It transferred to Dęblin on 16 May, but had 35 He 111 H-16s on strength on 1 June 1944.[3]
IIGruppe also trained for long-range operations under the command of IVFliegerkorps. It was brought up to strength with 35 H-16s at Dęblin: where it remained based until 10 May 1944.[84] It trained from January to March 1944. From 31 March to 7 April 1944, it dropped supplies to theKovel pocket, and rendered support to the5th SS Panzer Division Wiking.[84] It flew rail interdiction; bombing yards at Rovno, Kiev and Shepetovka from 4–11 May. It joined IGruppe at Focsani in Romania to evacuate the Crimea, from 11 to 16 May 1944.[84] It moved back to Dęblin but the fuel crisis now prevalent in the Luftwaffe, slowed down the pace of operations. On 21/22 June, with I. and III.Gruppen, it bombedPoltava Air Base, which housedUnited States Army Air Force bombers that had been flying shuttle-missions to Eastern Europe and landing in the Soviet Union. The raid caused significant losses to the USFifteenth Air Force.[102] AHeinkel He 177 from 2./Aufklärungsgruppe 100 shadowed the3rd Bombardment Division,45th Bombardment Wing to Poltava.[103] The raid, carried out by KG 55, KG 53, KG 27 and KG 4, destroyed 43B-17 Flying Fortress' damaged 26, and destroyed 200,000 US gallons ofaviation fuel.[104]
All three group flew as bomber formations against the Soviet summer offensive,Operation Bagration.Luftflotte 6, to which KG 55 was attached, deployed the unit on the central sector supporting Army Group Centre. It had 107 Heinkel He 111s on 26 June, with stab./KG 55 possessing a single bomber.[105] I./KG 55 used 35 in night operations in support ofArmy Group North overLithuania. It flew night attacks and some supply mission from 23 June–4 July. By 27 July it had retreated to Tonndorf, southwest ofBydgoszcz. It converted to H-20 models and flew missions against theLvov–Sandomierz Offensive and bridges across theVistula, nearWarsaw and was based atBaranów Sandomierski, from 28 July–12 August 1944. In late August it left forBavaria, Germany. There it had 31 He 111s (25 H-20s). It moved toStraubing, in September and was renamed I./KG(J) 55 and began converting to a fighter unit on 1 October.[106]
II./KG 55 flew combat operations overBobruisk-Sloboda-Minsk in support ofArmy Group Centre. From later June, and for several weeks, it flew night bombing raids onSmolensk, 28/29 June 1944. It left Dęblin for Inowroclaw on 26 July. It could still muster 35 bombers by 26 June and bombed targets atMolodechno, northwest of Minsk on 23 July.[5] The raids cost KG 55 five bombers on 5 July which took the total to 14 destroyed in just six days of action from 29 June.[107] Attacks on the Vistula bridges at Warsaw and Baranów Sandomierski followed from 1–12 August. Its force was reduced to 31 He 111H-16s by 1 September.[5] It withdrew to Germany to carry out air-supply flights to German Garrisons in isolated French ports from 10 to 12 September afterOperation Overlord andBattle for Normandy, and liberated the bulk of France and Belgium over June–September 1944.[5] FromHohensalza it transferred toZellhausen, where it was disbanded and reformed into fighter unit II.KG(J) 55 on 1 October 1944.[5]
III.Gruppe also trained for long-range night operations. It flew on operations to supply the Kowel pocket along with the otherGruppen. On the night of the 7/8 April 1944 it bombed Kiev, and Kowel on 15/16 April. Velikaya Luki (21 April),Rowne, Kiev, and Shepetovka (4–11 May), Velikaya Luki (24 May) were attacked before it withdrew to Podlokowka in Poland on 25 May. With 34 He 111s it bombed Kazatin (1 June) and also Mirgorod on (11 June). It participated in the raids against the USAAF at Poltava. Bobruisk-Sloboda-Minsk regions were bombed and supplied after the 22 June. Bobruisk was the main target from 29 to 30 June. On 21 July it retreated toGlinnik, Poland. Operations were curtailed because ofaviation fuel shortages. Vistula bridges at Warsaw and Baranów Sandomierski were attacked from 1–12 August and it followed the otherGruppen to Zellhausen, Germany on 19 August for air supply operations to France. It had 30 He 111s by 1 September, but on the 19th was probably disbanded and reformed as III./KG(J) 55 on 1 October.[108]
Luftwaffe records reveal the unit had flown 54,272 combat sorties, dropped 60,938 tons of bombs, carried 7,514 tons of supplies, and lost 710 killed and 747 missing from 1 September 1939 to 1 October 1944.[1]
The only active unit after October 1944 was IV.Gruppe, which continued operations in the west from 1940 to 1945. It was initially formed asErgänzungsstaffel atChatres, France on 1 April 1940, its earliest known designation beingAusbildungsstaffel atUlm-Dornstadt. On 30 September 1940 the group transferred to Landsberg. By 8 March it had expanded into IV.(Erg)/KG 55, with 10 and 11Staffeln. On 7 April 12Staffel was added atLongvic nearDijon, France. From March 1941–May 1944 it was involved in night attacks on Britain and training.[108]
10.Staffel bombedHull on 26 April 1942. It took part in bombing raids againstBirmingham on 27–31 July 1942. It had 26 bombers, including six and three of the P-2s and P-4 variants by 1 March 1943. 13Staffel was formed atGerdauen inEast Prussia on 1 March 1944 after three years of training activities near Dijon. TheGruppe moved to Heuhausen to avoid attacks by Allied aircraft on 4/5 May 1944. It moved toSzolnok,Hungary to avoid advancing Soviet forces on 1 August. On 20 August the Fifteenth US Air Force bombed the base killing six and wounded 18 personnel. It had 34 bombers on 1 September which it evacuated toPilsen,Czechoslovakia on 1 and 2 September. TheGruppe lost its identity on 21 November 1944 with 12. and 13.Staffeln and renamed 4. and 3. respectively of Erg.Gr.(J), and 10. and 11.Staffeln disbanded, under the command of IXFliegerkorps. IV.Gruppe would lose 50 aircraft in the west before the end of the war.[109]
14.(Eis)/KG 55 (Eis—Eisenbahn, the anti train unit) remained the only independent unit of KG 55 to remain on bomber operations into 1945. It was officially formed at Dnepropetrovsk on 1 June 1943 using experienced crews from 9Staffel. It appears some of the unit personnel were in action earlier, as on 28 May an entry was made for the squadron's first loss on a bombing operation against Krapotkin train station in the northern Caucasus. The unit's main purpose was to use cannon-armed He 111s to attack locomotives.[108]
It attacked rail lines south of Rossoh on 11 June. It moved to Poltava on 29 June and then to Kirovograd on 9 August. It attacked these targets Borovaya on 10 August and Avdeyevka on 18 August. It moved to Pervomaisk-Golta on 22 October, and listed 12 machines (H-16s) on 1 January 1944.[108] It moved toPskov, on Army Group North's front from 13 February 1944. After its move thestaffel had the loosest connection to the rest of KG 55. It operated fromJēkabpils, Latvia, from 29 February. It had 11 H-16 variants from 1 June and struck targets around Andreapol on 2 June. On 2 August it withdrew toRiga and flew its 5000th mission on 3 August.[108] it retreated to Gutenfeld East Prussia on 26 September.[108]
From 1 December it listed 11 bombers which rose to a high of 14 (10 serviceable) on 10 January 1945.[108] It flew airdrop missions toBudapest on 15 January and moved toBrieg,Silesia on the 20th day. It flew supply operations for the remainder of its existence from 20 January to late April 1945.[108] The garrisons ofPosen,Breslau,Glogau, and others received supplies from this unit. On 22nd it moved toSagan-Küpper to Alt-Lönnewitz (11 February) and then toDresden on 4 April. It was disbanded atKöniggrätz, on 27 April 1945.[108]
Stab. Gruppe
Formed 1 May 1939.Disbanded 9 April 1945.
I. Gruppe
Formed with 1./KG 155, 2./KG 55 and 3./KG 55 1 May 1939.
II. Gruppe
Formed 1 May 1939 along with 4./KG 55, 5./KG 55 and 6./KG 55
III. Gruppe
Formed on 1 December 1939 along with 7./KG 55, 8./KG 55 and 9./KG 55.
IV. Gruppe
Formed on 1 April 1940. Reformed 1 August 1940 asErgänzungsstaffel/KG 55. On 1 March 1941 it was redesignated 10./KG 55.Stab IV./KG 55 was formed on 7 March 1941, followed by 11./KG 55 on 21 March 1941 and 12./KG 55 on 7 April 1941.
14. (Eis)/KG 55
Unit formed 1 June 1943, disbanded 27 April 1945
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