During the Second World War, the Luftwaffe's Kampfflieger branch formed the backbone of Germany’s bomber force, conducting strategic, operational, and tactical air operations across every major theater of the war. Organized into bomber wings such as Kampfgeschwader 1 "Hindenburg", Kampfgeschwader 2 "Holzhammer", Kampfgeschwader 26 "Löwengeschwader", and Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif", these units initially achieved notable success during the campaigns in Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, France, and the early stages of the war against the Soviet Union. Flying aircraft including the Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88, Dornier Do 17, and later the Heinkel He 177, Kampfflieger crews carried out bombing missions against enemy troop concentrations, transportation networks, industrial facilities, ports, and shipping. The branch produced numerous highly decorated airmen, with awards such as the Ritterkreuz, Eichenlaub and Schwerter, recognizing exceptional leadership and combat achievements. Notable Kampfflieger commanders included figures such as Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, Oberst Werner Baumbach, and Oberst Dietrich Peltz, whose operational experience shaped Luftwaffe bombing doctrine. However, the failure to defeat Britain during the "Luftschlacht um England", increasing Allied air superiority, fuel shortages, and mounting losses gradually reduced the effectiveness of the Kampfflieger arm. By the final years of the conflict many bomber units were forced into night operations, anti-shipping missions, or emergency ground-attack roles, yet they continued to fight until Germany’s surrender in May 1945.
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Oberst
Werner Baumbach (1916-1953) was one of the Luftwaffe’s most highly
decorated Kampfflieger and a leading specialist in anti-shipping warfare
during the Second World War. Serving with Kampfgeschwader 30, he gained
early distinction flying the Junkers Ju 88 against Allied naval and
merchant targets in the North Sea, Atlantic, and Norwegian campaigns. As
a Leutnant and pilot of 5./Kampfgeschwader 30, Baumbach earned the
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 8 May 1940 after a series of daring
and highly successful maritime strike missions, including attacks
against Allied warships and transport vessels during the Norwegian
campaign, which demonstrated exceptional flying skill and tactical
leadership. Continuing to lead combat operations with outstanding
success, he was awarded the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen
Kreuzes on 14 July 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of
1./Kampfgeschwader 30 after significantly increasing the tonnage of
Allied shipping sunk or damaged under his command and establishing
himself as one of Germany’s foremost bomber aces. By 17 August 1942, as
Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Kampfgeschwader 30, Baumbach
received the Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit
Eichenlaub in recognition of his continued achievements in maritime air
warfare, his leadership of bomber formations, and his cumulative
destruction of large amounts of Allied shipping, eventually exceeding
300,000 gross register tons. Later in the war he played a major role in
the development of advanced Luftwaffe weapons and special operations,
eventually commanding Kampfgeschwader 200, the Luftwaffe’s secret
special-missions wing. Promoted to Oberst, Baumbach remained one of the
most influential bomber commanders of the war and authored postwar
memoirs before his death in an aircraft accident in Argentina in 1953.
Oberst Joachim Helbig (1915-1985) was a highly decorated German bomber pilot in the Luftwaffe who served almost his entire career with Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1), distinguishing himself as one of the most successful anti-shipping specialists of World War II. Born in Dahlen, Saxony, he joined the military in 1935, transferred to the Luftwaffe, and by the outbreak of war was an observer and later pilot flying He 111 and Ju 88 aircraft. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 November 1940 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, LG 1, after completing 75 combat sorties that included support missions over Dunkirk, attacks on Loire bridges, operations against targets in England such as the Worthy Down airfield on 15 August 1940 where his damaged Ju 88 barely returned, and the sinking or damaging of over 33,000 GRT of Allied shipping during the campaigns in Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, France, and the Battle of Britain. Transferred to the Mediterranean theater in early 1941, Helbig continued relentless operations against Malta, British convoys, the Suez Canal, and ports in North Africa while supporting the Afrika Korps; he became Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe, LG 1 in November 1941 and received the Eichenlaub on 16 January 1942 as the 64th recipient after 210 sorties, including damaging HMS Illustrious, sinking a 10,000 GRT troop transport in Piraeus harbor, and numerous anti-shipping strikes. His most spectacular feat came on 11 May 1942 south of Crete when, leading a wave of Ju 88s from I./LG 1, he personally sank the destroyer HMS Kipling and contributed to the destruction of HMS Lively, HMS Jackal, and crippling of others in a daring low-level attack against four British destroyers, actions that, combined with over 330 sorties and the sinking of approximately 182,000 GRT of shipping, earned him the Schwerter on 28 September 1942 as the 20th recipient while still a Hauptmann. Later promoted to Oberst and Geschwaderkommodore of LG 1, Helbig commanded operations in Italy, France, and the Eastern Front before surrendering in May 1945; he lived a civilian life afterward and died in a car accident in 1985.
Generalmajor Dietrich Peltz (1914-2001), born on 9 June 1914 in Gera and died on 10 August 2001 in Munich, was a German Luftwaffe bomber pilot and commander who became the youngest Generalmajor of the Wehrmacht during World War II after flying roughly 320 to 390 combat missions. Initially serving in the Heer before transferring to the Luftwaffe in 1935, he flew as Staffelkapitän of the 1. Staffel of Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 in the Ju 87 during the invasion of Poland, completing 45 missions against railway lines, bridges, traffic junctions, and targets including the Bombing of Wieluń, which earned him the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse. In the Battle of France he continued dive-bombing operations against similar infrastructure and shipping at Calais and Dunkirk, sinking a transport vessel across eight missions for a total of 57 additional sorties without loss to his unit and receiving the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse. After converting to the Junkers Ju 88 and joining Kampfgeschwader 77, he flew about 70 daytime and nocturnal missions in the Battle of Britain, often conducting solo low-level attacks on specific targets, leading to the award of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 October 1940 after roughly 130 combat missions overall. As Gruppenkommandeur of II./Kampfgeschwader 77 during Operation Barbarossa, Peltz developed innovative accurate bombing techniques that allowed his Gruppe to achieve precision strikes on railway stations, marshalling yards, canals, and lock gates in the northern sector with smaller forces than previously needed; after reaching about 250 sorties he was awarded the Eichenlaub on 31 December 1941 as the 46th recipient. Later appointed Angriffsführer England and commander of IX. Fliegerkorps, he consolidated multiple Kampfgeschwader units for a renewed night bomber offensive against Britain including Operation Steinbock, while earlier leading specialized efforts with precision-guided munitions against Allied shipping in the Arctic and Mediterranean; for his personal flights exceeding 300 and outstanding leadership he received the Schwerter on 23 July 1943 as the 31st recipient. He subsequently held commands overseeing aspects of the Defense of the Reich, including planning for Operation Bodenplatte and advocating ramming tactics, before finishing the war as Kommandierender General of I. Fliegerkorps.
Oberst Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Herrmann was born on 1 August 1913 in Kiel and died on 5 November 2010 in Düsseldorf. He joined the Hamburger Polizei in May 1933 and transferred to the Luftwaffe on 1 August 1935. After training he served with Kampfgeschwader 253, later Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever". From 1936 to 1937 he flew as a bomber pilot with the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War, completing about 50 missions. At the outbreak of the Second World War he flew with 7. Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 4 over Poland and Norway. On 20 June 1940 he became Staffelkapitän of 7./KG 4 and took part in the Battle of Britain. For his achievements as a bomber pilot, including attacks on Polish concentrations in the Kutno pocket and the fortress at Drøbak during the Norwegian campaign, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 October 1940 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 7./Kampfgeschwader 4. His Staffel later transferred to Kampfgeschwader 30. In April 1941, operating from Sicily, he scored a direct hit on the ammunition freighter Clan Fraser in the harbour of Piraeus; the resulting explosion destroyed eleven ships totaling over 40,000 GRT and rendered the port unusable for months. As Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 30 he attacked Arctic convoys, including PQ-17. In 1942 he joined the Luftwaffenführungsstab. Concerned by the limitations of conventional night fighters, he developed the "Wilde Sau" tactic of using single-engined day fighters over illuminated cities at night. He formed and commanded Jagdgeschwader 300, scoring nine victories against four-engined bombers. For the Clan Fraser attack, the creation of Wilde Sau tactics and his aerial victories he received the Eichenlaub on 2 August 1943 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 300. Appointed Inspekteur der deutschen Luftverteidigung, he was awarded the Schwerter on 23 January 1944 as Oberst for his nine victories and innovative fighter tactics. He later commanded the 1. Jagddivision and 9. Flieger-Division and initiated the Rammjäger of Sonderkommando Elbe. Altogether he flew roughly 320 to 370 combat missions, sank twelve ships of about 60,000 to 70,000 GRT, and was shot down four times. Captured by Soviet forces in May 1945, he remained a prisoner until October 1955. After studying law he practised as a Rechtsanwalt in Düsseldorf.
Oberstleutnant Hermann Hogeback (1914-2004) was born on 25 August 1914 in Idar-Oberstein as the son of a tax inspector and grew up in Münster after 1921, completing his Abitur in 1933 before entering military service. On 1 July 1934 he joined the 9. Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 15 in the Heer and transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935, receiving his commission as Leutnant in 1936 after bomber pilot training. He volunteered for the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War, flying more than 100 operational sorties and receiving the Spanienkreuz in Gold with Swords in 1939. Returning to Germany he served with the III. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1, flying in the Polish and Western campaigns before taking command as Oberleutnant of the 9. Staffel of Lehrgeschwader 1 in North Africa. After 163 combat missions over the Mediterranean, Yugoslavia and North Africa he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 8 September 1941 while serving as Staffelkapitän of the 9.(K)/Lehrgeschwader 1. He later became Gruppenkommandeur of the III. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 and then of the III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 6, flying further missions on the Eastern Front including support for the siege of Sevastopol and against England. On 19 February 1943, after completing 416 sorties as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 6, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz as the 192nd recipient. In June 1943 he was appointed Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 6 and promoted to Oberstleutnant. After approximately 500 operational sorties he was awarded the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz with Eichenlaub on 26 January 1945 as Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 6. He was taken prisoner by American forces at the end of the war and released in September 1945. After the war he studied law and worked in the automobile industry before dying on 15 February 2004 in Dötlingen at the age of 89.
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SCHWERTERTRÄGER
Oberst Joachim Helbig (1915-1985) was a highly decorated German bomber pilot in the Luftwaffe who served almost his entire career with Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1), distinguishing himself as one of the most successful anti-shipping specialists of World War II. Born in Dahlen, Saxony, he joined the military in 1935, transferred to the Luftwaffe, and by the outbreak of war was an observer and later pilot flying He 111 and Ju 88 aircraft. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 November 1940 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, LG 1, after completing 75 combat sorties that included support missions over Dunkirk, attacks on Loire bridges, operations against targets in England such as the Worthy Down airfield on 15 August 1940 where his damaged Ju 88 barely returned, and the sinking or damaging of over 33,000 GRT of Allied shipping during the campaigns in Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, France, and the Battle of Britain. Transferred to the Mediterranean theater in early 1941, Helbig continued relentless operations against Malta, British convoys, the Suez Canal, and ports in North Africa while supporting the Afrika Korps; he became Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe, LG 1 in November 1941 and received the Eichenlaub on 16 January 1942 as the 64th recipient after 210 sorties, including damaging HMS Illustrious, sinking a 10,000 GRT troop transport in Piraeus harbor, and numerous anti-shipping strikes. His most spectacular feat came on 11 May 1942 south of Crete when, leading a wave of Ju 88s from I./LG 1, he personally sank the destroyer HMS Kipling and contributed to the destruction of HMS Lively, HMS Jackal, and crippling of others in a daring low-level attack against four British destroyers, actions that, combined with over 330 sorties and the sinking of approximately 182,000 GRT of shipping, earned him the Schwerter on 28 September 1942 as the 20th recipient while still a Hauptmann. Later promoted to Oberst and Geschwaderkommodore of LG 1, Helbig commanded operations in Italy, France, and the Eastern Front before surrendering in May 1945; he lived a civilian life afterward and died in a car accident in 1985.
Generalmajor Dietrich Peltz (1914-2001), born on 9 June 1914 in Gera and died on 10 August 2001 in Munich, was a German Luftwaffe bomber pilot and commander who became the youngest Generalmajor of the Wehrmacht during World War II after flying roughly 320 to 390 combat missions. Initially serving in the Heer before transferring to the Luftwaffe in 1935, he flew as Staffelkapitän of the 1. Staffel of Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 in the Ju 87 during the invasion of Poland, completing 45 missions against railway lines, bridges, traffic junctions, and targets including the Bombing of Wieluń, which earned him the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse. In the Battle of France he continued dive-bombing operations against similar infrastructure and shipping at Calais and Dunkirk, sinking a transport vessel across eight missions for a total of 57 additional sorties without loss to his unit and receiving the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse. After converting to the Junkers Ju 88 and joining Kampfgeschwader 77, he flew about 70 daytime and nocturnal missions in the Battle of Britain, often conducting solo low-level attacks on specific targets, leading to the award of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 October 1940 after roughly 130 combat missions overall. As Gruppenkommandeur of II./Kampfgeschwader 77 during Operation Barbarossa, Peltz developed innovative accurate bombing techniques that allowed his Gruppe to achieve precision strikes on railway stations, marshalling yards, canals, and lock gates in the northern sector with smaller forces than previously needed; after reaching about 250 sorties he was awarded the Eichenlaub on 31 December 1941 as the 46th recipient. Later appointed Angriffsführer England and commander of IX. Fliegerkorps, he consolidated multiple Kampfgeschwader units for a renewed night bomber offensive against Britain including Operation Steinbock, while earlier leading specialized efforts with precision-guided munitions against Allied shipping in the Arctic and Mediterranean; for his personal flights exceeding 300 and outstanding leadership he received the Schwerter on 23 July 1943 as the 31st recipient. He subsequently held commands overseeing aspects of the Defense of the Reich, including planning for Operation Bodenplatte and advocating ramming tactics, before finishing the war as Kommandierender General of I. Fliegerkorps.
Oberst Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Herrmann was born on 1 August 1913 in Kiel and died on 5 November 2010 in Düsseldorf. He joined the Hamburger Polizei in May 1933 and transferred to the Luftwaffe on 1 August 1935. After training he served with Kampfgeschwader 253, later Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever". From 1936 to 1937 he flew as a bomber pilot with the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War, completing about 50 missions. At the outbreak of the Second World War he flew with 7. Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 4 over Poland and Norway. On 20 June 1940 he became Staffelkapitän of 7./KG 4 and took part in the Battle of Britain. For his achievements as a bomber pilot, including attacks on Polish concentrations in the Kutno pocket and the fortress at Drøbak during the Norwegian campaign, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 13 October 1940 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 7./Kampfgeschwader 4. His Staffel later transferred to Kampfgeschwader 30. In April 1941, operating from Sicily, he scored a direct hit on the ammunition freighter Clan Fraser in the harbour of Piraeus; the resulting explosion destroyed eleven ships totaling over 40,000 GRT and rendered the port unusable for months. As Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 30 he attacked Arctic convoys, including PQ-17. In 1942 he joined the Luftwaffenführungsstab. Concerned by the limitations of conventional night fighters, he developed the "Wilde Sau" tactic of using single-engined day fighters over illuminated cities at night. He formed and commanded Jagdgeschwader 300, scoring nine victories against four-engined bombers. For the Clan Fraser attack, the creation of Wilde Sau tactics and his aerial victories he received the Eichenlaub on 2 August 1943 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 300. Appointed Inspekteur der deutschen Luftverteidigung, he was awarded the Schwerter on 23 January 1944 as Oberst for his nine victories and innovative fighter tactics. He later commanded the 1. Jagddivision and 9. Flieger-Division and initiated the Rammjäger of Sonderkommando Elbe. Altogether he flew roughly 320 to 370 combat missions, sank twelve ships of about 60,000 to 70,000 GRT, and was shot down four times. Captured by Soviet forces in May 1945, he remained a prisoner until October 1955. After studying law he practised as a Rechtsanwalt in Düsseldorf.
Oberstleutnant Hermann Hogeback (1914-2004) was born on 25 August 1914 in Idar-Oberstein as the son of a tax inspector and grew up in Münster after 1921, completing his Abitur in 1933 before entering military service. On 1 July 1934 he joined the 9. Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 15 in the Heer and transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935, receiving his commission as Leutnant in 1936 after bomber pilot training. He volunteered for the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War, flying more than 100 operational sorties and receiving the Spanienkreuz in Gold with Swords in 1939. Returning to Germany he served with the III. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1, flying in the Polish and Western campaigns before taking command as Oberleutnant of the 9. Staffel of Lehrgeschwader 1 in North Africa. After 163 combat missions over the Mediterranean, Yugoslavia and North Africa he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 8 September 1941 while serving as Staffelkapitän of the 9.(K)/Lehrgeschwader 1. He later became Gruppenkommandeur of the III. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 and then of the III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 6, flying further missions on the Eastern Front including support for the siege of Sevastopol and against England. On 19 February 1943, after completing 416 sorties as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 6, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz as the 192nd recipient. In June 1943 he was appointed Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 6 and promoted to Oberstleutnant. After approximately 500 operational sorties he was awarded the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz with Eichenlaub on 26 January 1945 as Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 6. He was taken prisoner by American forces at the end of the war and released in September 1945. After the war he studied law and worked in the automobile industry before dying on 15 February 2004 in Dötlingen at the age of 89.
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Generalleutnant
Martin Harlinghausen (1902-1986) was born on 17 January 1902 in Rheda in Westphalia as the son of industrialist Wilhelm Harlinghausen, completed his Abitur and a semester of law studies at the University of Göttingen before joining the Reichsmarine on 1 April 1923 as a Seekadett, training on torpedo boats and receiving promotion to Leutnant zur See in 1927 and Oberleutnant zur See in 1929; he began pilot training in 1931 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in October 1933, serving as an instructor and staff officer at the Reichsluftfahrtministerium and the Luftkriegsschule Berlin-Gatow while developing expertise in maritime air operations alongside Hans Geisler. In January 1938, as Hauptmann, he took command of AS/88 of the Legion Condor on Mallorca, pioneering effective low-level and torpedo-attack tactics against Republican shipping and coastal targets with the Heinkel He 59, personally sinking the British freighter Thorpeness off Valencia on 21 July 1938 and contributing to the destruction of dozens of vessels, for which he was promoted Major on 1 August 1938 and later awarded the Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten. Appointed Chef des Stabes of X. Fliegerkorps in November 1939, he continued to fly combat missions in Heinkel He 111s during the Phoney War and Operation Weserübung, personally sinking multiple merchant ships including the Norwegian freighter Vestfoss and the transport Barn Hill for a personal total that reached approximately 20 steamers of over 100 000 GRT, earning him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 May 1940 as Major im Generalstab and Chef des Stabes of X. Fliegerkorps (the first Kampfflieger so honoured) for his dual achievements as staff officer and anti-shipping pilot. Sent to the Mediterranean in late 1940, where he sank a further 27 000 GRT of shipping, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (8th award) on 30 January 1941 as Oberstleutnant im Generalstab and Chef des Stabes of X. Fliegerkorps in recognition of his outstanding performance, development of the “turnip method” of broadside attacks, and cumulative success against merchant vessels. Subsequently appointed Fliegerführer Atlantik in February 1941, then Fliegerführer Tunesien, Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 26, commander of II. Fliegerkorps and later Luftgau XIV, he rose to Generalleutnant on 1 December 1944, was captured in 1945 and released in 1947, served briefly in the Bundesluftwaffe from 1957 to 1961, and died on 22 March 1986 in Gütersloh after a career of roughly 175 operational sorties that established him as the Luftwaffe’s foremost anti-shipping specialist with 26 merchant vessels of some 127 000 GRT credited to him personally.
Oberstleutnant Gerhard Kollewe (1912-1942) was born on 3 March 1912 in Deutsch-Kruschin in the Province of Posen and after completing his Abitur entered Infanterie-Regiment 7 of the Reichswehr in 1931 as a gunner, becoming an officer candidate in 1932 and receiving promotion to Leutnant in March 1934 before transferring to the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1935; he subsequently served with Stukageschwader units including I./St.G. 162 and St.G. 163, flew with J/88 of the Legion Condor in Spain in 1938 earning the Spanienkreuz in Silber mit Schwertern, and at the outbreak of war held the rank of Oberleutnant as Staffelkapitän of a dive-bomber Staffel that participated on 3 September 1939 in the sinking of the Polish destroyer ORP Wicher and minelayer ORP Gryf in the harbour of Gdynia. Promoted Hauptmann and appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II.(Kampf)/Lehrgeschwader 1, he led his Gruppe with distinction during the Battle of Crete and subsequent operations in the eastern Mediterranean, where on 15 June 1941 his aircraft contributed to the damaging of the British destroyers HMS Isis and HMS Ilex and where his command achieved further successes against enemy shipping that earned him a personal mention in the Wehrmachtbericht of 16 June 1941; for these achievements he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 July 1941 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II.(Kampf)/Lehrgeschwader 1. Continuing operations against Allied naval and merchant traffic in the Mediterranean, II./LG 1 under his leadership sank approximately 148 000 GRT of merchant shipping together with two destroyers and damaged a further 203 500 GRT of merchant vessels as well as three battleships, eight heavy cruisers, five light cruisers and nine destroyers, for which Kollewe, now promoted Major, received the Eichenlaub (112th award) on 12 August 1942 as Gruppenkommandeur of II./Lehrgeschwader 1. On 17 October 1942, while flying a Ju 88 A-4 (Werknummer 141033, coded L1+YC) during an attack on Malta, he was shot down by fighters of Nos. 126 and 249 Squadrons RAF and crashed into the sea between Salina Bay and Valletta; his observer Feldwebel Bernhard Mähler was also killed while the remaining crew members were taken prisoner, and Kollewe, credited with roughly 250 combat missions, was posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant.
Generalmajor Dr. Ing. Ernst Bormann (1897-1960) was born on 5 November 1897 in Kirchbrak and joined the German army as a Fahnenjunker in Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 82 on 17 August 1915 during the First World War. After transferring to aviation and completing pilot training with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 7 and related units, he served as a pilot with Feldflieger Abteilung 42 before joining the prestigious Jagdstaffel 2 “Boelcke” on 4 May 1918, where as a Leutnant he achieved 17 aerial victories by the war’s end. Demobilized in 1919 and leaving active service as Charakter als Oberleutnant in 1920, he earned a doctorate in engineering and worked as a flying instructor at the secret German aviation school in Lipetsk in the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1930. Reactivated in the Luftwaffe as Hauptmann in 1934, he commanded a Staffel in Kampfgeschwader Boelcke, later led III. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1, and on 26 February 1941 became Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 76, rising to Oberst. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 October 1941 as Oberstleutnant and Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 76 for the unit’s successes during the Battle of Britain and the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, including the first attacks on Moscow and the Leningrad-Moscow railway. The Eichenlaub followed on 3 September 1942 as Oberst and Kommandeur of the Gefechtsverband Bormann (an augmented Kampfgeschwader 76) for further bomber operations on the Eastern Front, notably during the Briansk-Vyazma pocket battles, the Dnieper crossing east of Cholm, strikes against the Rybinsk aircraft factory, the fighting of 9. Armee near Rzhev, and actions on the southern sector. Subsequent postings included Fliegerführer Krim and, as Generalmajor from 1 October 1944, Flughafen-Bereichskommandant in Mähren. Captured by Soviet forces on 10 May 1945, he remained a prisoner until his release on 9 October 1955 and died in Düsseldorf on 1 August 1960.
Major Heinrich Schweickhardt (1914-1943) was born on 17 February 1914 in Heidelberg, Baden, Germany, and entered the Luftwaffe on 10 April 1935, receiving promotion to Leutnant the same year. At the outbreak of war in September 1939 he initially served with a Stuka unit before transferring as Leutnant to II./Kampfgeschwader 76; in 1940 he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./Kampfgeschwader 76 and on 1 October 1940 was promoted to Oberleutnant. He flew combat missions throughout the Polish and French campaigns, the Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa, earning the Ehrenpokal in April 1941 and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 13 January 1942. On 4 February 1942, still as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 76, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for his successes as a bomber pilot in those earlier campaigns and during the opening phase of the war in the East. Promoted to Hauptmann on 1 March 1942, he assumed command of III./Kampfgeschwader 76 while remaining closely associated with 8. Staffel; throughout 1942 he continued to lead highly effective bombing operations on the Eastern Front. On 30 October 1942, as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 76, he received the Eichenlaub (138th award) to the Ritterkreuz for his outstanding achievements as a bomber commander during the 1942 Eastern Front campaign and after completing more than 400 combat missions. On 8–9 January 1943, while serving as Kommandeur of III./Kampfgeschwader 76, Schweickhardt took off in a Ju 88 A-4 coded F1+GS on a courier flight from Catania, Sicily, to Tatoi; following engine trouble approximately 100 km west of Zante Island he was reported missing in action over the Mediterranean. He was posthumously promoted to Major on 1 March 1943 and remained officially listed as missing as late as August 1944, having been credited with roughly 400 operational sorties.
Major Heinrich Paepcke (1910-1942) was born on 11 December 1910 in Wattenscheid, Westphalia, and after serving in the Handelsmarine from 1929 to 1934 he joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 as a Fahnenjunker, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1936 and to Oberleutnant by 1939. In April 1940 he became Staffelkapitän of the 7. Staffel, III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 30 “Adler,” flying Ju 88 bombers in operations over Norway, the Low Countries and France. On 5 September 1940, as Oberleutnant und Staffelkapitän of that unit, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for his personal and leadership achievements, having himself sunk an anti-aircraft cruiser near Scheveningen and a 10 000 GRT freighter off Dunkirk while his Staffel destroyed or damaged one heavy and three light cruisers, three destroyers, a minelayer, a coastal patrol boat and five merchant vessels, and also claimed two enemy fighters. Promoted to Hauptmann in May 1940, he later commanded the IV. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 30 before transferring in October 1941 to become Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 77. Operating from bases in the Mediterranean against Malta and its supply convoys, he flew approximately 125 combat missions and on 12 August 1942 distinguished himself by sinking a 12 000 GRT transport from the Pedestal convoy bound for the island. On 17 October 1942, while leading an attack on the airfield at Luca, his Ju 88 collided with a Spitfire and crashed into the sea 17 kilometres north of Malta; he was killed in action at the age of 31. Posthumously promoted to Major, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 19 December 1942 as the 154th recipient, recognised for his sustained successes as Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 77. Paepcke was also awarded the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 21 September 1942 and both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz.
Oberstleutnant Reinhard Günzel (1907-1970) was born on 2 February 1907 in Posen and joined the Luftwaffe in the mid-1930s, serving with the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War where he earned the Spanienkreuz in Bronze on 6 June 1939. At the outbreak of the Second World War he flew with Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke” and received the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 16 September 1939 followed by the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 23 June 1940 for operations over Poland and the Western Front. As Hauptmann and Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke” he led numerous successful bomber missions against targets in Britain and later on the Eastern Front, completing approximately 150 combat sorties by the time he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 September 1941 for his distinguished achievements as a bomber pilot and formation commander. Continuing to fly intensive operations against Soviet transport routes, railways and troop concentrations, he was promoted to Major and received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 24 September 1942 while still with the II. Gruppe. By early 1943 his mission total had risen to around 320, and for his continued outstanding leadership and personal flying skill on the Eastern Front he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 21 January 1943 as Major and Kommandeur of the III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke”, becoming the 184th recipient of this decoration. Günzel ultimately completed more than 500 combat missions during the war and rose to the rank of Oberstleutnant. After the conflict he worked as a police officer and died on 5 December 1970 in Eiche near Berlin at the age of 63.
Oberst Hans-Henning Freiherr von Beust (1913-1991) was born on 17 April 1913 in Karlsruhe and died on 27 March 1991 in Munich; after completing his Abitur he entered military service on 1 April 1931 as Offiziersanwärter in Infanterie-Regiment 17, was promoted to Leutnant on 1 March 1934, trained at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule and with Lufthansa before attending the Kampffliegerschule Tutow, then in September 1936 became Staffelkapitän of 2./K 88 of the Legion Condor in Spain, earning the Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern for more than one hundred sorties, returned to become Staffelkapitän of 10. Staffel and later 7. Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 27, was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 December 1938, took part in the campaigns in Poland and France, and on 1 August 1940 assumed command as Kommandeur of III./Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke,” flying more than seventy missions in the Battle of Britain before transferring to operations over southern Russia from June 1941; for his distinguished performance as both pilot and unit commander after approximately 170 operational sorties that included notable successes over England and Russia he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 September 1941 while still Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of III./Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke,” having already received the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 16 September 1939, the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 23 June 1940 and the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 24 October 1940; after nearly three hundred Feindflüge he was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 27 on 1 March 1942 with simultaneous promotion to Major, received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 10 May 1943 as Major in Kampfgeschwader 27, was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 June 1943, and continued to lead the Geschwader with distinction over the southern Eastern Front until a serious illness forced him to relinquish command in December 1943; for his sustained personal bravery and outstanding leadership as pilot and Geschwaderkommodore after approximately 410 operational sorties he was awarded the 336th Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 25 November 1943 while Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke,” thereafter serving as Generalstabsoffizier on the staff of Luftflotte 5 in Norway and from 1 October 1944 exercising the duties of General der Kampfflieger, being promoted to Oberst shortly before the end of the war, during which he flew roughly five hundred operational sorties in total; captured by American forces he was released on 30 June 1947, joined the Bundeswehr in 1957, served as Luftwaffenattaché in Turkey among other posts, and retired on 30 September 1971 in the rank of Oberst im Generalstab.
Oberst der Reserve Dr.jur. Ernst Kühl (1888-1972) was born on 18 March 1888 in Breslau and studied law before serving as a Leutnant in the Feldartillerie-Regiment 22 during the First World War, where he earned both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz; after the war he resumed civilian life as a jurist and Landrat before obtaining a pilot’s licence and joining the Luftwaffe as a reservist in 1936. He flew with Kampfgeschwader 55 from the Polish campaign onward, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz II. Klasse in 1939 and the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz I. Klasse in 1940, the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 20 December 1940, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Oberstleutnant der Reserve and Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 55. Promoted Oberstleutnant der Reserve on 1 February 1942, he became Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 55 on 27 August 1942 and was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 October 1942 for outstanding leadership of his Gruppe and later the entire Geschwader on the Eastern Front together with his personal completion of 230 operational sorties, many of them against targets in the Stalingrad sector. Elevated to Oberst der Reserve, he continued to command Kampfgeschwader 55 “Greif” through supply flights into the Stalingrad pocket, attacks on the tank factory at Gorki and the refineries at Saratov, and direct support of Operation Citadel; on 7 July 1943 his crews flew 178 sorties in close support of the II. SS-Panzer-Korps near Gremutschi and Krassaja, striking targets as near as 200 metres from friendly lines. For these continued successes of the Geschwader until he relinquished command on 8 August 1943, and for reaching a personal total of 314 missions at an advanced age, Kühl received the Eichenlaub on 18 December 1943 (356th award). He later served as Fliegerführer Nord, Kommandeur of the 3. Flieger-Division and of the 5. Flieger-Division, ending the war as Oberst der Reserve; after British captivity until 1947 he lived in Münster until his death on 2 February 1972, having completed approximately 400 operational sorties in all.
Oberstleutnant Gerhard Kollewe (1912-1942) was born on 3 March 1912 in Deutsch-Kruschin in the Province of Posen and after completing his Abitur entered Infanterie-Regiment 7 of the Reichswehr in 1931 as a gunner, becoming an officer candidate in 1932 and receiving promotion to Leutnant in March 1934 before transferring to the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1935; he subsequently served with Stukageschwader units including I./St.G. 162 and St.G. 163, flew with J/88 of the Legion Condor in Spain in 1938 earning the Spanienkreuz in Silber mit Schwertern, and at the outbreak of war held the rank of Oberleutnant as Staffelkapitän of a dive-bomber Staffel that participated on 3 September 1939 in the sinking of the Polish destroyer ORP Wicher and minelayer ORP Gryf in the harbour of Gdynia. Promoted Hauptmann and appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II.(Kampf)/Lehrgeschwader 1, he led his Gruppe with distinction during the Battle of Crete and subsequent operations in the eastern Mediterranean, where on 15 June 1941 his aircraft contributed to the damaging of the British destroyers HMS Isis and HMS Ilex and where his command achieved further successes against enemy shipping that earned him a personal mention in the Wehrmachtbericht of 16 June 1941; for these achievements he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 July 1941 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II.(Kampf)/Lehrgeschwader 1. Continuing operations against Allied naval and merchant traffic in the Mediterranean, II./LG 1 under his leadership sank approximately 148 000 GRT of merchant shipping together with two destroyers and damaged a further 203 500 GRT of merchant vessels as well as three battleships, eight heavy cruisers, five light cruisers and nine destroyers, for which Kollewe, now promoted Major, received the Eichenlaub (112th award) on 12 August 1942 as Gruppenkommandeur of II./Lehrgeschwader 1. On 17 October 1942, while flying a Ju 88 A-4 (Werknummer 141033, coded L1+YC) during an attack on Malta, he was shot down by fighters of Nos. 126 and 249 Squadrons RAF and crashed into the sea between Salina Bay and Valletta; his observer Feldwebel Bernhard Mähler was also killed while the remaining crew members were taken prisoner, and Kollewe, credited with roughly 250 combat missions, was posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant.
Generalmajor Dr. Ing. Ernst Bormann (1897-1960) was born on 5 November 1897 in Kirchbrak and joined the German army as a Fahnenjunker in Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 82 on 17 August 1915 during the First World War. After transferring to aviation and completing pilot training with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 7 and related units, he served as a pilot with Feldflieger Abteilung 42 before joining the prestigious Jagdstaffel 2 “Boelcke” on 4 May 1918, where as a Leutnant he achieved 17 aerial victories by the war’s end. Demobilized in 1919 and leaving active service as Charakter als Oberleutnant in 1920, he earned a doctorate in engineering and worked as a flying instructor at the secret German aviation school in Lipetsk in the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1930. Reactivated in the Luftwaffe as Hauptmann in 1934, he commanded a Staffel in Kampfgeschwader Boelcke, later led III. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1, and on 26 February 1941 became Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 76, rising to Oberst. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 October 1941 as Oberstleutnant and Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 76 for the unit’s successes during the Battle of Britain and the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, including the first attacks on Moscow and the Leningrad-Moscow railway. The Eichenlaub followed on 3 September 1942 as Oberst and Kommandeur of the Gefechtsverband Bormann (an augmented Kampfgeschwader 76) for further bomber operations on the Eastern Front, notably during the Briansk-Vyazma pocket battles, the Dnieper crossing east of Cholm, strikes against the Rybinsk aircraft factory, the fighting of 9. Armee near Rzhev, and actions on the southern sector. Subsequent postings included Fliegerführer Krim and, as Generalmajor from 1 October 1944, Flughafen-Bereichskommandant in Mähren. Captured by Soviet forces on 10 May 1945, he remained a prisoner until his release on 9 October 1955 and died in Düsseldorf on 1 August 1960.
Major Heinrich Schweickhardt (1914-1943) was born on 17 February 1914 in Heidelberg, Baden, Germany, and entered the Luftwaffe on 10 April 1935, receiving promotion to Leutnant the same year. At the outbreak of war in September 1939 he initially served with a Stuka unit before transferring as Leutnant to II./Kampfgeschwader 76; in 1940 he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./Kampfgeschwader 76 and on 1 October 1940 was promoted to Oberleutnant. He flew combat missions throughout the Polish and French campaigns, the Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa, earning the Ehrenpokal in April 1941 and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 13 January 1942. On 4 February 1942, still as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 76, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for his successes as a bomber pilot in those earlier campaigns and during the opening phase of the war in the East. Promoted to Hauptmann on 1 March 1942, he assumed command of III./Kampfgeschwader 76 while remaining closely associated with 8. Staffel; throughout 1942 he continued to lead highly effective bombing operations on the Eastern Front. On 30 October 1942, as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 76, he received the Eichenlaub (138th award) to the Ritterkreuz for his outstanding achievements as a bomber commander during the 1942 Eastern Front campaign and after completing more than 400 combat missions. On 8–9 January 1943, while serving as Kommandeur of III./Kampfgeschwader 76, Schweickhardt took off in a Ju 88 A-4 coded F1+GS on a courier flight from Catania, Sicily, to Tatoi; following engine trouble approximately 100 km west of Zante Island he was reported missing in action over the Mediterranean. He was posthumously promoted to Major on 1 March 1943 and remained officially listed as missing as late as August 1944, having been credited with roughly 400 operational sorties.
Major Heinrich Paepcke (1910-1942) was born on 11 December 1910 in Wattenscheid, Westphalia, and after serving in the Handelsmarine from 1929 to 1934 he joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 as a Fahnenjunker, receiving promotion to Leutnant in 1936 and to Oberleutnant by 1939. In April 1940 he became Staffelkapitän of the 7. Staffel, III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 30 “Adler,” flying Ju 88 bombers in operations over Norway, the Low Countries and France. On 5 September 1940, as Oberleutnant und Staffelkapitän of that unit, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for his personal and leadership achievements, having himself sunk an anti-aircraft cruiser near Scheveningen and a 10 000 GRT freighter off Dunkirk while his Staffel destroyed or damaged one heavy and three light cruisers, three destroyers, a minelayer, a coastal patrol boat and five merchant vessels, and also claimed two enemy fighters. Promoted to Hauptmann in May 1940, he later commanded the IV. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 30 before transferring in October 1941 to become Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 77. Operating from bases in the Mediterranean against Malta and its supply convoys, he flew approximately 125 combat missions and on 12 August 1942 distinguished himself by sinking a 12 000 GRT transport from the Pedestal convoy bound for the island. On 17 October 1942, while leading an attack on the airfield at Luca, his Ju 88 collided with a Spitfire and crashed into the sea 17 kilometres north of Malta; he was killed in action at the age of 31. Posthumously promoted to Major, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 19 December 1942 as the 154th recipient, recognised for his sustained successes as Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 77. Paepcke was also awarded the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 21 September 1942 and both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz.
Oberstleutnant Reinhard Günzel (1907-1970) was born on 2 February 1907 in Posen and joined the Luftwaffe in the mid-1930s, serving with the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War where he earned the Spanienkreuz in Bronze on 6 June 1939. At the outbreak of the Second World War he flew with Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke” and received the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 16 September 1939 followed by the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 23 June 1940 for operations over Poland and the Western Front. As Hauptmann and Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke” he led numerous successful bomber missions against targets in Britain and later on the Eastern Front, completing approximately 150 combat sorties by the time he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 September 1941 for his distinguished achievements as a bomber pilot and formation commander. Continuing to fly intensive operations against Soviet transport routes, railways and troop concentrations, he was promoted to Major and received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 24 September 1942 while still with the II. Gruppe. By early 1943 his mission total had risen to around 320, and for his continued outstanding leadership and personal flying skill on the Eastern Front he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 21 January 1943 as Major and Kommandeur of the III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke”, becoming the 184th recipient of this decoration. Günzel ultimately completed more than 500 combat missions during the war and rose to the rank of Oberstleutnant. After the conflict he worked as a police officer and died on 5 December 1970 in Eiche near Berlin at the age of 63.
Oberst Hans-Henning Freiherr von Beust (1913-1991) was born on 17 April 1913 in Karlsruhe and died on 27 March 1991 in Munich; after completing his Abitur he entered military service on 1 April 1931 as Offiziersanwärter in Infanterie-Regiment 17, was promoted to Leutnant on 1 March 1934, trained at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule and with Lufthansa before attending the Kampffliegerschule Tutow, then in September 1936 became Staffelkapitän of 2./K 88 of the Legion Condor in Spain, earning the Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern for more than one hundred sorties, returned to become Staffelkapitän of 10. Staffel and later 7. Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 27, was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 December 1938, took part in the campaigns in Poland and France, and on 1 August 1940 assumed command as Kommandeur of III./Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke,” flying more than seventy missions in the Battle of Britain before transferring to operations over southern Russia from June 1941; for his distinguished performance as both pilot and unit commander after approximately 170 operational sorties that included notable successes over England and Russia he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 September 1941 while still Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of III./Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke,” having already received the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse on 16 September 1939, the Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse on 23 June 1940 and the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 24 October 1940; after nearly three hundred Feindflüge he was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 27 on 1 March 1942 with simultaneous promotion to Major, received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 10 May 1943 as Major in Kampfgeschwader 27, was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 June 1943, and continued to lead the Geschwader with distinction over the southern Eastern Front until a serious illness forced him to relinquish command in December 1943; for his sustained personal bravery and outstanding leadership as pilot and Geschwaderkommodore after approximately 410 operational sorties he was awarded the 336th Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 25 November 1943 while Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke,” thereafter serving as Generalstabsoffizier on the staff of Luftflotte 5 in Norway and from 1 October 1944 exercising the duties of General der Kampfflieger, being promoted to Oberst shortly before the end of the war, during which he flew roughly five hundred operational sorties in total; captured by American forces he was released on 30 June 1947, joined the Bundeswehr in 1957, served as Luftwaffenattaché in Turkey among other posts, and retired on 30 September 1971 in the rank of Oberst im Generalstab.
Oberst der Reserve Dr.jur. Ernst Kühl (1888-1972) was born on 18 March 1888 in Breslau and studied law before serving as a Leutnant in the Feldartillerie-Regiment 22 during the First World War, where he earned both classes of the Eisernes Kreuz; after the war he resumed civilian life as a jurist and Landrat before obtaining a pilot’s licence and joining the Luftwaffe as a reservist in 1936. He flew with Kampfgeschwader 55 from the Polish campaign onward, receiving the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz II. Klasse in 1939 and the Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz I. Klasse in 1940, the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 20 December 1940, and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Oberstleutnant der Reserve and Kommandeur of the II. Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 55. Promoted Oberstleutnant der Reserve on 1 February 1942, he became Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 55 on 27 August 1942 and was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 October 1942 for outstanding leadership of his Gruppe and later the entire Geschwader on the Eastern Front together with his personal completion of 230 operational sorties, many of them against targets in the Stalingrad sector. Elevated to Oberst der Reserve, he continued to command Kampfgeschwader 55 “Greif” through supply flights into the Stalingrad pocket, attacks on the tank factory at Gorki and the refineries at Saratov, and direct support of Operation Citadel; on 7 July 1943 his crews flew 178 sorties in close support of the II. SS-Panzer-Korps near Gremutschi and Krassaja, striking targets as near as 200 metres from friendly lines. For these continued successes of the Geschwader until he relinquished command on 8 August 1943, and for reaching a personal total of 314 missions at an advanced age, Kühl received the Eichenlaub on 18 December 1943 (356th award). He later served as Fliegerführer Nord, Kommandeur of the 3. Flieger-Division and of the 5. Flieger-Division, ending the war as Oberst der Reserve; after British captivity until 1947 he lived in Münster until his death on 2 February 1972, having completed approximately 400 operational sorties in all.
Source :
https://aerocorner.com/blog/german-bombers-ww2/
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