Kampfgeschwader 27 “Boelcke” was formed on 1 May 1939 from the earlier Kampfgeschwader 157 “Boelcke” with its Stab and I. Gruppe at Hannover-Langenhagen, II. Gruppe at Wunstorf and III. Gruppe at Delmenhorst, equipped primarily with the Heinkel He 111 medium bomber and authorised to wear the Ärmelstreifen “Geschwader Boelcke” in honour of the First World War fighter pilot Oswald Boelcke. Under its first Geschwaderkommodore Oberst Hans Behrendt the unit took part in the invasion of Poland in September 1939, flying from bases in eastern Germany against Polish airfields, railways and troop concentrations. During the Phoney War it conducted armed reconnaissance over France before participating fully in the Western Campaign of May–June 1940 and subsequently in the Luftschlacht um England from bases in France. From June 1941 the Geschwader was transferred to the Eastern Front under Luftflotte 4, supporting the advance into the Ukraine and southern Russia with attacks on Soviet airfields, bridges, supply lines and troop concentrations. It remained heavily engaged on the southern sector throughout 1942–43, flying from bases such as Focsani, Kirovograd, Kursk and Millerovo, and suffered steady attrition while supporting operations around Stalingrad and the subsequent retreats. A specialised 14. (Eis) Staffel was formed in 1943 for railway interdiction missions. In late 1944 the surviving elements were withdrawn westwards, redesignated Kampfgeschwader (J) 27 on 23 November 1944 and converted to single-seat fighters (Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190) for Reichsverteidigung duties. Notable commanders included Oberst Hans-Henning Freiherr von Beust (1942–43) and the final Geschwaderkommodore Major Rudolf Kiel. The unit was disbanded in April–May 1945 after the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
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.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfgeschwader_27
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