Ritterkreuzträger of Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6)

Kampfgeschwader 6 was a Luftwaffe bomber wing formed officially on 1 September 1942 in the Dinard area of Brittany, although its Stab had been ordered as early as 11 October 1941 by Luftflotte 3. The I. Gruppe was created by redesignating I./Kampfgeschwader 77, the II. Gruppe from Küstenfliegergruppe 106, and the III. Gruppe from III./Lehrgeschwader 1, while a new IV. Ergänzungsgruppe was also raised. Initially equipped primarily with the Junkers Ju 88 and later receiving the Junkers Ju 188, the Geschwader carried out bombing operations against Britain from bases in northern France, including early raids in late 1942. Large parts of the unit transferred to the Mediterranean in late 1942 to support operations in Tunisia and later Italy, flying missions during the fighting in Sicily and on the Italian mainland under Luftflotte 2. In 1943–1944 the Geschwader returned to the Channel front and participated in Unternehmen Steinbock, the series of night raids against England known as the Baby Blitz. During the Normandy campaign in 1944 it flew attacks against Allied beachheads, shipping and ground targets, suffering heavy losses. Under the command of Oberstleutnant Hermann Hogeback, who served as Geschwaderkommodore from 11 September 1943 until the end of the war, the unit withdrew eastward in the autumn of 1944. On 23 November 1944 it was redesignated Kampfgeschwader (Jagd) 6 and began conversion to fighter aircraft, including the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and later the Messerschmitt Me 262. In the final months the remnants operated in the Prague area and under the designation Gefechtsverband Hogeback before the unit was dissolved following the German surrender on 8 May 1945.

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SCHWERTERTRÄGER


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.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfgeschwader_6