Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 was formed on 1 May 1939 with its Stab and II. Gruppe at Breslau-Schöngarten and its I. Gruppe at Brieg, initially equipped with the Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber and later receiving a III. Gruppe formed from elements of Kampfgeschwader 76 in July 1940. The Geschwader first saw combat during the Polish campaign in September 1939, attacking targets such as Lublinitz and Wielun under the command of Oberst Günter Schwartzkopff. It then participated in the Westfeldzug under VIII. Fliegerkorps, supporting the crossings of the Meuse and operations against Allied forces in France and Belgium. During the early phase of the Battle of Britain the unit suffered heavy losses while based in the Cherbourg area. In spring 1941 it took part in the Balkan campaign before transferring to the Eastern Front for Operation Barbarossa, initially supporting Heeresgruppe Mitte under II. Fliegerkorps and later moving south under Luftflotte 4. Throughout 1941 and 1942 the Geschwader flew intensive close-support missions in the battles of Uman, Kiev, the Crimea, Kharkov, the Caucasus and Stalingrad, reporting its 30,000th combat sortie by July 1942. Under successive Kommodore including Major Clemens Graf von Schönborn-Wiesentheid, Major Alfons Orthofer, Major Walter Enneccerus and from February 1943 Oberst Helmut Bruck, it continued operations in South Russia under VIII. Fliegerkorps of Luftflotte 4. In July 1943 the entire Geschwader supported the southern pincer of Unternehmen Zitadelle at Kursk. On 18 October 1943 Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 was redesignated Schlachtgeschwader 77 as part of the Luftwaffe reorganization of dive-bomber units into ground-attack formations, after which it converted progressively to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 while continuing operations on the Eastern Front until the end of the war.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Oberst Helmut Bruck (1913-2001) was born on 16 February 1913 in Kittlitztreben in Silesia and after completing his schooling entered the Polizeischule in Bremen before transferring with his entire officer class to the Luftwaffe in 1935. Following pilot training he was posted on 1 April 1936 to the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 165 at Kitzingen and later took command of the 1. Staffel of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 on 1 May 1939 as Oberleutnant. He flew combat missions during the Polish campaign, the Western Campaign including support for the attack on Fort Eben-Emael and the Meuse crossings, the Battle of Britain, the Balkan campaign and the invasion of Crete. On 20 August 1940 he became Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77. On 4 September 1941, while serving as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for distinguished leadership and successful dive-bombing operations on the Eastern Front. He continued to lead his Gruppe through the battles of Kiev, Moscow and the southern sector, repeatedly landing behind enemy lines to rescue downed crews. By early 1943 he had flown more than 300 combat sorties, and on 19 February 1943, still as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77, he was awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz as the 193rd recipient. The following day he assumed command of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 as Kommodore and was promoted to Major. The unit was redesignated Schlachtgeschwader 77 in October 1943 and he remained its Kommodore until early 1945, later also commanding Schlachtgeschwader 151 and briefly serving as General der Schlachtflieger Nord. He completed a total of 973 operational missions before being taken prisoner in 1945. After his release he worked as a forester and died on 25 August 2001 in Veitlahm near Mainleus at the age of 88.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturzkampfgeschwader_77
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