Kampfgeschwader 55

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Kampfgeschwader 55


caption=
dates=1934-1945
country=Germany
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
type=Bomber Squadron
role= Tactical and Direct Ground Support.
size=Air Force Wing
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garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Greif
patron=
motto=
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Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif" (KG 55) (Battle Wing 55) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit was one of the most famous in the Luftwaffe. The Heinkel He111 medium bomber was the standard bomber for this unit from its conception through to the last days of the war.

History

On 1 April 1934 a unit called the Hanseatische Fliegerschule e. V. was formed, initially based at Fassberg. The Designation Kampfgeschwader 55 was made on 1 May 1939, with Stab, I., and II., Gruppen. The III. Gruppe was not created until December 1939. All of the pre-war aircraft were Heinkel He111 "Langnasen".

War time service

Poland

1939 Assigned to Luftflotte 2 during the Polish invasion (Operation Fall Weiss) the unit saw action for the first time. During the campaign KG 55 suffered one complete loss of aircraft and crew, in which an Oberleutnant Walter Fritz and his crew from 1./KG 55 were killed in action south west of L'vov [Hall & Quinlan 2000, p. 8.] . Three other Heinkel's were forced to land due to enemy action, but the crews did not suffer any fatalities.

=France and the Low Countries=

The end of the Phoney War on the 10 May 1940 came with Operation Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), the invasion of France and the Low Countries. Stab./KG 55 began operations on 10 May in the Lorraine region of France which would include missions over Nancy, Toul and Epinal. In the first days action the Geschwader did not suffer any casualties. On the 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 the KG 55 ten machines, six from Stab.4/KG 55. In that day alone the unit's losses had exceeded that of the Polish Campaign [Hall & Quinlan 2000, p.9.] . The losses suffered by KG 55 on the 13 May were the worst of the battle. A further seven machines were damaged and forced to land throughout the remainder of the fighting, although only two machines and crew were completely lost. The first of these, a 9./KG 55 Heinkel, was flown by Unteroffizier Horst Mahnert. Whilst returning from a mission to bomb airfields in the Lyon area on 2 June 1940 it strayed into Swiss airspace and was shot down near Ursins by Capitaine Hans Thurnheer (in a Bf 109E) [Hall & Quinlan 2000, p. 11.] .

Battle of Britain

1940

References

* Bergstrom, Christer (2007). "Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July-December 1941". London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.
* Goss, Chris. (2000) "The Luftwaffe Bombers' Battle of Britain, The inside story: July - October 1940".Crecy Publishing Ltd.Manchester. ISBN 0-947554-82-3
* Hall and Quinlan (2000). "KG55". Red Kite. ISBN 0-9538061-0-3.
* Hooton, E.R (2007). "Luftwaffe at War; Blitzkrieg in the West". London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-85780-272-6.
* Taylor, A.J.P. and Mayer, S.L., eds (1974). "A History Of World War Two". London: Octopus Books, . ISBN 0-70640-399-1
* Dierich, Wolfgang (2002). "Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif", Eine Chronik aus Dokumenten und Berichten 1937-1945". Motorbuch. ISBN 3879433402.
* Richard Townshend Bickers (1990). The Battle of Britain. Salamander Books. ISBN 1 85613 025 8
* Christopher Shores (2002). Great Air Battles of Worlsd War II. Grub Street. Previously published as "Duel for the Sky" by Blandford Press. ISBN: 0385199171
* Christopher Hough and Denis Richard (1990). The Battle of Britain - the Jubilee History. Guild Publishing. Previously published by Hodder & Stoughton, 1989. ISBN 0340429038