Walter Bradel

Infobox Military Person
name= Walter Bradel
born=birth date|1911|7|31|df=y
died=death date and age|1943|5|5|1911|7|31|df=y


placeofbirth=Wroclaw, now Poland
placeofdeath=
nickname=
branch=Heer
Luftwaffe
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
serviceyears=1934-1943
rank= "Oberstleutnant"
commands=II./KG 2
unit= "Condor Legion"
"Kampfgeschwader 3"
"Kampfgeschwader 2"
battles=Spanish Civil War
World War II
*Polish Campaign
*Battle of France
*Balkans Campaign
*Eastern Front
awards=Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords
Iron Cross First and Second Class
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
Honorary Cup of the Luftwaffe
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
laterwork=

Walter Bradel (31 July 1911 – 5 May 1943) was a "Luftwaffe" Bomber pilot and "Geschwaderkommodore" of KG 2 during World War Two.

Luftwaffe career

Bradel joined the Heer in 1933, before joining the "Luftwaffe".Bradel flew the Dornier Do 17 until 1942, and then the Dornier Do 217. Bradel was awarded the Knight's Cross on 17 July 1941 for his units particular effectiveness over the Grodno area, in which the Soviet 6th Cavalry Corps was routed, and lost 105 tanks. [Bergström 2007 (Barbarossa title), p. 23.] In 1943 Bradel's unit started flying bombing missions over England once more.During the night of 4 May 1943 to 5 May "Angriffsführer England" ordered a consolidated attack on Norwich. Involved were 43 aircraft from KG 2 under the command of Bradel, which took off from the airport of Soesterberg. The attack force was augmented by aircraft from II./KG 40 and 36 Ju 88 from KG 6. Bradel's Do 217 K was attacked by a British nightfighter and suffered engine damage. Pilot Leutnant Ernst Andres attempted an emergency landing near Landsmeer/Amsterdam. The aircraft was 80% damaged. Walter Brandels, who was not strapped in, and the board gunner Becker were killed in the forced landing. Brandel was posthumously, effective as of 1 May 1943, promoted to Oberstleutnant.

Awards

* Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords 6 June 1939
* "Chez de Guerra" June 1939
* Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (30 July 1941)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (17 September 1941)

References

* Bergström, Christer (2007). "Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July-December 1941". London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.