Kampfgeschwader 30

Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II.

Kampfgeschwader 30
Active	1939–45
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Type	Bomber wing
Role	Tactical and Direct Ground Support.
Size	Air force wing
Nickname(s)	Adler (eagle)
Engagements	World War II
Insignia
Identification symbol	Geschwaderkennung of 4D

Service history

Formed on 15 November 1939 in Greifswald. I Gruppe formed 1 September, II Gruppe on 23 September and III Gruppe on 1 January 1940, based in Greifswald then Barth. IV Gruppe was formed 27 Oct 1940 as Erg.Sta./KG 30, and in April 1941 was increased to Gruppe strength. KG 30 was equipped with the Junkers Ju 88 and was initially trained as an anti-shipping and maritime attack unit: at the start of October 1939 it was attached to X. Fliegerkorps. On 16 October 1939 it attacked naval ships anchored off Rosyth Dockyard in the Firth of Forth.^{[citation needed]}

II./KG 30 operated under X. Fliegerkorps for Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway. The unit Ju 88s engaged Allied shipping as its main target. On 9 April 1940, in cooperation with high-level bombing Heinkel He 111s of KG 26, Ju 88s of II./KG 30 dive-bombed and damaged the battleship HMS Rodney and sank the destroyer HMS Gurkha. The unit lost four Ju 88s in the action, the highest single loss of KG 30 throughout the campaign.

On 9 June 1940 Kampfgeschwader 30 took over Chièvres Air Base. On 17 June 1940 bombers from II./KG 30 sank RMS Lancastria off St Nazaire as she evacuated troops during Operation Aerial, killing some 5,800 Allied personnel. On 15 October 1940 III./KG 30 was redesignated Ergänzungskampfgruppe 6 and a new III./KG 30 was formed in Amsterdam-Schiphol from III./KG 4.

In September 1942 KG 30 was active against Arctic convoy PQ 18. Attacking PQ 18, the group carried out a massed torpedo attack known as the Golden Comb, developed as an anti-convoy measure. This was initially successful, sinking several ships, though the group suffered heavy losses. On 23 November 1944 Kampfgeschwader 30 was redesignated as Kampfgeschwader(J)30, converting to a fighter unit. The unit was disbanded 18 April 1945.

Commanding officers

• Oberstleutnant Walter Loebel, 15 November 1939 – 16 August 1940
• Oberst Herbert Rieckhoff, 17 August 1940 – 20 October 1940
• Oberstleutnant Erich Bloedorn, October 1940 – May 1943
• Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Kern, 18 May 1943 – 10 September 1943
• Oberstleutnant Sigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von Gravenreuth, September 1943 – 16 October 1944
• Oberst Bernhard Jope, October 1944 – February 1945
• Oberst Hanns Heise, February 1945 – May 1945

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Bergstrom, Christer (2007a). Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July–December 1941. London: Chevron/Ian Allan. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.
• Bergström, Christer (2007b). Stalingrad – The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943. Midland Puplishing, Hinkley. ISBN 978-1-85780-276-4
• Bergström, Christer (2007c). Kursk – The Air Battle: July 1943. Midland Puplishing, Hinkley. ISBN 978-1-903223-88-8
• Bergstrom, Christer (2008). Bagration to Berlin: The Final Air Battles in the East: 1944–1945. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-1-903223-91-8.
• Bergström, Christer (2015). The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited. Casemate: Oxford. ISBN 978-1612-00347-4.
• Bergström, Christer; Mikhailov, Andrey (2001). Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume II, Resurgence January–June 1942. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 978-0-935553-51-2.
• Brookes, Andrew. Air War Over Russia. Ian Allan Publishing. 2003. ISBN 978-0-7110-2890-6
• Christopher Shores (2002). Great Air Battles of World War II. Grub Street. ISBN 0-385-19917-1
• Christopher Hough and Denis Richard (1990). The Battle of Britain - the Jubilee History. Guild Publishing. Previously published by Hodder & Stoughton, 1989. ISBN 0-340-42903-8
• Crabb Brian James (2002). The Forgotten Tragedy. The story of the sinking of HMT Lancastria. Shaun Tyas, Donington. ISBN 1-900289-50-4
• Dierich, Wolfgang (2002). Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif", Eine Chronik aus Dokumenten und Berichten 1937-1945. Motorbuch. ISBN 3-87943-340-2.
• de Zeng, H.L; Stankey, D.G; Creek, E.J. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945; A Reference Source, Volume 1. Ian Allan Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85780-279-5
• Goss, Chris. (2000). The Luftwaffe Bombers' Battle of Britain. Crecy, Manchester. ISBN 0-947554-82-3
• Goss, Chris. (2010). The Luftwaffe's Blitz: The Inside Story, November 1940—May 1941. Crecy, Manchester. ISBN 978-0-85979-148-9
• Hall and Quinlan (2000). KG55. Red Kite. ISBN 0-9538061-0-3.
• Hooton, E.R. (1994). Phoenix Triumphant: The Rise and Rise of the Luftwaffe. Arms & Armour, ISBN 1854091816.
• Hooton, E. R (2007b). Luftwaffe at War; Blitzkrieg in the West. London: Chevron/Ian Allan. ISBN 978-1-85780-272-6.
• Hooton, E. R (2007a). Luftwaffe at War: Gathering Storm 1933-1939 Classic Publications. ISBN 1903223717.
• Hooton, E.R. (1997). Eagle in Flames: The Fall of the Luftwaffe. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 1-86019-995-X
• Jackson, Robert. Air War Over France, 1939-1940. Ian Allan, London. 1974. ISBN 0-7110-0510-9
• Mason, Francis (1969). Battle Over Britain. McWhirter Twins, London. ISBN 978-0-901928-00-9
• Muller, Richard (1992). The German Air War in Russia. Nautical & Aviation Publishing. Baltimore, Maryland. ISBN 1-877853-13-5
• Parker, Nigel (2013). Luftwaffe Crash Archive: Volume 1: A Documentary History of Every Enemy Aircraft Brought Down Over the United Kingdom, September 1939 – 14 August 1940. Red Kite, London. ISBN 978-1906592097

External links

• "Kampfgeschwader 30 "Adler"". Lexikon der Wehrmacht. Retrieved 17 April 2018.