Kampfgeschwader 55

The combat squadron 55 was a federation of the Luftwaffe in World War II. Due to its coat of arms, it was also called Griffin Squadron.

List

The combat squadron 55 was on May 1, 1939 to November 1, 1938 in Giessen ( Lage50.59588.7232 ) established squadrons from the 254th Wing staff and II. / KG 254 created on May 1, 1939 in casting the rod and II. / KG 55 I. the group of KG 55 was formed on May 1, 1939 I. / KG 254 in Langendiebach ( Lage50.1691898.961586 ). The III. / KG 55 was created on 1 November 1939 in Neudorf near Opole from parts of the two other groups. On April 1, 1940, IV ( Supplement ) group was formed in Dorn city ( Lage48.4511829.959166 ). The squadron was equipped with the Heinkel He 111 From September it upgraded to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke -Wulf Fw 190 in order. The squadron identifier was G1.

Geschwaderkommodore

History

The combat squadron 55 was assumed at the beginning of the attack on Poland the 4th Air Division Air Fleet 2. It did not come in the east to use. The use ports were being village ( Lage52.58305910.515231 ) and Dedelstorf ( Lage52.71418110.509734 ).

Of 10 May 1940 to 25 June the squadron took part in the western campaign. There was subordinate to the Air Corps V. Luftflotte 3. At the beginning it took off from the airfields Leipheim ( Lage48.44030510.236082 ) Baltringen and Ehingen ( Lage48.2879159.850775 ).

From June 25 1940 to June 11, 1941, the squadron was involved in the Battle of Britain. It remained the Fifth Air Corps 3rd Air Fleet assigned. It was in the squares Villacoublay ( Lage48.7730562.199722 ), Dreux ( Lage48.70603791.36123304 ) and Chartres ( Lage48.4570321.519267 ). By 31 October it lost 73 aircraft. Overall, it flew 4742 missions over the British Isles. Targets were, inter alia, on August 26, Portsmouth, on August 28, Liverpool, on September 15 Portland, on 25 September Bristol, September 26 Southampton, 13-14. and 19-20. November Birmingham, on 14-15. November Coventry, on 3/4 January 1941 Manchester, and on 11-12. and 13-14. January London.

During the attack on the Soviet Union, the squadron was placed under the Fifth Air Corps in the Air Force and fought in the southern section 4 of the Eastern Front. Only for participation in the air raids on Moscow, it was moved to the middle portion of the short term and then returned to the south. An exception is the IV group, which remained in the west to February 1944, she was stationed in Dijon ( Lage47.2663895.095 ).

At the turn of 1941/42, the entire squadron was to refurbish the French bases Melun- Villa Roche ( Lage48.6061352.665914 ), St. André ( Lage48.8969461.2486109 ) and Nantes ( Lage47.155081.609239 ). As of April 1942, the group I already January, moved the entire squadron in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. It was subordinate to the VIII Air Corps Luftflotte 4 and took part in the conquest of Sevastopol. Before the start of the German summer offensive in the southern sector of the Eastern Front, on 28 June 1942 the Group I were in Stalino ( Lage48.07361137.739722 ) and Kharkov and the II and III. Group in Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov. The squadron participated until 1943, at the Caucasus Campaign and the Battle of Stalingrad.

The staff, the II and III. / KG 55 took off on July 5, 1943 Operation Citadel part. Assigned to the VIII Air Corps under Luftflotte 4, they supported the southern attack wedge when ultimately failed attack in the direction of Kursk. The group I was from late May to late August to refresh in Wiesbaden ( Lage50.0498198.325397 ).

The squadron remained until 1944, interrupted only by brief refresher phases in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. On 12 August 1944, the last mission was flown on the Eastern Front and the squadron moved into the home. As of September 1944, upgraded in order to fighter aircraft and was under the name of KG ( J) 55 used. On 8 May 1945 the squadron disbanded.

Awards

Known squadron members

  • Antrup Wilhelm (1910-1984) was, in 1966 as a brigadier general manager of the Technical College of the Air Force
  • Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942), was an SS -Obergruppenführer and General of Police, head of the Reich Security Main Office ( RSHA) and Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia
  • Horst Rudat (1920-1982), was from 1977 to 1980 as a major general commander of the Air Transport Command
  • Heinz -Bernhard Zorn (1912-1993), as a major general of the National People's Army ( NVA) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) 24 years been involved in the development and expansion of the air forces of the NVA
Hanau Army Airfield Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Eastern Front (World War II) Luftflotte 2 Wesendorf Nantes Atlantique Airport SS-Reichssicherheitshauptamt National People's Army Germany and the Second World War Leo Niehorster Karl-Heinz Frieser Kampfgeschwader 2 Kampfgeschwader 6 Kampfgeschwader 40 Kampfgeschwader 54 Kampfgeschwader 76 Kampfgeschwader 77 Kampfgeschwader 100 Kampfgeschwader 200
462037
de