Kampfgeschwader 51
Encyclopedia
Kampfgeschwader 51 "Edelweiss
" (KG 51) (Battle Wing 51) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit began forming in December 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17
, Heinkel He 111
and Junkers Ju 88
light and medium bombers. The wing was named after Edelweiss flower, found in Austria
.
, and the formation was completed on 20 August 1939. The units were initially designated KG 255. The units were initially equipped with the Do 17Ps, but later reequipped with He 111Hs in August 1939. The unit spent most of the summer training and recruiting personnel from the flight schools, and the Geschwader did not see much action during the Polish Campaign.
. I./KG 51 was based at Memmingen
. The Stab./KG 51 remained at Landsberg am Lech, but stood ready to move in case of an Allied attack.
During this period II./KG 51 was formed between 1 December 1939 and 15 April 1940. This Gruppen was equipped with the Ju 88. III./KG 51 was also formed during this time. Formation began on 1 September 1939 and was completed in May 1940, although the unit flew missions over Marseille
and bordeaux
on 17 November 1939, without suffering any losses. It is recorded between this time it was equipped with He 111Hs, and had 36 on strength, with 33 serviceable when it entered operations over France
.
the Strength of Stab./KG 51 with nine He 111s, all were serviceable. However this was soon reduced to a Stabskette. On the day of the western offensive the unit had just a single He 111 and Ju 88. The strength of I./K 51 on the 10 May 1940 stood at 36 He 111s of which 34 were serviceable. II./KG had 38 Ju 88s on hand, of which just 15 were serviceable.. The third Gruppen, III.KG 51, was equipped with 39 He 111s, of which 29 were air worthy on 10 May.
I./KG 51 was heavily engaged and supporting the breakthrough at Sedan
. It reported losses on 18, 24 of May and 9 June. The groups first Ju 88 loss occurred on 5 June. After the French surrender, the unit relocated to Paris
. II.KG 51 supported German forces during the Battle of Dunkirk
and flew missions along the Franco-Swiss border. It relocated to Étampes-Mondésir, south west of Paris on 20 June 1940. III./KG 51 also engaged in combat during the campaign. Elements of this unit accidentally bombed Freiburg
, killing 57 people and injuring 101, including 22 children. The pilot, Leutnant Paul Seidel was distraught over the error, until he was shot down and killed over Portsmouth
on 12 August 1940. This Gruppe contained some Ju 88s, but all operations were flown with the He 111H.
KG 51 was heavily involved in the Battle of Britain
. I./KG 51 recorded its first (a Ju 88) loss on the battle on 1 July 1940, near Dunbar
, Scotland
. I./KG engaged British shipping in the English Channel
throughout July. The unit reported attacks on Royal Navy
destroyers of St. Catherine's head on 12 July and attacks over Bristol
on 17th. Another loss was reported near Land's End
on 27 July. The attrition rate steadily grew. On 13 August 1940, the unit had 30 Ju 88s, of which 21 were operational. By 19 August it had 33 Ju 88s in service, but could only muster 13 for operations. The unit continued to operate over Britain until March 1941. During the first four months, (1 July - 31 October 1940), the Gruppe lost 13 Ju 88s and 21 damaged. During the Blitz
the unit participated in attacks on Portsmouth
, London
, Coventry
, Manchester
and Liverpool
. On 31 March 1941 the Gruppe withdrew to Austria for a refit.
II./KG also suffered considerable losses. On 13 August 1940 the Gruppe had 34 machines of which 24 were serviceable. By 7 September, while the total strength remained 34 Ju 88s, just 17 were combat-ready. The Gruppe recorded 13 complete losses and 12 damaged between 1 July and 31 October 1940. It later participated in the same attacks as I./KG 51. III./KG 51 was assigned the same tasks as its sister units. On 13 August it had 32 Ju 88s and 25 serviceable. By 7 September, that number had grown to 27 out of 34 combat-ready. Attacks over Britain between 1 July and 31 October cost it 12 aircraft destroyed with 19 damaged. On 5 April 1941 in relocated to Wiener Neustadt in Austria. It was placed under Luftflotte 4
for the coming Balkans Campaign.
During the campaign IV.(Erg)/KG 51 was formed in either later July or early August. Located at Lechfeld, the Gruppe was expanded into a IV. Gruppe on 22 March 1941.
. It handed over its remaining aircraft to Lehrgeschwader 1
.
I./KG 51 also took part, bombing Belgrade and Athens (on 15 April). It had a strength of 29 Ju 88s and 17 serviceable. It took part in missions against Allied shipping, in and around Crete
. It handed over its aircraft to I./LG 1 on 13 May and went to Austria to refit.
II./KG 51 had a total of 28 and 18 serviceable Ju 88s on hand. It reported a single loss over vic Banja Luka on 12 April. The unit relocated to Poland
on 20 June 1941.
Between 1–30 November 1941 the unit relocated to Nikolayev, Ukraine
. In a month it flew 412 sorties, and was credited with a further 10 aircraft, 8 trains, 315 vehicles, one heavy cruiser (the Voroshilov on 2 November, the ship was heavily damaged and put out of action for several months) and 2 freighters destroyed for the loss of three aircraft. In February 1942 the Geschwader destroyed one train, some 100 vehicles in 335 sorties for three losses.
The Geschwader continued to fight on the Eastern Front
throughout 1942-44. It supported the Heer
during the Siege of Sevastopol, Second Battle of Kharkov
, Battle of Stalingrad
and the Battle of Kursk
. During the siege of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, on 30 January 1943, the Kampfgeschwader 51 destroyed the Soviet 51st Army's Headquarters, near Salsk. Dropping 100 – 250 kg bombs, a wave of Junkers Ju 88s and Heinkel He 111s destroyed the communications centre, working offices of the chief-of-staff, the operational headquarters and the offices of the operational duty officer. Up to 20 buildings and personnel billets were also destroyed. Casualties among personnel were also very high.
On 31 December 1943 the Gruppe, after being initially being ordered to convert to Me 410s, was disbanded. III./KG 51 was reformed on 20 October 1944. Only to be reformed, as I.SKG 10, equipped with Fw 190s, a month later.
II./KG 51 was also disbanded, in January 1944, but was reformed in February 1944. The unit was also equipped with Me 262s, and saw action as a bomber intercept and fighter-bomber unit until it was disbanded on 24 April 1945, and its personnel sent to infantry units.
campaign and the Defense of the Reich
battles.
On 8 May 1943, I./KG 51 was sent to Germany for conversion to the Messerschmitt Me 410
. By 25 December 1943, the unit had 36 crews, with 40 (24 serviceable) Me 410s. During this time it also participated in bombing raids against England
until 23 May 1944. The Gruppe was decimated in the raids.
Elements of the Geschwader converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262
and flew fight-bomber and bomber intercept missions against Allied bomber streams from June 1944 to May 1945. I./KG 51 participated in attacks on Allied airfields to support German forces during the Battle of the Bulge
. The Gruppe did not have more than 38 Me 262s at any one time.
Formed 1 May 1939. Disbanded 24 April 1945.
I. Gruppe
Formed I./KG51 from I./KG255, II./KG51 from II./KG255 and III./KG51 from III./KG255 on 1 May 1939.
II. Gruppe
Formed on 1 April 1940 along with 4./KG 51, which was redesignated 7./KG 3, 5./KG 51 which was redesignated 8./KG 3 and 6./KG 51 which was redesignated 9./KG 3. Disbanded 24 April 1945
III. Gruppe
Formed on 1 May 1939. Stab III./KG 51 formed from Stab I./SKG 10. 7./KG 51 formed from 1./SKG 10, 8./KG 51 formed from 2./SKG 10, 9./KG 51 formed from 3./SKG 10.
On 31 October 1944 redesignated NSGr.20. As a result Stab III./KG 51 was reformed as Stab./NSGr.20, 7./KG 51 reformed as 1./NSGr.20, 8./KG 51 reformed as 2./NSGr.20, 9./KG 51 reformed as 3./NSGr.20.
IV. (Erg)/Gruppe
Formed on 30 July 1940. On 24 February 194412./KG51 reformed as 4./NJG 7, and was reformed again as 13./KG2.
On 28 December 1944 IV./KG 51 reformed as IV./EKG1. Stab IV./KG51 reformed as Stab IV./EKG1, while 10./KG51 was reformed as 13./EKG1, 11./KG 51 became 14./EKG1 and 12./KG 51 became 15./EKG1. Uit absorbed into I./KG 51 on 29 December 1944.
Einsatzkommando/KG 51
Formed on 2 June 1944. Absorbed into I/KG 51 on 2 November 1944.
Edelweiss
Edelweiss , Leontopodium alpinum, is a well-known European mountain flower, belonging to the sunflower family.-Names:The common name comes from German edel, meaning "noble", and weiß "white", thus signifying "noble whiteness".The scientific name Leontopodium is a Latin adaptation of Greek...
" (KG 51) (Battle Wing 51) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit began forming in December 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
, Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
and Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
light and medium bombers. The wing was named after Edelweiss flower, found in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
History
Stab/KG 51 and I./KG 51 were formed on 1 May 1939 at Landsberg am LechLandsberg am Lech
Landsberg am Lech is a town in southwest Bavaria, Germany, about 65 kilometers west of Munich and 35 kilometers south of Augsburg. It is the capital of the district of Landsberg am Lech....
, and the formation was completed on 20 August 1939. The units were initially designated KG 255. The units were initially equipped with the Do 17Ps, but later reequipped with He 111Hs in August 1939. The unit spent most of the summer training and recruiting personnel from the flight schools, and the Geschwader did not see much action during the Polish Campaign.
Phoney War
Throughout the Phoney War, the two active Gruppen, I./KG 51 and II./KG51, remained on standby in western GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. I./KG 51 was based at Memmingen
Memmingen
Memmingen is a town in the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia in Germany. It is the central economic, educational and administrative centre in the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller, the river that marks the Baden-Württemberg border...
. The Stab./KG 51 remained at Landsberg am Lech, but stood ready to move in case of an Allied attack.
During this period II./KG 51 was formed between 1 December 1939 and 15 April 1940. This Gruppen was equipped with the Ju 88. III./KG 51 was also formed during this time. Formation began on 1 September 1939 and was completed in May 1940, although the unit flew missions over Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
and bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
on 17 November 1939, without suffering any losses. It is recorded between this time it was equipped with He 111Hs, and had 36 on strength, with 33 serviceable when it entered operations over France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Battle of France and the Low Countries
At the start of the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
the Strength of Stab./KG 51 with nine He 111s, all were serviceable. However this was soon reduced to a Stabskette. On the day of the western offensive the unit had just a single He 111 and Ju 88. The strength of I./K 51 on the 10 May 1940 stood at 36 He 111s of which 34 were serviceable. II./KG had 38 Ju 88s on hand, of which just 15 were serviceable.. The third Gruppen, III.KG 51, was equipped with 39 He 111s, of which 29 were air worthy on 10 May.
I./KG 51 was heavily engaged and supporting the breakthrough at Sedan
Sedan, France
Sedan is a commune in France, a sub-prefecture of the Ardennes department in northern France.-Geography:The historic centre is built on a peninsula formed by an arc of the Meuse River. It is around from the Belgian border.-History:...
. It reported losses on 18, 24 of May and 9 June. The groups first Ju 88 loss occurred on 5 June. After the French surrender, the unit relocated to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. II.KG 51 supported German forces during the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
and flew missions along the Franco-Swiss border. It relocated to Étampes-Mondésir, south west of Paris on 20 June 1940. III./KG 51 also engaged in combat during the campaign. Elements of this unit accidentally bombed Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, killing 57 people and injuring 101, including 22 children. The pilot, Leutnant Paul Seidel was distraught over the error, until he was shot down and killed over Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 12 August 1940. This Gruppe contained some Ju 88s, but all operations were flown with the He 111H.
Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. I./KG 51 recorded its first (a Ju 88) loss on the battle on 1 July 1940, near Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. I./KG engaged British shipping in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
throughout July. The unit reported attacks on Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
destroyers of St. Catherine's head on 12 July and attacks over Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
on 17th. Another loss was reported near Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
on 27 July. The attrition rate steadily grew. On 13 August 1940, the unit had 30 Ju 88s, of which 21 were operational. By 19 August it had 33 Ju 88s in service, but could only muster 13 for operations. The unit continued to operate over Britain until March 1941. During the first four months, (1 July - 31 October 1940), the Gruppe lost 13 Ju 88s and 21 damaged. During the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
the unit participated in attacks on Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. On 31 March 1941 the Gruppe withdrew to Austria for a refit.
II./KG also suffered considerable losses. On 13 August 1940 the Gruppe had 34 machines of which 24 were serviceable. By 7 September, while the total strength remained 34 Ju 88s, just 17 were combat-ready. The Gruppe recorded 13 complete losses and 12 damaged between 1 July and 31 October 1940. It later participated in the same attacks as I./KG 51. III./KG 51 was assigned the same tasks as its sister units. On 13 August it had 32 Ju 88s and 25 serviceable. By 7 September, that number had grown to 27 out of 34 combat-ready. Attacks over Britain between 1 July and 31 October cost it 12 aircraft destroyed with 19 damaged. On 5 April 1941 in relocated to Wiener Neustadt in Austria. It was placed under Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on March 18, 1939 from Luftwaffenkommando Österreich in Vienna. The Luftflotte was redesignated on April 21, 1945 to Luftwaffenkommando 4, and became subordinated to Luftflotte 6. It was the...
for the coming Balkans Campaign.
During the campaign IV.(Erg)/KG 51 was formed in either later July or early August. Located at Lechfeld, the Gruppe was expanded into a IV. Gruppe on 22 March 1941.
Balkans Campaign
Stab./KG 51 saw action during the Balkans Campaign. The took part in the Bombing of Belgrade and attacked retreating Allied forces through GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It handed over its remaining aircraft to Lehrgeschwader 1
Lehrgeschwader 1
Lehrgeschwader 1 formerly Lehrgeschwader Greifswald was a Luftwaffe multi-purpose unit during World War II, operating fighter, bomber and dive-bomber Gruppen. The unit was formed in July 1936...
.
I./KG 51 also took part, bombing Belgrade and Athens (on 15 April). It had a strength of 29 Ju 88s and 17 serviceable. It took part in missions against Allied shipping, in and around Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. It handed over its aircraft to I./LG 1 on 13 May and went to Austria to refit.
II./KG 51 had a total of 28 and 18 serviceable Ju 88s on hand. It reported a single loss over vic Banja Luka on 12 April. The unit relocated to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on 20 June 1941.
Eastern Front
The Geschwader lost 15 aircraft, and its strength was down to one-third by 30 June. In September 1941 it flew 810 sorties in southern Russia and was credited with 27 aircraft shot down, 290 vehicles, 22 tanks, one train and 5 Soviet ships. In return it lost just two aircraft.Between 1–30 November 1941 the unit relocated to Nikolayev, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. In a month it flew 412 sorties, and was credited with a further 10 aircraft, 8 trains, 315 vehicles, one heavy cruiser (the Voroshilov on 2 November, the ship was heavily damaged and put out of action for several months) and 2 freighters destroyed for the loss of three aircraft. In February 1942 the Geschwader destroyed one train, some 100 vehicles in 335 sorties for three losses.
The Geschwader continued to fight on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
throughout 1942-44. It supported the Heer
Heer (1935-1945)
The Heer was the Army land forces component of the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945, the latter also included the Navy and the Air Force...
during the Siege of Sevastopol, Second Battle of Kharkov
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov, so named by Wilhelm Keitel, was an Axis counter-offensive against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted from 12 May to 28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objective was to eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets, or the...
, Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
and the Battle of Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
. During the siege of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, on 30 January 1943, the Kampfgeschwader 51 destroyed the Soviet 51st Army's Headquarters, near Salsk. Dropping 100 – 250 kg bombs, a wave of Junkers Ju 88s and Heinkel He 111s destroyed the communications centre, working offices of the chief-of-staff, the operational headquarters and the offices of the operational duty officer. Up to 20 buildings and personnel billets were also destroyed. Casualties among personnel were also very high.
On 31 December 1943 the Gruppe, after being initially being ordered to convert to Me 410s, was disbanded. III./KG 51 was reformed on 20 October 1944. Only to be reformed, as I.SKG 10, equipped with Fw 190s, a month later.
II./KG 51 was also disbanded, in January 1944, but was reformed in February 1944. The unit was also equipped with Me 262s, and saw action as a bomber intercept and fighter-bomber unit until it was disbanded on 24 April 1945, and its personnel sent to infantry units.
Defense of the Reich and Western Front
The unit took part in the latter part of the Western FrontWestern Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
campaign and the Defense of the Reich
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied Europe and Germany itself during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German military and civil industries by the Western Allies...
battles.
On 8 May 1943, I./KG 51 was sent to Germany for conversion to the Messerschmitt Me 410
Messerschmitt Me 410
The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse was a German heavy fighter and Schnellbomber used by Luftwaffe during World War II. Though essentially a straightforward modification of the Me 210, it was designated the Me 410 to avoid association with its notoriously flawed predecessor.-Design and...
. By 25 December 1943, the unit had 36 crews, with 40 (24 serviceable) Me 410s. During this time it also participated in bombing raids against England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
until 23 May 1944. The Gruppe was decimated in the raids.
Elements of the Geschwader converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
and flew fight-bomber and bomber intercept missions against Allied bomber streams from June 1944 to May 1945. I./KG 51 participated in attacks on Allied airfields to support German forces during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. The Gruppe did not have more than 38 Me 262s at any one time.
Organisation
Stab. GruppeFormed 1 May 1939. Disbanded 24 April 1945.
I. Gruppe
Formed I./KG51 from I./KG255, II./KG51 from II./KG255 and III./KG51 from III./KG255 on 1 May 1939.
II. Gruppe
Formed on 1 April 1940 along with 4./KG 51, which was redesignated 7./KG 3, 5./KG 51 which was redesignated 8./KG 3 and 6./KG 51 which was redesignated 9./KG 3. Disbanded 24 April 1945
III. Gruppe
Formed on 1 May 1939. Stab III./KG 51 formed from Stab I./SKG 10. 7./KG 51 formed from 1./SKG 10, 8./KG 51 formed from 2./SKG 10, 9./KG 51 formed from 3./SKG 10.
On 31 October 1944 redesignated NSGr.20. As a result Stab III./KG 51 was reformed as Stab./NSGr.20, 7./KG 51 reformed as 1./NSGr.20, 8./KG 51 reformed as 2./NSGr.20, 9./KG 51 reformed as 3./NSGr.20.
IV. (Erg)/Gruppe
Formed on 30 July 1940. On 24 February 194412./KG51 reformed as 4./NJG 7, and was reformed again as 13./KG2.
On 28 December 1944 IV./KG 51 reformed as IV./EKG1. Stab IV./KG51 reformed as Stab IV./EKG1, while 10./KG51 was reformed as 13./EKG1, 11./KG 51 became 14./EKG1 and 12./KG 51 became 15./EKG1. Uit absorbed into I./KG 51 on 29 December 1944.
Einsatzkommando/KG 51
Formed on 2 June 1944. Absorbed into I/KG 51 on 2 November 1944.
Geschwaderkommodore
- Oberst Dr. Johann-Volkmar Fisser, 1 May 1939 – 26 March 1940
- Oberst Josef KammhuberJosef KammhuberJosef Kammhuber was a Career Officer in the German Air Force, and is best known as the first General of the Night Fighters in the Luftwaffe during World War II...
, 26 March 1940 – 3 June 1940 - Oberst Dr. Johann-Volkmar Fisser, 3 June 1940 – 12 August 1940
- Major Hans Bruno Schulz-Heyn, 12 August 1940 – 1 September 1941
- Oberst Paul Koester, 1 September 1941 – 4 July 1942
- Major Wilhelm von Friedeburg, 4 July 1942 – 1 December 1942
- Oberst Heinrich Conrady, 1 December 1942 – 8 January 1943
- Major Egbert von Frankenberg und Proschlitz, 8 January 1943 – 9 May 1943
- Major Hanns Heise, 9 May 1943 – 25 February 1944
- Oberstleutnant Wolf Dietrich Meister, 25 February 1944 – 5 December 1944
- Major Wolfgang SchenckWolfgang SchenckWolfgang Schenck was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. He was born in Windhoek in German West Africa...
, 5 December 1944 – 1 February 1945 - Oberstleutnant Rudolf Hallensleben, 1 February 1945 – 19 April 1945
- Oberstleutnant Siegfried Barth, 19 April 1945