Kampfgeschwader 77
Encyclopedia
Kampfgeschwader 77 was a Luftwaffe
bomber wing during World War II.
Its units participated on all of the major fronts
in the European Theatre until its dissolution in 1944. It operated all three of the major German bomber types; the Dornier Do 17
, Heinkel He 111
and the Junkers Ju 88
.
with Stab./KG 77 and I Gruppe. II Gruppe at Praha-Kbely on the same date. The unit was allocated to Luftflotte 4
, and equipped with the Do 17Z, while III./KG 77 was not made operational until 26 August 1939, again in Königgrätz, now Hradec Králové
.
While training in the summer of 1939 the Geschwader "worked up" on the Dornier Do 17Z and He 111.
. The unit participated in the Battle of Bzura, and carried out raids in the areas of Galicia, Radom
, Kielce
and Warsaw
against rail, airfield and troop targets.
but instead spent the spring training and resting in preparation for the decisive western offensive in 1940.
, and it supported the southern offensive, Fall Rot until the French surrender. Its most notable action during the campaign was its part in Operation Paula
, an all-out attack on Paris airfields, 3 June 1940.
. On 27 September I./KG 77 lost six J 88s when raiding London, while II./KG 77 lost another six on the same night.
During 1941 the Geschwader also took part in the Battle of the Atlantic. It attempted to support the German battleship Bismarck
during her Atlantic operation
during 26–28 May 1941. However, the unit was unable to intervene before she sank. The Geschwader did manage to sink the Royal Navy
destroyer on 28 May 1941, as the British forces withdrew to port.
Daylight and night attacks were undertaken over the British Isles again from 27 July - 13 August 1942.
, with a total of 59 Ju 88s.
The Geschwader supported Army Group North
s drive into the Baltic states
and took part in the Siege of Leningrad
. During this period I./KG 77 helped defeat a strong Soviet counter-attack by the 11th Army and 34th Army. KG 77 also supported Operation Beowulf, the invasion of the Baltic islands of Osel, Moon and Dago.
during the battle for Estonia
inflicted severe losses on Soviet shipping, with the same dive-bombing tactics used over Norway, France and Britain. KGr 806 sank the Soviet destroyer Karl Marx
on 8 August 1941 in Loksa Bay, Tallinn
. On 28 August the Ju 88s had more success when KG 77 and KGr 806 sank the 2,026 grt steamer Vironia, the 2,317 grt Lucerne, the 1,423 Artis Kronvalds and the ice breaker Krisjanis Valdemars (2,250 grt). The rest of the Soviet "fleet", were forced to change course. This took them through a heavily mined area. As a result, 21 Soviet warships, including five destroyers, struck mines and sank. On 29 August, the Ju 88s accounted for the transport ships Vtoraya Pyatiletka (3,974 grt), Kalpaks (2,190 grt) and Leningradsovet (1,270 grt) sunk. Furthermore, the ships Ivan Papanin, Saule, Kazakhstan and the Serp i Molot were damaged. Some 5,000 Soviet soldiers were lost.
KG 77 was largely withdrawn from Russia, although I./KG 77 continued to operate on the Eastern Front until July 1942, supporting German forces at the Operation Seydlitz
and the Second Battle of Kharkov
.
I./KG 77 was reformed as I./KG 6 on 31 August 1942, after the unit ceased operations over Great Britain. However I./KG 77 was reformed again on 10 September 1942. The Kampfgeschwader carried out operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa until June 1943, taking part in the Siege of Malta and the Second Battle of El Alamein
.
The unit also resisted the Allied invasion of Sicily
, probably destroying the U.S. Liberty ship
on 11 July. KG 77 made constant night attacks against Allied Naval forces from 10 July - 25 August 1943.
After retraining naval attack methods, the unit could now operate with effective torpedo methods. I./KG 77 operated from Salon in southern France from March - July 1944, attacking American convoys of the coast of Algeria
.
, KG 77 supported the German Army, although at night to avoid overwhelming Allied air superiority forces, until 1 September 1944, when it was no longer mentioned on Luftflotte 3s order of battle.
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bomber wing during World War II.
Its units participated on all of the major fronts
Front (military)
A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces. This can be a local or tactical front, or it can range to a theater...
in the European Theatre until its dissolution in 1944. It operated all three of the major German bomber types; 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 the 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...
.
History
Kampfgeschwader 77 was formed on 1 May 1939 at Praha-Kbely in CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
with Stab./KG 77 and I Gruppe. II Gruppe at Praha-Kbely on the same date. The unit was allocated to 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...
, and equipped with the Do 17Z, while III./KG 77 was not made operational until 26 August 1939, again in Königgrätz, now Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. The city's economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, and electronics manufacture. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being PETROF pianos...
.
While training in the summer of 1939 the Geschwader "worked up" on the Dornier Do 17Z and He 111.
Polish Campaign
During the Polish campaign I. and III. Gruppes of KG 77 took part in combat operations. Operating from Breslau-Schöngarten (today Copernicus Airport Wrocław), I./KG 77 committed 108 bombers to the campaign. Operating from Breslau under Luftflotte 4Luftflotte 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...
. The unit participated in the Battle of Bzura, and carried out raids in the areas of Galicia, Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
, Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
and Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
against rail, airfield and troop targets.
Denmark and Norway
The unit did not participate in Operation WeserübungOperation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
but instead spent the spring training and resting in preparation for the decisive western offensive in 1940.
France and the Low Countries
The Unit committed 111 bombers to the campaign. From its base at Werl it operated over Belgium and northern France, attacking French armour targets in the Reims and Amiens area. KG 77 supported the German Army during the Battle of DunkirkBattle 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 it supported the southern offensive, Fall Rot until the French surrender. Its most notable action during the campaign was its part in Operation Paula
Operation Paula
Unternehmen Paula is the German codename given for the Second World War Luftwaffe offensive operation to destroy the remaining units of the Armée de l'Air , or French Air Force during the Battle of France in 1940. On 10 May the German armed forces began its invasion of Western Europe...
, an all-out attack on Paris airfields, 3 June 1940.
Over Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic 1940-1941
In mid-July 1940 all three gruppen returned to Germany to convert to the Junkers Ju 88. When III./KG 77 returned to France in late August (it was still based at Regensburg on 26 August) it had 35 Ju 88s operational. This gruppe suffered losses of 9 Ju 88s on a single mission against Gravesend on 18 September, one of the highest losses of any gruppe in a single mission. I./KG 77 in conjunction with II. and III. gruppe supported operations during the BlitzThe 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...
. On 27 September I./KG 77 lost six J 88s when raiding London, while II./KG 77 lost another six on the same night.
During 1941 the Geschwader also took part in the Battle of the Atlantic. It attempted to support the German battleship Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
during her Atlantic operation
Operation Rheinübung
Operation Rheinübung was the sortie into the Atlantic by the new German battleship Bismarck and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen on 18–27 May 1941, during World War II...
during 26–28 May 1941. However, the unit was unable to intervene before she sank. The Geschwader did manage to sink the 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...
destroyer on 28 May 1941, as the British forces withdrew to port.
Daylight and night attacks were undertaken over the British Isles again from 27 July - 13 August 1942.
Soviet Union
Only I and III./KG 77 were the only units that were committed to Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, with a total of 59 Ju 88s.
The Geschwader supported Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
s drive into the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
and took part in the Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
. During this period I./KG 77 helped defeat a strong Soviet counter-attack by the 11th Army and 34th Army. KG 77 also supported Operation Beowulf, the invasion of the Baltic islands of Osel, Moon and Dago.
during the battle for Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
inflicted severe losses on Soviet shipping, with the same dive-bombing tactics used over Norway, France and Britain. KGr 806 sank the Soviet destroyer Karl Marx
Izijaslav class destroyer
The Izyaslav-class were a group of destroyers built for the Baltic Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy. They were modified versions of the Orfey-class destroyer built in Russia with the assistance of the French Company Augustin Normand...
on 8 August 1941 in Loksa Bay, Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. On 28 August the Ju 88s had more success when KG 77 and KGr 806 sank the 2,026 grt steamer Vironia, the 2,317 grt Lucerne, the 1,423 Artis Kronvalds and the ice breaker Krisjanis Valdemars (2,250 grt). The rest of the Soviet "fleet", were forced to change course. This took them through a heavily mined area. As a result, 21 Soviet warships, including five destroyers, struck mines and sank. On 29 August, the Ju 88s accounted for the transport ships Vtoraya Pyatiletka (3,974 grt), Kalpaks (2,190 grt) and Leningradsovet (1,270 grt) sunk. Furthermore, the ships Ivan Papanin, Saule, Kazakhstan and the Serp i Molot were damaged. Some 5,000 Soviet soldiers were lost.
KG 77 was largely withdrawn from Russia, although I./KG 77 continued to operate on the Eastern Front until July 1942, supporting German forces at the Operation Seydlitz
Battles of Rzhev
Rzhev Battles is a general term for a series of World War II offensives launched during January 8, 1942—March 31, 1943 by the Soviet Red Army in the general directions of Rzhev, Sychevka and Vyazma against a German salient in the vicinity of Moscow, known as the "Rzhev meat grinder" for...
and the 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...
.
Mediterranean and North Africa
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
.
The unit also resisted the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
, probably destroying the U.S. Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
on 11 July. KG 77 made constant night attacks against Allied Naval forces from 10 July - 25 August 1943.
After retraining naval attack methods, the unit could now operate with effective torpedo methods. I./KG 77 operated from Salon in southern France from March - July 1944, attacking American convoys of the coast of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
Western Front 1943-1944
KG 77's primary responsibility was anti-shipping in the English Channel. Committed under the command of Luftflotte 3Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 3 in Munich and redesignated Luftwaffenkommando West on September 26, 1944...
, KG 77 supported the German Army, although at night to avoid overwhelming Allied air superiority forces, until 1 September 1944, when it was no longer mentioned on Luftflotte 3s order of battle.
Geschwaderkommodore
- Oberst Heinrich Seywald 1 May 1939 - 13 September 1939 (possibly acting CO)
- Oberst Wolff von StutterheimWolff von StutterheimWolff von Stutterheim was a German Generalmajor. He came from an old military family which produced several generals and seven Knights of the order Pour le Mérite...
14 September 1939 - 20 March 1940 - Oberst Dr. Johan-Volkmar Fisser 21 March 1940 - 31 May 1940 (possibly acting CO)
- Major-General Wolff von StutterheimWolff von StutterheimWolff von Stutterheim was a German Generalmajor. He came from an old military family which produced several generals and seven Knights of the order Pour le Mérite...
(promoted) 31 May 1940 - 15 June 1940 (Wounded in action, died 3 December 1940) - Major-General Heinz-Hellmuth von Wühlisch 21 June 1940 - 1 August 1940
- Oberstlt Johann RaithelJohann RaithelDipl.-Ing. Johann RaithelIn German an engineer's degree is called Diplom-Ingenieur was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
1 August 1940 - 13 March 1942 - Major Arved CrügerArved CrügerArved Crüger was a Luftwaffe wing commander during World War II and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipient. He married the German movie actress Carola Höhn in 1941. He was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 77 in 1942...
13 March 1942 - 22 March 1942 - Major Wilhelm Stremmler 12/15 February 1943 - 20 July 1944