KG 6

1942

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
30 Sep 1942	I/KG 6	Ju 88A-4	3E+AH	144181	Shot down by Mosquito of 157 Sqdn. 30 miles from the Dutch coast.

In the period Oct/Nov 1942 Stab and I/KG6 were involved in attacks on industrial targets in the South and Midlands of England.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
19 Oct 1942	4./KG6	Ju 88A-4	3E+CM		Engaged by AA guns from ships in Lowestoft Harbour plus shore batteries. Crashed amongst anti-landing obstacles at College farm, Lowestoft, Suffolk at 08.42 am.Lt.Dr. W. Blackert, Fw. M.Smitt, Uffz. A. Böhnemann and Uffz. H. Mollenhauer all killed, aircraft disintegrated.

Between November 6 and 26 no significant Luftwaffe activity was recorded over the UK, however KG6 recorded the following losses:-

Nov 6, 1942 Lost a Ju 88 of 1./KG6 over the UK.

Nov 9, 1942 Lost two Ju 88s over the UK.

Nov 17, 1942 A further Ju 88 of 3./KG6 lost.

But during November parts of Stab, I and II/KG6 came under the control of the “Oberbefehlschaber Sud” for operations during the Allied landings in North Africa and the subsequent retreat to Tunisia etc.

1943

Operated as “Pfadfinders” for Ju88 equiped units against England and also in the Mediterranean area of operations.

Jan 1943

10 Jan 1943 - Luftwaffe Order of Battle recorded the following:-

Unit	Strength	Servicable	Aircraft
Stab/KG6	2	2	Ju 88A-4
I/KG6	29	17	Ju 88A-4

17-18 Jan 1943 - Raid on London, the heaviest since July 1941, approximatelly 40 aircraft made up the first wave with some 60 in the second, following wave.

This level of effort was possible due to some crews, including a number from IV/KG6, making two or more sorties.

III/KG6 also took part, operating from it’s base at Creil, having moved there from the Russian Front.

Additionally, a few crews from II/KG6 were also involved following their return from operations in the Mediterranean.

Targets for the raid were :- King George V Docks; the West India Docks and the railway complex on the Isle of Dogs area.

A Ju 88 of III/KG6 was attacked and damaged near Ashford causing Uffz. Erich Lingrau to bale out - he became a POW. The rest of the crew managed to fly the plane back to France and then abandoned it over St. Just near Paris.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
17-18 Jan 1943	1./KG6	Ju 88A-4	3E+CH	4356	Shot down by a Beaufighter of 29 Sqdn. Crashed at King St. Railway crossing, Breznett, Kent at 20.25. Uffz. K. Sailer, Obergefr. P. Funk, Uffz. J. Fleischmann and Uffz. J. Binder all killed. Photograph of the wreck shows that the swastika on the tail had been crudely overpainted with a black wash.
17-18 Jan 1943	Stab I./KG6	Ju 88A-14	3E+BB	144349	Shot down by a Beaufighter of 29 Sqdn. Came down at Town End recreation Ground, Caterham, Surrey at 05.30am. Oberlt. R. Bernd, Obergefr.M. Schieweck and Gefr. K-H. Prophet killed. Fw. K-H. Schulz baled out and taken prisoner.
17-18 Jan 1943	2./KG6	Ju 88A-14	3E+GK	4347	Shot down by a Beaufighter of 29 Sqdn. Fell at Lovelace Place Farm, Bethersden, Kent at 05.50am. Bergefr.K.Diecke (injured).

March/April 1943

In conjunction with KG2 took part in strikes against the British Isles from bases in northern France and Holland.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
18 Mar 1943	I/KG 6	Ju 88A-14	3E+AK	4322	Shot down into the sea off Harwich by 157 Sqdn. Mosquito.

30 Apr 1943 - The following appeared on the strength returns listing units under the command of Angriffsführer England :-

Unit	Strength	Servicable	Aircraft
Stab/KG6	4	2	Ju 88
I/KG6	32	22	Ju 88
III/KG6	31	23	Ju 88

In addition II/KG6 was listed as not operational - training at Courmeilles-en-Vixen and 15/KG6 was reorganising at Chartres as the nucleus of I/KG66, converting to Do 217 for training in “Pfadfinder” duties.

May 1943

Moved to southern France, together with elements of KG30, KG54, KG76 and KG77, for operations in N.Africa and off the African coast.

June/July 1943

Transferred to Foggia for operations under Luflotte 2 during the allied invasion of Sicily coming under the control of Fernkampfführer Lfl.2.

13/14 Jul 1943 – III./KG 6 took part in attacks on shipping in Avola Bay and also Comiso airfield.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
14 July 1943	III./KG 6	Ju 88A-14	3E+BL	144491	Lost on a combat sortie. Ofw. Marks (F), Uffz Freytag (B), Uffz Hannecker (GF) and Ofw. Gintmann all missing.
14 July 1943	III./KG 6	Ju 88A-14	3E+DP	144682	Lost on a combat sortie in the vicinity of Avola Bay. Oblt. Fiala (F) killed, Fw. Freimuth (B) missing, Uffz Stieger (Bf) killed and Uffz. Zieck (Bs) injured.

Sept 1943

Took part in operations against the allied landings in Sicily, Calabria and Solerno. KG6 also made attacks against the landing fleets on these occasions.

At the end of September KG6 returned to the Channel coast for further operations against the British Isles.

30 Sept 1943 - Luftflotte 3 Order of battle listed KG6 thus:-

Unit	Strength	Servicable	Aircraft
Stab/KG6	18	13	Ju 188
III/KG6	21	19	Ju 188

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
8-9 Oct 1943	Erprob./KG 6	Ju 188E-1	3E+KF	260204	Shot down by 85 Sqdn. Mosquito.
15-16 Oct 1943	I./KG 6	Ju 188E-1	3E+BL	260179	Shot down by Mosquito crashed at Woodbridge.
15-16 Oct 1943	I./KG 6	Ju 188E-1	3E+EH		Flown from Munster/Handorf in company with four aircraft from III./ KG 6. Shot down by Mosquito crashed at Birchington.

1944

Jan- May 1944

From the end of January until May took part in operations controlled by IX Fliegerkorps (Angriffsführer England) against the British Isles. Principle among the raids KG6 was involved in were those against London, Hull, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Bristol. At the beginning of these operations there were 110 aircraft available but this had been reduced to 40 by the end of May 1944.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
20-21 Feb 1944	8./KG 6	u 88A-4	3E+GS		Shot down by Mosquito of 410 Sqdn. at Earls Colne. Aircraft had flown from Maelsbrook to bomb London.
20-21 Feb 1944	2./KG 6	Ju 188	3E+EK		Shot down by Mosquito of 410 Sqdn and fell in flames, at high speed, at Bullers farm, Shopland near Rochford.

1-2 Mar 1944 - Seventy aircraft set out across the English Coast to attack London but only ten reached their target. 9./KG6 lost a Ju 88 which crashed, near Bretigny, soon after take-off.

Units with aircraft committed to this raid are believed to have been KG6, KG54, KG66 and KG100.

14-15 Mar 1944 - I,II & III KG6 took part in a raid upon London led by the pathfinders of I/KG66 from Motididier.

A total of 187 aircraft were despatched of which approximately 140 reached London.

Aircraft from the following units also took part:- I,II & III/KG2; II/KG3; II & III KG30; I & II/KG54 and KG51. Additionally, diversionary sorties were flown by SKG10.

The collecting point was 52 21N / 03 08E, landfall took place at 22.11 between Cromer and Clacton, most aircraft actually crossing the coast between Yarmouth and Southwold at heights of between 14,000 and 24,000 feet before then heading towards London.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
14-15 Mar 1944	8./KG6	Ju 88A-14	3E+LS	141152	Became lost and crashed due to engine failue at Rendles farm, All Cannings, near Devizes, Wilts at 23.30. (This must have been on the homeward leg of its journey.)Uffz. H. Schönleitner killed, Obergefr. H. Baumgart, Obergefr. A. Harnisch and Gefr. G> Grünwald all POW.
14-15 Mar 1944	6./KG6	Ju 88A-14		550509	Shot down by a Beaufighter of 68 Sqdn. Crashed into empty buildings at Woodford Avenue, Gants Hill nr Ilford, Essex at 23.15. Lt. P. Kohn and Uffz. G. Donzyk killed. Uffz. C.Prodehl baled out but seriously injured and subsequently died of thos injuries the next day. Uffz. H-R. Eger POW.

15-21 Mar.44 - Together with a Staffel from II./KG 6, elements of III./KG 6 departed Melsbroek for Vienna-Aspern as part of a hastily assembled standby force for the German occupation of Hungary (Operation "Margarethe I") that began on 19 Mar. Not being needed due to the absence of significant Hungarian opposition, they returned to Melbroek on 21 Mar.

20 Mar 1944 - the Luftflotte 3 Order of Battle listed the following for KG 6:-

Stab - 1 Ju 188 which was serviceable.

I Gruppe - 13 Ju 188 of which 10 were serviceable.

II Gruppe - 22 Ju 88 of which 14 were serviceable.

III Gruppe - 18 Ju 88 of which 13 were serviceable.

21-22 Mar 1944 - Approximately 95 aircraft crossed the English Coast and once again the target was London.

The Luftwaffe had despatched 144 aircraft for this raid of which their records report 123 having bombed their targets, 7 aircraft bombing emrgency targets, 14 aborting and 11 being lost.

The following units were involved :- KG6, KG30, KG51, KG54, and KG66.

Date	Unit	Aircraft Type	Code	Wkr.No.	Notes
21-22 Mar 1944	2./KG6	Ju 188E-1	3E+BK	260326	Aircraft shot dowm by Mosquito of 488 Sqdn. Crashed at Butlers Farm,Shopland, Essex. Lt. G. Lahl, Uffz. J. Fromm. Obergefr. E. Schiml and Uffz. R. Budrat killed. Uffz. E. Kosch baled out injured and then captured.

24-25 Mar 1944 - A major effort was made with 143 aircraft taking part in a raid on London. Other units, apart from KG6, taking part were KG2, KG30, KG54 and it was led inevitably the pfadfinders of KG66

27-28 Mar 1944 - Strike on Bristol - Luftwaffe claimed to have attacked this city with 139 sorties although no bombs struck the town. Aircraft were plotted over the whole of southern England. Units involved were KG2, III./KG6, KG30, KG54 and KG66.

June 1944

At the time of the D-Day landings KG6 was operating from the vicinity of Paris and it was from there that attacks were launched, during the summer nights, against the invasion fleet.

06 Jun 1944 - III./KG 6 was based in Melsbroek (8. and 9.) and Villaroche (10.).

08 Jun 1944 - III./KG 6 flew sorties to the allied landings "westlich der Orne-Mündung", take-off: 2220 hours, second mission: 0245 hours, two losses.

09 Jun 1944 - III./KG 6 flew sorties to the allied landings in the Asneles area, mine laying in the Vire river mouth, take-off: 2235 hours, two losses.

10 Jun 1944 - III./KG 6 flew mine laying sorties in the Vire river mouth, take-off: 2220 hours, one loss.

Oct/Nov 1944

Stab, I,II & III Gruppes all formed the new unit KG(J)6 and moved to airfields around Prague (Rusin, Gbell and Kltschany).

See Also

Erprobungsstaffel d.Lw. 188

References

The Blitz - Then and Now Ramsey After the Battle Publications

To Win the Winter Sky Danny S Parker Greenhill

The Luftwaffe 1939-45 Michael Holm web site

Pfadfinder Ken Wakefield Tempus

Eagle in Flames E.R.Hooton Brockhampton Press

Luftwaffe Codes, Markings and Units 1939-1945 Barry C Rosch Schiffer