KG 54

''Kampfgeschwader'' 54 "Totenkopf" (, KG 54) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. It served on nearly all the fronts in the European Theatre where the German Luftwaffe operated.

KG 54 was formed in May 1939. The bomber wing was equipped with two of the major German medium bomber types; the Heinkel He 111 and the Junkers Ju 88. It was given the insignia of a human skull and crossbones, with the bones significantly crossed behind the skull. This insignia for the entire bomber wing was sometimes displayed on a shield-like device, but more often depicted over a normal camouflage pattern. It bore a strikingly close graphic resemblance to that of the 3rd SS Panzer Division, known as the "Death's Head Division". The ''Totenkopf'' motif was inspired by the Braunschweiger Black Hussars.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2007, p. 177.

KG 54 began its first campaign in September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland, which began World War II. It spent the Phoney War resting and refitting though it did carry out leaflet-dropping over France. In April 1940, briefly supported the Operation Weserübung, the invasions of Denmark and Norway. In May 1940, played a critical and controversial role in Fall Gelb, the German offensive into Western Europe. On 14 May 1940, as the Battle of the Netherlands reached a climax, KG 54 carried out the Rotterdam Blitz, which destroyed the centre of the city and killed many civilians. The attack played a role in the surrender of the Dutch Army. KG 54 continued to support German forces in the Battle of Belgium and Battle of France through to the surrender of the latter in June 1940.

From July 1940 it fought in the Battle of Britain sustaining considerable losses and thereafter in The Blitz. also provided tertiary support to the Kriegsmarine, German Navy, the Battle of the Atlantic. From June 1941 to October 1942 it fought on the Eastern Front after Operation Barbarossa and the invasion of the Soviet Union. In 1943 it served in the Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres of war. fought on the Italian Front and participated in Operation Steinbock over England. It supported German forces in the night intruder role over the beachheads in June 1944 and served on the Western Front until October 1944, when the last of its bomber groups was disbanded. Some were converted into fighter groups, and continued to operate into 1945.

KG 54's attack on Rotterdam in May 1940 has occasioned accusations of war crimes but no criminal charges were ever filed against the wing's officers or any senior officer commander at corps or air fleet level. The bombing was discussed at the Nuremberg trials in relation to the conduct of senior Luftwaffe commanders, particularly Hermann Göring, commander in chief of the Luftwaffe and Albert Kesselring, commander of Luftflotte 2, to which KG 54 was attached.Air Power History, Volumes 44-45, p. 71. The decision to bomb the city remains controversial. The Dutch decision not to declare Rotterdam an open city played a part in the attack. Although KG 54 was used as an offensive tool supporting a war of aggression, the city was a combat zone and the bombing did not violate the then valid Hague Convention on Land Warfare, 1907.Boog, Krebs, Vogel 2006, p. 362.

History

''Kampfgeschwader'' 54 was formed on 1 May 1939 at Fritzlar by reforming ''Stab''./KG 254. The new ''Geschwader'' (wing) was placed under the command of Luftflotte 3. ''Oberst'' Walter Lackner became KG 54's first ''Geschwaderkommodore''. The medium bomber unit was allotted the Heinkel He 111. I ''Gruppe'' was created the same day at Fritzlar with the He 111P. The late creation of KG 54 necessitated intensive training in the spring and summer 1939. I./KG 54 was placed under the command of ''Gruppenkommandeur'' ''Major'' Otto Höhne. The ''Gruppe'' undertook long-range flights at high altitudes for crews to gain experience. Flights were made to Seville, Spain and Tripoli in Libya.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2007, p. 178.

II ''Gruppe'' was not formed until 15 December 1939 near Hoya, southeast of Bremen after the war had started. The group was formed from II./KG 28 and was handed the former's He 111Ps. It transferred from Hoya to Oldenburg for training in January 1940. It may have some contribution, or transfer of personnel to III./KG 54 prior to 1 February. The ''Gruppe'' was training under Luftflotte 2 during the winter and relocated to Celle in March 1940.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2007, p. 183.

III ''Gruppe'' was formed on 1 February 1940 at Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The He 111P was used to equip the group and received aircraft and crews from I. and II./KG 54 as well and crews from training programs. By mid-March the ''Gruppe'' was fully formed and was training at Celle from 18 to 31 March 1940, as Bissel 1–7 April, at Vechta from 8 April–16 May 1940. Part of the operational training exercise was to fly airborne leaflet propaganda over northeastern France. ''Major'' Adolf Häring was the group's first commanding officer.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2007, p. 188.

Wartime service

Poland, Denmark, Norway and the Phoney War

On 1 September 1939, Fall Weiss, the invasion of Poland, beginning the war in Europe. I./KG 54 was based at Fritzlar with 30 operational aircraft from 33. It was placed under the command of the 3rd ''Fliegerdivision'', subordinated to ''Luftflotte'' 2. Only 2 ''Staffel'' participated in the invasion. ''Stab''./KG 54 had eight of nine bombers operational but took no active role either. 2 ''staffel'' was moved to Seerappen, East Prussia on 8 September and to Königsberg sometime in September. It supported Army Group North, the advance to Warsaw (8–20 September), and the participated in the attacks on the city.

On 10 September 1939 it was engaged in attacks on troop concentrations north of Praha, and bombed Polish Army forces east of Brześć Litewski on 15 September as the Battle of Brześć Litewski raged. The rest of the unit did not participate during the campaign. I./KG 54 was withdrawn on 20 September and put on standby in western Germany, in case of Western Allied attacks, which aside from a token advance into German territory, did not materialise. Poland capitulated in the first week of October 1939.

II./KG 54 had been sitting idle since formation. It transferred to Celle and was put under the command of X. ''Fliegerkorps'', which was in turn, subordinated to ''Luftflotte'' 2. The ''Gruppe'' began Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Denmark and Norway, on the eleventh day. On 20 April 1940 it was hastily redeployed to Aalborg in northern Denmark. From here it flew armed reconnaissance in the battle for Namsos and Steinkjer. In Namsos fjord it attack to warships. The Royal New Zealand Navy sloop ''Auckland'', the Royal Navy destroyer ''Nubian'' and cruiser ''Birmingham'' and ''Calcutta'', plus the French Navy destroyers ''Bison'' and ''Foudroyant'' with the troopship ''Ville D'Alger'', were present in the harbour this day. The following day, bombed the Trondheim to Steinkjer rail line. On 23 April II./KG 54 persisted with targeting rail links at Dombås-Åndalsnes-Vaalebru. From 25 April–1 May 1940 it flew armed reconnaissance against rail communications in Central Norway. Åndalsnes was subjected to two attacks on 27 and 28 April. The ''Gruppe'' also attacked Dombås railway station on 26 May, and retreating British forces at Namos on 1 May. II./KG 54 returned to Germany on 2 May 1940.

I. and III./KG 54 spent the spring in training as the Phoney War continued. was sent to Albert Kesselring's ''Luftflotte'' 2 as reinforcement for Fall Gelb, the German western offensive. Kesselring was given KG 54 with LG 1 to act as support to Army Group B. Stab./KG 54 was based at Quakenbrück on 15 February 1940. It was here the ''Totenkopf'' of the Braunschweiger Black Hussars was chosen for the ''Geschwader'' motif.

By May 1940, could muster three ''Gruppen'' and a stab unit. Stab./KG 54 had on strength six He 111Ps, with four operational, and a single He 111D, not operational at Quakenbrück. It was subordinated to Albert Kesselring and ''Luftflotte'' 2. I./KG 54 was based at Quakenbrück also. The ''Gruppe'' fielded 36 (33 operational) He 111Ps. II./KG 54 had 29 bombers with all but three operational at Varrelbusch. III./KG 54 was stationed at Cologne and Ostheim. It was given 35 bombers for the offensive and 27 were combat ready on A-Day, 10 May 1940.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2007, pp. 178, 183, 188.

France and the Low Countries

Operation Fall Gelb began on 9 May 1940, with preliminary minelaying operations beginning before midnight. was committed to the invasion of Belgium, in support of the German 6th Army. The immediate goal was to suppress enemy air power. I./KG 54 bombed the ''Aéronautique Militaire Belge'' (Belgian Air Force – AéMI) air base at Antwerp-Deurne. A second operation was carried out and elements of it bombed ships in the Scheldt Estuary. II./KG 54 attacked Marck airfield and Calais harbour, the first operation carried out by KG 54 in the Battle of France. III./KG 54 carried out strikes against airfields at Courtrai, Belgium and Saint-Omer-en-Chaussée, France. III./KG 54 was intercepted by Royal Air Force (RAF) 607 Squadron which claimed three He 111s destroyed and another damaged over Roeselare—German losses are unknown in this battle. In the afternoon III./KG 54 bombed rail targets in the Ghent–Antwerp–Brussels area. The bombers were intercepted near Lille by 3, 85 and 607 Squadrons. 8 ''Staffel'' was suffered heavily, losing six He 111s. ''Staffelkapitän'' Fritz Stadelmayr was lost; two of his crew were killed, one was captured by the Belgians and two by the British.

This effort was part of an effort to achieve air superiority on the first day. On 10 May 47 French, 15 Belgian and 10 Dutch airfields were attacked. Despite claiming between 579 and 829 aircraft destroyed, only 210 were in fact eliminated. Most of this number were destroyed in the Low Countries by Kesselring's command. Hugo Sperrle, commanding ''Luftflotte'' 3, claimed 240 to 490 which was grossly inaccurate.

III./KG 54 carried out interdiction operations along the Belgian and Dutch border on 11 May. II./KG 54 spent the 11–13 May attacking rail targets in the Ghent–Antwerp–Brussels area and bridges along the Franco and Belgian border. On 12 May it bombed the airfield at Het Zoute north of Brussels. I./KG 54 repeated operations along the Dutch and Belgian border on 11 May, rail targets in the Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp area on 12 May, and rail targets on the French and Belgian border on 13 May. The stab unit was also involved in bombing Belgian Army columns near Ghent and Bruges and ships near the coast on 10 May. It is known to have operated near Zandhoven on 11 May. III./KG 54 bombed Allied armour at Andenne and Hasselt on 13 May. The Stab./KG 54 suffered a rare loss when one of its number was shot down by 3 Squadron's Frank Reginald Carey. KG 54 were also instrumental in driving the French 7th Army from the Moerdijk bridgeheads.

On 14 May 1940, the Dutch Army, deprived or air cover, was still holding out. The Battle for The Hague had ended in a reverse for the Luftwaffe ''Fallschirmjäger'', commanded by Kurt Student. The Battle of Rotterdam was also still ongoing. A furious Hitler ordered Dutch resistance to be broken immediately. Hermann Göring, who had factored the Netherlands into Fall Gelb because it offered airbases useful in a war against Great Britain, instructed Kesselring to bomb the city. Rudolf Schmidt's XXXIX Corps were prepared to storm Rotterdam the next morning.Hooton 1994, p. 249.

Surrender negotiations had already begun and Student radioed ''General der Flieger'' Richard Putzier to cancel the attack. When the message reached KG 54's command post, the ''Geschwaderkommodore'' Walter Lackner, was already approaching Rotterdam and his aircraft had reeled in their long-range aerials. Haze and smoke obscured the target; to ensure that Dutch defences were hit Lackner brought his formation down to 2,300 ft (700 m). The first group unloaded their bombs on the centre of Altstadt where it was thought Dutch artillery was concentrated. The larger formation came from the north-east, out of position to spot red flares launched from the south side of the city, and proceeded with their attack. Two ''Gruppen'', II. and III., with 54 He 111s dropped low to release 97 tonnes (213,848 lb) of bombs, mostly in the heart of the city.

Only Otto Höhne's I./KG 54 aborted the attack with his group.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2007, p. 182. Höhne made wide detour to attack from the southwest. As the bombardier prepared to release the bombs, Höhne spotted a red flare near the Maas Island, and u-turned with his formation with their bombs still aboard. The city centre was destroyed. Bombs struck vegetable oil storage tanks causing uncontrollable fires. Some 800 Dutch civilians were killed and 78,000 made homeless. Another source gives a figure of 814 deaths. In the immediate aftermath, Rotterdam surrendered. Faced with air-dropped leaflets threatening the destruction of Utrecht, the Dutch surrendered on 15 May.

I./KG 54 targeted rail junctions, bridges, troops in western Belgium and carried out these operations on 16 May near Brussels. II./KG 54 moved to Gütersloh on 17 May and began more interdiction of rail and road traffic west and south of Brussels. III./KG 54 concentrated on bridges in Belgium on 15 and 16 May. I./KG 54 extended its area of operations into France on 17 May when it bombed the train station at Valenciennes, and troop concentrations near Cambrai, attacking the city before transferring to Werl the same day. On 18 May I./KG 54 bombed Arras, Calais and Dunkirk