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''Kampfgeschwader'' 100 (KG 100) was a ''
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' medium and heavy bomber
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the first military aviation unit to use a
precision-guided munition A precision-guided munition (PGM, smart weapon, smart munition, smart bomb) is a guided munition intended to precisely hit a specific target, to minimize collateral damage and increase lethality against intended targets. During the First Gul ...
(the
Fritz X Fritz X was the most common name for a German guided anti-ship glide bomb used during World War II. ''Fritz X'' was the world's first precision guided weapon deployed in combat and the first to sink a ship in combat. ''Fritz X'' was a nickname us ...
anti-ship
glide bomb A glide bomb or stand-off bomb is a standoff weapon with flight control surfaces to give it a flatter, gliding flight path than that of a conventional bomb without such surfaces. This allows it to be released at a distance from the target rat ...
) in combat to sink a warship (the Italian battleship ''Roma'') on 9 September 1943.


History

KG 100 was created from ''
Kampfgruppe 100 ''Kampfgruppe'' 100 (KGr 100) was a specialist unit of the Luftwaffe during the early stages of World War II. It is best known as the first unit to use the "pathfinder" concept, with its aircraft being equipped with the latest radio navigation ai ...
'', a specialist pathfinder unit formed on 26 August 1938 as ''Luftnachrichten Abteilung'' 100 at Köthen. On 18 November 1939 it was renamed K.Gr. 100.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, p. 265. It was the first unit to use Y-''Verfahren'' (Y-Control) navigation aids. It spent the inter-war years training on high-altitude flights to
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
, the Eastern Mediterranean and northern
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. K.Gr. 100 participated in all of the continental campaigns from 1939 to 1941, in
medium bomber A medium bomber is a military bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized Aerial bomb, bombloads over medium Range (aeronautics), range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombe ...
and
maritime interdiction Maritime Interception (or naval interdiction) operations (MIOs) are naval operations, that aim to delay, disrupt, or destroy enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area before they do any harm against friendly forces, similar to air interd ...
operations. Stab./KG 100 was formed on 29 November 1941 at Châtres,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and placed under the command of ''
Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...
'' Heinz-Ludwig von Holleben. The formation process was slow and not complete until April 1942. The Stab. unit did not possess more than one aircraft at a time.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, p. 274. I./KG 100 was formed on 15 December 1941 at Märkisch-Friedland, equipped with the
Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing". Due to restrictions placed on Germany after th ...
H-6. I ''Gruppe'' was transferred to
Focșani Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315. Geography Focșani lies at the foot of the Curv ...
, in
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
with 28 bombers under the command of ''
Luftflotte 4 ''Luftflotte'' 4For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 4) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on March 18, 1939, from Luftwaffenkomm ...
'' on 12 January 1942. Major Helmut Küster was the group's first ''
Gruppenkommandeur ''Gruppenkommandeur'' is a Luftwaffe position (not rank), that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. A ''Gruppenkommandeur'' usually has the rank of Major or ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel), and commands ...
''. II./KG 100 was formed at Seshchinskaya near
Roslavl Roslavl (russian: Ро́славль, ) is a town and the administrative center of Roslavlsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is a road and rail junction and a market town. Population: Climate Roslavl has a warm-summer humid continenta ...
by renaming III./
KG 26 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 26 (KG 26) "Löwengeschwader" (in English ''Bomber Wing (military aviation unit), Wing 26'' aka ''"Lions' Wing"'' by virtue of its insignia) was a German air force Luftwaffe bomber wing unit during World War II. Its units part ...
. ''Major'' Horst Röbling took command at its founding on 15 December. III./KG 100 was formed at
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
- Kalamaki and Athens-
Eleusis Elefsina ( el, Ελευσίνα ''Elefsina''), or Eleusis (; Ancient Greek: ''Eleusis'') is a suburban city and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in the West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is situated about northwest ...
on 20 September 1942 under the command of Major Hans Schulz.


World War II


Crimea, Black Sea, Northern Caucasus

I./KG 100 was dispatched to the
Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
and operated exclusively on the front of
Army Group South Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group Sou ...
of the Eastern Front until March 1943. On 26 December 1941, the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
landed at
Kerch Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...
and on 30 December executed another amphibious landing near
Feodosiya uk, Феодосія, Теодосія crh, Kefe , official_name = () , settlement_type= , image_skyline = THEODOSIA 01.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption = Genoese fortress of Caffa , image_shield = Fe ...
with the 44th and 51st Armies. The operation was to drive to
Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
and relieve the garrison, encircled by the German 11th Army. The ensuing
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula The Battle of the Kerch Peninsula, which commenced with the Soviet Kerch-Feodosia Landing Operation (russian: Керченско-Феодосийская десантная операция, ''Kerchensko-Feodosiyskaya desantnaya operatsiya'') ...
lasted until May 1942. I./KG 100 flew its first mission from Romanian soil on 16 January 1942. It relocated to the Crimea, at Saki on 30 January, after a brief stay at
Kirovograd Kirovograd (russian: Кировогра́д) or Kirovohrad ( uk, Кіровогра́д) may refer to: *Kropyvnytskyi, a city in Ukraine formerly named Kirovohrad **Kirovohrad Oblast, of which Kropyvnytskyi is the administrative center *Ganja, Azerb ...
in
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, and began operations over the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
and
Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov ( Crimean Tatar: ''Azaq deñizi''; russian: Азовское море, Azovskoye more; uk, Азовське море, Azovs'ke more) is a sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, ...
. It was placed under the command of Wolfgang von Wild's ''Fliegerfuhrer Ostsee'' (Flying Command Eastern Sea) which was responsible for all anti-shipping operations. KG 100 was expected to assist in the destruction of the powerful
Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...
supplying the Soviet beachheads.Bergström 2007b, p. 27. The group was in no condition for sustained operations. The chronic shortage of aircraft on the front lines left only eight He 111s serviceable. The crews were trained only in
minelaying A minelayer is any warship, submarine or military aircraft deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for installing controll ...
and not anti-shipping operations. On the group's first operation it lost a bomber to a Soviet fighter attack over the
Kerch Strait The Kerch Strait, uk, Керченська протока, crh, Keriç boğazı, ady, Хы ТӀуалэ is a strait in Eastern Europe. It connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea in the west from ...
: the
Red Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
(VVS) was active over the sea-lanes. The exploits of one particular pilot—''
Staffelkapitän ''Staffelkapitän'' is a position (not a rank) in flying units ( ''Staffel'') of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a ''Staffelkapitän'' is of ''Oberstleutnant'' or ''Major'' rank. In the '' ...
'' of 8 ''Staffel''
Hansgeorg Bätcher Hansgeorg Bätcher (13 January 1914 – 23 April 2003) was a highly decorated pilot in the Luftwaffe and with more than 658 combat missions the leading bomber ace during World War II. He was a recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross wi ...
—prevented KG 100's presence from passing without note. Commander of ''Luftflotte'' 4 demanded all supply ships be destroyed. When a 7,500–ton ship was spotted bringing in fuel,
Alexander Löhr Alexander Löhr (20 May 1885 – 26 February 1947) was an Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the annexation of Austria, he was a Luftwaffe commander. Löhr served in the Luftwaffe during World War II, rising to commander of ...
ordered its destruction. Bätcher attempted an attack but was driven off by heavy
anti-aircraft artillery Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
. Flying out-to-sea, he returned, throttled back the engines in order not to alert the Soviets by their sound, and made an attack, releasing his bombs without the use of his
bomb aimer A bombardier or bomb aimer is the crew member of a bomber aircraft responsible for the targeting of aerial bombs. "Bomb aimer" was the preferred term in the military forces of the Commonwealth, while "bombardier" (from the French word for "bom ...
. A SC500 bomb struck amidships and destroyed the tanker without experiencing return fire. The ship was likely ''Emba'', destroyed at Kamysh-Burun, seven miles south of Kerch. An exact date and place of the mission is not known as the pages of Bätcher's logbook are missing. KG 100 accomplished little else because of adverse weather conditions. The torpedo-equipped
KG 26 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 26 (KG 26) "Löwengeschwader" (in English ''Bomber Wing (military aviation unit), Wing 26'' aka ''"Lions' Wing"'' by virtue of its insignia) was a German air force Luftwaffe bomber wing unit during World War II. Its units part ...
was brought in to increase German air power. The Black Sea Fleet transported 100,000 men and hundreds of artillery pieces to Kerch between 20 January and 11 February. At Sevastopol, of fuel, of supplies were sent to the port. On 13 February, the cruiser ''Komintern'' and destroyer ''Shaumyan'' brought in 1,034 soldiers and 200 tons of supplies. The cruiser ''Krasny Krym'' and destroyer ''Dzerzhinskiy'' brought in a further 1,075 men on 14 February. The next day, the minesweeper ''T410'' brought in 650 and evacuated 152. On 17 February, the transport ''Belostok'' brought in 871 men. The Black Sea Fleet regularly shelled German positions on the coast. The ''Luftwaffe'' increased its pressure, dispatching
KG 27 'Kampfgeschwader' 27 ''Boelcke'' was a Luftwaffe medium bomber wing of World War II. Formed in May 1939, KG 27 first saw action in the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. During the Phoney War—September 1939 – April 1940—the ...
,
KG 55 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 55 "Greif" (KG 55 or Battle Wing 55) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. was one of the longest serving and well-known in the Luftwaffe. The wing operated the Heinkel He 111 exclusively until 1943, when only ...
, and KG 100 to bomb the ports at
Anapa Anapa (russian: Ана́па, ) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. Population: History The area around Anapa was settled in antiquity. It was originally a major seaport (Sin ...
,
Tuapse Tuapse (russian: Туапсе́; ady, Тӏуапсэ ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik and north of Sochi. Population: Tuapse i ...
, and
Novorossiysk Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
on the Caucasian Black Sea coast. On 20 February, the transport ''Kommunist'' was sunk by Bätcher. I./KG 100 lost one bomber and 16 damaged in air raids on Saki on 19 February. It bombed Sevastopol on 3 March and carried out mining and ship attacks off the city, and Kerch, throughout March.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, p. 268. In February and March 1942 the German air units began to take a heavy toll on Soviet shipping. Soviet fighter resistance claimed one bomber from I./KG 100 on 16 and 17 March despite protection by III./
JG 77 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77) ''Herz As'' ("Ace of Hearts") was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediter ...
on both missions. The first loss was attributed to the 27 IAP regiment from the VVS
Crimean Front The Crimean Front ( uk, Кри́мський фронт, Krýms’kyj front) was one of the Red Army fronts of World War II, which existed from January-May 1942. Composition It was commanded throughout its existence by Dmitr Timofeyevich Ko ...
. KG 100 moved to VIII. ''Fliegerkorps'' commanded by
Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen Wolfram Karl Ludwig Moritz Hermann Freiherr von Richthofen (10 October 1895 – 12 July 1945) was a German World War I flying ace who rose to the rank of ''Generalfeldmarschall'' in the Luftwaffe during World War II. Born in 1895 into a fa ...
from 7 June to 2 July. The group took part in huge bombing operations over Sevastopol, which began on 2 June, five days before
Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German Field Marshal of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes and ...
, commanding 11th Army, began the offensive against the city. With StG 77 and KG 76, the group dropped 570 tons of bombs and 500
SC50 bomb SC-5, SC5, SC 5 or variants, may refer to: * ''SC05'', an FIPS 10-4 region code * ''SC-05'', a subdivision code for Anse Royale, Seychelles, see ISO 3166-2:SC * South Carolina's 5th congressional district * South Carolina Highway 5 * USS ''Cutt ...
s. The attack units of ''Luftflotte'' 4 dropped 2,264 tons of bombs and 23,800
incendiary bomb Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...
s in 3,069 sorties. Some individual crews flew up to 18 missions on this day. Eight days into the air offensive, ''
Leutnant () is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German (language), German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") fro ...
'' Herbert Klein scored a direct hit on the 4,727-ton ''Abkhaziya'' which exploded and sank. The rest of the group sank the destroyer ''Svobodnyy''. On 26 June the supply ship ''Tashkent'' evaded I./KG 100's attacks but the escorting destroyer ''Bezuprechnyy'' was sunk by ''StG'' 77. StG 77 and KG 100 proceeded to chase ''Tashkent'' for four hours. Commander Vasiliy Yeroshenko rushed around the bridge observing the dive-bomber attacks and calling out orders for evasive action. After 335 bombs had been dropped, the ship was damaged but escaped with 2,100 wounded soldiers on board. In the following days, KG 100 returned to the port and crews reported mass destruction of entire streets with the use of heavy bombs. On 1 July I./KG 100, with StG 77 and I./KG 76 bombed ports at Anapa, Tuapse, and Novorossiysk. For one loss they sank the
destroyer leader Destroyer leader (DL) was the United States Navy designation for large destroyers from 9 February 1951 through the early years of the Cold War. United States ships with hull classification symbol DL were officially frigates from 1 January 1955Blac ...
, the destroyer and the transports ''Ukrania'', ''Proletariy'' and ''Elbrus''. The salvage vessel ''Chernomor'', schooner ''Dnestr'', a patrol and two torpedo boats were also destroyed. The minelayer ''Komintern'', the destroyers and , the patrol vessels ''Shkval'' and ''Shtom'', a gunboat, one torpedo boat and two other transports were also damaged. Bätcher flew his 300th sortie on 2 July against the remaining pockets of Soviet resistance in Sevastopol. KG 100 dropped about 2000 tons of bombs in 1,339
sortie A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warfare. ...
s in support of the Sevastopol siege during June 1942.


Stalingrad, Caspian Sea, central and southern sectors

After the fall of the port city, KG 100 continued Black Sea operations. With II./KG 26 it damaged ''Bodny'' in
Poti Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
harbour. The guard ship ''Shtorm'' was severely damaged also. The attack cost them two He 111s and another four destroyed; three were damaged in July in continuous attacks.Hayward 1998, p. 154. At the beginning of August, I./KG 100 had developed into an experienced anti-shipping group. Richthofen, who had lost I./KG 100 to ''Fliegerfuhrer Ostsee'' after 2 July, requested the group to rejoin ''Fliegerkorps'' VIII near
Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
. The group was ordered to attack shipping along the
Volga River The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...
and the group did do, north and south of the city as a prelude to the
Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...
. KG 100 dropped magnetic mines and
high explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
bombs. Fifteen percent of the mines detonated upon contact with the water. II./KG 26 crews released 31 mines on 27 July. The group had minor successes—they damaged two large transport barges under tow, sank a floating crane and two other barges. On 4 August they gave up mining but dropped 28 on this final day. The Volga was too shallow, and bombs were preferred in any case. KG 100 supported the slow push into Stalingrad. On 23 August 1942 it was involved the enormous air bombardment of the city over the course of three days. On 8 September 1942 the group ran into
Yakovlev Yak-1 The Yakovlev Yak-1 (russian: Яковлев Як-1) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. The Yak-1 was a single-seat monoplane with a composite structure and wooden wings; production began in early 1940.Angelucci and Matricardi 1978 ...
s from the 520 IAP on a transfer flight as the bombers approached their target at Kamyshin. Adolf Büsge's crew were subjected to a ''taran'' attack by Boris Gomolko. Three bombers were reported lost. For the duration of September, the group participated in daily bombing operations over the city. By the 20th it had 20 of 27 bombers combat ready. On 6 October it moved to
Saky Saky (: ; crh, Saq) or Saki is a town of regional significance in Ukraine, in the Crimean peninsula. Although it is the administrative centre of the Saky Raion, it does not belong to the raion (district), serving instead as the center and the on ...
in the Crimea. From there it attacked shipping in
Tuapse Tuapse (russian: Туапсе́; ady, Тӏуапсэ ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik and north of Sochi. Population: Tuapse i ...
harbour and oil facilities at
Grozny Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...
from 6–12 October. It moved to
Stalino Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loca ...
on 13 October. It transferred to Armavir in the northern Caucasus on 22 October. In September and October KG 100 remained on anti-shipping duties. In October 1942 it began supporting the eastward-most advance. It began bombing operations against
Astrakhan Astrakhan ( rus, Астрахань, p=ˈastrəxənʲ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in Southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the ...
and bombed Soviet ships on the
Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
. On 26 October Hansgeorg Bätcher sank a ship in the Caspian after six attacks against it in the same mission. A SC250 was seen to hit the
forecastle The forecastle ( ; contracted as fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le) is the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is the phrase " be ...
and the vessel began to burn. The attack was his 400th mission. Another three freighters and tanker were claimed destroyed in the night. On 27/28 October 1942, the group bombed the city of Astrakhan at night, while two freighters were claimed destroyed and five damaged in the Caspian Sea. I./KG 100 claimed two tankers on 29/30 October four tankers and five freighters were damaged by bombs. Other bombers attacked the rail lines and claimed 13 trains destroyed. The first German loss over the Caspian Sea occurred on 31 October/1 November when ''
Unteroffizier () is a junior non-commissioned officer rank used by the . It is also the collective name for all non-commissioned officers in Austria and Germany. It was formerly a rank in the Imperial Russian Army. Austria , also , is the collective name t ...
'' Hans Zebhe failed to return from a night sortie. By this time I./KG 100 had no more than seven operational He 111s. On 15 November 1942 ''
Leutnant () is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German (language), German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") fro ...
'' Herbert Kuntz's crew scored a bomb hit on a 1,300 GRT transport ship. The attack marked the end of Luftwaffe operations over the Caspian Sea. On 19 November 1942 the Red Army began
Operation Uranus Operation Uranus (russian: Опера́ция «Ура́н», Operatsiya "Uran") was the codename of the Soviet Red Army's 19–23 November 1942 strategic operation on the Eastern Front of World War II which led to the encirclement of Axis ...
, which encircled the German 6th Army in Stalingrad KG 100 began to support the defense of the
Chir River The Chir (russian: Чир) is a river in Rostov and Volgograd oblasts of Russia. It is a right tributary of the Don, and is long, with a drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a singl ...
on 24 November. It began flying supply operations into the Oblinskaya and Kalach the following day, and to Stalingrad through December. On 23 December they carried out heavy close air support attacks on the Soviet encirclement to assist
Operation Winter Storm Operation Winter Storm (german: Unternehmen Wintergewitter), a German offensive in December 1942 during World War II, involved the German 4th Panzer Army failing to break the Soviet encirclement of the German 6th Army during the Battle of Sta ...
. The wing withdrew westward on 2 January 1943 and attacked Soviet armour on the Don River on 13 January. The last supply operation to the pocket was carried out on 26 January. Twenty-four hours later I./KG 100 moved to Saky in the Crimea to refit. The remaining aircraft were handed over to
KG 55 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 55 "Greif" (KG 55 or Battle Wing 55) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. was one of the longest serving and well-known in the Luftwaffe. The wing operated the Heinkel He 111 exclusively until 1943, when only ...
and KG 100 moved to
Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
for conversion on to the He 111H-16. In March 1943 the group moved to Salon, in southern France and re-equipped with the
Lotfernrohr 7 The Carl Zeiss ''Lotfernrohr'' 7 (''Lot'' meant "Vertical" and ''Fernrohr'' meant "Telescope"), or ''Lotfe'' 7, was the primary series of bombsights used in most Luftwaffe level bombers, similar to the United States' Norden bombsight, but much simpl ...
D on 2 April.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, p. 270. I./KG 100 was based at
Stalino Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loca ...
from 24 April. It restarted mining and anti-shipping operations over the lower Volga on 13 May. It moved to Seshchinskaya to begin bombing operations against the Molotov tank factory in the
Gorki Gorki may refer to: * Gorki Águila (b. 1968), Cuban rock musician *Gorki (band), a Belgian band of Luc De Vos * Gorki (Kazan Metro), a station of the Kazan Metro, Kazan, Russia * Gorki Ridge, a ridge in Antarctica * Gorki, Russia, several inha ...
area. Operations began on 1 June 1943. On 7 June it bombed oil refineries and ball bearing factories in
Saratov Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...
before returning to Stalino to carry out long-range bombing operations over the Caspian Sea, from 7 to 20 June. The 4/5 June operation was carried out by 128 He 111s and
Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called ''Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...
from III./
KG 1 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 1 (KG 1) (Battle Wing 1) was a German medium bomber wing that operated in the Luftwaffe during World War II. KG 1 was created in 1939 as the Luftwaffe reorganised and expanded to meet Adolf Hitler's rearmament demands. ...
, KG 3, II and III./
KG 4 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 4 "General Wever" (KG 4) (Battle Wing 4) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. The unit was formed in May 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 111 medium bombers, with later serv ...
,
KG 27 'Kampfgeschwader' 27 ''Boelcke'' was a Luftwaffe medium bomber wing of World War II. Formed in May 1939, KG 27 first saw action in the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. During the Phoney War—September 1939 – April 1940—the ...
, I./KG 100 and II. and III./KG 55 dropped 179 tons of bombs against the No. 1 Molotov plant.Bergström 2007c, p. 20. Many workshops of wooden construction caught fire. The water-supply was severed and large parts of the plant burned. The blacksmiths, chassis, main conveyor, and spring workshops were destroyed. Living compounds and a child's nursery were also hit. The effect was disastrous for the Soviets. The attackers lost five bombers.Bergström 2007c, p. 24. The Soviet
1st Air Army __NOTOC__ The 1st Air Army (russian: 1-я воздушная армия) was an Air Army in the Soviet Air Force which served during World War II. It was formed on May 10, 1942, within the Soviet Western Front, and renamed the 26th Air Army on ...
, 2nd Air Army and
15th Air Army The 15th Air Army was a military formation of the Soviet Air Forces, active from July 1942 until December 1993. History It was formed between 11 July and 15 August 1942, in accordance with the directive of the commander of the Soviet Air Force ...
attacked German airfields on 8 June.
JG 51 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 (JG 51) was a German fighter wing during World War II. JG 51's pilots won more awards than any other fighter wing of the Luftwaffe, and operated in all major theatres of war. Its members included Anton Hafner, Heinz Bär, ...
intercepted, and claimed 40 for one loss. On 4 July KG 100 moved to
Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...
and participated in the
Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...
to 16 July. It flew in support of the
Mius River The Mius (, ) is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Миус
front near
Kharkov Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.
and
Izium Izium or Izyum ( uk, Ізюм, ; russian: Изюм) is a city on the Donets River in Kharkiv Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Izium Raion (district). Izium hosts the administration of Izium urban hr ...
in August. The group was particularly active along the front from
Konotop Konotop ( uk, Конотоп ) is a city in Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine. Konotop serves as the administrative center of Konotop Raion. Konotop is located about 129 km from Sumy, the oblast administrative center. It is host to Ko ...
and
Zaporozhye Zaporizhzhia ( uk, Запоріжжя) or Zaporozhye (russian: Запорожье) is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia has a populatio ...
. From
Kirovograd Kirovograd (russian: Кировогра́д) or Kirovohrad ( uk, Кіровогра́д) may refer to: *Kropyvnytskyi, a city in Ukraine formerly named Kirovohrad **Kirovohrad Oblast, of which Kropyvnytskyi is the administrative center *Ganja, Azerb ...
it flew attacks against Soviet bridgeheads at
Kremenchug Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro river, Dnipro River. The city serves as the Capital city, administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (Raio ...
and Zaporozhye in October in midst of the
Battle of the Dnieper The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 in Ukraine on the Eastern Front of World War II. One of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost 4,000,000 troops at a time stretched on a front. Over four ...
. I./KG 100 traded identities with I./KG 4 on 21 October 1943. The group was reformed and KG 100 left the Eastern Front.


Mediterranean and North Africa

II./KG 100 was formed on 15 December 1941. Under the command of Horst Röbling, the ''Gruppe'' was moved to Seshchinskaya, south-east of Roslavl. The group was formed from the re-naming of III./KG 26. It was handed to ''Fliegerkorps'' VIII and began operations on the Moscow sector and flew day and night against the Soviet counter-offensives. It handed over all remaining aircraft to I./KG 28 and transferred to Poix, France to refit on the H-5 and H-6 models. The group practised night attacks and flew on raids against Hull, England on 8 March 1942. The following months, the group was earmarked for the Eastern Front but was moved to southern Europe. On 21 April it was ordered to
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
Kalamaki, in
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
under the command of X. ''Fliegerkorps''.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, p. 271. From here, the Heinkel He 111s of the group began long-range maritime interdiction operations against ports and shipping off and over
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
in support of Axis operations in the North African Campaign. On 24 April 1942 it flew against British targets in the
Libyan Sea The Libyan Sea (Greek , Latin ''Libycum Mare'', Arabic البحر الليبي) is the portion of the Mediterranean Sea north of the African coast of ancient ''Libya'', i.e. Cyrenaica, and Marmarica (the coast of what is now eastern Libya and ...
and on the night of the 28 April bombed
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
harbour,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
. In May 1942, operations in the
Levantine Sea The Levantine Sea (Arabic: بحر الشام, tr, Levanten Denizi, el, Θάλασσα του Λεβάντε) is the easternmost part of the Mediterranean Sea. Geography The Levantine Sea is bordered by Turkey in the north and north-east co ...
, against airfields in
El Daba EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...
,
Fuka Fuka, Fūka or Fuuka may refer to: * Fūka (given name), a feminine Japanese given name * ''Fuuka'' (manga), a Japanese manga series * Fukah, a village in northern Egypt, referred to as Fuka in a World War II context **Sidi Haneish Airfield Si ...
,
Sollum Sallum ( ar, السلوم, translit=as-Sallūm various transliterations include ''El Salloum'', ''As Sallum'' or ''Sollum'') is a harbourside village or town in Egypt. It is along the Egypt/Libyan short north–south aligned coast of the Mediterra ...
, and support for Axis forces in the
Siege of Tobruk The siege of Tobruk lasted for 241 days in 1941, after Axis forces advanced through Cyrenaica from El Agheila in Operation Sonnenblume against Allied forces in Libya, during the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) of the Second World War. ...
. After bombing Alexandria on 3 May it supported the Gazala offensive (26–31 May), and Tobruk on the night of the 1/2 June. The group bombed rail lines from
Sidi Barrani Sidi Barrani ( ar, سيدي براني  ) is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the Egypt–Libya border, and around from Tobruk, Libya. Named after Sidi es-Saadi el Barrani, a Senussi sheikh who was a head of i ...
and
Mersa Matruh Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...
on 9 June. In June attacks on airfields and
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
positions predominated but on 14 June it assisted in attacks on the ''Vigorous'' convoy. From 8 to 10 July it dropped aerial mines in the Suez while bombing oil tanks along the region from 27 to 31 July. In mid-August it withdrew to Greece to train crews and brought up to strength. At Kalamaki it could field 28 He 111s, with 11 operational on 20 September 1942. It carried out nuisance raids on
El Alamein El Alamein ( ar, العلمين, translit=al-ʿAlamayn, lit=the two flags, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Arab's Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. , it had ...
on 26 September but was transferred to
Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
,
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
, on 1 October. Formally placed under the command of II. ''Fliegerkorps'', II./KG 100 assisted in the Siege of Malta. From 12 to 19 October 1942 it flew attacks against Malta airfields. It bombed
RAF Luqa Royal Air Force Luqa was a Royal Air Force station located on the island of Malta, now developed into the Malta International Airport. It hosted aircraft of Air Headquarters Malta (AHQ Malta) during the Second World War. Particularly during ...
on 15 October but lost its commanding officer ''Major'' Horst Röbling killed in action. Hermann Diekötter replaced him. The group was moved back to Kalamaki on 23 October, it response to the
Second battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...
. It flew small-scale night attacks until 10 November 1942 when it was recalled to Sicily in response to
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...
, and the Anglo-American landings in
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, and
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
. It bombed
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
on 10/11 November and began attacks on American shipping along the Algerian coast. It bombed Bilda airfield on 28 November and struck at Bône harbour on 4/5 and 5/6 December. To the end of the month it attacked airfields around
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
. On 17 December 1942 it flew oil supplies to the German Africa Corps in
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
. By the end of 1942, II./KG 100 had 22 (from 32) bombers operational but only four of 17 crews available were fit for action by 31 December. Until 11 March 1943, it carried our attacks on convoys and shipping in the
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
and Benghazi vicinity. Some ''staffeln'' were relocated to
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
in
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
to begin
Case White Case White (german: Fall Weiss), also known as the Fourth Enemy Offensive ( sh, Četvrta neprijateljska ofenziva/ofanziva), was a combined Axis strategic offensive launched against the Yugoslav Partisans throughout occupied Yugoslavia during W ...
against Yugoslav partisans from 5 February to 2 March 1943.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, p. 272. III./KG 100 was formed on 20 September 1942 from the former ''Aufklärungsgruppe (See) 126''. The group was commanded by Hans Schulz. Based at Athens-Kalamaki and then Athens-Eleusis it was subordinated to ''Fliegerkorps'' X. It operated the He 111,
Arado Ar 96 The Arado Ar 96 was a German single-engine, low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, produced by Arado Flugzeugwerke. It was the ''Luftwaffe''s standard advanced trainer during World War II. Design and development Designed by Walter Blum ...
and
Blohm & Voss BV 138 The Blohm & Voss BV 138 ''Seedrache'' (Sea Dragon), but nicknamed ''Der Fliegende Holzschuh'' ("flying clog",Nowarra 1997, original German title of the Schiffer book. from the side-view shape of its fuselage, as well as a play on the title of th ...
. It began by flying convoy escort missions in the
Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...
. From late November 1942 to February 1943 it flew from Catania in Sicily. It attacked ports along the Tunisian and Algerian coastlines. A small detachment was sent to Yugoslavia to participate in Case White. On 10 February it received notice to revert to its original identity. The ordered was carried out ten days later. III./KG 100 was reformed on 29 April 1943 at
Schwäbisch Hall Schwäbisch Hall (; "Swabian Hall"; from 1802 until 1934 and colloquially: ''Hall'' ) is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg located in the valley of the Kocher river, the longest tributary (together with its headwater Lein) of the ...
. The K.Gr. 21 was redesignated to form the group. The
Dornier Do 217 The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II as a more powerful development of the Dornier Do 17, known as the ''Fliegender Bleistift'' (German: "flying pencil"). Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber ...
K-2 was made available to the unit. The group was then given specialist training in the use of the Fritz-X guided missile in May and June 1943. ''Hauptmann'' Ernst Hetzel was given command on 4 May 1943. II./KG 100 was also trained for use with guided anti-ship missiles. A ''Einsatzstaffel'' was left behind at Athens with 17 Ju 88s and He 111s. The group was equipped with the Do 217 and began training with the
Henschel Hs 293 The Henschel Hs 293 was a World War II German radio-guided glide bomb. It is the first operational anti-shipping missile, first used unsuccessfully on 25 August 1943 and then with increasing success over the next year, ultimately damaging or sink ...
missile at
Peenemünde Peenemünde (, en, "Peene iverMouth") is a municipality on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is part of the ''Amt'' (collective municipality) of Usedom-Nord. The communi ...
. It absorbed the remains of the '' Erprobungsstaffel''/
KG 30 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 30 (KG 30) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. Service history Formed on 15 November 1939 in Greifswald. I Gruppe formed 1 September, II Gruppe on 23 September and III Gruppe on 1 January 1940, based in Greifswal ...
bomber wing's service-test squadron, and was declared operational in July 1943. It was deployed to
Istres Istres (; Occitan: Istre) is a commune in southern France, some 60 km (38 mi) northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture. Location Istr ...
, France on 12 July, to
Foggia Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...
on 17 July and the main part of the ''Gruppe'' was located at
Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cog ...
, France on 31 July. It flew no operations for most of August. III./KG 100 used the Fritz-X for the first time on 21 July against ships in Augusta harbour. The Foggia element withdrew to Istres on 27 July. It bombed ships in
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
harbour on 1 August and again off
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
nine days later. By 20 August 1943 only five of the 30 Do 217s were operational. On 29 August it claimed a British cruiser damaged off
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
. II./KG 100 flew the first PGM ordnance attack in history, using the rocket-boosted
Henschel Hs 293 The Henschel Hs 293 was a World War II German radio-guided glide bomb. It is the first operational anti-shipping missile, first used unsuccessfully on 25 August 1943 and then with increasing success over the next year, ultimately damaging or sink ...
ASM (guided by the same ''Kehl-Straßurg'' system as the Fritz X used) off the northern tip of Spain on 25 August and damaged ''HMS ''Bideford''. Two days later, they sank the sloop ''Egret''—sunk by 'Geschwaderkommodore'' Auffhammer (who took command on 4 May 1943) and ''
Oberleutnant () is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. Austria Germany In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Trans ...
'' Paulus—and damaged four escorts.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, pp. 272, 275. On 9 September 1943 both groups attack the
Salerno beachhead ''A Walk in the Sun'' is a 1945 American war film based on the novel by Harry Brown, who was a writer for ''Yank, the Army Weekly'' based in England. The book was serialized in ''Liberty Magazine'' in October 1944. The film was directed by Lewi ...
.Balke 1981, pp. 205–266. On 13 September it sank the hospital ship ''Newfoundland''. The same afternoon, 11 Do 217s of III./KG 100, led by commanding officer
Bernhard Jope Bernhard Jope (10 May 1914 – 31 July 1995) was a German bomber pilot during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. As part of Kampfgeschwader 40 (bomber wing), Jope flew missio ...
, sank the battleship ''Roma'' and damaged ''Italia''. From 10 to 19 September it attacked several freighters. On 16 September the group severely damaged the battleship ''Warspite'' and damaged ''Valiant''. The
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
cruiser ''Savannah'' was damaged by a Fritz X strike on 11 September and ''Philadelphia'', and ''Uganda'' were also damaged on 17 September. III./KG 100 assisted in the attack on ''Savannah''.
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
destroyers ''Loyal'' and ''Nubian'' were damaged. On 30 September II./KG 100 sank two landing craft in
Ajaccio Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...
harbour
Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
, while 5 ''Staffel'' was sent to help recapture the Dodecanese Islands. In October the ''Einsatzstaffel'' lost eight aircraft in bombing raids on Athens and Eleusis airfields. There were operational problems with missiles that responded erratically and sabotage was suspected. The main body of the group transferred to
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
on 4 November and bombed
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
harbour on 5/6 November. The ''Einsatzstaffel'' was disbanded on 10 November. It attacked convoy KMS 31 off
Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
, claiming several sinkings. 5 ''Staffel'' sank HMS ''Rockwood'' and ''Dulverton'', on 11 and 13 November. II./KG 100 rested and re-equipped in
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
. It began to prepare for Operation ''Carmen'', a proposed attack on
Scapa Flow Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern end in June 2009 Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay and ...
on 19 November 1943. The group returned to Toulouse and Blagnac following the cancellation of the attack. 4 ''Staffel'' remained, to convert to the
Heinkel He 177 The Heinkel He 177 ''Greif'' (Griffin) was a long-range heavy bomber flown by the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. The introduction of the He 177 to combat operations was significantly delayed, by both problems with the development of its ...
from 9 December. Records show that the first operation of the month was an attack on a convoy off Oran on 10 January 1944. From 20 January it was subordinated to II. ''Flieger-Division''. From 12 February 1944 it took part in the
Battle of Anzio The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...
and claimed several ships on 24 January. It attacked convoy UGS 30 on 1 February. It made several more claims for destroyed ships on the night of 15/16 February. On 24 February Do 217s from the group sank the destroyer ''Inglefield''. 23 attacks with guided missiles were reported by the group, from 23 January to 1 March 1944. From 24 January to 8 March it lost eight bombers. From 9 March, bar 6 ''Staffel'', the group transferred to
Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...
,
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
for conversion to the He 177.de Zeng, Stankey, Creek 2008, p. 275. 6./KG 100 remained with 8 operational (from 9) Do 217s on 20 March. It was handed over to ''
Luftflotte 3 ''Luftflotte'' 3For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 3) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 1 February 1939 from ''Luftwaffengr ...
''. It recorded an attack off the Algerian coast on 29 March against a convoy and again on 1 and 12 April. It attacked convoy UGS 38 on 20 April. 6 and 8 ''Staffeln'' exchanged identities meaning the last unit belonging to II ''Gruppe'' in the Mediterranean passed to III./KG 100. II ''Gruppe'' was concentrated in Aalborg. It spent eight months doing very little because of fuel shortages. It had 32 operational He 177s from 44 in total under the command on ''
Luftflotte Reich Luftflotte ReichFor an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet ''Reich'') was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 5, 1944 in Berlin ...
'' on 10 January 1945. On 2 February 1945 it received ordered to destroy the aircraft and the personnel were sent to
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
units.


Southern France, Operation Steinbock and Western Front

At the beginning of 1944 3./KG 100 was moved to
Châteaudun Châteaudun () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It was the site of the Battle of Châteaudun during the Franco-Prussian War. Geography Châteaudun is located about 45& ...
after the reformation of the group on 21 October 1943. It was declared operational with the He 177A-3 on 18 December and placed under the command of IX ''Fliegerkorps''. The remainder of I./KG 100 was based at Lechfeld. It has 27 operational bombers and 31 on record. While here, it was part of the retaliatory bombing raids ordered by
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
in retribution for
RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...
operations over Germany.
Operation Steinbock Operation Steinbock (german: Unternehmen Steinbock), sometimes called the Baby Blitz, was a strategic bombing campaign by the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe) during the Second World War. It targeted southern England and lasted from January to M ...
began on 21 January 1944. I./KG 40 and I./KG 100 bombed
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on the night of the 21/22 January to open the offensive. 3./KG 100 lost a He 177 after control had been lost south of
Dieppe Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newha ...
. It was KG 100's first loss. It formed part of the attacks on the night of the 29/30 January, 3/4 and 12/13 February. 2 ''Staffel'' joined the 3rd at Châteaudun on 5 February and the pair bombed London on 18/19, 20/21, 22/23, 23/24, 24/25 and 28 February/1 March, 1/2, 2/3 and 14/15. On 19/20 March it carried out the attack on Hull, before returning to London on 21/22, 24/25 March. It had only 11 operational aircraft from 21 on 20 March. It raided
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
on 27/28 March but lost six to attacks by Allied bombers on its bases. Operations were delayed from 1 to 11 April. It attacked Hull on 20/21 April, Bristol 23/24 April,
Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...
on 25/26 April and
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
as on the 26/27, 27/28, 28/29, 29/30 April. Aside from the 26/27 April, it took part in bombing Portsmouth on the same nights. The group used the
Fritz X Fritz X was the most common name for a German guided anti-ship glide bomb used during World War II. ''Fritz X'' was the world's first precision guided weapon deployed in combat and the first to sink a ship in combat. ''Fritz X'' was a nickname us ...
guided missiles on these operations. The attacks against the ports were intended to disrupt preparations for
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
, which the Germans knew was imminent. On 19/20 March it lost 2./KG 100 ''Staffelkapitän'' Heinrich Müller, when he was shot down by a No. 307 Squadron RAF night fighter piloted by
Pilot Officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...
J. Brochocki. A second ''Staffelkapitän'' of the unit was lost on 20/21 April when Herbert Dostlebe and his crew were killed by Flying Officer J. H. Corre from
No. 264 Squadron RAF No. 264 Squadron RAF, also known as No. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. World War I The squadron was first formed during the First World War, from two former Royal Naval Air Service flights, No. 439 ...
. A third commander of the unit was lost on 26/27 April when Gustav Heckewerth was killed returning from the attack on Portsmouth. Another notable casualty was Herbert Pfeffer of the Stab III./KG 100, shot down by
Squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
D. J. Williams commanding No. 406 Squadron RAF. A dozen KG 100 bombers, including one
Dornier Do 217 The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II as a more powerful development of the Dornier Do 17, known as the ''Fliegender Bleistift'' (German: "flying pencil"). Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber ...
and 11 He 177s, were lost on operations.Mackay 2011, pp. 91, 163, 191, 197, 208, 212, 242, 314, 321, 357, 364–365. At the end of May 1944, I./KG 100 was redesignated III./
KG 1 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 1 (KG 1) (Battle Wing 1) was a German medium bomber wing that operated in the Luftwaffe during World War II. KG 1 was created in 1939 as the Luftwaffe reorganised and expanded to meet Adolf Hitler's rearmament demands. ...
and ceased to exist. III./KG 100 remained in the Mediterranean from mid-February to mid-April 1944. Allied attacks against the base at Toulouse cost the ''Gruppe'' five Do 217s on 15 April. The group was relocated to forward airfields in northern France and used Fritz X bombs in the attacks on Portsmouth harbour on 29/30 April, in which it tried and failed to sink two battleships. After the
D-Day landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
on 6 June 1944 it attacked shipping in the
Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...
on 8 June. It sank the transport ''Bulolo'' and destroyer ''Lawford''. It repeated attacks off the
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
beachhead on 10 June and on 13 June sank the destroyer ''Boadicea''. III./KG 100 tried to support German forces in the
Battle of Cherbourg The Battle of Cherbourg was part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II. It was fought immediately after the successful Allied landings on 6 June 1944. Allied troops, mainly American, isolated and captured the fortified port, which was ...
by attacking shipping on the night of the 14/15 June 1944. On 25 June it attack ships in the Orne Estuary. On 26 June it could muster 26 Do 217s but after operations against shipping in the Seine and
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
it lost six bombers on 4/5 July. It claimed a destroyer on 5/6 July and flew night sorties from 17 to 21 July 1944. In late July it used, for the first time, guided missiles against land targets. It attacked a bridge at
Avranches Avranches (; nrf, Avraunches) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''. History By the end of the Roman period, t ...
on 2/3 August. On 3/4, 4/5 August it attacked the bridge at Pontaubault, and at Pontorsson (5/6 August). On 6/7, 7/8 August it carried out more attacks on bridges at Avranches with Fritz X bombs and Hs 293s. It used Hs 293s against the Pontaubault bridge on 7/8 August. The
Gironde estuary The Gironde estuary ( , US usually ; french: estuaire de la Gironde, ; oc, estuari de aGironda, ) is a navigable estuary (though often referred to as a river) in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Gar ...
was targeted on 11 August while 15 Do 217s attacked the landing ships of
Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, th ...
in southern France on 15 August 1944. The group claimed a 7,000-ton freighter, and LST and destroyer USS ''Le Long'' on operations until 17 August. The group lost 36 crews from 6 June to 16 August, which included 12 losses in the first two weeks of August. On 20 August it began to retreat to Germany, destined for
Giebelstadt Giebelstadt is a municipality in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria in Germany. History The town is the birthplace of Florian Geyer (1490–1525), also known as "Florian Geier from Giebelstadt", a Franconian nobleman who led the Black Compa ...
. The ground echelon came under attack northwest of
Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
and lost 300 men. III./KG 100's remaining personnel were transferred to 7 ''Staffel''. It was used in the formation of ''Bomben-und Zielfinderschule Greifswald'' to act as pathfinders for KG 4 and
KG 66 KG, Kg, kG or kg may refer to: Units of measurement * kg, the kilogram, the SI base unit of mass * kG or kGs, the kilogauss, a unit of measurement of magnetic induction People * KG (wrestler), ring name of Syuri (born 1989) * K. G. Cunningham ...
. The exact date of the unit's dissolution is unknown but it ceased to exist by 25 September 1944.


Geschwaderkommodores

* Oberstleutnant Heinz von Holleben, 29 November 1941 – 22 April 1943 * Major Fritz Auffhammer, 4 May 1943 – 10 September 1943 * Oberstleutnant
Bernhard Jope Bernhard Jope (10 May 1914 – 31 July 1995) was a German bomber pilot during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. As part of Kampfgeschwader 40 (bomber wing), Jope flew missio ...
, 10 September 1943 – 8 August 1944


Citations


Bibliography

* Balke, Ulf (1981). ''Kampfgeschwader 100 "Wiking" – Eine Geschichte aus Kriegstagebüchern, Dokumenten und Berichten 1934 – 1945'' (in German). Motorbuchverlag. . * Balke, Ulf (1996). ''Der Luftkrieg in Europa 1941–1945'' (in German). Bechtermünz Verlag. . * Bergstrom, Christer (2007a). ''Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July–December 1941''. London: Chevron/Ian Allan. . * Bergström, Christer (2007b). ''Stalingrad – The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943''. Midland Puplishing, Hinkley. * Bergström, Christer (2015). ''The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited''. Casemate: Oxford. . * Bergström, Christer; Mikhailov, Andrey (2001). ''Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume II, Resurgence January–June 1942''. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Military History. . * Christopher Shores (2002). ''Great Air Battles of World War II''. Grub Street. * de Zeng, H. L; Stankey, D. G; Creek, E. J. (2008). ''Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945; A Reference Source, Volume 2''. Ian Allan Publishing. * Dierich, Wolfgang (1995). ''Die Verbände der Luftwaffe 1935–1945'' (in German). Verlag Heinz Nickel. . * Goss, Chris. (2010). ''The Luftwaffe's Blitz: The Inside Story, November 1940—May 1941''. Crecy, Manchester. * Griehl, Manfred and Dressel, Joachim (1998). ''Heinkel He 177-277-274''. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing. * Hayward, Joel S.A (1998). '' Stopped at Stalingrad''. University of Kansas; Lawrence. * Hooton, E.R. (1994). ''Phoenix Triumphant: The Rise and Rise of the Luftwaffe''. Arms & Armour, . * Hooton, E.R. (1997). ''Eagle in Flames: The Fall of the Luftwaffe''. Arms & Armour Press. * Griehl, Manfred and Joachim Dressel. ''Heinkel He 177 - 277 - 274''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. . * Mackay, Ron (2011). ''The Last Blitz: Operation Steinbock, the Luftwaffe's Last Blitz on Britain – January to May 1944''. Red Kite. * Mason, Francis (1969). ''Battle Over Britain''. McWhirter Twins, London. * Muller, Richard (1992). ''The German Air War in Russia''. Nautical & Aviation Publishing. Baltimore, Maryland. * Parker, Nigel (2013). ''Luftwaffe Crash Archive: Volume 1: A Documentary History of Every Enemy Aircraft Brought Down Over the United Kingdom, September 1939 – 14 August 1940''. Red Kite, London. * Wakefield, Ken (1999). ''Pfadfinder: Luftwaffe Pathfinder Operations Over Britain''. NPI Media Group. {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Kampfgeschwader 100 ''Kampfgeschwader'' 100 (KG 100) was a ''Luftwaffe'' medium and heavy bomber wing of World War II and the first military aviation unit to use a precision-guided munition (the Fritz X anti-ship glide bomb) in combat to sink a warship (the Itali ...
Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945