Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6) (Bomber Wing 6) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed between April and September 1942 and was equipped with Dornier Do 217, Junkers Ju 188 and Junkers Ju 88 bombers.
The Geschwader bombed Britain, the Eastern Front, North Africa, Italy and Normandy.
Formation
While officially formed on or about 1 September 1942 at Dinard/Brittany in northern France, the history of the Geschwader dates back to 11 October 1941. On that date, the Luftwaffenführungssab in Berlin ordered Luftflotte 3 in Paris to form a Stab unit for a new Kampfgeschwader which was to carry the number 6. The new bomber formation was to comprise Küstenfliegergruppe 106, Kampfgruppe 606 and stab./Küstenfliegergruppe 406, with its subordinated staffeln. The first date that KG 6 was mentioned was 30 April 1942, when Luftflotte 3 documents recorded its formation at Dinard under Fliegerführer Atlantik, but with no aircraft or aircrews. On 3 June 1942, the new unit's Geschwaderkommodore Oberstleutnant Joachim Hahn, former Kommandeur of Kampfgruppe 606, while flying a Messerschmitt Bf 108 near Dieppe, was shot down and killed by Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilots of No. 401 Squadron. In August 1942, Berlin ordered a full Geschwader to be formed, stating that the unit was to be a special bomber force to operate against key British industrial targets, as well as command and communication centres. To this end, it was to have its own pathfinder capability.
Operational history
Early raids, 1942–43
I./KG 6 bombed British targets throughout the year, and suffered only one recorded loss against RAF Mosquito night fighters. The German raids were usually carried out with only a few aircraft. On one rare occasion, the unit took part in a raid of 57 aircraft on Canterbury on 31 October 1942. II./KG 6 had only formed on 1 August, so bombing missions over Britain were few. III./KG 6 targeted Hull and factories in Exeter in January, losing two Ju 88A-4s on 11 January 1943. The unit bombed Newcastle, Sunderland and Edinburgh in the northeast of England. The unit also bombed London, Norwich and Birmingham. In the summer of 1943, I. and III. Gruppen bombed Norwich on 4 and 5 May, with 36 aircraft. An attack on ball bearing plants in Chelmsford took place on 13 and 14 May, I. Gruppe took part with other Geschwadern in sending 76 aircraft to bomb Sunderland's docks. On 17 and 18 May, 74 bombers hit Cardiff. In June 1943, the Gruppen moved to Sardinia.
Eastern Front
III./KG 6 had not participated in the raids on Britain and was sent to the Eastern Front to support Army Group North, where it spent the period of September to December 1942 bombing targets in the northern Soviet Union. Under Luftflotte 1, it bombed the railway station at Volkhov on 15 September and supported ground operations around Lake Ladoga a day later. It attacked Red Army positions at Gaytolovo and Markovo during the 20–23 September battles. On 25 September, it struck rail targets at Chum, losing one aircraft; and on the 28th targets in and around Leningrad were hit. On 30 September, another Ju 88A-4 was lost in the Kerstov area.
The unit was redeployed to Stalingrad on 4 October as a planned assault by Erich von Manstein's Eleventh Army was postponed. Rail targets in Stalingrad were bombed. Soviet artillery in the North Caucasus, and Astrakhan were bombed from 9 to 18 October.
North Africa and the Mediterranean
I. Gruppe was engaged in anti-shipping missions off the North African coast. Allocated to 2nd Flieger Division based at Creil in southern France, it targeted Allied shipping in Algerian waters. It ended these operations in March 1943, moving to France to undertake raids over Great Britain. II. Gruppe succeeded in supporting German forces in the Dodecanese Campaign, operating from bases at Larissa, in Greece. It withdrew to Le Culot, Belgium in December 1943. III. Gruppe also took part in the Dodecanese action.
Italian Campaign
I Gruppe continued to support the Army in Italy. The Gruppe suffered steady losses during night and daylight missions. The air defences were particularly threatening. On 7 August the Gruppe carried out a raid on Bizerte harbour, Tunisia, claiming a direct hit on a 5,000-ton cargo ship. Air reconnaissance later seemed to have confirmed the claim. Various raids were carried out against Allied airfields in Sicily. However, heavy attacks on bases caused numerous losses to the group.