Kampfgeschwader 30

Kampfgeschwader 30  was a Luftwaffe medium bomber wing of the Second World War.

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 Greifswald then Barth. IV gruppe was formed 27 Oct 1940 as Erg.Sta./KG 30, and in April 1941 was increased to Gruppe strength.

KG 30 was equipped with the Junkers Ju 88 and was initially trained as an anti-shipping and maritime attack unit.

In October 1939 it attacked shipping in the Firth of Forth.

II./KG 30 operated under X. Fliegerkorps for Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway. The unit Ju 88s engaged Allied shipping as its main target. On 9 April 1940, in cooperation with high-level bombing Heinkel He 111s of KG 26, Ju 88s of II./KG 30 dive-bombed  and damaged the battleship HMS Rodney and sank the destroyer HMS Gurkha. The unit lost four Ju 88s in the action, the highest single loss of KG 30 throughout the campaign.

On 9 June 1940 Kampfgeschwader 30 took over Chièvres Air Base. On 17 June 1940 bombers from II./KG 30 sank RMS Lancastria off St Nazaire as she evacuated troops during Operation Ariel, killing some 5,800 Allied personnel.

On 15 October 1940 III./KG30 was redesignated Ergänzungskampfgruppe 6 and a new III./KG 30 was formed in Amsterdam-Schiphol from III./KG 4.

In September 1942 KG 30 was active against Arctic convoy PQ 18. Attacking PQ 18, the group carried out a massed torpedo attack known as the Golden Comb, developed as an anti-convoy measure. This was initially successful, sinking several ships, though the group suffered heavy losses.

On 23 November 1944 Kampfgeschwader 30 was redesignated as Kampfgeschwader(J)30, converting to a fighter unit.

KG(J)30 was to be equipped with the Me 262A in early 1945 but none were delivered due to production shortages. KG 30(J) were alternately supplied with the BF 109G. KG(J)30 was disbanded 18 April 1945 by order from IX.Fliegerkorps(J).

Geschwaderkommodores

 * Oberstleutnant Walter Loebel, 15 November 1939 – 16 August 1940
 * Oberst Herbert Rieckhoff, 17 August 1940 – 20 October 1940
 * Oberstleutnant Erich Bloedorn, October 1940 – May 1943
 * Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Kern, 18 May 1943 – 10 September 1943
 * Oberstleutnant Sigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von Gravenreuth, September 1943 – 16 October 1944
 * Oberst Bernhard Jope, October 1944 – February 1945
 * Oberst Hanns Heise, February 1945 – May 1945

I./KG 30

 * Hauptmann Helmut Pohle, 22 September 1939 – 16 October 1939 (POW)
 * Hauptmann Fritz Doench, 16 October 1939 – June 1940
 * Hauptmann Heinrich Lau, 1941
 * Hauptmann Jacob Schmidt, ? – 26 April 1942
 * Hauptmann Konrad Kahl, 26 April 1942 – ?
 * Oberst Alerich Hofmann, ? – 28 December 1942
 * Major Freiherr von Blomberg, ? – 28 October 1943
 * Hauptmann Schulz, 1943–1944

II./KG 30

 * Hauptmann Claus Hinkelbein, December 1939 - June 1940
 * Hauptmann von Symonski, June 1940 - 8 October 1940
 * Hauptmann Erich Hass, 9 October 1940 - 16 October 1940
 * Hauptmann Sigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von Gravenreuth, October 1940(?) - 11 April 1942
 * Hauptmann Erich Stoffregen, 11 April 1942 - 14 January 1943
 * Major Pflüger, 1943–1944
 * Hauptmann Carl-Heinz Greve, 1944 - April 1945

III./KG 30

 * Hauptmann Mahrenholtz, 1 January 1940–1940
 * Hauptmann Arved Crüger, 10 November 1940 – 31 August 1941
 * Hauptmann Hajo Herrmann, August 1941 – 19 July 1942
 * Major Werner Baumbach, July 1942 – December 1942
 * Major Helmut Störchel, December 1942–1944

IV./KG 30

 * Hauptmann Heinrich Paepke, 27 October 1940 - 9 February 1941
 * Hauptmann Martin Schumann, 10 February 1941 - 8 June 1942
 * Major Heinrich Lau, 9 June 1942 - 11 September 1942
 * Hauptmann Gerhard Molkentin, 1.October 1943 - 16 January 1943
 * Major Konrad Kahl, 13 November 1942 - 26 July 1943
 * Major Wilhelm Kuschke, 27 July 1943 - 23 November 1944