Kampfgeschwader 40

Kampfgeschwader 40 (KG 40) was a Luftwaffe medium and heavy bomber wing of World War II, and the primary maritime patrol unit of any size within the World War II Luftwaffe.

Service history
Formed in July 1940 in Bordeaux-Merignac. The Geschwader was under the control of Fliegerführer Atlantik. The unit flew reconnaissance missions in the North Atlantic searching for enemy convoys and reported them of the Kriegsmarine. Later, they also attacked ships directly. On 9 February 1941, five Focke-Wulf Fw 200 of I./KG 40 in cooperation with the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and GS U-37 (1938) attacked the British convoy HG 53. The convoy lost five ships to aerial attacks. Later in the war, one or two Gruppen of KG 40 became one of several Luftwaffe bomber groups to use the Heinkel He 177A heavy bomber. In October 1944 KG 40 transferred to Germany, and was intended for conversion to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. This never happened and the unit was disbanded on 2 February 1945.

Geschwaderkommodores

 * Obstleutnant Hans Geisse, July 1940 – 7 September 1940
 * Major Edgar Petersen, April 1941 – September 1941 (later with rank of Oberst, commander of all Erprobungstellen test facilities)
 * Obstleutnant Dr. Georg Pasewaldt, September 1941 – 31 December 1941
 * Oberst Karl Mehnert, January 1942 – 1942
 * Oberst Martin Vetter, 1942 – 1 September 1943
 * Oberst Rupprecht Heyn, 2 September 1943 – November 1944
 * Oberst Hanns Heise, November 1944 – February 1945