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Concept
Kampfgeschwader 6
Summary
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.
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.
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.
Official source
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