Advice sought re KG40

[GWilliamson]

Gentlemen,

I recently acquired a set of documents to a Feldwebel Werner Bünger, an air gunner who served first with 1./KG40 and then 3./KG40.

I know he will have served on the FW200C but have read conflicting info regarding the use or non-use of the He177 by 3./KG40.

Unfortunately I don't know when he transferred from 1 to 3./KG40 but the earliest of the documents which show him as 3./KG40 is May 1943.

I'm trying to establish whether there is any likelihood that he may have served on He177 in early 1943 if the info I have read that 1./KG40 converted to He177 at the start of that year.

Secondly, I wondered if there is any source that I might consult which may have records of specific aircraft codes and the crews allocated to them ?

This chap by the way, did survive the war ans the latest document in the set is dated June 1945 and was issued by the "Kommando der Schiffe und Boote der Luftwaffe".

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Many thanks

[mjbollinger]

My understanding is that 3./KG 40 never transitioned to the He 177. Staffeln 1./KG 40 and 2./KG 40 did transition to the He 177 in time for the combat at Normandy.

If someone has information that 3./KG 40 did deploy with the He 177, I'd be very interested.

[GWilliamson]

Many thanks for your response.

Firstly my apologies for a typo. I should have said he was first with 2/KG40, not 1/KG40

I can't claim any depth of knowledge on the subject as my main field of research is on the U-Boats, but according to

http://www.ww2.dk/air/kampf/kg40.htm

3/KG40 was reformed in Fassberg in January 1943 equipped with the He177. I checked Nafziger and found the same information, though there is also a reference to 3/KG40 at Vaernes "probably still with the Fw200".

The last of this guys documents which refer to him with 2./KG40 is his Iron Cross 2nd Class award document dated November 1942. Next in chronological order is his Silver Bomber Clasp document which is dated May 1943. Unfortunately I don't know when - between Nov 42 and May 43- he transferred from 2/KG40 to 3/KG40.

Assuming the info regarding 3/KG40 reforming with the He177 is wrong then it looks as if this guy was solely on Fw200. My interest is more in the Condor than the He177 anyway, and what drew me to the document set was the use of Fw200s in co-operation with the U-Boats -my main field of interest-so if he was solely on Fw200s it is actually more interesting for me.

So, that leaves me with trying to do some further research on 2 and 3/KG40 to see if it is possible to track down any information on the specific codes of individual aircraft for these Staffeln (I'm aware of the F8 code) which might cross reference with the crew members, in the perhaps vain hope of finding a photo of the aircraft in which this guy flew.

[thenelm]

I have no He 177 losses for 3./KG 40 at all. The last losses I have for this unit is for 3 Fw 200s on 31-Mar-44.

[Brian Bines]

ADIK report 88/1944 in respect of POWs from 1st and 2/KG40 taken on the night of 21/22-1-1944 indicate the following :- while previous POWs had said elements of 3/KG40 were converting to the He177 at Fassberg in fact only two crews of 3rd. Staffel had left Trondheim for Fassberg. After arriving they were detached from 3rd Staffel, and had left their observers at Trondheim. These observers being experienced in navigation over the sea there being a lack of such observers in the Staffel. The present strength of the 3rd. Staffel was given as eleven crews and seven the eight Fw200s.
From the above summary of this report it would appear that a planned conversion to the He177 was started but never completed, as already said 3/KG40 were still losing Fw200s at the end of March 1944.