Stab./KG26

[Doug Stankey]

It will take more than a week to make updates for the commanders of all the units but below is my new compilation for those of KG 26. I will make and post the other units as they progress. It will take a while.

The following is the latest determination of commanders within KG 26 based on the current version of our Luftwaffe officer career database. While it remains incomplete and not totally resolved, it does represent the “best guess” based on the available information at this time.

Comparing this against the commanders listed in “Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe”, there are few changes, none of them major.

Stab/KG 26
Kommodore: ( 1. formation)
Gen.Maj. Hans Siburg (1 May 1939 – c. 28 September 1939).
Oberst Robert Fuchs (RK) (29 September 1939 – June 1940)
Obstlt. Karl Freiherr von Wechmar (July 1940 – 19 November 1940) KIA
Oberst Robert Fuchs (RK) (c. 20 November 1940 – December 1940) –acting
Obstlt. Benno Kosch (RK) (25 November 1940 – February 1941) - acting?
Oberst Alexander Holle (December 1940 – June 1941?) acting, concurrently appt Fl.Fü. Nordost

Kommodore: (2. formation)
Oberst Ernst-August Roth (DKG) (2 December 1941 – 2 February 1942).

Kommodore: (3. formation)

Oberst Karl Stockmann (c. 15 November 1942 – 31 January 1943).
Obstlt. Werner Klümper (RK) (1 March 1943 – November 1944).
Major Wilhelm Stemmler (DKG, RK) (November 1944 – January 1945)
Obstlt. Georg Teske (DKG, RK) (February 1945 – 8 May 1945).

I./KG 26.

Kommandeur: I./KG 26 (1. formation 05.39 - 07.44)

Major Walter Loebel (1 May 1939 – September 1939)
Obstlt. Hans Ahlefeld (1 October 1939 – 10 April 1940) MIA
Obstlt. Herman Busch (c. April 1940 – 1 March 1942)
Obstlt. Kurt Dobratz (14 May 1941 - ?) acting?
Hptm. Bernd “Bert” Eicke (March 1942 – July 1942) –acting
Major Werner Klümper (DKG) (July 1942 – 31 January 1943).
Hptm. Herbert Vater (1 March 1943 – July 1943) - provisional
Hptm. Klaus Toball (July 1943 – August 1943) -acting
Hptm. Helmut von Rabenau (August 1943 – 11 November 1943) MIA
Hptm. Joachim Müller (c. 12 November 1943 – c. 20 July 1944).

Kommandeur: I./KG 26 (2. formation 07.44 – 02.45)

Major Willi Sölter (RK) (c. 20 July 1944 – February 1945).

II./KG 26
Kommandeur: II./KG 26 (1. formation 05.39– 05.45)
Obstlt. Joachim von Busche (1 May 1939 – October 1939)
Obstlt. Hans Hefele (October 1939 – 3 April 1940) POW
Major Martin Vetter (RK) (6 April 1940 – 20 August 1940)
Major Eckard Christian (21 August 1940 – 31 December 1940).
Major Helmuth Bertram (1 January 1941 – 17 January 1941) POW –acting
Hptm. Robert Kowalewski (RK) (18 January 1941 – 14 May 1941).
Obstlt. Horst Beyling (DKG) (15 May 1941 – 11 February 1943)
Major Georg Teske (DKG) (12 February 1943 – 10 August 1944)
Major Otto-Friedrich Werner (11 August 1944 – 2 December 1944)
Hptm. Rudi Schmidt (DKG, RK) (3 December 1944 – 8 May 1945).

III./KG 26

Kommandeur: III./KG 26 (1. formation 11.39 – 02.40)

Major Viktor von Lossberg (1 November 1939 – 31 May 1940)
Major Karl Wolfien (1 June 1940 – February 1941)

Kommandeur: III./KG 26 (2. formation) (02.40 – 12.41)

Major Viktor von Lossberg (February 1941 – 30 August 1941).
Major Waldemar Lerche (1 September 1941 – October 1941) –acting
Major Franz Böhme (October 1941 – 15 December 1941)

Kommandeur: III./KG 26 (3. formation 12.41 – 05.42)
Obstlt. Hellmut Schalke (15 December 1941 (15 January 1942?) – 31 May 1942)

Kommandeur: III./KG 26 (4. formation 06.42 – 05.45)

Hptm. Ernst-Heinrich Thomsen (DKG) (June 1942 – 21 July 1942) –accident
Hptm. Heinrich Möller (22 July 1942 – September 1942) - acting.
Major Karl-Ferdinand Hielscher (September 1942 – November 1942)
Major Horst Kayser (November 1942 – 19 December 1942) MIA
Hptm. Klaus-Wilhelm Nocken (DKG, RK) (1 March 1943 (20 December 1942?) – February 1944) – provisional
Major Ernst-Heinrich Thomsen (DKG, RK) (February 1944 – October 1944)
Major Wolrad Harseim (October 1944 – 8 May 1945).

IV./KG 26
Kommandeur:
Hptm. Fritz Gehring (7 October 1941 – February 1944)
Major Klaus-Wilhelm Nocken (DKG, RK) (18 February 1944 – 6 September 1944)


LdZ
DGS