St Kap 6./KG 26 1940

[Chris Goss]

I am trying to sort out who was St Kap for 1940 as there seems some confusion not helped by the name Kunze and Kuntze. I have discovered the following:

Hptm Otto Andreas - to 20 Mar 40 (shot down by 43 Sqn)
Hptm Bernhard Gisevius - to 20 Aug 40
Oblt/Hptm (?) Kunze - to 31 Dec 40

Could Kunze be Albrecht Kuntze who was a RK winner 14 May 40 with 6 Staffel after which some records say he went to BFS 1 in Aug 40 whilst others say it was not until 1 Jan or Apr 41. To add to further confusion, Doug and Larry in their superlative list have Hptm Albert Kunze as opposed to Albrecht Kuntze being killed 5 Jul 43 with 12./KG 40-latter is correct- and this Hptm Kunze being St Kap in Aug 40

[Brian Bines]

The Rudi Schmidt KG 26 book page 61 refers to award of RK to II/KG26 in 1940 to der Staffelkapitan Oblt. Kunze , page 251 shows a list of St.Kaps with Hpt Kunze 21-8-40 to 31-12-40 ( no other variation of name in the list of St.Kap. for 6/KG26), while page 352 showing RK winners has Oblt. Albrecht Kuntze awarded RK 16-5-40. The Steenbeck book is similar page 300 showing St.Kap. as Hpt. Kunze with the same dates above while page 305 showing RK winners profiles has Hpt Albrecht Kuntze ( born25-12-1912 at Magdeburg) 6/KG26 awarded RK 16-5-40 to Blindfluglehrer BFS 1 und BFS 5 in August 1940, crashed 5-7-1943 died in hospital.
Looks like Kunze should be Kuntze but does not help with posting to BFS, could the notice of posting be August 40 but delayed for operational reasons till the end of year ?
To further cloud the issue GQM dated 8-7-43 page 3 has - 5-7-43 4/KG 40 'H' Ju 88A-1 3101 crashed Oberingelheim Ff Hpt Alfred Kunze +, with Hpt Hans Petris and Oblt. Fritz Tamm ? inj.

[PMoz99]

For what it's worth, Holm's Luftwaffe Officers Career Summaries has Albrecht Kuntze 25/12/12, -
16/5/40 RK 6./KG26. No further detail until -
2/4/41 to BFS 1, then 6/2/43 from BFS7(?) to IV,.KG26, then 10/3/43 to BFS5, then 7/5/43 to KG40.
5/7/43 Kdr IV./KG40 severely injured Ju88A-5, died a short while later in hospital in Ingelheim.
Peter

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Brian/Peter. This is exactly what I mean. Albrecht Kuntze was the one with 6 Staffel, awarded RK and killed in an accident with 12./KG 40 (he was not Gr Kdr) 5 Jul 43. There is this confusion as to who was Kunze but it seems to point that Kuntze took over but only until the end of 1940 when he reappears with BFS 1. There was a Herbert Kuntz with 4./KG 26 but he was an NCO and did not get the RK until 1943 whilst Herbert Kunze was an NCO with Stab & 1./KG 26 and got RK in 1944

[PMoz99]

Ah, yes Chris, I see your book on FW200 Units has him in 12./KG40. Without having access to the sources of the info makes it hard to decide which is correct. No offence intended.
I see the kindle edition your book is on special at the moment. Might pick it up and see ......
Cheers
Peter

[Brian Bines]

The Steenbeck book in the RK profile for Albrecht Kuntze indicates him as St.Kap. for 12/KG40 at the time of his death on 5-7-43. GQM dated 8-7-43 showing Alfred Kuntz KIFA 5-7-43 as being in a Ju 88A-1 of 4/KG40 wn 3101 crashing at the same location of Oberingelheim that Albrecht Kuntze was reported as killed at. The change note dated 11-8-1943 correcting wn from 5101 to 3101 also shows the aircraft as a A-1. Tried the GrabSuche site for the variations/combinations of the name and could not get a match would this indicate a private grave possibly in his home town of Magdeburg ?

[Chris Goss]

Brian: Thanks again. Don't forget that by 1943, A-1s had been upgraded to A-5 and the A-4 had been introduced. Agree what GQM says but as usual with IV Gruppen, they rarely mention the Staffel or whether they were Executive Officers.

Peter: Source for 12 Staffel is Herr Ott who would have had access to the documentary sources