Kampfgeschwader 54 'Totenkopf'

Geschwaderkommodoren:

• Oberst Walter Lackner, 1 May 1939 - 19 May 1940
• ObLt. Otto Höhne, 22 Jun 1940 - 22 Nov 1941
• ObLt Walter Marienfeld, 23 Nov 1941 - 31 Mar 1943
• ObLt Volprecht Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach, 1 Apr 1943 - 9 Feb 1945
• Maj Hansgeorg Bätcher, 27 Feb 1945 - 8 Apr 1945

Stab:

Formed 1 May 1939 in Fritzlar from Stab/KG254. A Stabs-Staffel existed Apr 1940 - Jul 1940.

On 1 Oct 1944 redesignated Stab/KG(J)54.

Airfields and Air Base Locations
Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
1 May 1939 - Sep 1939	Fritzlar	Luftflotte 3	He 111P
Sep 1939 - Feb 1940	Gütersloh, Munstter-Handorf	4. Flieger-Division IV. Fliegerkorps (from 11 Oct 1939)	He 111P
Feb 1940 - 28 May 1940	Quackenbruck	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
28 May 1940 - 10 Jul 1940	Köln-Ostheim	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P, Ju 88A
10 Jul 1940 - 26 Jul 1940	Coulommiers	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
26 Jul 1940 - 1 Jun 1941	Evreux	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
1 Jun 1941 - 17 Jun 1941	Stubendorf	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
17 Jun 1941 - 12 Jul 1941	Swidnik	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
12 Jul 1941 - Aug 1941	Hranowka	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
Aug 1941 - 18 Oct 1941	Kirowograd	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
18 Oct 1941 - 17 Nov 1941	Dnjepropetrowsk-Nord	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
17 Nov 1941 - 21 Dec 1941	Memmingen	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
21 Dec 1941 - 21 May 1943	Catania	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
21 May 1943 - 1 Aug 1943	Grottaglie	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
1 Aug 1943 - 20 Sep 1943	Foggia	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
20 Sep 1943 - Oct 1943	Bergamo	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
Oct 1943 - Jan 1944	Ingolstadt	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
Jan 1944 - Jun 1944	Marx	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
Jun 1944 - 15 Aug 1944	Eindhoven	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
15 Aug 1944 - 22 Aug 1944	Orleans-Bricy	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
22 Aug 1944 - May 1945	Giebelstadt	IX. Fliegerkorps (J) 9. Flieger-Division (J) (from 26 Jan 1945)	Me 262A

I. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Maj Otto Höhne, 1 May 1939 - 21 Jun 1940
• Hptm Jobst Heinrich von Heydebreck, 22 Jun 1940 - 28 Feb 1941
• Hptm Richard Linke, 1 Mar 1941 - 19 Aug 1941
• Hptm Walter Freimann, 20 Aug 1941 - 10 Oct 1941
• Hptm Hans Widmann, 11 Oct 1941 - 25 Oct 1941
• Hptm Georg Graf von Platen, 26 Oct 1941 - 19 Nov 1942
• ObLt Helmut von Raven, 20 Nov 1942 - 13 Apr 1943
• Hptm Gerhard Molkentin, 14 Apr 1943 - 4 Oct 1943
• Maj Otfried Sehrt, 5 Oct 1943 - 25 Mar 1945
• Hptm Baasner, 26 Mar 1945 - 8 May 1945

Formed 1 May 1939 in Fritzlar from I./KG254 with:

Stab I./KG54 from Stab I./KG254
1./KG54 from 1./KG254
2./KG54 from 2./KG254
3./KG54 from 3./KG254

1 Oct 1944 redesignated I./KG(J)54.

Airfields and Air Base Locations
Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
1 May 1939 - 2 Sep 1939	Fritzlar	Luftflotte 3	He 111P
3 Sep 1939 - 5 Nov 1939	Lippspringe/Celle*	3. Flieger-Division IV. Fliegerkorps (from 11 Oct 1939)	He 111P
6 Nov 1939 - 14 Feb 1940	Delmenhorst	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
15 Feb 1940 - 17 May 1940	Quakenbruck	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
18 May 1940 - 30 May 1940	Werl	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
30 May 1940 - 10 Jun 1940	Werl/Barth	IV. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
10 Jun 1940 - 10 Jul 1940	Quakenbruck	IV. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
10 Jul 1940 - 26 Jul 1940	Coulommiers	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
26 Jul 1940 - 1 Jun 1941	Evreux	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
1 Jun 1941 - 17 Jun 1941	Stubendorf	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
17 Jun 1941 - 12 Jul 1941	Swidnik (near Lublin)	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
12 Jul 1941 - 28 Jul 1941	Hranowka (near Dubno)	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
28 Jul 1941 - 8 Aug 1941	Berditschew/Krasznowka	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
8 Aug 1941 - 1 Oct 1941	Ohlau	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
1 Oct 1941 - 18 Oct 1941	Kirowograd-Ost	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
18 Oct 1941 - 17 Nov 1941	Dnjepropetrowsk - Nord	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
17 Nov 1941 - 21 Dec 1941	Memmingen	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
21 Dec 1941 - 23 May 1942	Gerbini**	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
24 May 1942 - 7 Jul 1942	Comiso**	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
7 Jul 1942 - 13 Sep 1942	Gerbini	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
14 Sep 1942 - 20 Dec 1942	Catania	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
21 Dec 1942 - 17 Feb 1943	Piacenza	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
17 Feb 1943 - 5 Jun 1943	Catania	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
6 Jun 1943 - 12 Sep 1943	Ingolstadt/Manching	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
12 Sep 1943 - 13 Dec 1943	Novara-Olleggio	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
13 Dec 1943 - Jan 1944	Ingolstadt/Manching	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
Jan 1944 - 13 May 1944	Wittmund-Jever	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
13 May 1944 - 1 Jun 1944	Evreux/St. André	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
1 Jun 1944 - 6 Jun 1944	Wittmund-Jever	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
6 Jun 1944 - 25 Jul 1944	Juvincourt	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
25 Jul 1944 - 15 Aug 1944	Eindhoven	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
15 Aug 1944 - 22 Aug 1944	Orleans-Bricy	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
22 Aug 1944 - 28 Mar 1945	Giebelstadt	IX. Fliegerkorps (J) 9. Flieger-Division (J) (from 26 Jan 1945)	Me 262A
28 Mar 1945 - 14 Apr 1945	Zerbst	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A
14 Apr 1945 - 7 May 1945	Prag-Rusin	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A
7 May 1945 - 8 May 1945	Saaz	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A

* 2./KG54 at Neukuhren 8 Sep 1939 - 20 Sep 1939 (Luftwaffen-Lehr-Division)

** a detachment to Eleusis 20 May 1942, and the same detachment moved to Tympakion/Crete and Derna 1 Jun 1942, and returned to Comiso 21 Jul 1942

 

II. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• ObLt Rudolf Koester, Dec 1939 - 20 Jul 1940
• Maj Kurt Leonhardy, 20 Jul 1940 - 11 Aug 1940
• Hptm Karl-Bernhard Schlaeger, 12 Aug 1940 - Aug 1940
• Hptm Hans Widmann (acting), Aug 1940 - 14 Sep 1940
• Maj Erhart Krafft von Dellmensingen, 15 Sep 1940 - 17 Nov 1941
• Hptm Heinz Gehrke, Dec 1941 - 14 Feb 1942
• Hptm Otto Köhnke, 1 Mar 1942 - 27 Sep 1942
• Maj Richard Taubert, 1 Oct 1942 - 28 Mar 1943
• Maj Horst Bressel, 29 Mar 1943 - 23 Oct 1943
• Hptm Karl Palliardi, 24 Oct 1943 - 25 Apr 1944
• Hptm Ernst Petzold, 4 Jan 1945 - 8 May 1945

Formed Dec 1939 in Hoya from II./KG28 with:

Stab II./KG54 from Stab II./KG28



4./KG54 from 4./KG28
5./KG54 from 5./KG28
6./KG54 from 6./KG28

Disbanded 30 Apr 1944.

Reformed 5 Jan 1945 in Gardelegen as II./KG(J)54, from IV./KG54. Ordered disbanded 11 Apr 1945.

Airfields and Air Base Locations
Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
Dec 1939 - Jan 1940	Hoya	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
Jan 1940 - Mar 1940	Oldenburg	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
Mar 1940 - 16 Apr 1940	Celle	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
16 Apr 1940 - 17 May 1940	Varrelbusch	IV. Fliegerkorps X. Fliegerkorps (20 Apr 1940 to 2 May 1940)	He 111P
17 May 1940 - 3 Jun 1940	Gütersloh	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
3 Jun 1940 - 15 Jul 1940	Celle	IV. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
15 Jul 1940 - 27 Jul 1940	Coulommiers	IV. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
27 Jul 1940 - 14 Apr 1941	St. André	IV. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
14 Apr 1941 - 26 May 1941	Bretigny	IV. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
26 May 1941 - 1 Jun 1941	Lannion	Fl. Fü. Atlantik	Ju 88A
1 Jun 1941 - 17 Jun 1941	Stubendorf	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
17 Jun 1941 - 15 Jul 1941	Swidnik (near Lublin)	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
15 Jul 1941 - 17 Jul 1941	Hranowka (near Dubno)	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
17 Jul 1941 - 25 Aug 1941	Bjelaja Zerkow/Berditschew-Ost	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
25 Aug 1941 - 30 Aug 1941	Shitomir/Kanatow	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
30 Aug 1941 - 10 Nov 1941	Kirowograd-Nord	V. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
10 Nov 1941 - 31 Dec 1941	Landsberg-Lech	VIII. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
31 Dec 1941 - 20 Jan 1942	Konigsberg-Neuhausen	VIII. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
20 Jan 1942 - 30 May 1942	Orscha-Süd	VIII. Fliegerkorps Luftwaffenkommando Ost (from 10 Apr 1942)	Ju 88A
30 May 1942 - 10 Jun 1942	Seschtschinskaja	Luftwaffenkommando Ost	Ju 88A
10 Jun 1942 - 22 Jun 1942	Bryansk	Luftwaffenkommando Ost	Ju 88A
22 Jun 1942 - 9 Jul 1942	Charkov	VIII. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
9 Jul 1942 - 16 Aug 1942	Beauvais	Luftflotte 3	Ju 88A
16 Aug 1942 - 27 Oct 1942	Chatalowka	Luftwaffenkommando Ost	Ju 88A
27 Oct 1942 - 26 May 1943	Catania	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
26 May 1943 - 9 Oct 1943	Wien-Aspern	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
9 Oct 1943 - 12 Dec 1943	Bergamo	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
12 Dec 1943 - 23 Dec 1943	Ingolstadt/Manching	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
23 Dec 1943 - 6 Apr 1944	Marx-Laon/Athies	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
6 Apr 1944 - 30 Apr 1944	Flensburg-Weiche	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
5 Jan 1945 - 13 Jan 1945	Gardelegen	IX. Fliegerkorps (J)	Me 262A
13 Jan 1945 - 28 Mar 1945	Kitzingen	IX. Fliegerkorps (J) 9. Flieger-Division (J) (from 26 Jan 1945)	Me 262A
28 Mar 1945 - 21 Apr 1945	Furstenfeldbruck*	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A
21 Apr 1945 - 30 Apr 1945	Waltersdorf-Miesbach	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A
30 Apr 1945 - 3 May 1945	Fischbachau-Schliersee	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A

28 Mar 1945 - 29 Apr 1945 detachment at Prag-Rusin. 4./KG54 was detached to Neuburg/Donau between 28 Mar 1945 - 20 Apr 1945.

III. Gruppe:

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Maj Adolf Häring, 1 Feb 1940 - 9 Jun 1940
• Maj Kurt Leonhardy, 10 Jun 1940 - 19 Jul 1940
• Maj Richard Linke, 1 Sep 1942 - 17 Sep 1942
• Maj Kurt Stein, 18 Sep 1942 - 12 Oct 1942
• Hptm Franz Ibold, 15 Oct 1942 - 2 Feb 1943
• Hptm Hermann Donandt, 3 Feb 1943 - 31 Mar 1943
• Maj Franz Zauner, 1 Apr 1943 - 30 Sep 1944
• Hptm Eduard Brogsitter, 1 Oct 1944 - 8 May 1945

Formed 1 Feb 1940 in Wiener-Neustadt with:

Stab III./KG54 new



7./KG54 new
8./KG54 new
9./KG54 new

Disbanded Jul 1940.

Reformed 1 Sep 1942 in Catania from Kampfgruppe 806 with:

Stab III./KG54 from Stab/KGr.806
7./KG54 from 1./KGr.806
8./KG54 from 2./KGr.806
9./KG54 from 3./KGr.806

1 Oct 1944 redesignated III./KG(J)54.

Airfields and Air Base Locations
Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
1 Feb 1940 - 18 Mar 1940	Wiener-Neustadt	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
18 Mar 1940 - 1 Apr 1940	Celle	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
1 Apr 1940 - 8 Apr 1940	Bissel	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
8 Apr 1940 - 17 May 1940	Vechta	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
17 May 1940 - 28 May 1940	Munstter-Handorf	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
28 May 1940 - 20 Jun 1940	Köln-Ostheim	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
20 Jun 1940 - 11 Jul 1940	Le Bourget	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
11 Jul 1940 - 13 Jul 1940	Köln-Ostheim	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
13 Jul 1940 - Jul 1940	Munstter	IV. Fliegerkorps	He 111P
1 Sep 1942 - 21 Feb 1943	Catania	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
21 Feb 1943 - 21 May 1943	Piacenza	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
21 May 1943 - 1 Aug 1943	Grottaglie	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
1 Aug 1943 - 20 Sep 1943	Foggia	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
20 Sep 1943 - 26 Oct 1943	Bergamo	II. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
26 Oct 1943 - 1 Apr 1944	Ingolstadt-Manching	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
1 Apr 1944 - 6 Sep 1944	Marx	IX. Fliegerkorps	Ju 88A
6 Sep 1944 - 21 Apr 1945	Neuburg/Donau	IX. Fliegerkorps 9. Flieger-Division (J) (from 26 Jan 1945)	Me 262A
21 Apr 1945 - 1 May 1945	Erding	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A
1 May 1945 - 3 May 1945	Prien/Chiemsee	9. Flieger-Division (J)	Me 262A

IV. (Ergänzungsgruppe):

Gruppenkommandeure:

• Olt Günther von Boekmann, 11 Jul 1940 - 30 Nov 1940
• Hptm Hans Widmann, 1 Dec 1940 - 8 Oct 1941
• Hptm Heinz Gehrke, 9 Oct 1941 - 1 Dec 1941
• Hptm Heinz Krenkel, 2 Dec 1941 - 30 Oct 1942
• Hptm Franz Zauner, 1 Nov 1942 - 31 Mar 1943
• Hptm Georg Graf von Platen, 1 Apr 1943 - 19 Apr 1943
• Maj Helmut Stamm, 20 Apr 1943 - 20 Oct 1944

The Ergänzungsstaffel/KG54 was formed 11 Jul 1940 in Lagerlechfeld (near Augsburg), and on 1 Oct 1940 became 10./KG54. 11./KG54 was formed 1 Mar 1941. Stab IV./KG54 and 12./KG54 was formed 1 Apr 1941, and the Gruppe was now fully formed:

Stab IV./KG54
10./KG54
11./KG54
12./KG54

On 20 Oct 1944 renamed II./KG(J) 54:

Stab IV./KG54 became Stab II./KG(J)54
10./KG54 became 4./KG(J)54
11./KG54 became 5./KG(J)54
12./KG54 became 6./KG(J)54

Airfields and Air Base Locations
Date	Location	Gruppe	Aircraft Used
11 Jul 1940 - 9 Feb 1942	Lagerlechfeld*	Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte (from Mar 1941)	He 111P, Ju 88A
10 Feb 1942 - 1 Mar 1942	Ingolstadt/Manching	Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte	Ju 88A
1 Mar 1942 - 19 May 1943	Grottaglie	Luftflotte 2	Ju 88A
19 May 1943 - 29 May 1943	Istres	Luftflotte 2	Ju 88A
29 May 1943 - 17 Dec 1943	Parndorf	Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte	Ju 88A
17 Dec 1943 - 20 Oct 1944	Gardelegen	Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte Luftflotte Reich (from Jan 1944)	Ju 88A

* 12./KG54 at Barth, 1 Apr 1941 - 1 Jun 1941

Flughafenbetriebskompanien der KG54

• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, Stab/KG54
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, I./KG54
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, II./KG54
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, III./KG54
• Flugzeugbestand und Bewegungsmeldungen, IV./KG54