Detachment Kuhlmey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey
Active	12 June 1944 - 13 August 1944
Country	Germany
Branch	Air Force
Type	Dive bomber, fighter-bomber, fighter aircraft
Role	Close air support, air superiority
Size	Air Force Wing
Engagements	Fourth Strategic Offensive
Commanders
Notable commanders	Kurt Kuhlmey (12.6.44 - 13.8.44)

Detachment Kuhlmey (German: Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey) was a temporary unit of the German Luftwaffe during World War 2. The unit was commanded by Oberstleutnant Kurt Kuhlmey and the detachment was built around the unit Schlachtgeschwader 3, which also was commanded by Kuhlmey.

The unit participated in large battles of summer 1944, during the Finnish-Soviet Continuation War. When the Soviet Red Army launched its fourth strategic offensive on 9 June 1944 C. G. E. Mannerheim asked Germany for help. Adolf Hitler send among others a Luftwaffe unit to Finland on 12 June. It arrived at the Immola air field on 17 June. The unit used the whole airfield from there on. The unit flew thousands of missions against the enemy and dropped several hundred tons of bombs on the enemy. It destroyed over 100 Soviet aircraft, about 200 tanks, dozens of bridges and transport vessels. 23 of the pilots died and 24 were wounded in battle. The unit lost 27 of its aircraft. The German unit doubled the fighter force on the Finnish side and helped challenge Soviet air superiority over the front.

The detachment consisted of some 70 airworthy aircraft, but its operational strength varied due to losses, additions and troop movements. The unclear structure is partly explained by the Luftwaffe replacement programs, where obsolete Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bombers were replaced by Focke-Wulf Fw 190 jabo's (fighter-bombers).

According to this, II/SG 3 was training at Jēkabpils, 2./I/SG 5 in Pori, and III and IV/JG 54 in Illesheim, and they could not participate in the fighting on the Karelian Isthmus. I/SG 3, which was in Finland, received new Fw 190 aircraft as soon as they left Finland for Tartu.

The following units and aircraft in Finland belonged to Detachment Kuhlmey:

I/SG 3: 33 Junkers Ju 87 D5 Stuka dive bombers
II/JG 54: 29–62 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 fighters
I/SG 5: 16 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-3 and F-8 jabos at Alakurtti.
I/NaGr 5: 1–8 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-8 reconnaissance aircraft

The transport squadron TGr.10 also belonged to the unit, and it consisted of 35 Savoia Marchetti SM.81/AR transport aircraft and a number of transport, liaison and reconnaissance aircraft.

The majority of the aircraft of the unit left Finland on 23 July, but I/SG 5 who stayed until 13 August. A memorial was raised at the Immola airfield on 23 July 1994 in memory of the unit.