Kurt Kuhlmey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kurt Kuhlmey
19 November 1913(1913-11-19) — 30 April 1993 (aged 79)
Place of birth	Insterburg, East Prussia
Place of death	Bonn
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1934-1945, 1956-1971
Rank	Oberst
Commands held	1./StG 1, II/SG 3, SG 3, SG 2
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland (1939) Battle of France Battle of Norway Battle of Britain Battle of Malta
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	Generalmajor in the Bundeswehr

Kurt Kuhlmey (19 November 1913 – 30 April 1993) was one of the most famous Stuka pilots of World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in July 1942.

Kuhlmey began his pilot career at the age of 15, when he began flying glider aircraft. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1934, where he was trained as a combat pilot. He was transferred in 1936 to the 162th dive bomber division in Schwer, where he began flying Stukas.

He participated in the campaigns in Poland, Norway, France, Great Britain, Soviet Union, and Finland, where he and his division arrived on 12 June 1944. Detachment Kuhlmey's actions in Finland was of great importance for the outcome of the Continuation War. The unit played an instrumental role in the halting of the Soviet fourth strategic offensive at the battles at Tali and Ihantala. The unit's merits were not recognized for a long time in Finland, due to the difficult position Finland was in during and after the war. At the end of the war he held the rank of colonel.

Kuhlmey joined the West German Air Force after WWII and retired a major general.

[edit] References

Military offices
Preceded by none	Commander of Schlachtgeschwader 3 October 18, 1943 – December 15, 1944	Succeeded by Major Bernhard Hamester
Preceded by Oberstleutnant Friedrich Lang	Commander of Schlachtgeschwader 2 Immelmann March 14, 1945 – April 20, 1945	Succeeded by Hans-Ulrich Rudel