- Kamikaze
- “Divine Wind”. A kamikaze pilot would fly himself, his airplane and bomb(s) literally into an enemy target, preferably a US ships. This was a noble cause, considered a most honourable death for the emperor. Several thousands of kamikaze pilots died this way.
- Kampfgruppe
- Temporary military formation in the German army, composed of various units such as armoured division, infantry, artillery, anti-tank units and sometimes engineers, with a special assignment on the battlefield. These Kampfgruppen were usually named after the commander.
- Kampong
- Malayan word for village( in the vicinity of a city), neighbourhood, quarter, fenced off yard, living area.
- Kapo
- A Kapo was a prisoner in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany during World War 2 who was assigned to supervise other prisoners. A Kapo had to supervise the work of the prisoners and was responsible for their results on behalf of the SS.
- Katyn
- Wood near Smolensk in the Soviet Union. In 1943 the Germans found the bodies of approximately 4 ,400 executed Polish officers here, killed by the Russians.
- KdF car
- “Kraft durch Freude Wagen”, meaning Volkswagen Beetle designed by Ferdinand Porsche commissioned by Hitler. This car had to be affordable and available for every German.
- Kettenhunde
- “Chain dogs”. Nickname for German military police, the Feldgendarmerie. They wore a gorget, a distinctive chain with plaque stating “Feldgendarmerie”.
- Khalkhin Gol
- Area where the Soviet armies defeated the Japanese in a border war in 1938.
- KIA
- Killed in Action. Died due to hostile attack.
- KIAM
- Killed in Action, originally listed as Missing in Action, MIA. Killed in combat after being missing.
- KIAS
- Killed in Action, lost at sea.
- KIMAC
- Killed In Mid-Air Collision.
- King Kong
- Dutch (double) agent. Real name Christiaan Lindemans(1912-1946), suspect role in possible treason of the plans of Market Garden and his relationship with Prince Bernhard.
- Knijpkat (dyno torch)
- “dyno torch”. Electric torch that operates on a dynamo which is driven by continuous squeezing motions. At every squeeze the dyno torch produces a sound resembling a yowling cat.
- KNIL
- “Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger” meaning “Royal Netherlands East Indies Army” (1830-1950). Name of the Dutch army in the Netherlands East Indies.
- Knokploeg
- Literally ‘assault team’ (abbreviated KP) and the term used by the Dutch resistance for the many locally organized armed fighting groups that undertook various resistance actions, ranging from sabotage and assassination to stealing food stamps and forging false ID documents.
- Kreisauer Kreis
- Was a group of about twenty-five German dissidents led by Helmuth James von Moltke, who met at his estate in the rural town of Kreisau, Silesia.The circle was composed of men and a few women from a variety of backgrounds, including those of noble descent, devout Protestants and Catholics.
- Kremlin
- Soviet administrative centre in Moscow.
- Kriegsmarine
- Germa navy. Part of the Wehrmacht next to Heer and Luftwaffe.
- KRIPO
- Kriminalpolizei. Criminal investigation agency. Ordinary civilian police of Nazi Germany.
- Kristallnacht
- The night of 9-10 November 1938. Over 250 German synagogues were destroyed. Tens of thousands of Jews were arrested.
- Krupp
- German family of steel and weapon’s manufacturers.
- Kursk, battle of
- Place in the former Soviet Union. From 5-15 July 1943 the biggest tank battle of World War 2 took place here. This battle proved to be a final turn in the battle on the Eastern front.
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