Kollewe, Gerhard (Kampf-Lehrgeschwader 1)

Date of birth:: March 3rd, 1912 (Deutsch-Kruschin/Westprussia, Germany)
Date of death:: October 17th, 1942 (over Malte, Mediterranean)
Buried on:: German War Graves Cagliari
Nationality:: German

Biography

Gerhard Kollewe was posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant. He was killed in action on October 17th, 1942 and has been buried as an unknown soldier at the German War Cemetery Cagliari.

01.04.1931: entered service with Inf.Rgt. 7 as a gunner
01.08.1932: became an officer candidate
01.03.1934: promoted to Leutnant
00.07.1935: transferred from the Heer to the Luftwaffe in the rank of Leutnant
00.00.1936: transferred to I./ St.G. 162
01.04.1936: promoted to Oberleutnant
00.00.1937-00.00.1938: in St.G. 163 (later St.G. 2)
20.07.1938-30.08.1938: transferred to Spain for service with J/88 of the Legion Condor
00.00.1939: Staka, 4.(St)/ Tr.Gr. 186
16.09.1939: Oblt. in 12./ LG 1, awarded the E.K. II
01.10.1939: promoted to Hauptmann with RDA of 01.08.1939
18.11.1939: Hptm., Staka 12./ LG 1, transferred from IV.(Stuka)/ LG 1 to I./ Lehrgruppe 88
10.04.1940-13.08.1940: Hptm., Kdr. III./ KG 30
01.08.1940-23.09.1940: Hptm., Kdr., Erg.Stukagruppe Jesau
01.12.1940-17.10.1942: Hptm., Kdr., II./ LG 1
15.06.1941: involved in the damage inflicted on HMS Isis and HMS Ilex
05.07.1941: Hptm., awarded Ritterkreuz, Kdr. II./ LG 1
01.04.1942: promoted to Major
12.08.1942: Major, awarded Eichenlaub, Kdr. II./ LG 1
17.10.1942: Major, Kdr. II./ LG 1, KIA, when Ju 88 A-4 Werknummer 141.033 coded 'L1+YC' was shot down by fighters of 126 and 249 Sqdn.s during an attack on Malta and crashed into sea between Salina Bay and La Valetta
Remaining crew:
-Feldwebel Bernhard Mähler, Beobachter, KIA
-Oberfeldwebel Martin Assum, Bordfunker, POW
-Feldwebel Paul Ballof, gunner, POW
The crew later claimed that he had been machine-gunned in the water by a British fighter
Pilot credited with an estimated 250 missions
00.11.1942: posthumously promo to Oberstleutnant

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Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4.Klasse, 4 Jahre

Awarded on:: October 2nd, 1936

Flugzeugführerabzeichen

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Medalla de la Campaña de España 1936-1939

Period:: Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Awarded on:: 1939

Spanienkreuz, Silber mit Schwertern

Period:: Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Rank:: Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:: J/88, Legion Condor, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: June 6th, 1939

Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:: 12. Staffel, Lehr-Geschwader 1
Awarded on:: September 16th, 1939

3 September 1939 participated in the sinking of the Polish destroyer OPR Wicher and minelayer ORP Gryf in the port of Gdynia

Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: September 1939

Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
Awarded on:: June 16th, 1941

In the eastern Mediterranean, German bombers fought under the command of Captain Kollewe particularly successful against a task force of British warships. They sank a light cruiser with four bomb hits of heavy caliber and damaged a heavy cruiser.

Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Gold

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
Unit:: Kommandeur, II. Gruppe, Lehrgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: July 5th, 1941

Awarded for his successes against shipping around Crete. In this time, on the 15.06.1941, he damaged the British destroyers HMS Isis and HMS Ilex. His pilots also sank a number of enemy vessels.

Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Major (Squadron Leader)
Unit:: Kommandeur, II. Gruppe, Kampf-Lehrgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: August 12th, 1942

Awarded for the successes of his Gruppe against shipping in the Mediterranean. By this time they had sunk 148000 GRT worth of merchant shipping and two destroyers. In the same period the Gruppe had damaged a further 203500 GRT worth of merchant shipping as well as 3 battleships, 8 heavy cruisers, 5 light cruisers and 9 destroyers.

112th Award.

Sources

Photo 1: Wilco Vermeer
Photo: Wilco Vermeer, the Netherlands
- FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
- THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
- Feldgrau.com
- Volksbund