{"id":262,"date":"2012-04-08T20:58:58","date_gmt":"2012-04-08T19:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chronicles-of-the-luftwaffe.de\/?page_id=262"},"modified":"2018-03-29T15:08:20","modified_gmt":"2018-03-29T14:08:20","slug":"kampfgeschwader-100-wiking-i-kg-100-eastern-front-1943","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.chronicles-of-the-luftwaffe.de\/?page_id=262","title":{"rendered":"Kampfgeschwader 100 “Wiking” – I.\/KG 100 – Eastern Front (1943)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having received their replacement aircraft after their withdrawal from the front earlier, I.\/KG 100<\/em> was moved to the airfield of Stalino<\/em> – today known as Donezk<\/a> – by mid of April 1943. During May, the I.\/KG 100 was busy with nighttime operations dropping mines into the Volga River. In June 1943, I.\/KG 100<\/em> was part of regular air raids on the soviet oil fields and refineries near Saratov<\/a>. Another regular target – at least while flying from Stalino<\/em> again – was maritime traffic in the Caspian Sea.<\/em><\/p>\n

July 1943 was then to see the last major strategic offensive the Wehrmacht was able to launch in the east: Unternehmen Zitadelle<\/em> – the Battle of Kursk<\/em>. In support of this operation, I.\/KG 100<\/em> was relocated to the town of Poltova<\/a>. However, that only was a short intermezzo – by mid of July, the I.\/KG 100<\/em> was back in Stalino<\/em> to support defense against a Soviet offensive around the rivers Donets<\/em> and Mius<\/em>. Later, the I.\/KG 100<\/em> relocated to Kirovgrad<\/em> and then to Nikolajev<\/a>. \"\"<\/a>On October 21, 1943 the I.\/KG 100<\/em> was removed from the Geschwader and became the I.\/KG 4<\/em>. At the same time, the I.\/KG 4<\/em> became the new I.\/KG 100<\/em>– matter of fact a “switch” between the two Geschwader.<\/p>\n

Bibliography<\/h2>\n