Friday, November 1, 2019

Unidentified Emblem of IV/KG 54

These pictures show the, until now unidentified, emblem of IV.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 54 (KG 54) "Totenkopf". Pictures have been seen before, remain unidentified. Also the color of the shield was unknown. As usual within other IV. Gruppen, the base color of the shield was blue. The emblem was probably introduced at establishment of the Gruppe on 1 April 1941. These pictures originate from the time the Gruppe was based at Grottaglie between 1 March 1942 and 29 May 1943. The Gruppe trained new arrivals before they joined the other Gruppen. IV./KG 54 also flew patrols and convoy ptotection flights in the Mediterranean.
Kampfgeschwader 54 (KG 54) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. Its units participated on all of the fronts in the European Theatre until it was disbanded in May 1945. It operated two of the major German bomber types; the Heinkel He 111 and the Junkers Ju 88. Its unit insignia, sometimes displayed on a shield-like device, but more often depicted over a normal camouflage pattern, bore a strikingly close graphic resemblance to that of the 3rd SS Panzer Division, known by the same name.


Source :
"Luftwaffe im Focus" magazine - Edition No.1 (2002)
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