Kampfgeschwader 2 Holzhammer (KG 2/Battle Wing 2) was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the Second World War.

[1] Broken down further, for the duration of the war KG 2 lost 1,228 killed, 688 missing, 656 wounded and with 214 captured, for a total of 2,786 in both combat and non-combat operations.

[4] The unit spent most of the summer training and recruiting personnel from the flight schools in night flying.

It also hit French Air Force airfields in Amiens, Reims, Champagne and Arras.

[1] On 3 June 1940 it participated in the huge aerial offensive against French air power in Operation Paula.

[6] The worst day of the western campaign for KG 2 was 27 May, when Major Werner Kreipe's III.

[citation needed] The Geschwader took part in the first large dogfight over the English Channel, on 10 July 1940 – the day usually considered to be the beginning of the Battle of Britain.

In an attack on Convoy "Bread", KG 2 sank two ships and one 700-ton sloop and damaged four RAF fighters.

[8] On 10 August, KG 2 attacked Convoy "Booty", losing three Dorniers and six damaged.

[9] On 13 August ("Eagle Day"), KG 2 took off at 4:50 am led by Geschwaderkommodore Johannes Fink to attack targets in southern Britain.

The weather was poor and German ground controllers ordered the fighters back to base.

Albert Kesselring had issued orders for bombers to abandon missions if their escorts did not show up.

But some Bf 109s from Erprobungsgruppe had not received the order either and Fink failed to turn back as he was not disobeying the directive.

Owing to the radar plotters missing the raiders, and the Observer Corps misjudging the bearing or route of the raid, the RAF failed to prevent the target being attacked.

[10] KG 2 claimed destroyed ten Supermarine Spitfires on the ground and wrecked the airfield.

It continued to strike at targets during the Blitz, before redeploying to Austria on 28 March 1941, to prepare for operations during the German invasion of Yugoslavia.

The commander of the Soviet Western Front, General Dmitriy Pavlov attempted a counterattack against Hermann Hoth's Panzergruppe 3.

In November 1942 it helped German forces occupy Vichy France during Case Anton.

It engaged in night attacks over Britain and dropping naval mines in the English Channel and along the British east coast.

By that time the Gruppe had struck at ports along the southern British coast which contained the Allied invasion fleets that were to launch the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944.

It used its new aircraft to bomb British cities and ports containing the Allied invasion fleets.

[6] II./KG 2 continued strategic and anti-shipping strikes until, owing to lack of resources, was dissolved at Reppen on 3 October 1944.

[6] During its air raids over Britain, KG 2 lost 65 of 88 crews in April – September 1942.